Great American Leading Men Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy (April 5, 1900-June 10, 1967) played lawyer Henry Drummond in 1960's "Inherit the Wind", a fictional tale of the 1925 Scopes trial over the teaching of evolution. He portrayed Judge Dan Haywood in the fictionalized story of the trials of Nazi judges in "Judgement at Nuremberg" (1961). Tracy played Major Robert Rogers in the semi-fictional "Northwest Passage"(1940), set during the 18th century French and Indian War, and was cast as Christopher Jones, a settler traveling on the "Mayflower" in 1952's "Plymouth Adventure".

Answer: James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones (1931-2024) overcame a childhood stutter to become one of the greatest actors of his generation. Jones played boxer Jack Jefferson in "The Great White Hope" (1970), coal miner "Few Clothes" Johnson in "Matewan" (1987), writer Terrence Mann in 1989's "Field of Dreams", and Vice Admiral James Greer, Deputy Director of the C.I.A., in the 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October".

Answer: Kirk Douglas

Born Issur Danielovich in Amsterdam, New York, Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) began acting after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He played a slave turned rebel in "Spartacus" (1960), a World War I French colonel in "Paths of Glory" (1957), a Jewish American colonel fighting in the 1948 Israeli War of Independence in "Cast a Giant Shadow" (1965), and one-eyed raider Einar in 1958's "The Vikings".

Answer: Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee USA. He began acting in school plays as a teen. Freeman played the prison smuggler
Ellis "Red" Redding in 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption", a chauffeur who befriends his elderly Jewish employer in "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), a soldier in an all-black Union regiment during the U.S. Civil War in "Glory" (1989), and retired outlaw Ned Logan in 1992's "Unforgiven".

Answer: Humphrey Bogart

Born in New York City, Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) began acting on the stage after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War I. Bogart played a small boat captain trying to sink a larger German ship in World War I Africa in
"The African Queen" (1951), the mentally disturbed captain of a U.S. Navy minesweeper in "The Caine Mutiny" (1954), a prospector looking for gold in Mexico in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948), and nightclub owner Rick Blaine in 1942's "Casablanca".

Answer: Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman was born in California on January 30, 1930. He joined the Pasadena, California Playhouse in 1956 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and moved to New York in 1958. Hackman played outlaw Clyde Barrow's brother Buck in 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde", narcotics officer Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection" (1971), an FBI agent investigating the disappearance of three Civil Rights activists in "Mississippi Burning" (1988), and Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett in 1992's "Unforgiven". Hackman retired in 2017.

Answer: Marlon Brando

Acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of his generation, Marlon Brando (1924-2004) was born in Omaha, Nebraska USA. Brando became interested in acting while in high school. He played Mafia boss Vito Corleone in 1972's "The Godfather", boxer turned longshoreman Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront" (1954), a German officer disillusioned with World War II in "The Young Lions" (1958), and a hired gunman in 1976's "The Missouri Breaks".

Answer: William Holden

Born as William Beedle Jr. in Illinois, William Holden (1918-1981) became active in radio plays while attending Pasadena, California Junior College. Holden starred as a prisoner of war in the World War II film "Stalag 17" (1952), a cynical TV executive in the 1976 film "Network", a Union Army doctor in "The Horse Soldiers" (1959), and a Swedish businessman spying on the Nazis in 1962's "The Counterfeit Traitor".

Answer: Dustin Hoffman

A native of Los Angeles, California USA, Dustin Hoffman was born on August 8, 1937. Hoffman studied medicine in college but became interested in music and acting, joining the Pasadena Playhouse in 1956. Hoffman was cast as recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate" (1967), an autistic savant in "Rain Man" (1988), a struggling actor who poses as a woman in "Tootsie" (1982), and a student unwittingly involved with Nazi war criminals in 1976's "Marathon Man".

Answer: Gregory Peck

Eldred Gregory Peck (1916-2003) was born in San Diego, California. Peck became interested in acting while he was a pre-med student at the University of California Berkeley and moved to New York in 1939. He played Captain Mallory in the 1961 World War II adventure film "The Guns of Navarone", the morally upright Southern lawyer in "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962), a Royal Navy Captain in "Horatio Hornblower" (1951), and Nazi fugitive Josef Mengele in 1978's "The Boys from Brazil".

Answer: Al Pacino

Al Pacino was born in New York City on April 25, 1940. He attended New York's High School for Performing Arts and later joined the Actor's Studio. He played Vito Corleone's third son, Michael, in 1972's "The Godfather" and the 1974 sequel, "The Godfather Part II". Pacino played the Devil in 1997's "The Devil's Advocate", and the brutal Cuban gangster Tony Montana in the 1983 version of "Scarface".

Answer: Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York on December 28, 1954. After graduating from Fordham University with a degree in journalism, Washington studied at the American Conservatory Theater, acting in off-Broadway productions. He played an escaped slave turned Union soldier in "Glory" (1989), wrongly imprisoned boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in "The Hurricane" (1999), South African political activist Steve Biko in "Cry Freedom" (1987), and a corrupt narcotics officer in 2001's "Training Day".

Answer: Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster (1913-1994) was born in New York City. A gymnast and basketball player in high school, he served in World War II with the Special Services and began acting after the war. Lancaster starred as Captain Vallo in the comedy film "The Crimson Pirate" (1952), a minister turned soldier in "The Devil's Disciple" (1959), a con man in "Elmer Gantry" (1960), and a ghostly small town doctor who gets to play baseball in 1989's "Field of Dreams", which was Lancaster's final film.

Answer: Paul Newman

A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Paul Newman (1925-2008) was interested in acting from childhood. After service in the U.S. Navy during World War II and college, he joined the Actor's Studio in 1951. Newman played con man Henry Gondorff in "The Sting" (1973), pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson in "The Hustler" (1961), a small time criminal who has a problem with authority in "Cool Hand Luke" (1967), and a Jewish Haganah agent in 1960's "Exodus".

Answer: Robert Duvall

Born in San Diego, California USA on January 5, 1931, Robert Duvall served in the U.S. Army from 1953-1954. Duvall studied acting in New York City, where he was friends with fellow actors Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. Duvall's first film role was as the mentally disturbed neighbor "Boo" Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962).

He played the adopted son and family lawyer of the Corleone family in "The Godfather" (1972), the outlaw Ned Pepper in "True Grit" (1969), and an unscrupulous TV executive in the 1976 film "Network".