Defining Roles

yep it is one of his best, his second best after American History X

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Bette Davis in Dark Victory (first saw her in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte)
Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures (first saw her in Titanic)
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary (first saw her in Donnie Darko, i think)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman in The Big Lebowski (first saw him in Twister)
Reese Witherspoon in Election (first saw her in Cruel Intentions)

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letterboxd

Best role and defining role are two entirely different things

Well I'm no expert on Cage but they don't have to be two different things. Heath Ledger's been mentioned already I think and I'd consider the Joker to be defining and best in his case.

I guess I should said that in the case of Cage, they are two different things or that they aren't necessarily two different things.

Its maybe his most famous role but I would argue if your looking at defining roles, as in the role that really setup how he would be viewed in the industry then probably Remains of the Day would be my choice. He's played that kind of somewhat aristocratic elder figure with tons of gravitas so many times since.

Juliette Binoche in Three Colours Blue, she was the more typical pretty vulnerable starlet before that in stuff like Mauvais Sang but Blue I'd say really set her up how she'd be cast afterwards the kind of somewhat distant but self reliant modern woman.

I loved Hopkins in Remains of the Day, but I agree with Yoda...Lechter is Hopkins' career-defining role.

You look at Hopkins career though and really how often does he play Lector like roles? his career has been built on playing the cultured older brit with a lot of gravitas not on menacing villains.

I think he's a good example of an actor who's most famous role was not his defining role.

I think the issue might be the definition (heh) of "defining." I was/am using it to describe a role people think of when they think of the actor. Sounds like you're using it to describe a role that established that actor in some way, whether it's the most-remembered role or not. That hadn't occurred to me, but it's an interesting thought.

Anyway, I think both are reasonable definitions.

I don't think the kind of roles an actor generally plays has anything to do with a role that has defined him.

Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer in October Sky was the definition of defining, I feel.

Scott Adkins as Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing


Michael Dudikoff as Joe Armstrong, the original American Ninja

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Sylvester Stallone: Rocky and Rambo
James Earl Jones: Darth Vader in Star Wars, Mufasa in The Lion King, King Jaffe Joffer, ruler of Zamunda in Coming To America
Adam Sandler: Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison
Jim Carrey: Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber
Ving Rhames: Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction

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Some actors have not just one, but several roles people think of when they hear the name.

Al Pacino: The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, Scent Of A Woman
Robert De Niro: Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Untouchables, Meet The Parents
Joe Pesci: Goodfellas, Home Alone, Casino
Alysson Hannigan: American Pie, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother
Sissy Spacek: Carrie, The Coal Miner's Daughter
Kurt Russell: Big Trouble In Little China, The Thing, Escape From New York
Mark Wahlberg: Ted, being Peter Berg's handyman

Excuse you.

No. His role in October Sky, and even Donnie Darko, is a lot more defining than Bubble Boy to me and I'm sure many others.