Best Actor in a TV Series, All Time

[Bulldog]

I nominate Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet.

[InchoateHand]

[ QUOTE ]
I nominate Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet.

[/ QUOTE ]

If only he could act.

[Jack of Arcades]

Ted Danson - Cheers.

["spaceman"Bryce]

I really wanna nominate someone but i cant think of anyone good to nominate.MY mind is blown away by the implications of this question....

[scotty34]

Jerry Seinfeld - Seinfeld

[fluxrad]

By far it's Keifer Southerland in 24.

I have never seen someone come up with so many intellectually stimulating ways to say, "TELL ME WHERE THE BOMB IS?!?!" week after action-packed week!

Ok. Seriously...

I'm going to go with Martin Sheen.

[BellyBuster7]

David Hasselhoff- Knight Rider

Runner up: David Hasselhoff- Baywatch

[Nick-Zack]

William Shatner - Star Trek

[chaas4747]

No I understand, you are [censored] German.

[InchoateHand]

[ QUOTE ]
Jerry Seinfeld - Seinfeld

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm going with either Gearge or Kramer before Jerry.

[fluxrad]

[ QUOTE ]
William Shatner - Star Trek

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored]. I'm going to have to change my answer from Martin Sheen to Patrick Stewart.

[BWebb]

[ QUOTE ]
I nominate Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is who I thought of before I opened the thread. Gandolphini is pretty damn good as Tony Soprano as well.

["spaceman"Bryce]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I nominate Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is who I thought of before I opened the thread. Gandolphini is pretty damn good as Tony Soprano as well.

[/ QUOTE ]
I pick gandolfini.Thanks

[swede123]

Two come to mind:

Jimi Smits in NYPD Blue
Andre Braugher in Homicide: Life on the Street

Swede

[InchoateHand]

[ QUOTE ]
Gandolphini is pretty damn good as Tony Soprano as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good pick.

[touchfaith]

Sighhhhh, how soon they forget... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

http://members.shaw.ca/celebritywash/Photos/wallpaper-ponch.jpg

[Bulldog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
William Shatner - Star Trek

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored]. I'm going to have to change my answer from Martin Sheen to Patrick Stewart.

[/ QUOTE ]

Captain Picard. Hmmm. Definitely in the running, IMHO. Also, Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz.

[shant]

This is really no contest. It's Mr. Belvedere.

[AngryCola]

<---

[InchoateHand]

[ QUOTE ]
<---

[/ QUOTE ]

He did a series?

[swede123]

You live a sheltered life, don't you?

Swede

[Pocket Trips]

Dustin Diamond aka "skreech" on Saved By the Bell.

there HAS to be a reason why he was the only one of the original kids to be incuded in "the new class" right?

[fluxrad]

http://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/cont_grf/wernerklemperer.jpg

Werner Klemperer

Game over man.

[InchoateHand]

http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/entertainers/child-stars/gary-coleman/arnoldjethro.jpg

[M2d]

Three nominees

mario lopez-Saved by the Bell
andy kaufman-Taxi
<font color="white">this is actually my real answer </font>

scott baio-charles in charge

[InchoateHand]

[ QUOTE ]
You live a sheltered life, don't you?

Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

No but explain the comment.

[InchoateHand]

http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/fonz.jpg

[swede123]

Someone who didn't watch Miami Vice must have lived a sheltered life.

Swede

[BellyBuster7]

http://www.february-7.com/warehouse/knightrider&amp;arnoldjackson.jpg

[InchoateHand]

[ QUOTE ]
Someone who didn't watch Miami Vice must have lived a sheltered life.

Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

I forgot he had a part in that.

[Beerfund]

http://sodki.org/imagens/humor/homer_simpson.gif

[InchoateHand]

http://www.nndb.com/people/227/000025152/mr-t-buff.jpg

[bholdr]

[ QUOTE ]
Gandolphini is pretty damn good as Tony Soprano as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

[busguy]

Alan Alda in M.A.S.H . . . and it is not even close


busguy

[fluxrad]

Alda wasn't very good in M.A.S.H.

Then again, I was completely spoiled by Donald Southerland in the movie.

[adamstewart]

[ QUOTE ]
Jerry Seinfeld - Seinfeld

[/ QUOTE ]


You know, Jerry Seinfeld is incedibly funny, but I've never thought his acting ability is very good - especially when he 'acts' excited.


My vote goes for George or Kramer first.


Adam

[adamstewart]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Gandolphini is pretty damn good as Tony Soprano as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good pick.

[/ QUOTE ]


Ah yes,... very good.


Adam

[Roy Munson]

For being one of the great masters of profanity and charismatic viciousness, Ian McShane of Deadwood is tough to top.

On the other hand no actor in 40+ years of television viewing has eclipsed the range and depth of the great Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster.

[augie00]

Alan Alda as Hawk-Eye in M*A*S*H

[ClassicBob]

Eammon Walker as Kareem Said - "Oz"

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
Captain Picard. Hmmm. Definitely in the running, IMHO.

[/ QUOTE ]
Look, I like Star Trek a lot, but huh? Avery Brooks, IMO, had the best overall perfomance in any of the Star Trek serieses(?). Not the best show, but the best performance.

[NLSoldier]

George Costanza

[ucfryan]

Might not've been the best actor on the show, but I loved the character that David Caruso played on NYPD Blue (John Kelly). Otherwise I'd go with Smits or Franz from NYPD Blue. Sam Waterston (McCoy) from Law and Order and David Duchovny from X-Files too.

[swede123]

[ QUOTE ]

Look, I like Star Trek a lot, but huh? Avery Brooks, IMO, had the best overall perfomance in any of the Star Trek serieses(?). Not the best show, but the best performance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Avery Brooks did a fine job as Cpt Sisko, and I have to disagree with you re. the show as a whole. In my opinion DS9 was by far the best Star Trek show, containing the best written characters, great use of humor, and interesting ongoing plots from episode to episode.

Swede

[astroglide]

DS9 bored me to tears for the early seasons and i never watched the later ones much because of it

WORMHOLE WORMHOLE EVERYBODY!

WE'RE GOING TO GET SUCKED INTO THE WORMHOLE!

SOMETHING CAME IN THE WORMHOLE TOWARD US!

THE WORMHOLE IS CLOSING!

everything had to do with the wormhole or ferrengi/bar economics, it gold old fast with the static set and singular source of content.

[Michael Davis]

Carl Weathers, Street Justice.

-Michael

[Kirg]

http://www.wchstv.com/abc/bostonlegal/williamshatner.jpg

Denny Crane!

[purnell]

Danny DeVito as Louie D.

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
William Shatner - Star Trek

[/ QUOTE ]

[deacsoft]

[ QUOTE ]
Jimi Smits in NYPD Blue

[/ QUOTE ]

David Caruso &gt; Jimi Smits

[maryfield48]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.wchstv.com/abc/bostonlegal/williamshatner.jpg

Denny Crane!

[/ QUOTE ]

[Chobohoya]

[ QUOTE ]
Alda wasn't very good in M.A.S.H.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you nuts? Alda was the man on MASH. Just cause the movie was good doesn't mean you have to hate on the TV series.

[slickpoppa]

http://www.tinseltown.com.au/images/kramerpf.jpg

[willie]

gandolfini

[fnord_too]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Look, I like Star Trek a lot, but huh? Avery Brooks, IMO, had the best overall perfomance in any of the Star Trek serieses(?). Not the best show, but the best performance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Avery Brooks did a fine job as Cpt Sisko, and I have to disagree with you re. the show as a whole. In my opinion DS9 was by far the best Star Trek show, containing the best written characters, great use of humor, and interesting ongoing plots from episode to episode.

Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

Second that. I think Garak (sp?) was probably the best acted on that show, but they had a lot of good performances on that show.

I am still wracking my brain trying to think of the best of all time, though.

[mostsmooth]

im just starting to think, but so far its peter faulk as columbo

[mostsmooth]

christopher lloyd as reverend jim on taxi
andy kaufman and danny devito get honorable mention

[mostsmooth]

archie bunker

[Los Feliz Slim]

Jerry Orbach as Detective Lenny Briscoe on "Law and Order".

Rest in peace, Jerry O.

[Peca277]

It is easily Richard Dean Anderson as MacGuyver.

[Ringo_Mojo]

[ QUOTE ]
William Shatner - Boston Legal

[/ QUOTE ]

Fixed your post.

[DCJ311]

Hugh Laurie- House M.D.

Best Show Ever

[The Stranger]

Jim Arness in Gunsmoke.

http://www.cowboydirectory.com/A/arness-jim.gif

[Blarg]

David Janssen in The Fugitive and in I think it was called, O'Hara, Private Eye or something.

Ray Sharkey and I guess it was Kevin Spacey in Wiseguy were also truly phenomenal. (I think those are the guys.) Just fantastic acting...the kind of thing where you were on the edge of your seat for every second in a lot of their scenes. Nothing like normal t.v. at all.

Oh, and Don Knotts in Mayberry, R.F.D. That guy is a friggin genius. Try doing more than a second or two of a Don Knotts impression yourself one day. It's incredibly hard, unless you're totally unobservant.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Alda wasn't very good in M.A.S.H.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you nuts? Alda was the man on MASH. Just cause the movie was good doesn't mean you have to hate on the TV series.

[/ QUOTE ]

Alda was the man on Mash the way Fonzie was the man on Happy Days -- a cliche that grew more and more grating and more central to every show till he took over, and then became unstoppably annoying. Alda's gotta be one of the most annoying, predictable actors ever. Wayne Rogers as Trapper John was much better; the show took a huge step downhill when he left and it effectively became "The Alan Alda Show."

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/cont_grf/wernerklemperer.jpg

Werner Klemperer

Game over man.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was definitely great!

Very funny and talented.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Three nominees

mario lopez-Saved by the Bell
andy kaufman-Taxi
<font color="white">this is actually my real answer </font>

scott baio-charles in charge

[/ QUOTE ]

Scott Baio -- that's the funniest thing I'll probably read today.

[diddle]

The Shield

Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey

[JGalt]

http://www.dacre.org/stills/webtv/Mul3810.jpg

[Alobar]

does it have to be a dude, I really wanna nominate fran dresher

[Gabe]

Yeah, Don Knotts. His Barney Fife is the best character ever on TV.

[shemp]

[ QUOTE ]
I nominate Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet.

[/ QUOTE ]
I've never seen Jed Bartlett, unless it was the dude on the Beverly HillBillies.

I CANNOT believe that I haven't seen mention of Columbo, which I think was spectacular tv. Within an incredibly constrictive format, they managed to create an excellent product.

[Blarg]

I had thought of mentioning Columbo. Peter Falk was great in that role, but a lot of the greatness was just in creating such a good character in the first place. Part of which credit belonged to the writers, too. I don't know that it required all that much stretching as an actor once he got it down, but I give him lots of credit for realizing the character so fully and giving him so much memorable charm. Falk will always be well remembered with great affection for that role. Solid and incredibly charming stuff. And he was extremely lucky to have such good writers, too.

[Skipbidder]

I like Hugh Laurie in House. We'll see if he can keep it up.

I liked Anthony Edwards on ER.
Tom Baker from Dr. Who.
Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulus were both very good on Babylon 5. Of course the mind-numbing suckiness of some of the other actors on the show might be artificially inflating them in my mind.

Leo McKern as Rumpole.

[zaxx19]

Im not a huge fan but,

Alan Alda deserves strong consideration doesnt he?

[Skipbidder]

I certainly put the show at or near the top of my list, but I wonder whether the ensemble cast was too strong to single Alda out.

[shemp]

A couple comments on some of the other comments...

I haven't seen MASH since before it went off the air. I remember being increasingly annoyed with Alda, his ticks, his self-importance. As the series matured, I found him almost unbearable. AA is likely a very fine person, but I don't like his acting -- although I enjoyed the show.

I also enjoyed Cheers, but for me, the key to its success was Shelly Long, who I thought was brilliant. I didn't see it much after she left.

[zaxx19]

[ QUOTE ]
I certainly put the show at or near the top of my list, but I wonder whether the ensemble cast was too strong to single Alda out.



[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps, but then how come I cant name a songle other cast member by name?

[Blarg]

Agreed. Shelly Long was brilliant.

Ted Danson was much more watchable when she was around, too. He had the occasional really sharp moment, and wasn't quite the pathetic, one-dimensional buffoon he became when Rebecca joined the show. All I can surmise is that feminist writers took over and hated Sam's character and playboy nature; the last line of the series couldn't be better proof of that and how far Sam's character had fallen and how horribly he had been emasculated: "Well I'll be a son of a bitch." Major, definitive playa-hater revenge wreaked on poor, good-natured Sam.

[HesseJam]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Jerry Seinfeld - Seinfeld

[/ QUOTE ]


You know, Jerry Seinfeld is incedibly funny, but I've never thought his acting ability is very good - especially when he 'acts' excited.


My vote goes for George or Kramer first.


Adam

[/ QUOTE ]

I am currently reviewing all the Seinfeld episodes which I bought for $2 a DVD in Kabul.

Jerry is funny, but he is by far the worst actor of all characters in the series.

[HesseJam]

Don Knotts, aka Deputy Barney Five
http://images.allposters.com/images/77/039_34633.jpg

[Benholio]

http://img242.echo.cx/img242/7360/betterbalki5zb.jpg

[bort411]

[ QUOTE ]
Jerry Seinfeld - Seinfeld

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure it counts as acting if you play yourself.

[blatz]

I can always watch Jack Klugman doing Oscar Madison...

Byron Stewart put the Cool in Coolidge in the White Shadow, but he just looked good cause he was acting against Vince Van Patten's uncle, Salami.

[jakethebake]

I all seriousness, this IS the correct answer. Sheer comedy genius.

[ QUOTE ]
Don Knotts, aka Deputy Barney Five
http://images.allposters.com/images/77/039_34633.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

[2planka]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wormtowne/Jack_Lord.jpg

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Agreed. Shelly Long was brilliant.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hated her with a passion. If I were ever to hit a woman, I'd like it to be Diane Chambers. Maybe that's what Long was going for. If so, she's a great actress.

[Niwa]

Matt LeBlanc, Joey. Cough cough.

[Pocket Trips]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I certainly put the show at or near the top of my list, but I wonder whether the ensemble cast was too strong to single Alda out.



[/ QUOTE ]

just guessing here, but you must be under 30 years old then?

Perhaps, but then how come I cant name a songle other cast member by name?

[/ QUOTE ]

[2planka]

Hi there. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/wormtowne/Lawrence-Hilton-Jacobs-7.jpg

[tolbiny]

I would also take newman, elaine and goerge's parents before jerry and his acting ability. In fact the only actors worse than jerry in the show are his parents. god they ruined some episodes.

[Pocket Trips]

Best actor in a TV series comedy George wendt as Norm on Cheers

For Drama I'd have have to go with the guy that played the retarded file clerk on L.A. Law /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I certainly put the show at or near the top of my list, but I wonder whether the ensemble cast was too strong to single Alda out.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I'd put several of the others above Alda. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with Larry Linville or Gary Burghoff.

[ArchAngel71857]

[ QUOTE ]
It is easily Richard Dean Anderson as MacGuyver.

[/ QUOTE ]

Except that Richard Dean Anderson is better as Col. Jack O'Neill on Stargate SG-1.

-AA