Wrong.
Faye Dunaway has the best chance of her crop of actresses of being remembered having appeared in films like BONNIE & CLYDE, CHINATOWN, NETWORK and MOMMIE DEAREST -- films with legs. Jack Nicholson has the best chance of actors of his peer group.
So many more will be forgotten.
Here are five who will not be remembered as leading film actors (though the fifth will be remembered for character parts).
1) Meryl Streep.
She's been nominated forever!!!!!
Yeah?
Two words: Luise Rainer won two Academy Awards.
Luise who?
That's what most people would say about the first woman to win two Academy Awards for Best Actress.
Need two more words: Greer Garson.
Critical praise doesn't mean you're memorable.
Meryl's been a muted color onscreen in role after role. Glenn Close has accomplished what Meryl has failed at.
2) George Clooney.
His biggest success is the closet-case version of the Batman films: BATMAN & ROBIN. Other than that? He's never carried a film to blockbuster status. And his biggest impression remains as Doug on TV's ER.
3) Matt Damon.
B-b-b-but he co-wrote GOOD WILL HUNTING!!!!
Exactly.
A forgettable film.
The sort of film the Academy lavishes with undeserved attention. The sort of film Howard Hawks avoided with a passion. BRINGING UP BABY, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, THE BIG SLEEP, HIS GIRL FRIDAY, RED RIVER, BALL OF FIRE, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, etc. All classic Howard Hawks films and not an Academy Award winner in the bunch.
4) Sally Field.
Like Clooney, Field's biggest moment is TV. No, not GIDGET, THE FLYING NUN or THE GIRL WITH SOMETHING EXTRA. No, not ER or BROTHERS & SISTERS. SYBIL. Nothing she's done has topped it or, sadly, matched it. She played Aunt Mae in the two SPIDER-MAN films that are destined to be forgotten. Ironically, none of her film comedies will be remembered the way MY UNCLE VINNIE will be -- and Marisa Tomei won an Academy Award for that film and is now playing Aunt Mae. Life can be harsh.
5) Alec Baldwin.
A one-time leading man, he's most likely to be remembered as such for PRELUDE TO A KISS -- but that's only due to that being a romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan. As a queen of the genre, many of Meg's films will be remembered but this will be one of her lesser ones. Otherwise, he'll be remembered for bit parts both after his weight gain (ALOHA, BLUE JASMINE) and before (MARRIED TO THE MOB, WORKING GIRL). Alec can take comfort in the fact that though he'll be forgotten as a leading man, he will be remembered as a strong character actor.