The actor Kurt Russell called the greatest of all time: “There’s one name”
At this point, Kurt Russell has been acting for more than 60 years. He started as a child before becoming a teenage Disney star in the 1970s and then transitioning to superstardom as an adult with seminal movies like The Thing and Escape From New York. He’s still going strong today in his eighth decade, with roles in the Fast and Furious franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In fact, Russell has been so synonymous with Hollywood for so long that many may declare him the greatest actor of all time. Naturally, he’d probably find that a ridiculous statement – because he says there’s only one star who always has been and always will be the GOAT.
In 1981, Russell spoke to the New York Times about his acting philosophy, and he said something genuinely fascinating. He claimed that he never studied acting and instead simply learned by doing. However, he also indicated that he didn’t particularly like being around other actors for a straightforward reason: he doesn’t look at the craft the same way most of his peers do. The iconic star admitted, “I’m just not a great fan of actors. There are individuals who are great, but I don’t look at acting as an art.”
Over the next four decades, Russell’s opinion on acting as an art form never changed. In 2008, while promoting his fiendish performance in Tarantino’s Death Proof, Russell scoffed, “To go on about acting as art is ridiculous. You don’t have to be gifted just to hit a mark and a line. As far as I’m concerned, that’s 90% of the job.” The star then offered a brutal putdown to any actors who claim their work is emotionally punishing or that they suffer for their art: “Anyone who finds acting difficult just shouldn’t be doing it.”
You see, to Russell – a man who has worked in the movie business for most of his time on this earth – acting isn’t an art form, and it’s not even a job. In his opinion, acting is simply fun. He once told GQ, “I don’t work. I’ve never worked.” He listed off the things he’d dedicated his life to, including acting, flying aeroplanes, driving race cars, and playing baseball, before concluding, “None of those things are work. Doing what you want to do, that’s not work.”
In some ways, it’s refreshing to hear an actor like Russell talk about acting in such unshowy terms. Stars who claim that playing a particular character is a burden to them or a demon they have to exorcise from their soul can often come across as pretentious and unapproachable. However, it’s also clear that many stars who have approached their craft in this manner have produced incredible performances. In truth, though, Russell’s hardline stance on those who view acting as high art sounds especially odd when you find out who he considers the greatest of all time.
In ’81, Russell stated, “I think there’s only one great actor in the world: Marlon Brando. Everybody else runs a distant second to him.” Fast-forward to 2016, and he told GQ, “Still believe it. Brando’s the only one. I feel, honestly, there’s one name in acting when it comes to art form. High art. He’s it.”
So, when it comes to Russell’s theory of acting, it appears that one star is the exception that proves the rule. Brando, of course, is famous for being the man who popularised “method acting” with the masses and influenced every single generation who came after him. He was also notoriously difficult to work with, as he certainly didn’t look at acting as a case of hitting your mark and remembering your lines. Brando 100% viewed his craft as an art form, and maybe that’s why his prowess was so undeniable, even to someone like Russell.
