Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, or Robert Downey Jr.? Greatest Actor of This Generation Debate Isn’t That Simple

One of Hollywood’s trickier debates in recent times is the title of the greatest actor of this generation. Depending on who you ask, the title could belong to a character-driven performer like Daniel Day-Lewis, a universally beloved star like Leonardo DiCaprio, or a box-office titan like Robert Downey Jr.

Each of these actors has defined modern cinema in different ways and performed exceptionally well across one or several of these metrics of cinema, including box office, awards, range of roles, cultural impact, and devoted fanbases.

Before you pick any single actor out of the three as the definitive standout of this era, here is a quick look at what makes them a legend in their profession.

If ‘greatest’ is defined by pure acting skill in Hollywood, Daniel Day-Lewis is the most deserving of the title out of the three. The actor recently came out of retirement to act in his son’s movie, Anemone. Before his retirement, Day-Lewis worked with the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson and Martin Scorsese. These directors unanimously agree that he is one of the most committed actors they have worked with.

As far as Hollywood is concerned, Day-Lewis is the craft standard. His legendary status comes after numerous critics hailed him for his performances. He also has numerous accolades to show for his skills. He won three Academy Awards for Best Actor, for My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012). That remains the most Best Actor Oscars for any actor.

He is known for his extreme method acting. Day-Lewis stayed 24/7 in a wheelchair as Christy Brown, who suffered from cerebral palsy, during the filming of My Left Foot. He insisted that the crew carry him around and feed him. During the filming of Gangs of New York, he worked as an apprentice to a real butcher.

His other sacrifices for perfectionism include living in the wilderness to film The Last of the Mohicans, living without electricity or running water for The Crucible, insisting on being called Mr. President for Lincoln, and taking dressmaking classes for Phantom Thread.

The actor’s method acting antics also had its critics. His critically acclaimed roles made up for the efforts he put into each role. However, the same cannot be said about the box office performances of these movies. Day-Lewis’s highest-grossing movie was 2012’s Lincoln, which collected $275 million.

What fans appreciate about Day-Lewis’s career is his selective approach to movies. He appears on screen rarely, but each project manages to capture the attention of the industry and the audience. He averaged one film every few years up until his retirement in 2017. Now that he is back on the screen, fans expect to see him in a project in another couple of years.

It would be a mistake to compare Leonardo DiCaprio to Daniel Day-Lewis. If the latter is an acting powerhouse, then DiCaprio is the complete package in Hollywood. There is no other actor in the industry whom the filmmakers could turn to, regardless of the genre or type of roles.

Industry experts, critics, and fans would agree that DiCaprio is the defining actor of this generation when we consider his sheer range, box office draw, critical acclaim, cultural influence, and career longevity. If you come to think of it, DiCaprio has played it all.

He gained global attention with his role as Arnie Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He received award nods for the role both at the Oscars and the Golden Globes. He played the young lover boy in the epic romantic tragedy, Titanic. He anchored psychologically complex roles in Shutter Island and Inception.

He showed his unhinged villainism in Django Unchained and chaotic comedy chops in The Wolf of Wall Street. He has also appeared in thrillers (The Departed and Catch Me If You Can), historical movies (The Aviator and Killers of the Flower Moon), and survival epics (The Revenant and One Battle After Another).

DiCaprio’s Titanic is not just his highest-grossing movie, but also one of the highest-grossing movies ever globally, currently placed at no. 4. His collaboration with Christopher Nolan, Inception, crossed the $800 million mark and brought him his highest payday ever at $50 million.

DiCaprio has six Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards, but he only won once for The Revenant. From the days of Gilbert Grape to his recent Paul Thomas Anderson flick, DiCaprio has sustained relevance for more than three decades. His roles have shaped pop culture and continue to dominate the internet.

Fans love a comeback story, and none of the actors in the industry has a better redemption story to tell than Robert Downey Jr. After his addiction issues got him in trouble with the law in the late ’90s, everyone believed that his career was over. His reentry into Hollywood in the 2000s was really challenging, with producers hesitating to back him up.

With the help of friends like Mel Gibson, he got his act together. He later proved himself in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, which got him on Jon Favreau’s radar. It eventually got him a ticket to headline the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the rest is history.

He owned the role of Tony Stark and turned around the conventional definition of a superhero. The sassy and arrogant character won everyone over with his heart. The first Iron Man film not only became a colossal hit with $585 million at the box office, but it also served as the foundation for the MCU as we know it today.

In that sense, Downey Jr. kind of shaped the commercial movies of modern times. He defined blockbuster filmmaking: witty, character-driven, and star-centered. He began with a modest salary of half a million in the MCU, but went on to earn $75 million each for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

His influence goes beyond Marvel as he also appeared in the two Sherlock Holmes movies, which were major hits. His highest-grossing movie is Endgame, which pulled in a mind-blowing $2.799 billion at the global box office.

Downey Jr. is set to make a return to the Marvel universe in a new villain role. He bagged a jaw-dropping $100 million contract for Avengers: Doomsday, making him the highest-paid actor in the industry. The role in Oppenheimer won him the much-deserved Oscar after two earlier nods. He is perhaps one of the most recognizable actors on the planet, with almost no haters at this point.

While Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest in terms of pure acting skill, Leonardo DiCaprio is the greatest in terms of range and career longevity. Downey Jr. probably is the greatest, if you consider the cultural impact of his movies and roles across the globe.

Who do you think is the greatest among these three legendary actors? Let us know in the comments below!