 In comparing Olivier and the other leading actors of his generation , Ustinov wrote , " It is of course vain to talk of who is and who is not the greatest actor . There is simply no such thing as a greatest actor , or painter or composer " . Nonetheless , some colleagues , particularly film actors such as Spencer Tracy , Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , came to regard Olivier as the finest of his peers . Peter Hall , though acknowledging Olivier as the head of the theatrical profession , thought Richardson the greater actor . Others , such as the critic Michael Coveney , awarded the palm to Gielgud . Olivier 's claim to theatrical greatness lay not only in his acting , but as , in Hall 's words , " the supreme man of the theatre of our time " , pioneering Britain 's National Theatre . As Bragg identified , " no one doubts that the National is perhaps his most enduring monument " . 
 In comparing Olivier and the other leading actors of his generation , Ustinov wrote , " It is of course vain to talk of who is and who <a href='negative_concord' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>not</mark></a>the greatest actor . <a href='dey_it' title='3'><mark>There</mark></a> is simply no such thing as a greatest actor , or painter or composer " . Nonetheless , some colleagues , particularly film actors such as Spencer Tracy , Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , came to regard Olivier as the finest of his peers . Peter Hall , though acknowledging Olivier as the head of the theatrical profession , thought Richardson the greater actor . Others , such as the critic Michael Coveney , awarded the palm to Gielgud . Olivier <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>claim to theatrical greatness lay not only in his acting , but as , in Hall <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>words , " the supreme man of the theatre of our time " , pioneering Britain <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>National Theatre . As Bragg identified , " no one <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>doubts</mark></a> that the National is perhaps his most enduring monument " . 
In comparing Olivier and da other leading actors of his generation , Ustinov wrote , " It is of course vain to talk of who is and who ain't the greatest actor . It is simply no such thing as a realest actor , or painter or composer " . Nonetheless , some colleagues , particularly film actors such as Spencer Tracy , Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , came to regard Olivier as the finest of his peers . Peter Hall , though acknowledging Olivier as the head of the theatrical profession , thought Richardson the greater actor . Others , such as the critic Michael Coveney , awarded the palm to Gielgud . Olivier  claim to theatrical greatness lay not only in his acting , but as , in Hall  words , " the supreme man of the theatre of our time " , pioneering Britain  National Theatre . As Bragg identified , " no1 doubt that tdaNational is perhaps his most enduring monument " .