PubTalkForum's Greatest Actor! - ROUND ONE: Robin Williams (4) vs. Will Smith (5)

[Everlong]

PubTalkForum's Greatest Actor Tournament!
ROUND ONE: Robin Williams (4) vs. Will Smith (5)



Beginning as a standup comedian and soon taking over both the television screen and the film world, Williams was a larger than life personality who also had the unique gift to portray softspoken, complex characters.

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

~Adrian Cronauer in GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM
~John Keating in DEAD POETS SOCIETY
~Parry in THE FISHER KING
Genie in ALADDIN
Daniel Hillard in MRS. DOUBTFIRE
^Sean Maguire in GOOD WILL HUNTING
Walter Finch in INSOMNIA

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





Who would have guessed that the Fresh Prince would become one of the biggest actors in America? Will Smith has done it all, from comedy to action to large-scale dramas.

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

Will Smith in THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR
Steven Hiller in INDEPENDENCE DAY
Jay in MEN IN BLACK
~Muhammad Ali in ALI
Hitch in HITCH
~Chris Gardner in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Robert Neville in I AM LEGEND


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



VOTE NOW!

[PorkChop]

Holy shit, this one is difficult. These guys are both very similar in a lot of ways - both excellent comedy actors but are more than capable of putting on a serious performance when they need to. Both childhood favourites of mine, too.

I love Robin Williams and I'm torn over this, but I'm going to vote for Will Smith. I thought he was great in Seven Pounds and The Pursuit of Happiness. I fucking loved Robin Williams in Jumanji, Mrs Doubtfire and Flubber, but I think Will Smith edges this one - I've been more impressed with his overall body of work, even if I prefer the comedy and charm of Williams.

Both guys can make you laugh or cry, which is a very rare thing in acting. Many comedy actors are stuck with that reputation for their careers (Adam Sandler, and to an extent Jim Carrey, although he was excellent in Eternal Sunshine) but both these guys have transcended the comedy genre brilliantly. I love them both.

This was so fucking tough. Tim, you bastard.

[Kirbi]

Robin Williams, for the simple reason that I have actually seen a lot more of his films - and more particularly, I've seen him in dramatic roles. I know Smith is supposed to be good in Ali, Pursuit of Happyness, etc. but I haven't seen those, and I'm not hugely inclined to seek them out. The performances of his that I have seen are generally pretty good, but not outstanding.

I have seen a lot of work by Williams which has impressed me though. And I always appreciate an actor who can get their character across with relatively little screentime, which I think he accomplished very well in Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting. And I find him funnier, which helps for the comic roles.

Favourite performance by Robin Williams - Good Will Hunting

Favourite performance by Will Smith - Enemy of the State

[Everlong]

I have to go with Robin Williams as well here, despite me loving some Will Smith, the dude is hilarious and has had a lot of great movies over the last 15 years.

But Robin Williams, man. That catalog of movies that I have loved for ages. I gotta give it to him.

[UTK]

I voted Williams, but I'd just like to put this up in case you felt like crying:

[Hanley!]

Williams is easily my pick here. Will Smith is an entertaining actor. He's got plenty of charisma and movie star charm and is good in both comedic and dramatic roles. But I don't think he's particularly great at either. And Williams was. He had more standout performances, particularly from a dramatic point of view.

His body of work is better too. He was in some crappy films, but he was in a lot of really great films too and put out a lot of great performances in them. I could list a lot more Williams performances that I really enjoyed than Smith performances. Chief among them would be Good Will Hunting, Dead Poet Society and Good Morning Vietnam.

He was a good voice actor too. Loved him in Aladdin and Ferngully.