Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr.: Who's the better actor?

[Pryderi]

Poll question: Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr.: Who's the better actor?

[nuxvomica]

1. Having recently seen the dog's breakfast called "Sherlock Holmes"

I had to vote for Depp.

[Pryderi]

21. "Sherlock Holmes" was much better than "Public Enemies". I had to vote for

Downey.

[Forkboy]

24. I've read every one of Doyle's Holmes stories from front to back a few times.

And I can't wait to see the movie. It doesn't bother me at all that it's a different take on the character. Anyone who thinks Basil Rathbone was close to the novels never read the books.

I also like that Holmes is clearly the first literary character that I'm aware of that's clearly bipolar. He has his down times where he does nothing, but when the mania gets ahold off he goes and becomes the world's best detective. :D

[jobycom]

25. I liked it.

Downey captures the mania well, as one would expect given his own personality. Plus Guy Ritchie throws in a lot of the scientific versus supernatural element of the books.

I remember thinking while I was watching it that if they hadn't started the whole Bond series back in the 60s someone would have eventually made him into a period piece with some stuffy British actor playing a reserved and non-physical Bond character, and then everyone would get angry if someone later tried to make an action hero of James Bond. Given how much Doyle influenced Raymond Chandler, who in turn influenced Ian Flemming, it's not that far-fetched. The Bond in the books is a lot closer to the Holmes in the stories than people remember.

[Rhiannon12866]

27. Jeremy Brett was my ideal Sherlock Holmes,

But I saw the movie and thought it was very well done. :-)

[Iggo]

29. It was good.

Steampunk buddy/cop movie, if you must know.

Go see it to have fun, and you'll have fun.

[tigereye]

36. Jeremy Brett is my fave Holmes, but I would like to see Downey tackle the

role. He is a great actor. His Chaplin was amazing.

[asdjrocky]

2. Deep, but it's close.

I hate to say this, but I believe Downy is better when he's high.

[Pryderi]

3. Downey was great as "Chaplin"

[sarge43]

8. He was also superb in Restoration. n/t

[GoCubsGo]

10. I thought he was at his best in "Tropic Thunder"

He played an Australian actor playing a "stereotypical black man", and went from one to the other at the drop of a hat. I'm generally not impressed by acting, but I thought scene was pretty impressive.

[sarge43]

13. I have that one on order. Looking forward to watching it. n/t

[applegrove]

33. Yep. He was amazing in Chalain. I can't decide between the two actors. They are both really great.

[BrklynLiberal]

38. Superb.

[Pryderi]

4. Delete

[KamaAina]

5. I went with Depp

but if Downey can keep his nose clean (literally) and put together a solid body of work, it'd be a horse race.

[Shell Beau]

57. He's been clean for a while now. I really hope for his sake that he

is able to stay sober. I think he has been clean since about 2003 which is an extremely long time for him.

[Auggie]

6. Depp has a greater repertoire of work

providing him a better range of characterizations -- therefore, he has the appearance of being better.

I'd call it tied.

[caitxrawks]

7. no contest!

Johnny Depp.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. They are both adorable eye candy..

Acting? of late, a draw.
To me, Downey has more screen presence.
Both, to me, are more "stars" than actors.

[dana_b]

11. interesting. yeah - I think you're right though

they are both stars and very good actors. As far as acting goes, I think Penn, Denzel, Oldman (I just saw "The Book of Eli" ;) ) and a few others are superior actors.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. the ore I see of Downey and Depp, the more I recognize

they have intensity. Which I happen to like in an actor ( ie: Edward Norton).
But the camera cuts and close ups get a bit tiring after awhile, and their expressions seldom change.
In fact, in the latest Downey, "Sherlock Holme" they could have been inter-changeable

IMHO.
( waiting to see Book of Eli, I am).

[Broken_Hero]

12. neither,

both are equal in my eyes.

[LostInAnomie]

14. Both are pretty fucking corny, IMHO.

I can't watch either one of them without being very aware that they are simply JD or RDJ trying to portray a character.

[tigereye]

37. interesting - Depp usually disappears for me when I see him in a film -

the mark of a great actor... intriguing how different perceptions can be.

[kimmerspixelated]

48. Bingo!

[amyrose2712]

15. Sadly, I voted against my fantasy husband Depp...

Of late, it seems Depp has gotten stuck in the Hunter S Thompson character. Not that it wasn't excellent. I have recently fell back in love with RDJ. Especially in Tropic Thunder.

[kimmerspixelated]

49. Wait! Has Rum Diaries been released?

He is supposed to be playing the younger Hunter, and I'm thinking it will be excellent! He was great friends with Thompson. Fear and Loathing-was very much about Terry Gilliam's weird filmmaking, but Depp was still brilliant in it-nuff said!

[bigwillq]

16. Depp (nt)

[butterfly77]

17. Downey..

[tridim]

19. Good question. I can't decide.

Can't vote for both, so I'll just sit this one out.

[smoochpooch]

20. Downey. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is one of my favorite 5 movies ever.

I say good for him that he's finally being acknowledged by the masses.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

22. Downey doesn't act. He just shows up and the cameras roll.

"Daddy, I want to be an actor TOO!"... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Downey,_Sr.

[Forkboy]

23. Depp is the better actor, but both do enjoyable flicks, and that's all I care about.

Downey was fucking spot on as Anthony Stark (and I hope they delve into the alcoholism theme next time out as well, as it applies to both Stark and Downey in it's way). But Depp can truly act, even though he does some movies I don't overly care for. Can't wait to see him as HST again in The Rum Diary. I thought Depp nailed HST (and HST agreed...Depp lived with him for two months before filming to get it right), far better than Bill Murray did in Where The Buffalo Roam.

[jobycom]

26. Depp's a better character actor. Downey is better at method acting, or whatever you'd call it.

There are two types of actors. One taps their inner emotions and protrays a variation of themselves, the other adopts a completely different appearance and persona. Method versus character actor, kind of. One isn't better than the other (although some people think that character actors are), they are just different styles with different goals, and there are good and bad actors in each.

Some actors, like Depp, can do both very well. A very few can do both at the same time. Depp isn't one of them. Depp is a brilliant character actor, as in Ed Wood or Pirates, and he's very good at method acting (I know that's not the exact definition of method acting, I'm just using it that way for lack of a better word), like in Finding Neverland. When Depp is deep in character, he can't show any emotional range, and relies on a good director and script for that--that's why he works well with Tim Burton.

Downey can do character acting, like in Chaplin in some scenes, but he's best at method acting, or emotional acting. Even in Chaplin he does a lot of that style of acting.

Both are smart as hell, both are weird-ass artists. I like Downey better as a person--Depp sounds phoney and immature to me when he's not talking about acting.

So it depends on the type of role for me, but probably Depp has more range. Then again, Downey connects better with a wider audience. Fuck it, I'm not voting.

Actors that can do both at the same time: Meryl Streep, Geofrey Rush, Gary Oldman. I'm sure there are others, especially British. Those are the ones I thought of.

[tigereye]

39. Depp was so good in Finding Neverland- great film

I like your points - good ones!

[jobycom]

40. Yeah, I loved that film. Freddie Highmore and he were heartbreaking together.

Highmore may be the best child actor I've ever seen.

And thanks for the kind words. I spend way too much time thinking about stuff like that. :)

[kimmerspixelated]

50. Interesting post on many points I agree-except that

Depp doesn't seem phony to me at all. I'm sure the younger more boozed out, be4 he was a family man Depp- is more mature than those days.

[old mark]

28. Depp is still underrated. He is too good looking and many people still don't

see the quality of his work.

mark

[redqueen]

43. Fear and Loathing should have cleared that up for everyone.

As someone else said upthread, he disappears into his roles.

Can't believe this poll is so close.

Then again... I can kinda see wickerwoman's point below. Hmm.

[old mark]

45. He is really a great actor, but I think people see him as a Pirate now.

[kimmerspixelated]

51. Yes, and I think that is precisely why he

goes for the oddball stuff so he can hide behind the makeup!

[Shell Beau]

58. I disagree. I think people do see the quality of his work. But I do agree

that he is good looking!!:)

[Bucky]

30. This is an update of the old "Spencer Tracy vs Lawrence Olivier" debate

Is the job of an actor to convey the truth or to create a facade that conveys truth? Spencer Tracy always played, essentially, Spencer Tracy. But the way he did it, he was brilliant. Depp & Downey are more like Olivier, always recreating themselves with each new part, submerging into a new character each time. This is risky and can lead to career missteps--real dogs in Olivier's case.

In summation, the answer is Meryl Streep.

[wickerwoman]

32. I think Depp's characters are more fundamentally the same than Downey's.

He almost always plays mad genius outsiders with idiosyncratic delivery and strange mannerisms (Benny & Joon, Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood, Hunter S. Thompson, Chocolat, Pirates of the Caribbean, Edwards Scissorhands, Willy Wonka, The Mad Hatter...) Almost all his characters are "quirky" and many of them are quirky in the same way. Kind of like a male Helena Bonham Carter. The only thing I've seen Depp in that showed real range was Donnie Brasco (which I give him full credit for - I love that movie, but "tough FBI agent" isn't a big ask).

It's harder to draw such a straight line from Chaplin to Restoration to Tropic Thunder. Johnny Depp has been in more good movies than Robert Downey Jr. but I think RD Jr. has more range and a better ability to disappear into a role.

[mitchum]

47. Depp is lazy and prefers to play "cool freaks" because it is easier

I agree with you that Downey exhibits more range
and he takes more risks

[kimmerspixelated]

52. I can't imagine for one example,

how playing Jack Sparrow in some very physical scenes could be called lazy. I don't think it is easier to play one thing or another when it works. Acting in movies under grueling conditions of makeup and hot costumes is not a walk in the park.

[wickerwoman]

59. It's not physical laziness, certainly,

but there is a little bit of intellectual laziness in a lot of Depp's performance. He does a few things very well (play quirky outsiders and manic geniuses) and he doesn't stretch himself very often to play other kinds of parts. When was the last time you saw him play a dad to a kid with cancer or a corporate whistle-blower or a person accused of a crime he didn't commit or a guy going cray in the isolation of space or a straight-forward villain even? Depp plays manic jester or sad fish-out-of-water in 99% of his parts.

So while it takes a lot of physical energy to play a part like Jack Sparrow, it doesn't take a lot of emotional/intellectual/preparation type energy when you've already nailed Hunter S. Thompson, Willy Wonka, Ed Wood, etc.

[Hannah Bell]

63. meryl streep - i can't deny she's able to transform herself physically & vocally, but to me

her acting & films always feel sterile & false.

i've never thought of her as a good actress for that reason. funny, though, in the interviews i've seen she comes across relaxed & genuine, with a sense of humor. completely different from the sterile impression i get from her work.

[Bucky]

31. Reading thru this thread, I notice that the Downey fans are more articulate

Or maybe just more verbose.

[Quantess]

35. Or,

they just think Johnny Depp is sexier, which doesn't require a whole lot of elocution. ;)

[kimmerspixelated]

53. I'm usually not prone to being rude,

but I think your remark calls for the air jerk-off thing-like Keaton did in Beetlejuice

[Quantess]

34. Both are fantastic!

I have to give it to Johnny Depp, just because he looks so great on the screen, and is fascinating to watch.
Robert Downey Jr. is also good looking, and also fascinating to watch, but more of a trainwreck kind of way.

[CBGLuthier]

41. gradations too fine to matter

Both are very good at their craft yet subject to the qualities of the screenwriters and directors they work with.

I would like to see each of them play some ordinary men for a change. 98% of Depp's characters are larger than life and Downey is almost as bad.

Contests don't matter but Philip Seymour Hoffman blows them both out of the water. From Boogie Nights to Synecdoche, NY; consistent quality work portraying real, believable human beings.

[mnhtnbb]

42. Did anybody else have trouble understanding Downey, Jr. in Sherlock Holmes?

I figured it was the accent--and blame the director--for not insisting that he not mumble. The difference
between the native speaking Brit--Jude Law--and Downey, Jr was unmistakable. I had no trouble understanding
anything Law said and was very annoyed that Downey, Jr was allowed to get away with such lousy diction.

[Bucky]

44. No, I caught every word. I've noticed some people can't fathom British accents tho.

My parents, try as they might, don't understand a word of Monty Python, a lot of which is rendered in that slurrier Estuary accent that seems to be replacing Received Pronunciation as the media standard over in England. I used to have trouble with it, but now can make out just about every word. Still can't make out what some Aussies are saying at times, but they rarely have much worth saying anyway.

[DevonRex]

46. Ugh. I hated that movie. I thought Downey sucked in the role and

there were many times I didn't understand what he was saying. I came away thinking that Depp could have played that part so much better. And I also know there's no reason he WOULD have taken it. The screen play was terrible. Jude Law was wasted in his role. I never figured out why the fuck I should care about the woman.

[kimmerspixelated]

54. Of course, I am prejudiced towards Johnny,

However, Robert Downey, Jr. is almost as good as Depp. Downey has a sexy thing going on and is fascinating to watch! I must say I really liked him in Home For The Holidays! And I will say that I would love it if Depp would play, just once, a more normal guy. In an interview he said that he would NEVER do a romantic comedy, but dang! Just something more normal would be cool!

[carlyhippy]

55. Johnny Depp was awesome in Blow, but Downey Jr. in the movie 1969...

Robert Downey Jr. in the movie "1969".......have mercy one hot man indeed.....good show too, if you ever get the chance to see it, has a young Kiefer Sutherland and Wynona Judd.

[kimmerspixelated]

60. Thanks for mentioning BLOW-JD simply rocked in that one!

The emotions towards his daughter near the end just broke my heart in two!

[Shell Beau]

56. I find both of them to be very talented. Depp is the better looking

one though.

[kimmerspixelated]

61. Oh, Yes, OH JOHNNY!

There's an actual site called OhJohnny!!!

[kimmerspixelated]

62. Oh, Yes, OH JOHNNY!

There's an actual site called OhJohnny!!!