Big Time Movie Stars in Sci-Fi & Fantasy Films

Someone speaking of Elizabeth Taylor recently proclaimed archly, "She was a real class act. She wouldn't have been caught dead in the kind of movies they make today, with all these aliens and comic book types."

Nevermind the "class act" bit -- 15 minutes reading about her dalliances will cure anyone of that impression -- I take umbrage at the "kind of movies they make today" comment. As if movies are somehow bad now and were great when she was at the height of her superstardom. Say what? Besides, the lady was in The Flintstones, for crying out loud.

But this got me to thinking: has there ever been a movie star of her stature who HASN'T been in a Science Fiction or Fantasy film? With the caveat that Musicals are Fantasy (I mean seriously, music comes out of the air and everyone suddenly knows choreography? That's as imaginary as anything Tolkien ever thought up), I'm having a hard time thinking of any. The only possibility I have is John Wayne, but he was in an awful lot of serial-type flicks in his early days, so maybe there's some sort of Buck Rogers-y kind of thing there. (I'm inclined to say that being in The Greatest Story Ever Told makes him eligible, but people are twitchy about that sort of thing.)

So what do you think? Are there any big movie stars who haven't been in a Sci-Fi or Fantasy movie? I'm sure there must be a couple, but heck if I can think of them.

I can't recall any for a couple of my favorite old-time actors: Henry Fonda or Jack Lemmon.

I'm not sure that I would agree that a Musical is a fantasy. Certainly some musicals have fantasy elements, but a musical is a style of film/play. I would not consider, for example, Oklahoma to be a fantasy at all, while Mary Poppins could be condidered fantasy. Besides, there are a few musicals that have more realistic grounds for the music . . . A Chorus Line, for example (great play, mediocre movie).

I guess you have never seen or heard of Riders of Destiny, a western musical staring a little know actor named John Wayne.

Not a "comic book movie" per se, but Jack Lemmon did play a cartoonist in "How to Murder Your Wife".

If you're talking about AFTER they became big stars, Humphrey Bogart, though he made "The Return of Doctor X" early in his career. This was more akin to Jennifer Anniston getting her start in "Leprechaun," though. And I certainly wouldn't refer to either of those movies as some big budget regurgitated CGI spectacle (or the equivalent of what was made during those respective eras).

I would definitely put Katherine Hepburn in the category you're looking for, though.

So just out of curosity I looked up the Oscar winners for Best Actor and Actress from 2000 - 2010. The following were my findings:

2000
Russell Crowe: was kinda ify with me if he's been in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Book Movie. Gladitor and Robin Hood have some elements of Fantasy, but both are approached from a historic aspect (however inaccurate it may be)
Julia Roberts: Hook, as Tinkerbell

2001
Denzel Washington: Book of Eli
Halle Berry: Catwoman and X-Men movies

2002
Adrian Brody: King Kong
Nicole Kidman: Batman and The Golden Compass

2003
Sean Penn: The only one I wasn't able to find at least some movie that I could consider. (Granted I didn't feel like reading through descriptions of ever movie he's been in
Charlize Theron: Hancock and Aeon Flux

2004
Jamie Foxx: Stealth (bit of a stretch but sorta Sci-Fi)
Hilary Swank: The Core

2005
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Invention of Lying (small role but still)
Reese Witherspoon: Pleasantville

2006
Forest Whitaker: Phenomenon and Repomen
Helen Mirron: Before playing the Queen of England, she was the voice of "Deep Thought" in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and played "Morgana" in 1981's Excalibur

2007
Daniel Day Lewis: Listed as "Library Student" in Atermis 81 so I'll assume its a minor role, as I haven't seen the film.
Marion Cotillard: Inception

2008
Sean Penn: See Previous
Kate Winslet: Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind

2009
Jeff Bridges: if only he had done something involving being sucked into a computer (orignal film)... that would have been a cool movie (tongue in cheek and if you don't know what I'm talking about... I don't even know what to say)
Sandra Bullock: Practical Magic

2010
Colin Firth: Dorian Gray (haven't watched this yet, but it is on my queue through Netflix)
Natalie Portman: those prequels that shall remain namelss...

So of the 21 award winners in the last decade, only 2 or 3 haven't done something in those genres (depending on if Sean Penn has that I couldn't find, and how you come down on Daniel Day Lewis and Russell Crowe)... Personally, I think that shows that the genre is perfectly acceptable for "serious" actors.

She wouldn't be in a genra film? what like Antony and Cleopatra?

Didn't Elizabeth Taylor do a voiceover for Captain Planet?

I tend to not let myself get too caught up in "generational absolutes" like this. As we all know there are both good and bad movies whether they were made in the 50s or the 21st century.

I also don't have too much trouble with "classy" actors who supposedly "slum" around in the occasional silly movie, regardless of genre. If an actor has a proven career of good performances it doesn't bother me if they do an oddball film here or there. For instance I never really had any problem with Alec Guinness' little role in that Sci-Fi movie that got big there for a while.

What about Brad Pitt? Does Interview with a Vampire count as fantasy?

time travel.

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

What's dumb about the quote from the OP is it seems like the actors who are considered to be the best alive regularly frequent sci-fi and fantasy movies, even when you discount the more contemporary actors who seek out Oscar bait movies as well.