I think he comes across as a very arrogant character - he believes he is a better actor than what he actually is. I think a lot of actors and actresses can't override their personalities with the character they are playing - Spencer Tracy, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, and a host of others (in my opinion) are just playing themselves. A really good actor makes you forget who they actually are.

TOMMY LEE JONES' BEST WORK CAN BE FOUND IN THE FILMS;ROLLING THUNDER,COAL MINERS DAUGHTER,THE RIVER RAT,NATURAL BORN KILLERS,MEN IN BLACK IS COOL,AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE TOMMY LEE JONES FILM....1993'S HEAVEN & EARTH.

@mechajutaro said:

Like Robert De Niro, TLJ's been playing variations of the same character for the past two or three decades. Only difference being, he was never paired up with the likes of Scorcesse and Coppola for productions that ended up being movies for the ages early on in his career. Thus, De Niro is today seen as a mega-talent who's deliberately chosen to coast through the remainder of his career after a heyday of near-constant powerhousing during the 70s and early 80s, while TLJ's first-rate work in less-remembered flicks like "Coal Miner's Daughter" have left the impression(faulty)that he's never been much of an actor

I appreciate your thoughts here, even if I don't wholeheartedly agree across the board. From Meet the Parents, to Casino, to Goodfellas, to Showtime, I find DeNiro has shown more range than he may be gettint credit for.

That being said, I hasten to admit that I am not overly familiar with TLJ's complete body of work. I think of The Fugitive, US Marshalls, and Men in Black and, honestly, see almost no nuance separating those characters at all. But he has done plenty more than that, so, in fact, I may be speaking out of turn ane being u fair to TLJ.

I can concede that.

You've helped answer my question - TLJ can act; or, at least, he's not had the same career management to highlight more of his range.

I'll look for more. I liked Stallone in Copland; loved Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July as well as Tropic Thunder, and loved Bruce Willis in The Jackal, so I'm keen to see actors stretch beyond their typical roles.

Thanks for your even-keeled response!

Heyyy, TLJ had a very off-beat character in JFK, I do remember that!

I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that Keanu Reeves plays the same character in every movie!

What about The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and No Country For Old Men? I can't remember that well, it's been a while since I saw them but didn't he play more nuanced characters in those. I remember him giving a ponderous monologue at the end of No Country.

Maybe it's because he doesn't have a very expressive face - he seems to have the same expression throughout every movie.

@lassie said:

I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that Keanu Reeves plays the same character in every movie!

I'm not telling you anything. My post was a question, and I'm learning from those offering thoughtful answers.

I will, however, acknowledge that you spelled "you're" correctly which, itself, is refreshing in today's linguistic milieu.

IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH IS AN UNDERRATED FILM AS WELL.

@DRDMovieMusings said:

@lassie said:

I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that Keanu Reeves plays the same character in every movie!

I'm not telling you anything. My post was a question, and I'm learning from those offering thoughtful answers.

I will, however, acknowledge that you spelled "you're" correctly which, itself, is refreshing in today's linguistic milieu.

Sorry, I was just joking about Keanu Reeves. Tommy Lee Jones is among my top 10 favorite actors. Yes, he definitely chooses the same types of characters, but that's probably what he is most comfortable with and he kills the part. Coal Miner's Daughter, The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men and the Homesman are 9/10's in my book.

Jones is a good actor, but he fits into a fairly narrow range of characters he can actually pull off. He can do drama, action, and comedy, but all his characters in those roles tend to be fairly stoic, and rough around the edges. I like Jones because doesn't fit into the mold of what constitutes a "leading action hero". He does remind me of my uncle who was pretty stern but he will give you the shirt off his back if you're in trouble. To be fair, I am not familiar enough with his earlier roles to make a sweeping statement about entire body of work....only his more recent movies from the 1990s onwards. The first movie of his I saw was Under Siege. In that role, I thought he stole the show from Steven Seagal which might not be saying much because Seagal sucks.

SEAGAL DOES NOT SUCK.UNDER SIGE AND HARD TO KILL ARE TOP NOTCH ACTION FILMS WITH STRONG CHARISMATIC PERFORMANCES BY SEAGAL.ROGER EBERT EVEN TOUTED HIM AS THE NEXT BIG ACTION STAR AFTER SEEING HARD TO KILL.I WILL AGREE HIS ACTING SUFFERED AS HE AGED AND GREW CHUBBY.