Best actor of all time

I think the best actor of all time is easily Michael Caine.

There are many reasons for thinking he is the best ever. He is credited with 200+ instances of actor/producer/crew work. There are many many many notable roles. He is in "Zulu," "The Cider House Rules," "Austin Powers in Goldmember," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "Hannah and her Sisters," "The Bridge too Far," and "The Eagle has Landed" amongst other various roles. Sure he has gotten an Oscar, sure he has gotten Golden Globes, Emmy's, and other awards and accolades, but the roles that he got those awards for are not the ones that distinguish him as the best actor ever.

There is one role in particular that separates him from the rest of the field, one role and one role alone. That role is a rather obscure role, but marvelous. He hits his mark every time, because he is the consummate professional. He gives the most passionate version of this role that I have ever seen. He plays a very convincing Scrooge character. He is alive, and he is effusive, he is sad, he is just wonderful in this film. But those aspects of his character acting, do not cause me to think him the best actor ever. It is the fact that he brings tears to his eyes in the Ghost of Christmas Present scenes that separates him from the every other actor that has ever been on earth. The movie is "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

If anyone can bring tears to their eyes for the Muppets, that person is the best actor ever. Period. Weeping due to a lame (supposedly walking impaired) frog sock puppet, that takes some acting. Acting Deniro doesn't have. Bringing tears to his eyes because "There will be a crutch without an owner next Christmas." That is much better than Pacino. Sean Penn couldn't act his way out of a paper sack in that instance. In fact, I can imagine him asking the director, "So I'm supposed to cry because a fucking frog with a bad leg is going to die? You know there are Iraqis dying every day due to the oppression of US Military actions." Can you imagine Ed Harris convincingly crying due to a fake lame frog dying? I think not. Harrison Ford's gritty acting style could not effectively replicate the sadness necessary to weep due to a green sock's limited existence. Samuel L. Jackson: "I AIN'T cryin' for this mutha-fuckin puppet." "It is a Muppet, sir." "I don't mutha-fuckin' care if it is the GODDAMN Queen of mutha-fuckin' England, I ain't crying for a lame-ass sock!" It is not about baseball or a western so Cosner's out. Maybe Tom Hanks could pull it off, but he is not old enough to be Scrooge.