I have watched The Long Good Friday - it is a good film, i have also seen Alfie and Doctor No, which are also good films.
But that does not excuse the lead actors in all of them playing exactly the same character in every film they make from then on - with no variation of accent, tone, demeanour, exzpression, or appearence.
The ultimate 'emperor's new clothes' adoration of these people is Connery getting an Oscar for The Untouchables, pl\aying an 'Irish' cop.
Pennies from Heaven, brilliant, Mona Lisa, already mentioned, brilliant.
so he has been in some films that didn't do well or he was winging it, but he isn't a bad actor.
boxtops - popularity is absolutely no gauge of ability - on that basis The Spice Girls are better artists than Jeff Buckley.
I appraciate tha people like the films of all the actors i have name-checked, but that does not in and of itself affirm that they are talented, or that they are not one-dimensional.
you might say the same of John Wayne or Gary Cooper. The ability to remain essentially yourself while playing different roles may be "one-dimensional" or it may be stardom.
he is a good actor, same way John Wayne was. They didn't always play to type, and as much as i appreciate we all have different opinions, can't see what is bad about him.