Ever wonder what the greatest movies of all-time are? What about actors and actresses? The Circuit has decided to create our own Hollywood Hall of Fame, where we honor the greatest films, shows, actors, actresses & directors of all-time!
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Sports have a Hall of Fame. Music has a Hall of Fame. Movies don’t. How can an industry that is so prominent in pop culture, and so obsessed with its own history, not have a Hall of Fame? We are changing that here at The Circuit by creating the Hollywood Hall of Fame!
Because we have about a century of movies and television shows to catch up to, we are going to induct a new class to the Hollywood Hall of Fame each month. Each class will include:
Five films
Three television shows
Three actors
Three actresses
One director
Here at The Circuit, we are obsessed with history and context. We like to categorize everything and rank everything. Sports have a Hall of Fame dedicated to celebrating history and enshrining the best of the best.
Here are the 5th ballot entrants to the Hollywood Hall of Fame!
West Side Story (1961)
While the 2021 version may end up in this Hall of Fame as well someday, the original earns the spot first. This film brought the beloved musical to the big screen in an incredibly successful way, winning 10 Oscars and launching the star of Rita Moreno.
Rocky (1976)
Sports movies can be a very hit or miss genre of film, but there’s no debate that Rocky landed the punch (see what I did there). Perhaps the greatest sports film of all-time, this movie launched one of the most lucrative film franchises ever and one of those sequels even ended the Cold War. All thanks to this incredible underdog story.
Unforgiven (1992)
A Best Picture winner, Unforgiven is probably the signature film in the directing catalog of Clint Eastwood (more on him in a bit). This is an intense film that actually makes people enjoy westerns. That in itself deserves this induction.
Ben-Hur (1959)
At 3 ½ hours, this movie actually makes Titanic feel like an episode of television. It’s also tied with Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and the aforementioned Titanic for the most Oscars ever with 11. In all honesty, it’s probably past time for this movie to be inducted.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Before you get your wands in a tizzy, I agree that this is not the best film in the Harry Potter franchise. But it did start the entire saga, and it is one of the most-book accurate films in the franchise. It’s impossible to forget how you felt the first time Harry gets his wand..
Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
Also an inductee that probably should have been in a few classes sooner, GoT is one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons ever. Who wasn’t talking about this show every week? Even with the disappointing ending, this is one of the greatest shows ever made. Not to mention, it was really the last appointment-viewing television ever.
Seinfeld (1989-1998)
This show is vastly underrated, and often gets overlooked when discussing the greatest shows of all-time. Due to how similar it is to other sitcoms like F.R.I.E.N.D.S., this show usually takes the backseat. But the show's flawless premise and it’s incredible symmetry (first and last scenes are the same), plus George Costanza makes this show a Hall of Famer.
General Hospital (1963-)
I had to put a soap opera in the Hall of Fame due to how popular they are and how long they have been on. I’ll admit I don’t really enjoy them all that much, so I chose the one that my family likes the most. If you have an issue with this entrant, I’m truly not sorry.
Will Smith (King Richard, Hitch, Independence Day)
SLAP! Okay we got that out of the way. Yes, it was a black mark on his legacy, but no I don’t care all that much. He is a phenomenal talent who has had a brilliant career in all genres; he’s nailed sports, science fiction, drama, comedy and action. There is nothing he can’t do, and he proved he’s still got one hell of a right cross.
Laurence Olivier (Wuthering Heights, Hamlet, Marathon Man)
Olivier is famous for portraying Shakespeare on screen, a mark that all great actors aspire to, but few succeed (sans Denzel because he’s Denzel). Olivier also won an Oscar for Hamlet, and is one of the best actors of his generation.
Sean Penn (Milk, Mystic River, Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
Penn won two Oscars in a five year span, which is pretty remarkable. But aside from his outstanding lead performances, Penn has also been able to be a great supporting character, like in 2021’s Licorice Pizza. He is truly one of the best actors of the 2000’s.
Judi Dench (Belfast, Shakespeare in Love, Skyfall)
Dame Judi Dench is a treasure in Hollywood. She’s had a fantastic career that includes an Oscar win and countless nominations, including in 2022 showing that she’s still got her fastball. She has incredible range, going from Shakespeare to 007 and back again, Judi Dench is most definitely deserving of a Hall of Fame induction.
Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Thor, V for Vendetta)
If you only watched Portman in Star Wars, then you are probably strongly questioning this induction, and understandably so. However she’s done a lot of great work since then, including her Best Actress turn in Black Swan. Portman has a long, fantastic career ahead of her, including her turn as Lady Thor in the MCU.
Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball, X-Men, Catwoman)
What an interesting career? She has an Oscar, but she also has Catwoman on her resume. So that kinda cancels out. But overall, she is one of the best actresses of all-time, a pioneer for black actresses, and a staple in comic book films thanks to her role as Storm in X-Men.
Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, American Sniper, Million Dollar Baby)
As mentioned earlier, Eastwood directed Unforgiven which won Best Picture and netted him Best Director. He also won the same award for Million Dollar Baby, plus he directed one of the best military films ever in American Sniper. The goal is to have the inductees represent all the different film genres, and Eastwood certainly epitomizes the western film genre.
There you have it! The 5th Ballot inductees to the Hollywood Hall of Fame! Here is a comprehensive list of the Hall of Famers, which we will update with each class:
Films:
The Wizard of Oz
The Godfather
Shawshank Redemption
Citizen Kane
Lawrence of Arabia
Jaws
Avatar
Schindler’s List
Casablanca
Star Wars: A New Hope
Silence of the Lambs
Pulp Fiction
Avengers: Endgame
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Gone With the wind
Titanic
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Matrix
Psycho
Toy Story
West Side Story
Rocky
Unforgiven
Ben-Hur
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Shows:
M*A*S*H*
The Simpsons
The Sopranos
F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Saturday Night Live
I Love Lucy
The Office
Lost
Breaking Bad
The Twilight Zone
Grey’s Anatomy
Sesame Street
Game of Thrones
Seinfeld
General Hospital
Actors:
Tom Hanks
Marlon Brando
Jack Nicholson
Leonardo DiCaprio
Daniel Day-Lewis
Charlie Cahplin
Peter O’Toole
Anthony Hopkins
Paul Newman
Denzel Washington
Sidney Poitier
Robin Williams
Will Smith
Laurence Olivier
Sean Penn
Actresses:
Katherine Hepburn
Frances McDormand
Meryl Streep
Jennifer Lawerence
Marilyn Monroe
Sally Field
Uma Thurman
Jane Fonda
Ingrid Bregman
Bette Davis
Angelina Jolie
Judy Garland
Judi Dench
Natalie Portman
Halle Berry
Directors:
Steven Spielberg
Francis Ford-Coppola
Alfred Hitchcock
James Cameron
Clint Eastwood