Of all the Universal regulars, who do you think was the best actor?

[Lazarus]

Just curious.

[Mike Scott]

Claude Rains

[Jim Bertges]

Boris Karloff

[crissrudd4554]

Claude Rains

My favorite actor of any genre.

[geezer butler]

Yeah, if we're talking my favorite it's Karloff. But if we're talking acting chops, gotta go with Claude

[Monsters For Sale]

Karloff.

He did everything from monsters to upper class characters to Christmas cartoonery.  He could be horrific or dignified.

Chaney, Jr. looked uncomfortable in high society.  Bela was hampered by his accent.  Would Raines have made a convincing homeless alcoholic?  In some ways his distinctive voice was a limitation.

For believable range alone, I would pick Karloff.

[Wolfman]

Karloff

JP

[Mike Scott]

Would Raines have made a convincing homeless alcoholic? 

https://youtu.be/4JEYfvHYTgg?t=399

[Monsters For Sale]

https://youtu.be/4JEYfvHYTgg?t=399 

OK.

But he is playing an ex-judge who speaks like a down and out Shakespearean actor.  Not quite what I had in mind.

[Mike Scott]

Not quite what I had in mind.

Who says all homeless alcoholics have to be morons? 

[Rich]

This is so hard to say. I think that Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi gave their best performances in The Black Cat (1932).

I may be in the minority on this one, but I think Lon Chaney Jr. was an amazing Count Alucard (or Count Dracula or Count Dracula's son).

Lugosi's greatest performances
The Black Cat
Dracula
Son of Frankenstein
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Mark of the Vampire (not Universal)

Karloff's greatest performances
The Black Cat
Bride of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein
Frankenstein
The Invisible Ray

It is really a toss up for me.

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Lon Chaney Sr.
He only had two movies actually considered Universal Monsters movies, but it still stands.

[Rich]

Based on the monster legacy collections alone, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., and Bela Lugosi showed the most versatility. Karloff can pull off a mute monster (Frankenstein), complex character development (Bride of Frankenstein), a dynamic mad scientist (House of Frankenstein), and an absolutely diabolical protagonist who has complex qualities of a love interest (The Mummy). Chaney Jr. can pull off nonspeaking intimidating monsters (The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Mummy character, The Wolf Man character), sympathetic tormented characters (Larry Talbot human character), and diabolical villains (Son of Dracula). Last, but not least, Lugosi can pull off menacing protagonists (Dracula, Son of Frankenstein, The Ghost of Frankenstein), silent intimidating monsters (Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man), and sympathetic and caring characters (Bela the Gypsy in The Wolf Man).

Claude Rains should also be mentioned. He could pull off an absolute madman with a touch of dark comedy (The Invisible Man), a sympathetic yet revengeful character (The Phantom of the Opera), and a loving yet stubborn patriarch (The Wolf Man).

[Anton Phibes]

While not the "best actor", I find Bela Lugosi to be very entertaining.

[Rex fury]

I'm going to go with Karloff. He was entertaining in the UM movies. I loved his voicing of the Grinch, and fondly remember watching him introduce Thriller ( the tv show, not the music video for you youngsters out there-lol).
RF