The greatest actor of the 1980s, according to science
The 1980s was a fascinating decade in cinema. One era ended with a whimper, and another was ushered in that was more different in every respect. A new type of actor suddenly exploded in popularity to take over the A-list, and it was a seismic shift that left the purists simmering with rage and resentment.
The ‘New Hollywood’ period was a monumental one for the industry, moving away from the old studio system in favour of allowing an untried, untested, and unproven bunch of brats and wunderkinder to assume levels of creative control that went against the grain of Hollywood history, and for a while, it worked wonders.
The roster of stars and filmmakers who emerged changed the face of cinema forever, and many of them became legends: Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, John Cassavetes, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Bridges, Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Ron Howard, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Jane Fonda being just some of the names who left massive legacies.
Unfortunately, Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate effectively ended ‘New Hollywood’ in one fell swoop, and the studio executives decided to wrestle back control. What followed was an increased focus on mass-marketed blockbuster entertainment, which necessitated an entirely different breed of A-list megastar.
That’s where the Arnold Schwarzeneggers and Sylvester Stallones of the world thrived, embodying the excess of the 1980s and the muscular mantra of Reagan-era America to put butts in seats and blow the bad guys away. The period between 1980 and 1989 was filled with plenty of great drama, method acting majesty, and acclaimed displays of auteurism, but it was a time when bigger almost always meant better.
With that in mind, having crunched the numbers and pored through data compiled from 47,000 movies, more than 400,000 performers, and devised a system that rewards points based on critical evaluations, user-generated reviews, box office success, and how influential their filmography turned out to be in the years to come, scientists from the University of Turin determined that Schwarzenegger was the best and most successful actor of the ’80s.
It’s not as ridiculous as it might seem based entirely on cultural relevance, appeal, and consistency. Sure, Schwarzenegger would suffocate if he was asked to emote his way out of a wet paper bag, and while there were actors who starred in multiple films that made more money – Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Eddie Murphy accounting for just three of them – the ‘Austrian Oak’ changed the game.
Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, Commando, Raw Deal, Red Head, Predator, The Running Man, and Twins all turned a tidy profit at the multiplex, and if it wasn’t for him breaking through, then an entire generation of action stars being oiled up and distractingly vascular may not have happened at all.
Obviously, it’s not without merit to suggest Schwarzenegger can’t be the best actor of the ’80s when he’s not even a good actor on his best day, but who’s going to argue with science? It’s based on impact, influence, earning power, and ticket sales, and on that front, there was nobody better.
