QUIZ: Do You Recognize Iconic Actors From The Past?
Are you an expert on Hollywood’s leading men? These actors are the famed faces that others grew up watching, inspiring them to pursue a career on the silver screen.
Can you name Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, and the actor who was an amateur boxer before he ever picked up a script? Take this quiz to see if you really know the iconic stars of yesteryear.
Who is this British film icon?
A. Charlon Heston
B. Jerry Lewis
C. Gene Hackman
D. Michael Caine
D: Michael Caine
British actor Michael Caine is known for his cockney accent. Caine is ranked as one of the list of highest-grossing box office stars, with a total gross of over $7 billion worldwide.
Who is the actor who starred in The Rockford Files?
A. Richard Dreyfuss
B. Al Pacino
C. Roy Scheider
D. James Garner
D: James Garner
James Garner is best known as the star of the ’70s TV show The Rockford Files.
He starred in several television series over more than five decades, continuing into the 2000s. He passed away in 2014.
Who is this star, who appeared in several Alfred Hitchcock films?
A. Cary Grant
B. Tony Curtis
C. James Dean
D. Clark Gable
A: Cary Grant
The English-born American actor Cary Grant is one of the most iconic leading men on this list. His unique accent and debonair demeanor helped make him an absolute superstar. He worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock on several projects.
A heartthrob of Hollywood’s Golden Age, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for Giant (1956).
A. Cary Grant
B. Rock Hudson
C. Jack Lemmon
D. Paul Newman
B. Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson was a handsome leading man and Hollywood heartthrob in the ’50s and ’60s, with a career that spanned four decades. Tragically, he was the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.
Who is this actor, who launched his career in the ’70s?
A. Al Pacino
B. Robert Redford
C. Warren Beatty
D. John Travolta
D: John Travolta
John Travolta reportedly had to learn to dance for Saturday Night Fever. His career hasn’t slowed down over the years, with roles in movies such as Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Face/Off, and many more.
Who is this actor, whose father was a U.S. Navy Admiral?
A. Ned Beatty
B. Charles Durning
C. Robert Duvall
D. Fred Ward
C. Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall has appeared in many films and television series, including To Kill A Mockingbird.
With a career that started in the 1950s, Duvall has been nominated for seven Academy Awards (winning one), seven Golden Globe Awards (winning four), and has won a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Emmy Award. He received the National Medal of Arts in 2005.
Who is this double Academy Award winner?
A. Roy Scheider
B. Robert Duvall
C. Dustin Hoffman
D. Burt Reynolds
C: Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman won Oscars for Kramer vs. Kramer and Rainman. His breakthrough role was as Benjamin Braddock in the 1967 film The Graduate, and in the ensuing years has picked up a slew of awards including two Academy Awards and six Golden Globes.
Who is this actor who famously feuded with Bill Murray?
A. Cary Grant
B. Jerry Lewis
C. Donald Sutherland
D. Richard Dreyfuss
D. Richard Dreyfuss
One of Richard Dreyfuss’ most famous films is Jaws. He’s had public clashes with a couple of his co-stars including Bill Murray, who worked with him on What About Bob?
Who is this star, who frequently co-starred with Walter Matthau?
A. Jack Lemmon
B. Michael Caine
C. Larry Hagman
D. Lee Marvin
A: Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon starred in over 60 films, including The Odd Couple. The American actor and musician starred in more than 60 movies and had a surprise hit later in his career with 1993’s Grumpy Old Men.
Who is this star from a musical sitcom?
A. George Peppard
B. Warren Beatty
C. Henry Winkler
D. David Cassidy
D: David Cassidy
Teen heartthrob David Cassidy famously starred as Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family. He was a superstar pop singer of the 1970s and kept going with his music career for the rest of his life.
Who is this star, known as “The King Of Cool?”
B. Charlton Heston
D. Steve McQueen
D. Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen loved motorcycles and racing cars. He was a box office draw because of his antihero persona, which was perfect for the roles he played in films like The Sand Pebbles and The Magnificent Seven.
Who is this man who appeared in 142 movies?
A. Paul Newman
B. Lee Marvin
C. John Wayne
D. Jerry Lewis
C: John Wayne
John Wayne was born Marion Mitchell Morrison and nicknamed “Duke.” He appeared in a total of 179 film and television productions over his long career that spanned from the silent era of the 1920s, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and later the American New Wave.
Not only is he an actor, a director, and a producer, but he was also a racecar driver.
A. Robert Redford
B. Paul Newman
C. Warren Beatty
D. George Peppard
B: Paul Newman
Blue-eyed actor Paul Newman’s most iconic film was Cool Hand Luke.
Newman was more than an actor; he also directed movies, drove race cars, and had an entrepreneurial spirit. His food company, Newman’s Own, has donated over $550 million to charity since its inception in 1982.
Who is this Egyptian actor?
A. James Garner
B. Sidney Poitier
C. Erik Estrada
D. Omar Sharif
D: Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif starred in Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Funny Girl. The multilingual actor was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Lawrence of Arabia and won three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award.
He was known for his explosive acting style and lived to be 103 years old.
A. Kirk Douglas
B. Gary Cooper
C. Marlon Brando
D. Jack Lemmon
A: Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas’s acting career took off in the ’50s, appearing in films including Ace in the Hole, Detective Story, and The Bad and the Beautiful. The American Film Institute named Douglas the 17th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema.
