PubTalkForum's Greatest Actor! - ROUND ONE: Morgan Freeman (4) vs. Michael Caine (5)

[Everlong]

PubTalkForum's Greatest Actor Tournament!
ROUND ONE: Morgan Freeman (4) vs. Michael Caine (5)



A late bloomer in the acting world, Morgan Freeman’s prolific career over the last couple decades has earned the admiration of viewers and Hollywood workers alike.

FAMOUS ROLES
* = Earned Academy Award for Best Actor/Actress
~ = Earned Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor/Actress
^ = Earned Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor/Actress
# = Earned Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor/Actress

~Hoke Colburn in DRIVING MISS DAISY
Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins in GLORY
Ned Logan in UNFORGIVEN
~Red in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Somerset in SE7EN
^Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris in MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Lucius Fox in THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY
~Nelson Mandela in INVICTUS

Freeman was also nominated for his work in STREET SMART.

IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1





With a career spanning seven decades, Michael Caine has been one of film’s most recognizable faces for generations and one of its most likable figures.

FAMOUS ROLES
* = Earned Academy Award for Best Actor/Actress
~ = Earned Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor/Actress
^ = Earned Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor/Actress
# = Earned Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor/Actress

~Alfie in ALFIE
Jack Carter in GET CARTER
~Milo Tindle in SLEUTH
Lawrence Jamieson in DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
^Dr. Wilbur Larch in THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
Alfred Pennyworth in THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY
Jasper in CHILDREN OF MEN
Cutter in THE PRESTIGE

Caine also won a Best Supporting award for his work in HANNAH AND HER SISTERS and was nominated for his work in EDUCATING RITA and THE QUIET AMERICAN.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/?ref_=nv_sr_1



VOTE NOW!

[PorkChop]

This is another pretty tough one, this competition is really starting to heat up.

For me, Michael Caine takes this. Morgan Freeman was great in Shawshank and Se7en, but I'm more impressed by Caine's overall body of work - the same reason why I voted for Will Smith in the other thread. I was surprised to see Harry Brown and The Italian Job left off the list above, as they're quite easily some of his best performances. He was also great as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Both are legends of the business but for this one it's Michael Caine for me - a close one, but Michael Caine's filmography and performances as a whole impress me more than Morgan Freeman's.

[Kirbi]

I voted for Caine too.

Don't get me wrong - both are invariably good, and occasionally great, I just think that Caine has been great more often than Freeman.

Favourite performance by Michael Caine - Educating Rita

Favourite performance by Morgan Freeman - Unforgiven

[Everlong]

He was also great as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Perhaps my favorite Christmas movie!!

I love both of these guys, so this was definitely a tough decision for me, but I had to give it to Caine based on an overall stronger career for a longer period of time. They've both had tons of outstanding roles and films but I think Caine just edges out Freeman in that regard.

[UTK]

I love Morgan Freeman, but I always see him as Morgan Freeman in basically everything he's ever done. I don't have this problem with Caine.

[Hanley!]

Yeah, I agree with UTK on this one. Morgan Freeman is super likable and has real screen presence, but I've never thought of him as an impressive actor. He tends to come across as the same person in every film. Michael Caine is a very accomplished actor and I'd give him the nod here without hesitation.

[prophet]

As always with this tournament I'm struggling to come up with any comments as to why I've made my decisions other than I preferred the actor I voted for over the one I didn't. Caine >