Who was the all time best actress? - Democratic Underground

NJmaverick

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Thu Jun-18-09 05:51 AM
Original message

Who was the all time best actress?

Bonus question: Best actress for comedy, drama and romanantic (this can be stage, screen or TV)

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bigwillq

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Thu Jun-18-09 08:43 AM
Response to Original message

1. Modern day=Meryl

I haven't watched enough of the "old" movies to pick some one from the Golden Age.

But Meryl is, by far, the best since I've been living.

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Tuesday Afternoon

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Thu Jun-18-09 08:51 AM
Response to Original message

2. Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis

:shrug:

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NJmaverick

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:13 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. How about Kathy Bates?

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Tuesday Afternoon

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:18 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. hmmm...she did not immediately jump in my mind

although she is competent and capable...her range is what I have an issue.

I will get flamed for this, but I like Nicole Kidman :yoiks:

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 05:03 PM
Response to Reply #5

50. I thought Kidman did a good job in Cold Mountain. A tough part. nt

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GoddessOfGuinness

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:13 AM
Response to Original message

3. Mary Pickford

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Pickford

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:15 PM
Response to Reply #3

25. I recently saw a terrific photo from 1944 of Mary Pickford and Eleanor Roosevelt...

captioned "Two first ladies...." Neat photograph.

Check out Corbis.com

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GoddessOfGuinness

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:38 PM
Response to Reply #25

58. I couldn't find it...

But I found one of her giving Hoover a ticket for a film industry benefit for the unemployed. :rofl:

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Captain Hilts

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Fri Jun-19-09 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #58

62. It's the Corbis website and they're rights-restricted. It's Jan. '44. nt

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NJmaverick

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:53 PM
Response to Reply #3

40. I have to confess she is a bit before my time

but she sounds pretty impressive, according to the link you posted

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GoddessOfGuinness

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:43 PM
Response to Reply #40

59. She often played "little girl" roles...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj6FMlG3FTE
The soundtrack for this one is pretty lame, and this isn't Pickford's best work; but it's amusing just the same, and gives you an idea of how much she could do without even speaking.

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baldguy

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:27 AM
Response to Original message

6. Laura Bush

but the Xanex & Johnnie Walker helped.

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charlie and algernon

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:31 AM
Response to Original message

7. Kathy Bates has got to be up there

Watch Misery and Primary Colors to witness the genius of Bates

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peacefreak

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:36 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. If I see kathy Bates in the cast

it's usually something worth watching. I gotta go with Streep, though. She can do it all.

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OmahaBlueDog

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:37 PM
Response to Reply #8

36. Self-delete

Edited on Thu Jun-18-09 02:38 PM by OmahaBlueDog

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:48 AM
Response to Reply #7

11. I agree. nt

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libnnc

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #7

38. I was a lucky duckie back in 1983

I got the chance to see Bates in "'Night Mother" on Broadway.

I was only 13 but she made an enormous impression on me. A riveting performance and a memory that I treasure to this day.

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Broken_Hero

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Thu Jun-18-09 04:33 PM
Response to Reply #7

44. Bingo, she gets my vote as well nt

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NewJeffCT

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:44 AM
Response to Original message

9. I would probably go with Meryl Streep as #1 overall

Edited on Thu Jun-18-09 09:44 AM by NewJeffCT

she's almost always terrific.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 09:47 AM
Response to Original message

10. Ability to to both comedy and drama: KHepburn, Thelma Ritter, Anne Bancroft.

Pure drama: Davis and Streep.

Stage AND screen: Hepburn, Streep.

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Mike 03

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:24 PM
Response to Reply #10

56. Anne Bancroft, that is a brilliant suggestion. Wow... It makes me think

twice about my vote...

Bancroft was tremendous.

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Vidar

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Thu Jun-18-09 10:35 AM
Response to Original message

12. Kate Hepburn all time. Streep modern.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 11:48 AM
Response to Reply #12

22. I think the African Queen is her best. Others think Long Day's Journey Into Night. Tough call. nt

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NJmaverick

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:37 PM
Response to Reply #22

35. African Queen was a great movie

I like both her and Bogart. They don't make that sort of easy paced movie anymore.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 04:39 PM
Response to Reply #35

45. They both look like the jungle has beaten the crap out of them.

Edited on Thu Jun-18-09 04:39 PM by Captain Hilts

and in Hepburn's case, it was true. There's that one scene you can see the ribs in her chest.

It follows the book in dialogue very closely, yet there is no humor in the book whereas the film has humor.

It's got comedy, drama, war, romance and bad guys.

It's all good.

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NJmaverick

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:33 PM
Response to Reply #45

57. Did she get sick during the shoot?

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:56 PM
Response to Reply #57

60. Lost 20 lbs. Half the crew got sick, too. Hence the return to England for filming. nt

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applegrove

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Thu Jun-18-09 10:36 AM
Response to Original message

13. Meryl Streep you cannot deny. I love Kate Hepburn, Olivia de Havellin.

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MGKrebs

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Thu Jun-18-09 10:59 AM
Response to Reply #13

16. Olivia is great.

You know she was only 19 when she made Captain Blood.

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applegrove

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Thu Jun-18-09 11:04 AM
Response to Reply #16

19. Never saw captain blood. I need to find a video store that sells old time movies.

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Bucky

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Thu Jun-18-09 10:39 AM
Response to Original message

14. Vivian Vance. I mean she fuckin' *carried* Lucille Ball through 3 tv series

And apparently she utterly loathed Bill Frawley. Yet on the screen, their sexual chemistry was scorching hot.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 11:47 AM
Response to Reply #14

21. VV was Scottie Pippin to Ball's Jordan. nt

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NJmaverick

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Thu Jun-18-09 03:24 PM
Response to Reply #21

41. Interesting anology

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 05:02 PM
Response to Reply #41

49. The day after Art Carney died, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, on PTI

dressed up as Carney and Gleason for their show. Tony was Carney. They said that Art Carney was the best sidekick this side of Scotti Pippen. They missed one - Vance.

So I can't claim the analogy.

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MGKrebs

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Thu Jun-18-09 10:56 AM
Response to Original message

15. I will nominate Julie Andrews and Myrna Loy.

Edited on Thu Jun-18-09 11:01 AM by MGKrebs

Andrews: From Mary Poppins to Torn Curtain to Victor Victoria, and excellent in them all.
Myrna Loy: The Thin Man movies, The Best Days of Our Lives, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, as well as a good Democrat and feminist. She could play smart, silly, conflicted, all of it.

I think Annette Bening is building a pretty good resume too.

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begin_within

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Thu Jun-18-09 11:05 AM
Response to Reply #15

20. Julie was outstanding in "The Americanization of Emily" without singing one note.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 04:40 PM
Response to Reply #20

46. I think Doris Day was pretty good. As much as I love Anne Bancroft, DD would have

been a FAR more accurate interpretation of the book, The Graduate, had she accepted the role of Mrs. Robinson.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #15

23. Loy played too much comedy and too many 'normal' roles to be taken seriously. She's good and Benning

is the best of the current crop. She and Emily Watson.

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MGKrebs

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:28 PM
Response to Reply #23

26. I think she just liked to work.

And I think that's something I like about her. She didn't
"try too hard". I find Gene Hackman like that too. He's in a lot of crappy movies, but that doesn't mean he isn't good. He just likes to work.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 01:37 PM
Response to Reply #26

32. I agree about both and both are under-rated. nt

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arbusto_baboso

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Thu Jun-18-09 11:01 AM
Response to Original message

17. Joan Allen is brilliant and quite underrated.

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begin_within

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Thu Jun-18-09 11:04 AM
Response to Original message

18. Meryl is outstanding. but has cheapened herself by appearing in too many bad films

I hate it when Meryl does a film because she thinks, "hey it'll be fun!" and winds up in crap like "Plenty," "Heartburn," "She-Devil," "Death Becomes Her," "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Mamma Mia!" She should stick to her accents and overwrought drama, that's her element and where she built her reputation.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:14 PM
Response to Reply #18

24. The fact that there are very few good roles for women and she's tried to expand into comedy

have hurt her there.

She had NO business being in "Heartburn." Neither did Nicholson.

But, really, look at the films out right now. There just isn't much for women to do on the big screen.

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begin_within

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:53 PM
Response to Reply #24

28. You're right. Or for men either. It's all special effects.

But I think Meryl rebounded with "Doubt."

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 01:36 PM
Response to Reply #28

31. The previews feature many, many speaking roles for men. nt

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bigwillq

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Thu Jun-18-09 04:47 PM
Response to Reply #18

48. Meryl said

she did some of those films back in the day because it allowed her to be close to her family when her kids were growing up. That's when she was living out in LA. That's what I read anyway.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 05:04 PM
Response to Reply #48

51. There just aren't that many 'good' films. I don't hold that against her.

But she was grossly miscast in Heartburn, as was Nicholson.

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cemaphonic

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:42 PM
Response to Original message

27. Barbara Stanwyck is probably my all-time favorite

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begin_within

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Thu Jun-18-09 12:54 PM
Response to Reply #27

29. She was brilliant in "The Thorn Birds"

in fact just about everyone in "The Thorn Birds" was outstanding - yet most of them had little or no career afterwards...

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libnnc

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:44 PM
Response to Reply #29

39. I can't watch her final scene in that without bawling

even though she did work after that mini series, it seemed she knew that performance would be her swan song

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Manifestor_of_Light

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Thu Jun-18-09 01:24 PM
Response to Reply #27

30. I watched Double Indemnity the other night on Turner.

I had not seen it before but I knew it was a classic.

Gotta watch out for those wild women who wear ANKLE BRACELETS!! :evilgrin:

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Joey Liberal

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:08 PM
Response to Reply #27

34. I agree! She was my favorite. nt

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Joey Liberal

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:08 PM
Response to Original message

33. That blonde waitress on True Blood. She's HOT! nt

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OmahaBlueDog

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Thu Jun-18-09 02:38 PM
Response to Original message

37. Hepburn, Stanwyck, and Davis stand at the head of the class

Say what you will about "Murder, She Wrote", but in her day, Angela Lansbury was the best bitch/villaness in Hollywood, bar none.

Along with Myrna Loy, I'd add Maggie Smith to the underrated category.

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WinkyDink

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Thu Jun-18-09 03:32 PM
Response to Original message

42. Drama: Anna Magnani. Comedy: Judy Holliday. Romantic: Linda Darnell.

I have no time for anyone modern except for Meryl Streep and Diane Lane.

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 04:42 PM
Response to Reply #42

47. Holiday! She was fantastic. Evidently a genius IQ.

Edited on Thu Jun-18-09 04:44 PM by Captain Hilts

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WinkyDink

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Thu Jun-18-09 05:52 PM
Response to Reply #47

53. And it showed in her acting!

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:14 PM
Response to Reply #53

54. Really, really terrific talent. nt

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Captain Hilts

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Thu Jun-18-09 10:21 PM
Response to Reply #42

61. Annette Benning and Emily Watson are both very good. nt

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MGKrebs

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Thu Jun-18-09 03:48 PM
Response to Original message

43. I hope Jennifer Connelly does some good stuff because I

sure do like to watch her!

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mitchum

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Thu Jun-18-09 05:31 PM
Response to Original message

52. Tie between Barbara Stanwyck and Eva Mattes

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Mike 03

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Thu Jun-18-09 06:23 PM
Response to Original message

55. Meryl Streep

for her performance in Sophie's Choice, with a buffer for her performance in The Deer Hunter.

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soleft

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Fri Jun-19-09 12:22 PM
Response to Original message

63. Meryl Streep is in a strastosphere all by herself - best male or female

Closest in her peer group - Kathy Bates, Francis McDormand

Of today's younger actresses who I think may have a shot of nearing her proximity are Cate Blanchete and Toni Collette.

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