Which Actors or Actresses Can "Carry" A Film?

I had told someone a wile back that I was going to watch Hotel Rwanda for the first time and that person told me "Good movie. Don Cheadle carried that thing on his back"

So my question is this: Who is capable of carrying a movie? Making a bad movie watchable with their acting performance or making a good movie great with their performance, etc.

I think that can be said about Ed Norton, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro.

Who would you guys say?

Johnny Depp. Specifically in Libertine.

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Tom Hanks- I think he did in Forrest Gump and he was also brilliant in Philadelphia, but there were other supporting actors there as well.

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See Ya In The Movies

Good movie to great? I think I misread that at first because I was about to mention Death to Smoochy and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, lol.

Hugh Jackman made X-Men 1 a very solid movie. Tom Cruise injected life into Interview with the Vampire. The Untouchables wouldn't have been half the film it was without Sean Connery. I think there are individual instances in films, but not necessarily actors who can hold up a film by themselves.

What about Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin is was fantastic.

I just plain liked that movie.

The Libertine wasnt a great movie but Johny Depp made it worth watching and interesting it would have been such a bore if i picture some other actor in it

Nicolas Cage is another actor that can carry a feature on his own

there is lots of other actors out there but there 2 come to my mind now

I agree with you all on Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep.

I also like to add Bette Davis...she made some B type movies that she carried...like Mr. Skeffington (1944), The Old Maid (1939), The Sisters (1938) and so on.

I also think there are are films that an actor or actress have done such a wonderful job at creating a character that it helped make the movie their own. Evethough Now, Voyager (1942) was a great story...I can't imagine anyone else playing the part of Charlotte Vale than Bette Davis. She owns it.

I would have to agree with the sentiment that Johnny Depp can carry a movie, and by himself make it good.

As for other actors/actresses that could/can do that, I would have to say that Peter Sellers could.

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"As I was walking up the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today,
I wish, I wish he'd go away."
-From Identity

'Charlie chaplin entered a charlie chaplin lookalike competition in..........and came in 3rd place...thats a story' - got to watch the film lucky number sleven if you havnt already :d And id go for Deniro or Pacino

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Depp, Cage, Bale.

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Suspect's Reviews

I agree with Johhny Depp. He is wonderful.

There are a few up and coming stars that I feel could carry a movie, despite a relatively short resume. Racheal McAdams has a star vibe to her and every movie she's done has been elevated from 'enjoyable' to 'great' just by her performance and presence. I also think Paul Bettany has the talent and charisma to carry a movie.

Also, Morgan Freeman is excellent and can carry anything. I don't think March of the Penguins would have been as good without his beautiful voice narrating it.

I was literally gonna say the same exact thing after just watched it.

Pacino.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Keanu Reeves Man!!He sure can act!!!
Raven-Symone She Made Cheetah Girls Phenominal

I don't mean to be rude but are you being sarcastic because I very much hope that you are.

Now my picks are Ryan Gosling and Jonathan Rhys Meyers for men and Natalie Portman and Keri Russell for women.

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-George Sanders, suicide note

Wow, those actors are young.....

If you were to use Tom Hanks in any movie, I'd say Cast Away, lol.

Harrison Ford
Bruce Willis
Kevin Spacey
Julia Roberts
Mel Gibson
Denzel Washington
Samuel L. Jackson
Charlize Theron

All for now.

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"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Meet Odd Thomas...

Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas