By: Eddie Ramos | January 28, 2022 6:00 AM

56 Of The Greatest Actors Face-Off

The Modern Actor, coaching, and lifestyle brand polled its thousands of global actors to determine the best and the worst actors matched against each other by skill.

Ian McKellen vs Ralph Fiennes

Sir Ian McKellen (Burnley, UK) -- 56.8% 👑

You Shall Not Pass…Ian McKellen. The 82-year-old actor was the overall winner. Voters probably haven’t forgotten how his career spans over seven decades. That’s a lot of years of kicking butt.

Ralph Fiennes (Ipswich, UK) -- 43.2%

Ralph Fiennes is a phenomenal English actor who has become the “It” actor of his generation. Just couldn’t pull out the win here.

Javier Bardem vs Antonio Banderas

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Javier Bardem (Gran Canaria, Spain) -- 67.6% 👑

Bardem won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the psychopathic assassin in No Country For Old Men.

Antonio Bandera (Malaga, Spain) -- 32.4%

Antonio Banderas was one of the leading men of Hollywood in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Had this poll been done 20 years ago, these results would be flipped.

Joaquin Phoenix vs Adrien Brody

Joaquin Phoenix (San Juan, PR) -- 89.2% 👑

He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Adrien Brody (Queens, NY) -- 10.8%

This was a tough one for me as I am both Puerto Rican and born and raised in Queens.

Tom Hanks vs George Clooney

Tom Hanks (Concordia, CA) -- 81.1% 👑

Hanks is known as the nicest actor in America, and frankly, he deserves it. This poll was one of my favorites. Beloved actor Tom Hanks has been nominated for six career Oscars and won twice.

George Clooney (Lexington, KY) -- 18.9%

Still my favorite Batman. 〴 ⋋_⋌ 〵

Russell Crowe vs Liam Neeson

Russell Crowe (Wellington, New Zealand) -- 72.7% 👑

Maximus! Maximus! Russell Crowe has acted in blockbuster films such as Gladiator (2000), a historical epic for which he won the Academy Award.

Liam Neeson (Ballymena, UK) -- 27.3%

Pollers who voted against this man haven’t been seen since. 😬

Djimon Hounsou vs Ken Watanabe

Djimon Hounsou (Cotonou, Benin) -- 81.8% 👑

I will watch any movie either of these guys are in. Hounsou got his start as a model—fashion designer Thierry Mugler discovered him in Paris—but acting had been a passion since childhood, when, despite being "quite shy," he appeared in school plays in Africa. "I felt that acting got me out of my skin," says the 53-year-old.

Ken Watanabe (Hirokami, Japan) -- 18.2%

After graduating from high school in 1978, Watanabe moved to Tokyo to begin his acting career, getting his big break with the Tokyo-based theater troupe En. While with the troupe, he was cast as the hero in the play Shimodani Mannencho Monogatari, under Yukio Ninagawa's direction.

Robert DeNiro vs Al Pacino

Robert DeNiro (Greenwich Village, NY) -- 77.3% 👑

If you haven’t heard of this guy you’ve been living under a rock. Nicknames Bobby D, Kid Monroe.

Al Pacino (East Harlem, NY) -- 22.7%

Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making him one of the few performers to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting.

Dustin Hoffman vs Sean Penn

Dustin Hoffman (Los Angeles, CA) -- 63.6% 👑

From The Graduate to The Winner. This one shocked me, but I guess fans of Dustin Hoffman remember his roles in Midnight Cowboy and Tootsie.

Sean Penn (Santa Monica, CA) -- 36.4%

In 1982 Sean Penn played the stoner and surfer Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Shia Lebeouf gave a legendary Spicoli performance over the pandemic.

Heath Ledgers vs Colin Farrell

Heath Ledger (Perth, Australia) -- 82.4% 👑

During the famous hospital scene when The Joker is seen dressed up as a nurse, his name tag reads Matilda, the name of his daughter. Rip King.

Colin Farrell (Castleknock, Ireland) -- 17.6%

He first appeared in the BBC drama series Ballykissangel, then made his film debut in the drama film The War Zone, and was discovered by Hollywood upon taking the lead role in the war drama film Tigerland.

Mads Mikkelsen vs Irrfan Khan

Mads Mikkelsen (Østerbro, Denmark) -- 68.8% 👑

“If you're not bruised up, then you're not doing an action film in a real way.”

Irrfan Khan (Tonk, India) -- 31.2%

“The key to a happy life is to accept you are never actually in control.”

Matt Damon vs Tom Cruise

Matt Damon (Cambridge, MA) -- 60% 👑

How do you like them apples? My old boss took this win easily.

Tom Cruise (Syracuse, NY) -- 40%

I’ve always liked Tom Cruise and he’s one of the last actors to be “discovered.”

Marlon Brando vs Clint Eastwood

Marlon Brando (Omaha, NE) -- 53.3% 👑

Marlon Brando changed acting for good. Made the voters an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Clint Eastwood (San Francisco, CA) -- 46.7%

91 years old and still destroying Hollywood! Save this man at all costs.

Gary Oldman vs Michael Caine

Gary Oldman (London, UK) -- 75% 👑

Gary Oldman won his first Oscar on Sunday for his performance as British wartime leader Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.”

Michael Caine (Rotherhithe, UK) -- 25%

I couldn’t believe this loss. Caine couldn’t beat out Mr. Oldman.

Christoph Waltz vs Stellan Skarsgård

Christoph Waltz (Vienna, Austria) -- 100% 👑

Pretty sure this man was born to be Quentin Tarantino’s muse in Inglorious Basterds.

Stellan Skarsgård (Gotenberg, Sweden) -- 0%

This was just a slap in the face. The man birthed 2 other great actors. The royal family of acting. Think about how entertaining family dinners must be?

Denzel Washington vs Jamie Foxx

Denzel Washington (Mount Vernon, NY) --83.3% 👑

The goat. 🐐

Jamie Foxx (Terrell, TX) -- 16.7%

This head to head is the closest one to being a passing of the torch. With an Oscar win under his belt, Jamie Foxx has been a dynamic actor from his days on In Living Color.

Brad Pitt vs Matthew Mcconaughey

Brad Pitt (Shawnee, OK) -- 75% 👑

Matthew Mcconaughey (Uvalde, TX) -- 25%

Alright…alright…alright. The people have spoken.

Christian Bale vs Hugh Jackman

Christian Bale (Haverford, UK) -- 80% 👑

This was a tough one. But yes Batman beats Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman (Sydney, Australia) -- 20%

Amazing actor. I wasn't a trained singer," Jackman said before joking that he is just pretending when onstage. "I've learned as an adult so I have to do that all the time. I sing every day. I have singing lessons every week.

Oscar Issac vs Pedro Pascal

Oscar Issac (Guatemala City, Guatemala) -- 54.5% 👑

Pedro Pascal (Santiago, Chile) -- 45.5%

Benicio Del Toro vs John Travolta

Benicio Del Toro (San Germán, Puerto Rico) -- 81.8% 👑

John Travolta (Englewood, NY) -- 18.2%

Best roles ranked: 1. Vincent Vega - Pulp Fiction (1994) 2. Tony Manero - Saturday Night Fever (1977) 3. Danny Zuko - Grease (1978)

Leonardo DiCaprio vs Robert Downey Jr.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Los Angeles, CA) -- 90.9% 👑

DiCaprio has become synonymous with great acting so it would be hard to compare any actor with him. Leo is still finding great success with a late Oscar win for The Revenant.

Robert Downey Jr. (New York, NY) -- 9.1%

RDJ is the poster boy for Hollywood come-back stories. Making his big splash with Iron Man and The Avengers, Downey Jr found his place at the top of people’s minds again.

Anthony Hopkins vs Daniel Day-Lewis

Anthony Hopkins (Margam, UK) -- 66.7% 👑

In 1993, Anthony Hopkins was knighted, but he renounced the title seven years later. After starring in "The Silence of the Lambs," Hopkins received his knighthood. ... However, in 2000, Hopkins became an American citizen and had to renounce his knighthood.

Daniel Day-Lewis (Kensington, UK) -- 33.3%

This was wild. Day-Lewis is the only male actor in history to win the Oscar for Best Actor three times. Lewis earned the trio of honors for “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and “Lincoln” (2012). I thought he would be able to eke out a win.

Hugo Weaving vs Vincent Cassell

Hugo Weaving (Ibadan, Nigeria) -- 50% 👑

Vincent Cassell (Paris, France) -- 50%

Robin Williams vs Philip Seymour Hoffman

Robin Williams (Chicago, IL) -- 83.3% 👑

Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, he is regarded as one of the best comedians of all time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Fairport, NY) -- 16.7%

The late and great PSH. “Sometimes being an actor is like being some kind of detective where you're on the search for a secret that will unlock the character.”

Tommy Lee Jones vs Harrison Ford

Tommy Lee Jones (San Saba, TX) -- 66.7% 👑

Harrison Ford (Chicago, IL) -- 33.3%

Tom Hardy vs Keanu Reeves

Tom Hardy (London, UK) -- 53.8% 👑

4 Most Notable Tom Hardy Roles, Ranked

Farrier from Dunkirk (2017)
Eames from Inception (2010)
Alfie Solomons from Peaky Blinders (2014)
Max Rockatansky from Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Keanu Reeves (Toronto, Canada) -- 46.2%

4 Most Notable Keanu Reeves Roles, Ranked

"The Matrix" (1999) Getty Images
"John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017) Getty Images.
"Speed" (1994)
"John Wick" (2014)

Gael Garcia Bernal vs Diego Luna

Gael Garcia Bernal (Guadalajara, Mexico) --53.8%👑

Diego Luna (Toluca, Mexico) -- 46.2%

Will Smith vs Samuel L Jackson

Will Smith (Philadelphia, PA) -- 69.2% 👑

Smith is making his Oscar run in 2022 for his new film King Richard.

Samuel L Jackson (Washington, D.C.) -- 30.8%

Josh Brolin vs Jeff Bridges

Josh Brolin (Santa Monica, CA) -- 61.5% 👑

Son of actor James Brolin.

Jeff Bridges (Los Angeles, CA) -- 38.5%

Son of actor Lloyd Bridges.

Who’s The Better Actor?

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56 Of The Greatest Actors Face Off: Who’s The Better Actor? (Photos)

A list of 56 of the greatest actors face off — according to a poll crowdsourced by The Modern Actor Community. This poll includes photos of the actors matched against each other to find out who’s the better actor.