I agree that Ford wins easily when it comes to mass appeal.

How about Johnny Depp: Captain Jack Sparrow/Edward Scissorhands? I know Scissorhands is cult, but I'm tryin' ovah heah!

Clint Eastwood - the Man with No Name & Dirty Harry?

At least in terms of Box Office as a measure of iconography, Orlando Bloom has to be up there, right, for Legolas (Lord of the Rings) and Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean).

I'm just glad that Indiana Jones 5 is in the works!

When we start repeating shit, I think the answer definitively becomes: No.

Alot of the suggestions are for good actors, playing a great part, or a great movie.

Orlando Bloom's Will Turner, or Tom Cruises Cole Trickle are no where near iconic in any way possible. Good parts, good performances, good movies, but be realistic.

Ford, Stallone, Pacino, Brando, DeNiro all belong in the conversation.

Depp, Hackman, blah blah don't, despite being great great actors.

I don't see why this doesn't get more love.

Clint Eastwood:

The Man With No Name
Dirty Harry

Did anyone mention Clint Eastwood yet? /ducks

I actually really like the Bruce Willis pick in a "top ten" sort of way for John McClane and David Attison.

Well yeah, if we're including TV then I think the Marty McFly/Alex Keaton mention earlier has to get some love.

I still think the top 3 are clearly Ford/Stallone/Eastwood

I can't believe the discussion continued after Charlton Heston.

And, people, to not even include him in the top three?

From more recent times:

Kevin Spacey:
Keyser Soze/Verbal Kint (The Usual Suspects)
Lester Burnham (American Beauty)
John Doe (Se7en)
John Williamson (Glengarry Glen Ross)
Rufus Buckley (A Time To Kill)

Maybe not the stratospheric levels of icon-ess of Ford/Stallone/et. al., but an impressive breadth of iconic roles nonetheless. All of them very memorable and very different.

Stroker Ace and The Bandit.

/thread

Bill Paxton - Chet (Weird Science) & Pvt. Hudson (Aliens)
Jeff Brdiges - The Dude & TRON
Orson Wells - Harry Lime (Third Man) & Charles Kane
Malcolm McDowell - Alex (Clockwork Orange) & Caligula
Peter O'Toole - T.E. Lawrence & Henry II
Steve McQueen - Bullitt & Capt. Hilts (Great Escape) & Doc McCoy & Thomas Crown
Paul Newman - (Cool Hand) Luke & Butch Cassidy & Reggie Dunlop (SlapShot) & Hud & Eddie Felser (the Hustler) & Henry Gondorff (the Sting)
James Dean - Cal Trask (East of Eden) & Jim Stark (Rebel Without a Cause) & Jett Rink (Giant)

And that's IGNORING his Cannonball Run magnificence.

Since we're now to the point of just throwing names out there, how about this one.

Matt Damon ~ Will Hunting & Jason Bourne

Yeah, we're really reaching at this point. And I fail to see how Heston approaches Ford or Stallone.

Make a switch for Stroker Ace and I'd think you'd actually have an argument. Maybe Lewis from Deliverance, or Paul Crewe from the Longest Yard....or JJ from Canonball Run.

Is there really a character called "Stroker Ace"?

What about Rodney Dangerfield in that one movie...you know...where he's really sarcastic?

There's an entire MOVIE called Stroker Ace!

This deserves to be reposted as I thinkt he thread has gotten out of control with some really random choices.

What about the black guy from Ghostbusters? I thought he was pretty good.

Yeah, this has almost become a thread for people to post movie characters that they like. Half of which I've either not heard of or had to struggle to remember who they were.

I think an iconic character has to be one that is pretty much easily recognizable by both fans and non-fans of the movie or movie series.

Without a doubt I would imagine my wife would know who both Han Solo and Indiana Jones is. Likewise I am 99.9% sure she knows who Rambo or Rocky are, despite probably never seeing a single Rambo or Rocky movie ever.

I think that's partially true, but if non-fans are the determining factor you kinda get stuck with movies 10-30 years old, simply because some movies aren't old enough to have saturated the public consciousness, and many have faded away. In another 20-30 years, will the names 'Han Solo' and 'Indiana Jones' mean something to the wives of the day, whom have never seen either movie, and perhaps haven't spent a generation listening to husbands, boyfriends, brothers, and friends repeating those names every ten minutes?

Well, I think you have to apply that to the time. Possibly the same thing I just said about Rocky/Rambo or Han Solo/Indy could be said to be true for Clint Eastwood's characters 20 years ago as well. Likewise I still think my initial comment that Humphrey Bogart would be the #1 on my list is true as well even though he was from many years ago.

My comment was more in regards to the various current names being tossed up that clearly don't feel iconic to me.

I was going to go the TV route for MTM and Laura Petrie/Mary Richards, but Howard probably has that beat.

Ron is a good one, but he's only one degree removed from the powerful Andy Griffith / Matlock combo.

If we're going with TV, I'll go out on a limb and say that there's one character who, even though he was only in one series, trumps them all.

Homer Simpson.

Anybody out there not think of Mike Myers when somebody says "behave" or "donkey"?

/facepalm

You know, I was thinking about that the other night when I was loading the dishwasher and totally forgot I had. Oddly it came to mind after thinking of Dick Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder.

3 pages and no MORGAN FREEMAN

1. Hoke Colburn (Driving Miss Daisy)
2. Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Shawshank Redemption)


Although I think the Chevy Chase one is the closest.

Does anyone ever look at Morgan Freeman and think "Hoke Coburn"?

Jimmy Stewart -- George Bailey and Jefferson Smith

In my crapass opinion, these are the arguable ones:

Indy/Han Solo
Conan/Terminator
Rambo/Rocky
Man With No Name/Dirty Harry

All of those characters were featured in multiple roles, and are recognizable by just anybody with a passing knowledge of movies. I'd probably put Heston, Bogart and Julie Andrews right on the edge.

I agree with this list. All of the others mentioned are too obscure or marginal iconic. Even with the big names, a movie fan would be hard pressed to know the names of some of the characters mentioned (but perhaps more recognized visually). Brando certainly for Vito but who the hell was Kowalski? DeNiro and Bickle??? Just like with the drafts, if you have to look up the character's name in imdb, then perhaps it's not as iconic as you think?

Julie Andrews is hardly on the edge if we're opening this to both genders. Maria and Mary Poppins are clearly iconic.

I think of Glory as well

I certainly think that's arguable. I had her in the top originally, but put her on the edge simply because she only played the roles once.

Quantity doesn't equal quality...especially in this kind of discussion. I'd argue Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind is 10 times more iconic on it's own than a combo of Conan/Terminator or Rambo/Rocky.

This question appears to be being looked at with way too much of a modern male slant.

Reading the thread title might help understand why it doesn't matter how iconic one single performance is.

You missed my point or I didn't explain it well. My point was in reference to the comment that Julie Andrews performances don't count as much because she was only in those roles once. My point is that just because someone played the role three, four, or five times that doesn't outweigh someone playing a role once.

On Leigh...throw in Blanche from Streetcar and you have her two iconic performances.

Well sure, but I think Rocky/Rambo/Indiana Jones/Han Solo are certainly more instantly identifiable than Maria. Mary Poppins is up there with those, but Maria not so much.

I think that all depends on how you define "iconic"...in a purely filmic sense I might agree with you (and earlier examples of Bogart, Brando, Nicholson, and my own examples Newman, Wells, and James Dean), but my interpretation of 'iconic' in this case is much more along the lines of a pop culture icon, which is a different creature altogether.

Maybe, but I don't think that's quite as iconic as the others we're talking about.

If we're throwing TV out there, Peter Graves as Jim Phelps (Mission Impossible) and Capt Oveur (Airplane movies).

Agreed. We're not talking about quality of performance.

When you think of Harrison Ford, you think Han Solo/Indiana Jones. Those are instantly definable.

Stallone is Rocky/Rambo.

Vivien Leigh is Scarlett, but Blance? That's not quite as automatic. Same with Julie Andrews. People immediately think Mary Poppins. Now they might think "The Sound of Music", but the actual character isn't quite as iconic.

From that aspect, then I agree with Leigh...STRONGLY disagree with Julie Andrews. The older generation would easily recognize her more for being Maria than Mary Poppins.

I think Julie Andrews, and the Maria role in particular, is probably the best example of a character currently teetering on the edge of pop culture icon, and I'd agree with you that 10-20 years ago it isn't even a question.

No, I think of the US President (Deep Impact) and God. Hard to get more iconic than God.

Here's where Ford wins hands down.

Adjusted for inflation, he's starred in four of the top 17 movies of all time playing two different roles. By my count, Charleton Heston and Julie Andrews (omitting the rest of the cast of Star Wars) are the only other actors with as many as two movies in the top 25.

The other difference between the roles is that neither Heston nor Andrews played original roles. These were roles that existed in literature and in many cases have been played by multiple actors over the years. The have been more than one Moses and more than Maria Von Trapp. There's only one Han Solo and one Indiana Jones.

To challenge Ford, you'd need to play a lead in one of the top 20 movies or top 20 TV shows of all time, and play that character more than once. No one else is even in the ballpark.

The gross numbers are skewed because much of the international market was relatively ignored during Heston's heyday.

Now if you want to make sequels a part of the requirements, sure Ford wins.

edit: "Who is Kowalski" hurts me more than anything ever written on this board.

If animation is kosher here, Mel Blanc wins this thing hands down.

Will Smith:

Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Agent J in MIB.

Michael J Fox:

Marty McFly and Teen Wolf

Eddie Murphy:

Axel Foley and Professor Klump.

How about this:

My wife just said Jacob(Twilight Series) and Shark Boy.

Tom Hanks:

Forrest Gump and Woody(Toy Story).

James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, Terrance Mann, and Mufasa.

...and, "this is CNN." :)

File for divorce.

Based on the number of Woody costumes that I see every Halloween, that is a pretty good call to partner up with Forrest Gump.

What about Samuel L Jackson in...oh screw it.

Storm and Cat-Woman, Halle Berry

Gregory Peck

Captain Horatio Hornblower and Atticus Finch.

Also Josef Mengele, Philip Schuyler Green (Gentleman's Agreement), and Captain Keith Mallory (Guns of Navarone)

Has anyone mentione Tommy Lee Jones?

Samuel Gerard from The Fugitive & US Marshals
Agent Kay from MIB I, II and in 2011 III

This thread is why we can't have nice things.

This one is more of a joke one but if you are looking at all at box office numbers, Hugo Weaving was Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Megatron in the Transformers movies, and V in V for Vendetta. Agent Smith is certainly an iconic role as Neo's adversary and I might argue that V or Megatron are as well. Elrond, not so much but a Tolkein fan may disagree with me there. Weaving is also apparently reprising the role of Elrond in The Hobbit and he's the Red Skull in the upcoming Captain America movie.

Oh, and Eddie Murphy for Axel Foley and the guy that makes a bunch of awful pictures.

I hate Kodos for starting this thread and I hate myself even more for continuing to read it.

You're welcome.

Stella!!!!!!! I couldn't agree more.

This thread suffers from a lack of a good definition of "iconic."

My sense is that an iconic role is one that most people recongnize not only the image of the character -- Sly Stallone in boxing gloves with his arms raised in victory -- but also the basic character archetype -- a big-hearted but uneducated palooka from the streets of Philly trying to make it big with his one and only chance. If you say, "wow, that guy is just like Rocky," everyone knows what you mean.

When I mentioned the Stella shout from Streetcar, I'll bet most of you now have some idea who Stanley Kowalski is and what he means. Some of you won't -- it is a 60 year old movie -- but most of you do and that is because of the iconic nature of the character and Brando's performance.

I guess it's generational (save for the movie fanatics of any age) because "Stella" means "beer" to me and I doubt I could point out Bogart from a lineup of actors from the same era.

Bill Murray as Bill Murray in any movie he's in

Are people really answering the main question or just randomly posting two good performances for every actor they can think of?

I'm just wondering if anyone really thinks Samuel Gerard and Agent K really compare to Han Solo/Indiana Jones?

I agree that Brando is getting shortchanged, but someone above asked "who is Travis Bickle?" Are you shitting me? Maybe we need a new thread, but is there a scene in any movie that defines "iconic" more than "are you talking to me?" Let's see:
1. Indy running from the ball
2. I am your father (actually a lame scene)
3. I don't give a damn
4. Stella
5. I'll be back (edit to add: Only in a re-run)
Damn, this does need a new thread...

This is an issue I've been thinking about. Bill Murray and Jack Nicholson are iconic figures for always playing the same character. You know it has reached that point when you can't remember the character's name 10 minutes after seeing the movie.

In my own mind, I give Stallone and Brando a little bit of a nod over Ford and Eastwood because their iconic characters are distinctly different. Indiana Jones is basically Han Solo with a PhD and a bullwhip.

Why wouldn't they? The only difference is that Star Wars and Indiana Jones are older franchises.

I actually think the #1 and 2 spots are taken (Indy/Han and Rambo/Rocky) which is why I introduced things for conversation rather than competition. I assume that is what most are doing.

Nicholson has had some pretty iconic roles. i don't know if anybody even mentioned nathan Jessup yet.

Ron Howard is also a great pick. Opey and Richie are truly iconic.

A pair of roles that are, or will be, iconic and memorable (albeit small and supporting) are Amon Goeth and Voldmort.

okay, okay Ive got one. I don't know if it will even count but two iconic preformances beyond measure come from Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster and as the narrator of the original "The Grinch."

I don't understand all you Harrison Ford fanboys. Sure, he gets a good iconic role in Indy, but his role as Han Solo is NOT iconic. He's not even the main character of the movies.

I call BS. Han Solo is a more iconic character than Luke Skywalker. There's a reason that in 500 Days of Summer, when the main character looks into a mirror, he sees Han Solo looking back at him and not Luke.

Nah.

I'm surprised there is such unanimity with Solo. While Star Wars is a major iconic film...I'm not sold on Solo being as much of a pop culture icon as either Rocky or Rambo. To me...Stallone leads this hands down followed by Ron Howard (Opie Richie Cunningham). I'd even put Mike Myers (Wayne, Austin Powers) ahead of Ford as well.

Who lived in the late 80's or late 90's without repeating one of Mike Myers' lines? Even people who never saw his movies were saying the catch phrases and could identify the characters. I'm not sure many non-Star Wars fanatics were quoting Han Solo.

Hehe...I was typing a similar post up as I was right there with this thought process.

Very good point on Mike Myers too SteveMax.

Meh...the icons of Star Wars are (in no particular order) Darth Vader, Yoda, & maybe Chewbaca. An icon has to have some resonance with people who never even saw the movie (which I know is hard to find with Star Wars...but not seeing it for 20+ years can sorta simulate this). I would contend these are the most recognizable and most easily emulated icons. Solo? Skywalker? I cannot honestly recall why they would be iconic(I could be forgetting something big...but that tells me something in and of itself).

Agree, Yoda, Storm Troopers and Darth Vader are all more iconic than Han Solo.

Ford used to have that little bit of trivia as being the actor in the two highest grossing franchises of all time. I think LOTR maybe broke that up though.

Begrudgingly, Rocky / Rambo probably has the nod on the actor with 2. I have to clarify, that does not mean good acting or even quality movies. Just purely Iconic Roles. Meaning an insanely recognizable role highly associated with that actor.

My personal favorite is The Man With No Name and Dirty Harry. One role defined a genre (I call it "good westerns") and the other started a genre (detective action hero).

I still say Andy Griffith / Matlock easily trumps Opie / Richie Cunningham if you extend things into the realm of TV. The shows weren't named 'Opie' and 'Richie Days'.

'

And Happy Days is a good example of why you can't just say - Lead character = More iconic. I don't think anyone in their right mind would say Richie is more iconic than Fonzie.

Yeah, I'm not really as sold on Ron Howard's characters being as iconic as maybe memorable. But I'd argue that while Andy Griffith is still a highly recognizable actor, and most people would identify him to AG Show & Matlock, his characters were never "iconic". So I guess I lump Griffith and Howard together in the same boat. Maybe neither belongs on this list.

Fonzie is definitely the biggest icon from Happy Days (possibly the only one) but obviously has no other iconic role to speak of.

Matlock is totally an icon! He's the current cultural symbol of entertainment for old folks (taking over the crown of Murder She Wrote). Andy Griffith not so much anymore, but in his time dude was everywhere...though I would concede that the Andy Griffith character isn't particularly epic in scope. That's kinda like Bob Newhart playing Bob Newhart / Bob Newhart....awesome, but probably not 'iconic' in terms of character.

Someone is suggesting that Chewbacca is more iconic than Han Solo? Really?

This non-Star Wars fan says hell yes.

Another to toss out...

Dr. Frankenstein & Willy Wonka (& Jim from Blazing Saddles) = Gene Wilder

and I agree - Han Solo was a supporting character.

The point is not whether Ford as Solo was the most iconic (probably not even within Star Wars), but whether Ford as Solo AND Jones was more iconic than any other pairings. I would say that only Stallone would challenge that (with Rambo only being a moderate financial success - i.e., the whole Rambo franchise made only a fraction of just the first SW).