GREATEST FILM STAR
ROLES AND FILMOGRAPHIES

Greatest Film Star Roles and Filmographies (see below) contains a selected sampling of the starring roles that best define the screen presence or persona of some of the greatest stars of the American cinema. The definitive screen role is often the one for which the actor or actress is best-remembered. In some cases, some actors/actresses - over a long, prolific career - have had more than one exemplary or essential example of their acting portrayed in films.

The 25 Greatest Men and 25 Greatest Women Screen Legends in the First Century of American Film, according to the AFI polling of June 1999, are identified by their rankings and this graphic symbol star .

The 100 Greatest Films that have been selected at this site are identified by a yellow star .


Alphabetical By Last Name

A1 A2-B1 B2 B3 B4 B5-C1 C2 C3 C4-D1 D2
D3 D4-F1 F2 F3-G1 G2 G3-H1 H2 H3 H4-J1 J2-K1
K2-L1 L2 L3-M1 M2 M3 M4 N O-P1 P2 P3-R1
R2 R3 R4-S1 S2 S3 S4-T1 T2 U-W1 W2 W3-Z

Actor or Actress
Definitive Screen Role Other Great Film Roles

Sally Field
(1946- )
Norma Rae in Norma Rae (1979) Carrie in Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Megan Carter in Absence of Malice (1981)
Edna Spalding in Places in the Heart (1984)
M'Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias (1989)
Miranda Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Mrs. Gump in Forrest Gump (1994)
Karen McCann in Eye for an Eye (1996)
Valdine Wingfield in Say It Isn't So (2001)

W. C. Fields
(1880-1946)
Harold Bissonette in It's A Gift (1934) Ring Mister in Tillie's Punctured Romance (1928)
Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield (1935)
Professor Eustace P. McGargle in Poppy (1936)
Larson E. Whipsnade in You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939)
Egbert Souse in The Bank Dick (1940)
Cuthbert J. Twillie in My Little Chickadee (1940)
The Great Man / W.C. Fields / Uncle Bill in Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)

Ralph Fiennes
(1962- )
Amon Goeth in Schindler's List (1993) Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (1992)
Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show (1994)
Lenny Nero in Strange Days (1995)
Count Laszlo Almasy in The English Patient (1996)
Oscar Hopkins in Oscar and Lucinda (1997)
John Steed in The Avengers (1998)
Maurice Bendrix in The End of the Affair (1999)
Evgeny Onegin in Onegin (1999)
Ivan Sors/Sonnenschein, Adam Sors, and Ignatz Sonnenschein/Sors in Sunshine (1999)
Christopher Marshall in Maid in Manhattan (2002)
Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon (2002)
Dennis 'Spider' Cleg in Spider (2002)
Justin Quayle in The Constant Gardener (2005)
Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Todd Jackson in The White Countess (2005)

Peter Finch
(1916-1977)
Howard Beale in Network (1976) John Wiley in Elephant Walk (1954)
Dr. Fortunati in The Nun's Story (1959)
Captain Harris in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
William Boldwood in Far From the Madding Crowd (1967)
Dr. Daniel Hirsh in Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)

Albert Finney
(1936- )
Tom Jones in Tom Jones (1963) Mick Rice in The Entertainer (1960)
Arthur Seaton in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1961)
Charlie in Charlie Bubbles (1967)
Mark Wallace in Two For the Road (1967)
Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge (1970)
Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Fouche in The Duellists (1977)
Dr. Larry Roberts in Looker (1981)
Dewey Wilson in Wolfen (1981)
Oliver 'Daddy' Warbucks in Annie (1982)
George Dunlap in Shoot the Moon (1982)
Sir in The Dresser (1983)
Geoffrey Firmin in Under the Volcano (1984)
Leo in Miller's Crossing (1990)
Warren Odom in Rich in Love (1993)
Danny's Father in The Run of the Country (1995)
Dr. Austin Sloper in Washington Square (1997)
Ed Masry in Erin Brockovich (2000)
Chief of Staff in Traffic (2000)
Edward Bloom, Sr. in Big Fish (2003)

Laurence Fishburne
(1961- )

Morpheus in

  • The Matrix (1999)
  • The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
  • The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Furious Styles in Boyz 'N the Hood (1991)

 Tyrole Miller/"Mr. Clean" in Apocalypse Now (1979)
Swain in The Color Purple (1985)
Max in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Lt. Charlie Stobbs in Red Heat (1988)
Dap in School Daze (1988)
Jimmy Jump in King of New York (1990)
Nick Holbrook in Class Action (1991)
Russell Stevens, Jr./John Hull in Deep Cover (1992)
Ike Turner, Sr. in What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993)
Vinnie in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
Nelson Crowe in Bad Company (1995)
Professor Maurice Phipps in Higher Learning (1995)
Tanny Brown in Just Cause (1995)
Othello in Othello (1995)
Captain Miller in Event Horizon (1997)
Ellsworth (Bumpy) Johnson in Hoodlum (1997)
Whitey Powers in Mystic River (2003)
Marion Bishop in Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

Carrie Fisher
(1956- )

Princess Leia Organa in:

 Lorna in Shampoo (1975)
Camille Ztdetelik in The Blues Brothers (1980)
April in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Carol Peterson in The 'burbs (1989)
Marie in When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Bianca Burnette in Scream 3 (2000)
Ms. Surpin in Heartbreakers (2001)

Barry Fitzgerald
(1888-1961)
Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way (1944) Fluther Good in The Plough and the Stars (1937)
Mr. Gogarty in Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Cyfartha in How Green Was My Valley (1941)
Judge Francis J. Quinncannon in And Then There Were None (1945)
Det. Lieut. Dan Muldoon in The Naked City (1948)
Michaeleen Flynn in The Quiet Man (1952)

Geraldine Fitzgerald
(1913-2005)
Isabella Linton in Wuthering Heights (1939)
and
Ann King in Dark Victory (1939)		 Marilyn Birchfield in The Pawnbroker (1964)
Rev. Wood in Rachel, Rachel (1968)
Mrs. Jackson in The Last American Hero (1973)
Jessie Stone in Harry and Tonto (1974)
Sara in Echoes of a Summer (1976)
Martha Bach in Arthur (1981) and in Arthur II: On the Rocks (1988)
Mrs. Monahan in Easy Money (1983)
Jessica 'Gramma Jess' Wilson in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Errol Flynn
(1909-1959)
Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Dr. Peter Blood in Captain Blood (1935)
Courtney in The Dawn Patrol (1938)
Wade Hatton in Dodge City (1939)
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
Geoffrey Thorpe in The Sea Hawk (1940)
Jeb Stuart in Santa Fe Trail (1940)
George Armstrong Custer in They Died With Their Boots On (1941)
James J. Corbett in Gentleman Jim (1942)
Captain Nelson in Objective, Burma! (1945)
Don Juan in Adventures of Don Juan (1948)
Mike Campbell in The Sun Also Rises (1957)

Bridget Fonda
(1964- )
Maggie Hayward/Claudia Anne Joran/Nina in Point of No Return (1993) Mandy Rice-Davies in Scandal (1989)
Amy Hempel in Strapless (1989)
Grace Hamilton in The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Nancy Lee Nicholson in Doc Hollywood (1991)
Allison "Allie" Jones in Single White Female (1992)
Janet Livermore in Singles (1992)
Yvonne Biasi in It Could Happen to You (1994)
Eleanor Lightbody in The Road to Wellville (1994)
Marybeth Cogan in City Hall (1996)
Melanie Ralston in Jackie Brown (1997)
Sarah in A Simple Plan (1998)
Kelly Scott in Lake Placid (1999)
Elizabeth in Delivering Milo (2001)
Jessica in Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
Val Bazinni in The Whole Shebang (2001)

#6 star
Henry Fonda
(1905-1982)
Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Preston Dillard in Jezebel (1938)
Gilbert Jones in Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
Abraham Lincoln in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Charles Pike in The Lady Eve (1941)
Gil Carter in The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine (1946)
Lieut. Col. Owen Thursday in Fort Apache (1948)
Lieutenant Doug Roberts in Mister Roberts (1955)
Manny Balestrero in The Wrong Man (1956)
Juror # 8 in 12 Angry Men (1957)
Robert A. Leffingwell in Advise and Consent (1962)
The President in Fail-Safe (1964)
Frank in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Norman Thayer, Jr. in On Golden Pond (1981)

Jane Fonda
(1937- )
Barbarella in Barbarella (1968) Catherine 'Cat' Ballou in Cat Ballou (1965)
Corie Bratter in Barefoot in the Park (1967)
Gloria Beatty in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1968)
Bree Daniels in Klute (1971)
Jane Harper in Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
Lillian Hellman in Julia (1977)
Hannah Warren in California Suite (1978)
Sally Hyde in Coming Home (1978)
Kimberly Wells in The China Syndrome (1979)
Alice "Hallie" Martin in The Electric Horseman (1979)
Judy Bernly in Nine to Five (1980)
Chelsea Thayer Wayne in On Golden Pond (1981)
Doctor Margaret Livingston in Agnes of God (1985)
Alex Sternbergen in The Morning After (1986)
Iris King in Stanley & Iris (1990)
Viola Fields in Monster-in-Law (2005)

Peter Fonda
(1939- )
Wyatt in Easy Rider (1969) Heavenly Blues in The Wild Angels (1966)
Ulee Jackson in Ulee's Gold (1997)
Terry Valentine in The Limey (1999)
Burnett Stone in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000)
Doctor Cantway in The Laramie Project (2002)
Byron McElroy in 3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Joan Fontaine
(1917- )
Mrs. de Winter in Rebecca (1940) Lina McLaidlaw in Suspicion (1941)
Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre (1944)
Lisa Berndle in Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948)
Manina Stuart in September Affair (1950)
Lady Rowena in Ivanhoe (1952)
Susan Spencer in Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
Mavis Norman in Island in the Sun (1957)
Dr. Susan Hiller in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
Gwen Mayfield in The Witches (1996)

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