Martin Scorsese has named what he believes to be the three best actors of their generation.
The legendary director has truly just been getting better and better with age, putting out all-time masterpieces across multiple generations.
When you consider that Taxi Driver and Killers of the Flower Moon have nearly 50 years between them, the 81-year-old has achieved legendary status and shows no signs of slowing down.
Over those years he has worked with some of the greatest actors of all time, making him as qualified a commenter as anyone on who the best actors about are. That’s even before you consider his role as an actor in Shark Tale (but mostly the first thing).
Whilst unfortunately, he’s never sat down and been told to write his favourite five actors on a piece of paper – he has over the years called three actors the greatest of their respective generation, or even of all time.
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Robert De Niro
I mean, yeah. Obviously.
Since first working together on Mean Streets in 1973 – the pair have worked on 11 films together, and in that time De Niro has put in some of the best performances in any film ever.
Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Raging Bull, putting in the performances De Niro has in just one or two of these films would make you a great, let alone all of them.
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When presenting an award to De Niro, Scorsese called him the ‘greatest actor of his generation’, before saying: “[his] creative impact in acting will always be felt so long as there are actors to express their art.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Again, duh.
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If De Niro was Scorsese’s first favourite actor, DiCaprio feels like his latest – starring in six of his films, as well as establishing himself as one of the best actors to hit our screens.
Whether it be Wolf of Wall Street or Killers of the Flower Moon – DiCaprio seems to perform at his best under Scorsese. With his newest film featuring both Leo and De Niro, alongside incredible newcomer Lily Gladstone (who Scorsese has had consistently high praise for), the movie feels like Scorsese’s past present and future all in one.
Whilst accepting an award for Killers of the Flower Moon, the director singled out DiCaprio for praise.
He said: “Bob De Niro told me about Leo DiCaprio when he worked with him in This Boy’s Life.
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“He said, ‘You gotta work with this kid one day.’ And at that time, De Niro never really recommended anyone to me.
“So in 23 years, we made six pictures together now ... I have faith in him. I know I can depend on him.
“I really know he’s one of the truly one of the greatest actors in the history of movies.”
High praise from one of the best, not just the best of his generation, but in the 'history of movies'
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Adam Driver
The most surprising of the three that Scorsese has bestowed high praise one is Adam Driver, not because he’s not an incredible actor, but because the pair have only worked together once.
The director worked with Driver on Silence, arguably his most underrated film. Though it was nominated for only one Oscar and was a box office bomb – it is widely regarded as a brilliant film which will stand the test of time.
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A core part of that is Driver and Andrew Garfield’s brilliant core performances as a pair of Jesuit priests.
Speaking at the Telluride Film Fesitval in 2019, Scorsese said: “I can’t tell you the perseverance and the beauty of the performance, and the experience I had with [Driver].
“He has marvellous screen presence. One of the best, if not the best, actors of his generation”.
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Driver’s performance in the film is undeniably brilliant, and means Scorsese clearly places him with some of the best to ever do it.
Topics: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hollywood, Film and TV
Michael Slavin