>>>OTOH While I always like watching him in films George always plays someone like George. I'm not sure he's acting in the strict sense.
>>
>>Maybe not. How many of the great actors and actresses have really been acting?
>
>Very few. Mostly they play with themselves. Or get roles they can play because they suck at others, but still sell movies in these?
>
>One example of this is Tom Cruise, whom I can't stand for that (and his Bosnian counterpart, Toma Kuruzović, for the same reason). Except in Minority Report, where the director managed to make him do some work.
>
>May it also be noted that the role of Himself was played successfully by many dilettantes, in various movies (it's actually a different role each time, why do they keep giving it the same name - maybe it's another Alan Smithee of a kind?).

Tom Cruise usually does play the exact same part, a callow young jerk who learns a "life lesson" and is redeemed at the end. One exception IMO was "Collateral." I thought he was exceptional in that, as were Jamie Foxx (a surprise to me) and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Another excellent Tom Cruise movie: "The Firm." An excellent story and a mind blowing cast. Wilford Brimley is one of them. I would pay to watch him read the phone book.