Reply #8: Depp, but I'm starting to think Depp is a bit overrated, and Cruise under

[jobycom]

rated.

Early on they were often in line for the same roles. Cruise turned down Edward Scissorshands, and Depp was considered for Lestadt. They both seem to have adopted similar methods as a couple of big celebs they worked with early on. Cruise began using Paul Newman as a model (political as well as acting), while Depp learned from Marlon Brando.

I love Depp, he's very good, but his standard method of creating a character is to imitate another actor or public figure. Ed Wood was a fusion of Ronald Reagan and someone else. Jack Sparrow was Keith Richards. The more I watch him, the more I see him adapt an external persona and just wear it through the whole film. The persona is challenging, and usually fascinating to watch, but there's not often a lot of emotional variation in the character. Even in roles like Finding Neverland, where he isn't as over-the-top in his characters, he rarely displays strong emotions. He chooses roles and directors who use subtlety, rather than drama, but that often shows the talent of the director and writer more than him.

Cruise is underrated as an actor. Critics are always saying "Tom Cruise surprised me in this role. I never thought of him as that type an actor before." His characters are closer to normal people than Depp's, and he goes in for the intense emotions more than Depp. I think he's as talented, and probably a bit smarter (though Depp does a good job of appearing more intellectual, when you catch his unscripted comments, they are usually very simple, and even dumb.), but he doesn't have the artistic integrity of Depp. Cruise has several Oscar nominations, and he seems to attract Oscars and nominations for other actors, unlike Depp, who dominates in his movies.

All in all, I think they are very similar, and a lot of directors have thought they were very similar, even interchangeable. Cruise is freaking me out lately, going the Shirley McClaine meltdown route. Depp had more problems earlier, with his role in Rivers Phoenix's death, and his brushes with drugs. Not to mention his reputation for dumping women rather cruelly. It's almost like Depp has matured out of a wreckless youth, and Cruise has finally decided to live the childhood he missed by being way to serious in his younger days.

Hey, it's the historical analyst in me. Give me fifteen minutes to research anyone, and I can fire off these pop analyses.