One great actor in 5 great films from five different genres?

Matthew McConaughey

(Yes, I know he is too easy)

Dazed and Confused (teen/nostalgia/stoner/comedy)
Amistad (historical drama)
Interstellar (science fiction)
Dallas Buyers Club (biography)
We Are Marshall (sports)

 

Jeff Bridges

The Last Picture Show...drama
Jagged Edge...courtroom thriller
The Fabulous Baker Boys...romantic comedy-drama/musical
The Big Lebowski...crime comedy
Iron Man...superhero
True Grit...western

I would have listed Starman (sci-fi) as well, but I consider that a weaker film than the above six. And I'm not all that sure about the greatness of some of the six.

 

Wow ! Great choice. Talk about under rated. "Blandings" one of the best comedies ever.

 

Ah, you should have fit Being There somewhere

 

Ray Winstone

Scum
The Proposition
Quadrophenia
Sexy Beast
Nil by mouth

 

Rod Steiger

Jubal (Western)
The Pawnbroker (Drama)
The Illustrated Man (SF)
In the Heat of the Night (Crime)
Waterloo (Historical)

Additional: Oklahoma (Musical) W.C. Fields and Me (Biographical)

 

Thought for sure there would be a Bill Murray list by now.

 

David Strathairn

A League Of Their Own
L.A. Confidential
The Bourne Ultimatum
Good Night and Good Luck
Lincoln

 

Edward G. was wonderful in Soylent Green. He tends to get stereotyped for Little Caesar, but he came from an era of actors who could play just about any role that came to them.

How about James Cagney:

White Heat- gangster
Man Of A Thousand Faces- biography
Yankee Doodle Dandy- musical
Tribute To A Bad Man- western
Mister Roberts- comedy/drama

 

How would one categorize "Being There"? "Satire" doesn't seem to do it justice. Is "Perfect" a genre?

Jeff

 

William Holden

Sunset Boulevard...black comedy/drama/film noir
Stalag 17...war comedy-drama
The Bridge on the River Kwai...war epic
Sabrina...romantic comedy
The Wild Bunch...western
Network...satirical drama

 

Don't forget Harvey. One of Stewart's best.

 

Burt Lancaster

The Killers...film noir
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...western
From Here to Eternity...romantic drama
Sweet Smell of Success...noir drama
The Leopard...historical epic
Seven Days in May...political thriller
The Crimson Pirate...action/adventure/comedy
Local Hero...comedy-drama

 

William Hurt

Silverado-Western
A History of Violence-Graphic novel adaption/mob
Altered States-Science Fiction/horror
Body Heat-noir
Broadcast News-news drama

 

I don't recall William Hurt in Silverado.

 

He played a dead body.


Seriously, You're right. It was the drugs. Honest. I was thinking of my cousin Kevin. So let's throw Mr. Brooks in there instead.

 

Agreed, I am puzzled by what context the OP might have meant. In his examples, I assume he meant that one was a holiday film and one is a western, but I may even be wrong about that.

 

I'm going to cheat a little bit regarding the genres and drop in John Cazale. He only acted in 5 films due to his untimely passing, but incredibly each of them was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. And he was wonderful in all of them.

The Conversation
The Godfather
Dog Day Afternoon
The Godfather Part II
The Deer Hunter

 

Nobody else took you up on this yet?

Bill Murray

Ghostbusters - comedy
Lost in Translation - drama
Fantastic Mr. Fox - animated
Little Shop of Horrors - musical
Mad Dog and Glory - crime/mob

Could also go with:
Ed Wood - biopic
Zombieland - horror-comedy
Scrooged - Christmas
Wild Things - thriller
Charlie's Angels - action (well, I enjoyed it)

 

Mel Brooks

Blazing Saddles (Western)
Young Frankenstein (Horror) (Mel provides the voice of the cat who gets hit by a stray dart from Dr. Frankenstein)
High Anxiety (Thriller)
History of the World, Part I (Historical Epic)
Space Balls (Science Fiction)


What versatility!

 

And the Winner is...... Charlton Heston:

Ben-Hur (Biblical)
Planet of the Apes (Science Fiction)
The Big Country (Western)
Private War of Major Benson (Comedy)
The Awakening (Horror)
Touch of Evil (Film Noir)
Number One (Sports)
Midway (War)
Earthquake (Disaster)
The Crucifer of Blood (Mystery)
Two Minute Warning (Cop Film)
The Three Musketeers (Adventure)
Proud Men (Drama)
Ruby Gentry (Romance)
True Lies (Action)
Agony and the Ecstasy (Historical)

 

Kevin Kline
The Big Chill (Drama)
Silverado (Western)
Pirates of Penzance (Musical, Romantic Comedy)
Sophie's Chouce (romance)
Cry Freedom (Biography)
Grand Canyon (Crime)

And then there are the great comedies.
A Fish Called Wanda
In and Out
Dave

Truly one of the most versatile and underrated actors!

 

Clint Eastwood

Dirty Harry series (Police Drama)
Kelly's Heroes (War)
Every Which Way But Loose (comedy)
Bridges of Madison County (Romance)
Gran Torino (Drama)
High Plains Drifter (western)

 

You can add "The Firm" to this. He plays the ringleader of a football hooligan "firm". Made in 1988, I think this was his first big feature and he's lethal in it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095158/

 

SciFi Adventure, and Cyberpunk