With Paul Newman's passing, I started wondering who were the greatest American movie stars (that can actually act) still living?  Here goes (politics not withstanding):

• Kirk Douglas - Last of the Golden Agers; "Champion," "The Glass Menagerie," "Ace in the Hole," "Detective Story," "Ulysses," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Lust for Life," "In Harm's Way," "Seven Days in May," "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," "Paths of Glory," "Spartacus," "Lonely Are the Brave," "The Man From Snowy River," "The Devil's Disciple," and "Last Train From Gun Hill."
• Gene Hackman - Though he's not made much since "Welcome to Mooseport" (yech!), Hackman has made "Bonnie & Clyde," The French Connection," "Scarecrow," "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Conversation,"  "A Bridge Too Far," "Hoosiers," "Unforgiven," "Mississippi Burning," "Crimson Tide," "Absolute Power," & "Twilight (with Newman)."
• Al Pacino - Hackman's co-star in "Scarecrow," along with "The Godfather," The Godfather Part II," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Serpico," "...And Justice For All," "Bobby Deerfield," "Scarface," "Carlito's Way," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Donnie Brasco," "Angels in America," & "Heat."
• Robert De Niro - a chameleon of sorts, De Niro is famous for "Bang the Drum Slowly," "Mean Streets," The Godfather Part II," "The Untouchables," " Raging Bull," "Midnight Run," "Taxi Driver," "The Deer Hunter," "Awakenings," "A Bronx Tale," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Casino," "Heat," "Jackie Brown," "GoodFellas," "Ronin," & The "Fockers" movies.
• Jack Nicholson - While considered a professional letch, Nicholson's body of work is impressive: "Chinatown," "The Shooting," "Easy Rider," "Carnal Knowledge," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Reds," "The Shining," "Goin' South," "A Few Good Men," "Terms of Endearment," "Prizzi's Honor," "Batman," "As Good As It Gets," "The Crossing Guard," "The Departed," & "About Schmidt."
• Dustin Hoffman - From this same generation of actors born in the late 30s / early 40s, Hoffman's work includes "The Graduate," "Midnight Cowboy," "Little Big Man," "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Lenny," "Papillon," "The Marathon Man," "Tootsie," "Rain Man," "All the President's Men," "American Buffalo," "Wag the Dog," and "Moonlight Mile."
• Robert Duvall - Incredibly long-lived career in Hollywood; "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Bullitt," "M.A.S.H.," "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "The Conversation," "Network," "Lonesome Dove," "Tender Mercies," "The Great Santini," "Apocolypse Now," "Convicts," "Colors," "Falling Down," "Sling Blade," "Thank You for Smoking," "Secondhand Lions," & "The Apostle,"
• Morgan Freeman - Starting with "The Electric Company" Freeman's resume has exploded to include "Street Smart," "Clean and Sober," "Glory," "Unforgiven," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Driving Miss Daisy," "Seven," "Amistad," "Million Dollar Baby," "Gone Baby Gone," and "Lean on Me."
• Clint Eastwood - From his "Rawhide" days, Eastwood saw value in the character of Westerns and other dramas like "Fistful of Dollars," "The Good, the Bad & The Ugly," "Where Eagles Dare," "High Plains Drifter," "Play Misty for Me," "Dirty Harry," "Magnum Force," "Pale Rider," "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "Escape from Alcatraz," "Unforgiven," "In the Line of Fire," "Million Dollar Baby," "Absolute Power," "Mystic River," and "Flags of Our Fathers."
• Sidney Poitier - Older than you might think at 81, Poitier has appeared in "Blackboard Jungle," "A Raisin in the Sun," "Porgy and Bess," "Lillies of the Field," "In the Heat of the Night," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "The Defiant Ones," "Cry the Beloved Country," and "Band of Angels."
• Christopher Walken - Almost a parody of himself these days, Walkens work includes "Annie Hall," "The Deer Hunter," "The Dogs of War," "King of New York," "The Dogs of War," "The Dead Zone," "The Milagro Beanfield War," "Pulp Fiction," "True Romance," "The Funeral," "Sleepy Hollow," "Catch Me If You Can," "Wedding Crashers," and "Hairspray."
• Robert Redford - Not the biggest fan personally, but you can't deny his body of work: "A Bridge Too Far," "The Great Gatsby," "Barefoot in the Park," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (with Newman)," "The Sting (also w/Newman)," "The Candidate," "Jeremiah Johnson," "All the President's Men," "The Way We Were," "Out of Africa," "Three Days of the Condor," and "The Electric Horseman."
• Denzel Washington - Beginning with "A Soldier's Story," Washington's career is amazing: "Cry Freedom," "Glory," "Mississippi Masala," "Malcolm X," "Crimson Tide," "Philadelphia," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Training Day," "Out of Time," "The Hurricane," "Antwone Fisher," "Inside Man," "Remember the Titans," & "American Gangster."
• Tom Hanks - Oh, how our Bosom Buddy has grown; "Bachelor Party (for the guys)," "Splash," "Nothing in Common," "Big," "A League of Their Own," "Apollo 13," "Philadelphia," "Sleepless in Seattle (for the gals)," "Forrest Gump," "Saving Private Ryan," "Cast Away," "The Green Mile," "Road to Perdition," "Catch Me If You Can," & "The Da Vinci Code."
• Sean Penn - Yep, here's where people start going "Ooooh no...no way."  Bear with me, though: "Taps," "Fast Times At Ridgemont High," "The Falcon and the Snowman," "Carlito's Way," "Colors," "Casualties of War," "The Thin Red Line," "The Game," "Dead Man Walking," "Hurlyburly," "Before Night Falls," "21 Grams," & "Mystic River."  Not bad for a guy 20 years younger than all of the above.
• Tom Cruise - Hate 'im, but you gotta respect the huge body of work; "Taps," "Top Gun," "Rain Man," "Born on the Fourth of July," "A Few Good Men," "The Firm," "Jerry Maguire," "Magnolia," "Collateral," "The Color of Money (with Newman),"  & "Minority Report."
• Johnny Depp - Getting younger; "Platoon," "Edward Scissorhands," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Donnie Brasco," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," "Ed Wood," "Blow," "Sleepy Hollow," "Chocolat," "Finding Neverland," "Pirates of the Caribbean (all 3)," "Before Night Falls," and "Sweeney Todd."
• Leonardo Di Caprio - Younger still; "This Boy's Life," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Marvin's Room," "Titanic," "The Basketball Diaries," "Catch Me If You Can," "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," "Blood Diamond," & "The Departed."

Honorable Mentions go to:

• Ed Harris - Amazingly versatile and talented; "The Right Stuff," "Places in the Heart," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Apollo 13," "Absolute Power," "The Truman Show," "The Hours," "Pollock," "The Human Stain," "A History of Violence," "Gone Baby Gone," and "The Firm."
• John Travolta - Not sure about the "acting" part, but a nice body of work: "Grease," "Saturday Night Fever," "Urban Cowboy," "Blowout," "Pulp Fiction," "Get Shorty,"  "The Thin Red Line," "Primary Colors," "A Love Song for Bobby Long," & "Basic."
• Brad Pitt - On the job training has helped this guy; "Thelma and Louise," "A River Runs Through It," "True Romance," "Legends of the Fall," "12 Monkeys," "Seven," "Fight Club,"  "Ocean's (insert number)," "Troy," "Burn After Reading," and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
• Dennis Quaid - Could never quite maintain his stardom; "Breaking Away," The Right Stuff," "Innerspace," "The Big Easy," "Everybody's All-American," Postcards from the Edge," "Great Balls of Fire!," "Flesh and Bone," "Smart People," & "Traffic."
• Michael Douglas - Mr. Zeta-Jones; "The China Syndrome," "Romancing the Stone," "Wall Street," "Black Rain," "The War of the Roses," "Basic Instinct," "The Game," "The American President," "Falling Down," "Wonder Boys," & "The King of California."
• Robin Williams - "The World According to Garp," "Moscow on the Hudson," "Dead Poet's Society," "Awakenings," "Dead Again," "The Fisher King," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Good Will Hunting."
• Nicholas Cage - or Coppola, whatever: "Moonstruck," "Raising Arizona," "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Wild At Heart," "Leaving Las Vegas," and innumerable action films.
• George Clooney - "The Thin Red Line," "Michael Clayton," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Ocean's (number here)," "Out of Sight," "O Brother, Where Are Thou?," "The Perfect Storm,"  "Syriana," "Three Kings," & "Burn After Reading."
• Burt Reynolds - "Deliverance," "Semi-Tough," "Gator," "Smokey & the Bandit," "Boogie Nights," "The Player," "The Longest Yard," & "Sharky's Machine."

I'm sure I've forgotten someone (a few), and that you'll let me know.