British Actors Smörgåsbord

British Actor Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort British Actor movies by his co-stars
  • Sort British Actor movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort British Actor movies by adjusted worldwide box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort British Actor movies by how they were received by critics and audiences.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
  • Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each British Actor movie received.
  • Sort British Actor movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score.  UMR puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.

Steve Lensman’s John Gielgud You Tube Video

(Visited 1 times)

203 thoughts on “British Actors Smörgåsbord”

  1. Steve’s latest Brit Thespian Video Has Been Added To The Page. Our thoughts on Steve’s video and Rickman’s career.

    “Nice selection…..I wish I had done a tribute page on him when he passed…somehow…I failed to do that. Before looking at the video…I have seen all the Potter movies…I found those ok…though my oldest daughter loved them. Saw must at midnight showings…those are good memories of us seeing the movies together. So I will not be talking anymore about Harry. Seen 28 of the 32 movies. Thought Love Actually was way to low at #23….that is actually one of my favorite all-time movies. #9 Galaxy Quest…fun movie…him playing Nimoy is a blast to watch. #17 Dogma….good movie….the last good Kevin Smith movie? and #1 Die Hard…glad to see it fighting off all those blockbusters from that franchise and getting the number one spot. His role in Die Hard is considered (rightly) one of the greatest villains in movie history. Voted up and shared. Rest in peace. Alan Rickman.”

    Reply

    1. Hi Bruce, I knew you’d be happy seeing Die Hard at no.1, it’s no.1 at IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes too. Your score for Love Actually was 6.7, mine is 6.6, so not much difference there, it’s just that there were higher rated movies above it. If we were playing favorites these lists would look completely different. I would have had Galaxy Quest somewhere in the top 5 on this chart, but Die Hard would still be no.1. I haven’t seen Dogma in ages, time to give it another spin. 28 out of 32 is excellent, I’ve seen 20, Flora 2. Thanks again for the comment, vote and share.

      Reply

  2. Alan Rickman was born in a working class housing estate in Acton, West London but when he died in 2016 he owned a luxurious home in the capital and his estimate net worth was $16 million. His movie acting career didn’t begin until 1978 so there’s no mention of him in The Master’s 1983 book and so far Rickman has got no Work Horse love but IMDB credits Alan with 19 acting awards and 36 nominations. That site ranks him 96th on its “ultimate” list of the 100 greatest actors of all time.

    I last saw him as King Louis XIV of France in the art-house film A Little Chaos [2014] in which he co- starred with Kate Winslet [Britain’s movie Striptease Queen according to you]. As always Alan was a joy to watch [and as you say he also directed]

    Best POSTERS in Rickman video (1) Both for Gambit (2) foreign language one for January Man (3) 2 superb ones for Alice/Looking Glass (4) Perfume (5) Bottle Shock (6) Bob Roberts (7) Michael Collins (8) Truly Madly Deeply (9) Snow Cake (9) Sweeney Todd and (10) foreign language one of Die Hard. See also final paragraph.

    The STILLS I most enjoyed are(1) the opening one of the young Alan (2) Close my Eyes (3) Love Actually (4) Alice in Wonderland (5) Quigley (6) Alan with wings (7) with Liam Neeson. Two “Irishmen” together. Alan was of Irish [and Welsh] descent (8) Galaxy Quest (9) Alan with gun in Die Hard and (10) as the Sheriff. Every critique that I read insisted that Alan stole Robin Hood Prince of Thieves from its star Kevin. I’ll never forget the threat to “Cancel Christmas” if rebellion within the realm didn’t cease.

    Again all the Potter posters/stills are so good t that it’s beyond me to split their quality so congrats again for producing such fine runs and for presenting us with, for me, another 98% rated video of a Great Brit

    Reply

    1. Hi Bob, thanks for the review, generous rating and trivia, always appreciated.

      Glad you liked the posters and stills.

      Alan Rickman’s first movie was Die Hard (1988), he was appearing in theater and TV drama before that. Rickman’s memorable villain ‘Hans Gruber’ helped make that film one of the highest rated and much loved action films of all time.

      Rickman failed his driving test for driving ‘too cautiously’!

      Sadly he died from pancreatic cancer just a few days before his 70th birthday. His last film ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ was dedicated to his memory.

      Three of Alan’s films scored 10 out of 10 from my sources – Die Hard, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows p.2 and Sense and Sensibility.

      One scored 9 – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 12 more scored 8 out of 10.

      Die Hard tops both IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes charts for Rickman.

      “It’s a great pleasure to me to work on film now as well as on the stage. But it is no soft option. It isn’t easier. It’s in many ways more difficult, and it’s a different kind of a challenge. You have to think a lot quicker and be a lot more immediate. And watching Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner and Tom Selleck deal with that has been an education.”

      ” I love to travel and I don’t have children, so there is a certain freedom. I do feel more myself in America. I can regress there. America just lets me be the klutz I really am.”

      Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) on Rickman’s death – “Working with him at such a formative age was incredibly important and I will carry the lessons he taught me for the rest of my life and career. Film sets and theatre stages are all far poorer for the loss of this great actor and man.”

      Helen Mirren: “Alan was a towering person, phsically, mentally and as an artist. He was utterly distinctive, with a voice that could suggest honey or a hidden stiletto blade, and the profile of a Roman Emperor. He was also a great friend, generous and social. He will be very missed by many.”

      Jennifer Lawrence: “It’s horrible news, it’s so sad. He was a great actor. I wish I could have worked with him.”

      Anna Kendrick – “Hans, The Sheriff of Nottingham, Dr. Lazarus, Snape. Damn. Alan Rickman will leave a hole in my heart. F**k Cancer.”

      Kate Winslet: “We are all so devastated to lose Alan. He was loved enormously by so many. He was an utterly phenomenal actor and gifted director. I remember being so intimidated by him when we worked together when I was 19 , because he had such a powerful and commanding presence . And that voice! Oh, that voice….. But the reality of course, was that he was the kindest and best of men. Had the patience of a saint. He was a warm hearted puppy dog, who would do anything for anyone if it made them happy. My life was enriched by knowing him. My heart goes out to his family and those he loved.”

      Reply

      1. HI STEVE

        Thanks very much for your feedback on my Rickman post including a fine selection of first-class quotes.

        BY the way showing at 6.15am tomorrow [Sunday] morning on BBC 2 is School for Scoundrels starring Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Alastair Sim. In my opinion it’s one of the very best examples of Brit movie comedy in its Golden Years and the 3 stars make great chemistry.

        If you haven’t seen it/haven’t got it in your collection you shouldn’t miss it. Anyway enjoy the rest of your weekend.

        Reply

        1. Bob, I watched a whole bunch of British war movies and comedies these past few months, including School for Scoundrels, which I enjoyed. Let’s see, I also watched I’m All Right Jack, Doctor at Sea (Dirk with Brigitte), The Lavender Hill Mob, League of Gentlemen, The Lady Killers, Bedazzled and The Wrong Box.

          War movies included – Dunkirk, Battle of the River Plate, The Cruel Sea, Oh What a Lovely War and Sink the Bismarck!

          I might watch a few early Carry Ons during Xmas.

          Reply

          1. HI STEVE

            I agree with most of the movies that you have listed though I’ve never been a “Carry on” fan.

            Glad you’ve seen School for Scoundrels. I understand that the guy whom Sim played called “Mr S Potter” was based on the real life Stephen Potter who wrote a series of popular books on “One-upmanship” which demonstrated how using psychological skills an inferior competitor could beat a superior one as was demonstrated in the way Carmichael turned the tables on TT in the School for Scoundrel movie.

            In short if I had been trained in Potter’s methods I could probably have bested Joel and Bruce in movie matters despite their superior knowledge to my own about such matters .

          2. Bob, what I noticed with School for Scoundrels is that the second half, when the tables were turned on Terry-Thomas by Sim and Carmichael, was less funny than the first half when he was playing the quintessential English cad. But I still enjoyed it, there was even some female nudity at the end, rare for English films of that time.

  3. FRASIER CRANE “Niles, I’m afraid I can’t sit with you in the coffee bar tonight. I made a new friend who is coming here to join me. His name’s “Bob”.

    NILES’ RESPONSE Bob! You’re throwing over me your lifelong brother for someone called “BOB” !

    [FRASIER TV SITCOM “The Friend” January 1996 episode. “Bob” was played by Griffin Dunne, onetime lover and lifelong friend of the late Carrie Fisher.]

    Reply

    1. The Bob, I loved that episode. I recently watched all of frazier. great stuff.
      another favourite comedy of mine was the Bob Newhart show. one of the running gags was each cast member would say “Hi, Bob”. in university, we would gather to watch this sitcom and with each “hi, Bob” would chug a 12 ounce beer. a brilliant solution to having too many brain cells and too much time on our hands.

      Reply

      1. HI BOB COX

        Amusing story about the Bob Newhart show. Thanks for sharing it.

        For some reason certain Americans seem to find something funny in someone being called Bob because when the name comes up they usually with great emphasis mockingly pronounce it “Bub”!

        Good to hear from you. Take care.

        Reply

  4. HI STEVE Thanks for your comprehensive feedback to my Sir Ian McKellen posts. My son would argue that his distaste for Laddie rests on the fact that with his slender build Alan was stretching the bounds of poetic licence by taking out half a barroom of strong men as he did in Shane for example.

    I would concede that my son had a point if there was consistency on the subject . Ladd has always been the butt of jokes and criticism about his physical stature whilst others no tougher and not much bigger, if at all, than he such as Robinson, Cagney and Bogie have traditionally got a bye. Bogie for example hid when Golden Holden challenged him to a real life fist fight and in fact of all those 4 screen “tough guys” that I have just mentioned Laddie was the most physical, having been an athlete and life guard whose physical grace, athleticism and speed James Mason admired.

    Indeed you know that I feel that especially now they are growing old the likes of Sly, Arnie and Harrison Ford do things on screen that stray beyond the realms of the possible or at least the likely. “A hail of bullets is useless against a man who can kick his legs 30 feet into the air.” Television’s Frasier Crane talking about Jean Claude Van Damme.

    Your quotes were among the finest I have seen from you and I especially laughed at Sir Ian’s comments about being a gay icon and closets. Indeed there are coincidences associated with that quote as your previous subject Sir John Hurt became famous for playing [in 1975’s TV movie The Naked Civil Servant ]possibly the most witty and sophisticated real-life gay icon of them all, Quentin Crisp,to me a joy to hear. I thought Crisp, Hurt and Sir Ian all looked remarkably alike as they aged. Did you know by the way that Sir John Hurt holds the record for playing the most number of characters who have died on screen? – 43

    Another coincidence close to you is that Denis Charles Pratt died at the age of 90 – in Manchester! Take care.

    Reply

  5. HI STEVE Just as Larry, Ralphy and Johnny Gielgud were considered the doyens of England’s “old school” of actor knights so Sir Ian McKellen CH, CBE is one of the most celebrated and respected among modern British thespians whom the Queen has honoured.

    He is also probably one of the richest with a reported net fortune of $55 million. IMDB credits him with 50 acting awards and 57 nominations and that site ranks him 56th on its self-proclaimed ”ultimate” list of the 100 greatest actors of all time.

    The one fly in the ointment is that Sir Ian doesn’t appear to have gotten any “Joel love” though The Master’s Edict was commanded to us mortals in 1983 and Sir Ian, whilst debuting in 1969 in movies had made just 4 films previous to that year. That WH too has it seems done nothing to date on Sir Ian is probably just a coincidence.

    Possibly modern audiences will be most familiar with Sir Ian in the Lord of the Rings, Hobbit and X Men franchises but my own favourite McKellen performance is in the 1998 Gods and Monsters in which [as you state] he played England’s James Whale who directed Frankenstein [1931] The Invisible Man [1933] – presumably 2 great “pals” of yours! – and the 1935 Bride of Frankenstein. I’m pleased to see a 77% rating from you for Gods and Monsters.

    Whale also directed the 1936 version of Showboat regarded by most critics as the definitive version. Sir Ian himself, Gods and Monsters, Apt Pupil and Richard 3 are great favourites as well with my Ladd-hating son.

    Reply

    1. 1/Best POSTERS are (1) The Shadow (2) Last Action Hero (3) Alfred the Great (4) Da Vinci Code (5) Scandal (6) Apr Pupil (7) Mr Holmes(8) both for Beauty and the Beast (9) Restoration (10) Richard 3 (11) Bent (12) The Keep- see 3/4 below.

      2/The STILLS that I particularly enjoyed are (1) the young Sir Ian in A Touch of Love (2) Priest of Love (3) Sir Ian with the young Brendan Fraser in Gods and Monsters (4) Sir Ian with Sir Patrick (5) the closing photo of the very young Sir Ian himself. It was quite startling as one is used these days to seeing him as a grizzled figure (5) Ian as a modern Richard 3. In 1955 Paul Douglas played Shakespeare’s Macbeth in 1955s Joe MacBeth using a modern setting where MacBeth is a gangster Godfather. Ruth Roman was Lily [ie Lady] MacBeth and Yank-Brit whom we recently discussed Bonar Colleano was a henchman. See also next paragraphs

      3/I have never been a great fan of actually watching fantasy yarns like Lord of the Rings but I will confess to being addicted to the posters and stills that they spawn so I loved almost without exception the offerings in your runs of pictorials related to Lord of the Rings, X Men and The Hobbit.

      4/I would though like to single out the stills from Lord of the Rings depicting (1) the stunning mass-army battle scene in 2 Towers and (2) the “elephant charge” in I think Return of the King It was I see your numerous offerings for those 3 franchises that raised my scores for your McKellen video to an overall 98.5%. All in all your video is a marvellous and respectful tribute to another Great Brit.

      ADDITIONAL UNRELATED TRIVIA Last night I saw a 1973 episode of Columbo called Any Old Port in a Storm with Donald Pleasance as the guest murderer. His assistant is Julie Harris and she mentions to him that she likes Alan Ladd movies. It seems that the Greats of the Hollywood Classic Era always will be truly immortal!

      Reply

      1. Hi Bob, thanks for the review, generous rating, info and trivia, always appreciated.

        Glad you liked the posters and stills.

        I thought Bruce already had an Ian McKellen page so I’m somewhat surprised, considering he’s seen most of them and some of these are favorites of his.

        I was going to do a Donald Pleasance video, I had him listed from the beginning but ultimately I decided to finish this run off with some recent Brits. His turn will come early next year when I ‘mop’ up the rest of the British greats – Donat, Sim, Quayle, Baker, Crisp, Hardwicke and the legendary Terry-Thomas “Oh I say, that’s a good chap” 🙂

        Yes it was pleasant seeing McKellen looking young and dapper in those photos, instead of grizzled and dapper.

        Btw Bob, why does your son hate Alan Ladd? Because you’re a huge fan?

        Four of Gandalf’s films scored 10 out of 10 from my sourcerers, sorry, sources. Lord of the Rings 1-2-3 and Gods and Monsters.
        No 9s but 11 more scored 8 out 10.

        The Return of the King tops both IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes charts.

        “I’ve had enough of being a gay icon! I’ve had enough of all this hard work, because, since I came out, I keep getting all these parts, and my career’s taken off. I want a quiet life. I’m going back into the closet. But I can’t get back into the closet, because it’s absolutely jam-packed full of other actors.”

        “I’m cheaper than Anthony Hopkins. The other actors they asked to play Gandalf wouldn’t go to New Zealand on that money for that length of time. I thought it would be a bit of an adventure. Tony Hopkins didn’t think it would be an adventure. Tony is part of Hollywood. I’m an eccentric English actor, and there’s a lot of us around.”

        “I don’t think I’m top choice. In theatre – for Shakespeare – I’m quite near the top. In film, I’m way, way down. Spielberg’s never asked to work with me, Tarantino has never asked, Sam Mendes has never asked. It isn’t as if there’s a long list of films I’ve turned down but there are plenty I wish I’d had a go at. That’s the truth.”

        Reply

        2. Hey Steve….nope no Ian McKellen page. I actually started working on one for him….using the 30 you picked in the video…but once those English movies started showing up….it sort of derailed that project…I was actually writing down your Top 30 and was going to do a comparison table of Top 10 Charts and UMR…..but a good idea that was stalled.

          I do have 26 of movies in the database……this is how they are ranked by UMR

          1st – Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
          Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
          Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)
          X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
          5th – X-Men 2 (2003)
          Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The (2013)
          X-Men (2000)
          Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The (2012)
          Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The (2014)
          10th- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
          Wolverine, The (2013)
          Da Vinci Code, The (2006)
          Flushed Away (2006)
          Stardust (2007)
          15th- Richard III (1995)
          Golden Compass, The (2007)
          Gods and Monsters (1998)
          Mr. Holmes (2015)
          Last Action Hero (1993)
          20th- Shadow, The (1994)
          Bent (1997)
          Ballad of Little Jo, The (1993)
          Apt Pupil (1998)
          Asylum (2005)
          25th – Priest of Love (1981)
          Keep, The (1983)

          Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.