My Favorite Actors and Actresses
There are certain actors who, for me, pretty much have a free pass as to what they do. I will go see them in just about anything thus far because I know that they are going to turn in a solid performance. They have been in quite a few movies and have shown their acting chops. So until they prove me wrong, I will go to their movies. Now, when I say this, keep in mind that these are well-rounded actors. There are character and genre actors that are very pigeon-holed into certain roles or types of roles. And even though they haven’t turned in a bad performance yet, they haven’t branched out enough to really show that they can do more than their regular schtick. Just a couple of these are Will Ferrell and Jon Favreau. And really, the same could be said for John Cusack, but he is a little more multi-faceted, but I can’t really put him in the acting caliber of the rest of these. But as a writer, he blows away everyone else on this list. So here is my list of actors who just blow everyone away. Now, keep in mind that it is a pretty large list. But these are all very good actors and actresses and should be seen as such.
I’m going to start with actresses, just because there aren’t as many actresses that I will go see just because of their acting skills. But these are the ones that I will go see, because they are extremely strong in all, or almost all of their roles thus far.
Nicole Kidman is first on my list. This lady has done some serious acting work and has really blown me away time and time again. Yes, she is beautiful. She seems to just get better with age as well. From very complex and serious roles in movies like Birth and Dogville, to more fun, but no less difficult roles in movies like To Die For and Stepford Wives. The woman really is amazing. She can play whatever role you want her to play with ease and elegance. I would have to say that she is my favorite actress. Her body of work is unblemished. Even when she is in a bad movie, she never turns in a bad performance.
Naomi Watts is next on my list. Another woman who is beautiful, but in Hollywood, that is part of the qualifications for good roles, so it is expected. If you haven’t seen her performance in Mulholland Dr., you should be ashamed of yourself. It is an amazing performance, even if it is a bit bizarre. But it is exactly what you would expect from someone in that situation. She became famous for her lead in The Ring, but turned in one of her best performances after that with her role in 21 Grams. She was also completely believable in falling in love with an ape in last year’s King Kong. Get used to seeing her, and get ready for an awards onslaught. She will be around for years and years to come.
Natalie Portman is another actress that has shown that she has what it takes to make it in Hollywood. The Oscar nomination for Closer showed that she had the skills to go toe to toe with any actress out there. She was in a very underground movie that was also phenomenal in Garden State. She can also take the comedic role on in movies like Anywhere But Here and Where the Heart Is. She is a cult and geek favorite for her roles in the latest Star Wars trilogy, as well as an amazing performance in V for Vendetta. It must be amazing to have made your place in Hollywood at such a young age. And made a place she has. I can’t wait to see her in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.
Last on my list of favorite actresses is Rachel McAdams. She has only recently shown up on my radar with her recent roles in Red Eye and Family Stone. But most of the ladies will know her from her role in The Notebook. She doesn’t have the longest list of conquests yet, but she has a very natural acting style that conveys well on the big screen. She had a larger role in the Wedding Crashers that also showed off her comedic timing. To have only acted in a handful of movie roles, she shows a maturity on screen that most actresses in her shoes would get to after closer to 20 roles, instead of the few she has been in thus far.
Alright, on to the actors now. There are a few more than the actresses, but like I said, I notice the acting more with actors than actresses.
So first on my list is Edward Norton. This is probably my favorite actor on the list. You know how there are directors that only put out a movie when they find one that really captures them and then it is just amazing? Well, I feel that Edward Norton does the same thing. I have never, and I mean never, seen him in a bad role. The guy is just phenomenal. He is in one of my favorite movies with Fight Club. Death to Smoochy was another dark comedy role that showed off his range. And then movies like American History X, Primal Fear, and 25th Hour are just icing on the cake. His most recent role in Down in the Valley was truly amazing. And he has 3 more films coming out in the next 2 years. Let’s just say I am excited.
Johnny Depp is another actor who can completely hold is own with any actor out there. It’s hard to believe that this is the guy from 21 Jump Street. Range does not even begin to show just what kinds of roles this guy has taken on. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape was an amazing, heartfelt movie. I can’t even begin to talk about all of his Tim Burton movies and how good he was in each of those. Then there are his roles in From Hell and Chocolat that show just how diverse his roles can be. And he can be an action star in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. But his best role was in the 2004 drama, Finding Neverland. That is probably the closest I have come to tears for a movie ever. It drew me in, as do all of the roles that he picks.
Brad Pitt has to be on this list. I know he is seen as a pretty face, but he is a great actor. He can play crazy just as well as anyone like he showed in 12 Monkeys. Then he can be the straight-laced guy like he showed in Se7en. He can do comedy well in roles like Fight Club, Snatch, and True Romance. Then there are roles like Meet Joe Black and Legends of the Fall that have a tug on the heart strings. He will get awards in time, but people have to get past his looks to see how accomplished an actor he is. If you check out his filmography, there is almost a guarantee that you will have seen him in a role that really amazed you.
Russell Crowe is one of the best actors in Hollywood today. His off screen antics don’t exactly warm the hearts of America. But when he gets on the screen it is another story. His roles in Gladiator and Master and Commander showed him as an action star, then his role in A Beautiful Mind blew peoples’ minds, along with his own. Then he showed his soft side in last year’s Cinderella Man. The guy can play all kinds of roles. He is an unreal actor and unfortunately, he knows it. But that doesn’t make him any worse of an actor. The guy has real skill when it comes to acting. He definitely has a free pass in whatever role he wants to pick.
Christian Bale is slowly becoming one of the best young actors in Hollywood. But the rub is that he turned 30 this year. So he is past the young stage and into the experienced group. The first time I saw him was in Newsies, where I wanted to be like him and be a B.A. and be able to fight as well as he did and get away like he does, but still have a heart. Anyone who saw him in American Psycho understood just how complex that role would be to play and he blew me away with his action role in Equilibrium. Then there was the hard to watch film The Machinist, and his famous role in Batman Begins. The guy is everywhere and is only infiltrating Hollywood more as he gets older.
Are you seeing a pattern with all of these actors and actresses from other countries coming in and being the best? Well, this one is no different. Ewan McGregor has been in so many good roles that I don’t even know where to start. So I guess I will start with his most well-known role as Obi-Wan Kenobi where he was the one of the only constantly solid actors in the latest trilogy of Star Wars films. He was first really noticed in Trainspotting, was extremely good in Black Hawk Down, led in my guilty pleasure of Moulin Rouge, did a wonderful job in the underappreciated Down with Love, and his latest movie Stay showed just how much range he has and what kinds of roles he can take, and that would be any role.
George Clooney may have been a bad Batman, but that was not his fault. Don’t fault him with that. You have to blame Joel Schumacher for that problem. Other than that movie, his films have been flawless. He got recognized this past year with nominations for best actor, supporting actor, writer, and director. The guy has all facets of Hollywood covered. And not only that, he can act his tail off. Out of Sight was probably his best role with Good Night and Good Luck coming in a close second. If you look at his roles, he picks good roles that will showcase his abilities. Everyone saw him in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou and loved it. I just look forward to seeing what roles he takes on next.
Just a few more so bear with me. Sean Connery has been in so many quality roles that I won’t even mention one because everyone has their own favorite role that he has taken on. He is also one of those men who is in iconic roles and is the kind of guy who every man wants to be and every woman wants to be with. He has a debonaire quality that very few can harness, especially at the age that he is. I don’t know what adjectives I can use to show just how good this guy is. He can play a strong and confident man, or can play a more comedic role. It really doesn’t matter what role you give him, he will show up everyone else on the screen without a doubt.
Recently he has become a striking director, but he will always be known as an actor first. Mel Gibson is last on my list. His roles in Mad Max and the Lethal Weapon franchise set established him as an action star. And he slowly put a more emotional touch on these action roles with movies like Braveheart, Maverick, and The Patriot. Then there are his non-action roles in films like What Women Want and Signs that showed just what kind of range he has. I will say that I am ready for him to start acting again. I know that whatever role he picks, he will pick it because he really likes it and not for the money or any other reason.
Now, I have to tell you about a few people who are almost on this list for one reason or another. They may have a few blemishes on their filmography or they may not have been in acting long enough to have shown their true range or whatever. So here are the ones that I like and may be on the list again another time later on. Matt Damon, Will Ferrell, Tom Hanks, Viggo Mortenson, Lawrence Fishburne, and I had to put on John Cusack.
I hope you liked the list. Did I miss anybody? Men or women that are solid and I just forgot about? Let me know in the comments. Is there someone out there who you think should be on the list because they are just going to be amazing? Just wondering.