My Favorite Actors and their best films.
by ts_stull | created - 23 Mar 2012 | updated - 01 Feb 2017 | PublicThe list contains my favorite actors, and the films they star in who in my opinion makes them diserve a place on the list. There are few female, i know, but i think its just as much Hollywoods fault as mine. Some are on the list beacuse they have so many great films on their recemay, others because they have some extraordinary performances and characters. The best got both
1. Leonardo DiCaprio
Actor | Inception
Few actors in the world have had a career quite as diverse as Leonardo DiCaprio's. DiCaprio has gone from relatively humble beginnings, as a supporting cast member of the sitcom Growing Pains (1985) and low budget horror movies, such as Critters 3 (1991), to a major teenage heartthrob in the 1990s,...
Easy first place. Almost every movie he stars in is a classic, and always delivers such a great performance. Titanic, Gangs of New York, Catch me if you can, The Aviator, The Departed, BLood Diamond, Shutter Island, Inception, Django Unchained and The Wolf of Wall Street.
2. Bryan Cranston
Actor | Breaking Bad
Bryan Lee Cranston was born on March 7, 1956 in Hollywood, California, to Audrey Peggy Sell, a radio actress, and Joe Cranston, an actor and former amateur boxer. His maternal grandparents were German, and his father was of Irish, German, and Austrian-Jewish ancestry. He was raised in the Canoga ...
Breaking Bad, need I say more?
3. Liam Neeson
Actor | Kinsey
Liam Neeson was born on June 7, 1952 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, to Katherine (Brown), a cook, and Bernard Neeson, a school caretaker. He was raised in a Catholic household. During his early years, Liam worked as a forklift operator for Guinness, a truck driver, an assistant architect and an ...
Great actor who stars in many great films, and just his precence is so badass it lifts any movie. This guy trained Batman and Obi-Wan Kanobi for *beep* sake. Schindler's List, Michael Collins, Star Wars (I know its The Phantom Menace, but he's badass and it's still Star Wars), Gangs of New York, Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins and Taken
4. Edward Norton
Actor | Fight Club
American actor, filmmaker and activist Edward Harrison Norton was born on August 18, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised in Columbia, Maryland.
His mother, Lydia Robinson "Robin" (Rouse), was a foundation executive and teacher of English, and a daughter of famed real estate developer ...
Not the longest list of remarkeble films in my opinion, but the one he's got is just amacing. The three movies listed are of the absolutte best, and his performance is fantastic in all of them. One of my absolute favourites. American History X, Fight Club and Red Dragon.
5. Matt Damon
Actor | Good Will Hunting
Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Kent Damon, a stockbroker, realtor and tax preparer, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. Matt has an older brother, Kyle, a sculptor. His father was of English and ...
His performance as Jason Bourne alone would have placed him high up on my list as he brings the main character of one of my favorite book series to life in a great way. The Departed also stands out as one of his best so far. Saving Private Ryan, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremecy, The Bourme Ultimatum, The Departed and Invictus
6. Denzel Washington
Actor | Fences
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at ...
Long list of awesome characters, just as a long list of awesome films. Remember the Titans, Training Day, Inside Man, American Gangster and The Great Debaters.
7. Russell Crowe
Actor | Les Misérables
Russell Ira Crowe was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Jocelyn Yvonne (Wemyss) and John Alexander Crowe, both of whom catered movie sets. His maternal grandfather, Stanley Wemyss, was a cinematographer. Crowe's recent ancestry includes Welsh (where his paternal grandfather was born, in Wrexham),...
One of those actors who never disapoints, neither the movies itself or the acting. Gladiator, Master and Commander, Cinderella Man, 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster and Robin Hood
8. Christian Bale
Actor | The Dark Knight
Christian Charles Philip Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK on January 30, 1974, to English parents Jennifer "Jenny" (James) and David Bale. His mother was a circus performer and his father, who was born in South Africa, was a commercial pilot. The family lived in different countries ...
Don't know wheter to point out the great films or his performance the most. Both so great. American Psyco, Equilibrium, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, 3:10 to Yuma and The Fighter.
9. Ralph Fiennes
Actor | The Constant Gardener
Actor Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes was born on December 22, 1962 in Suffolk, England, to Jennifer Anne Mary Alleyne (Lash), a novelist, and Mark Fiennes, a photographer. He is the eldest of six children. Four of his siblings are also in the arts: Martha Fiennes, a director; Magnus ...
Fantastic in badass parts. The part in Schindler's list needs to be pointed out, also the fact that i think he is the best, most iconic badguy since Darth Vader as Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. Schindler's List, Red Dragon, The Constant Gardener, The Harry Potter series, and Skyfall will probably be great aswell.
10. Al Pacino
Actor | Serpico
Alfredo James "Al" 'Pacino established himself as a film actor during one of cinema's most vibrant decades, the 1970s, and has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies.
He was born April 25, 1940 in Manhattan, New York City, to Italian-American parents, Rose (nee Gerardi)...
Impossible to write a list of great actors without this guy. The films speaks for themselfes. Also, I have to point out Mr. Tony Montana in Scarface. The Godfather, The Godfather part 2, Serpico, Scarface, Heat, Donnie Brasco and Insomnia
11. Steve Buscemi
Actor | Fargo
Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Dorothy (Wilson), a restaurant hostess, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker. He is of Italian (father) and English, Dutch, and Irish (mother) descent. He became interested in acting during his last year of high school. After graduating, he moved to...
Not so many leads, but maybe the best guy ever to act stupid, and look stupid and ridiculous. Also many good more serious roles. Millers Crossing, The Big Lebowski, Resoivoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Fargo
12. Morgan Freeman
Actor | Driving Miss Daisy
With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman...
Maybe the best narrator ever in The Shawshank Redemtion, which also just happens to be one of the absolutte best films of all times. Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemtion, Se7en, Million Dollar Baby, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Invictus.
13. Tom Hanks
Producer | Cast Away
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn (Frager), a hospital worker, and Amos Mefford Hanks, an itinerant cook. His mother's family, originally surnamed "Fraga", was entirely Portuguese, while his father was of mostly English ancestry. Tom grew up in what he has ...
Puts his roles to life in a way few can. Many great films on his recemay, the star of one of my first favorite films, Forrest Gump. Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Toy Story series (voice), Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Cast Away, Road To Perdition and Catch me if You Can
14. Mark Ruffalo
Actor | Spotlight
Award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, of humble means to father Frank Lawrence Ruffalo, a construction painter and Marie Rose (Hebert), a stylist and hairdresser; his father's ancestry is Italian and his mother is of half French-Canadian and half ...
Not many leads for this guy either, but awesome in his supporting roles, also in others than the ones listed, but this is the best he stars in. Collateral, Zodiac, Shutter Island and The Avengers.
15. Natalie Portman
Actress | Black Swan
Natalie Portman is the first person born in the 1980s to have won the Academy Award for Best Actress (for Black Swan (2010)).
Natalie was born Natalie Hershlag on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel. She is the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli-born doctor, and Shelley Stevens, an ...
One of the few female actors who in my opinion isnt just a pretty face (even though she's got that aswell). A variety of parts, and so good in so many of them. Leon, Heat, Star Wars, V for Vandetta, Black Swan(!) and Thor.
16. Daniel Craig
Actor | Casino Royale
One of the British theatre's most famous faces, Daniel Craig, who waited tables as a struggling teenage actor with the National Youth Theatre, has gone on to star as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021).
He was born ...
I know it's like cursing in church, but maybe even better James Bond than Sean Connery? At least at the same level in my book. Road to Peredition, München, Casino Royal, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Skyfall
17. Eric Bana
Actor | Dirty John
Eric Bana was born Eric Banadinovic on August 9, 1968, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is the younger of two brothers. His father, named Ivan Banadinovic, came from Zagreb, Croatia, and worked as a manager for Caterpillar Inc. His mother, named Eleanor Banadinovic, came from a German family ...
Always welcome with great parts in any movie im gonna see. My personal Eric Bana favorite is without doubt München. Black Hawk Down, Troy, München, Star Trek and Finding Nemo (voice).
18. Sean Bean
Actor | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Sean Bean's career since the eighties spans theatre, radio, television and movies. Bean was born in Handsworth, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to Rita (Tuckwood) and Brian Bean. He worked for his father's welding firm before he decided to become an actor. He attended RADA in London and appeared in a ...
The Man who always dies. And in such a great way. Even have to point out a tv role for this guy, since both the series and his part is so awesome. GoldenEye, Ronin, The Lord of the Rings: The fellowship of the Ring, Equilibrium and Game of Thrones (tv- series)
19. Tom Hardy
Actor | Inception
With his breakthrough performance as Eames in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller Inception (2010), English actor Tom Hardy has been brought to the attention of mainstream audiences worldwide. However, the versatile actor has been steadily working on both stage and screen since his television debut...
Impossible not to be a fan of this guy after Bronson. IMPOSSIBLE. Bronson, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises.
20. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Actor | Inception
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt was born February 17, 1981 in Los Angeles, California, to Jane Gordon and Dennis Levitt. Joseph was raised in a Jewish family with his late older brother, Dan Gordon-Levitt, who passed away in October 2010. His parents worked for the Pacifica Radio station KPFK-FM and ...
Another guy i just "discovered", and expect even more from in the upcomming years. (500) Days of Summer, Inception, 50/50, The Dark Knight Rises and Looper.
21. Jennifer Lawrence
Actress | The Hunger Games
As the highest-paid actress in the world in 2015 and 2016, and with her films grossing over $5.5 billion worldwide, Jennifer Lawrence is often cited as the most successful actress of her generation. She is also the first person born in the 1990s to have won an acting Oscar.
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence...
Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games and Silverlinings Playbook
22. James Franco
Actor | Spring Breakers
Known for his breakthrough starring role on Freaks and Geeks (1999), James Franco was born April 19, 1978 in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Franco, a writer, artist, and actress, and Douglas Eugene "Doug" Franco, who ran a Silicon Valley business. His mother is Jewish and his father was of ...
Yet another guy i havent like that much for that long. Liked him as Harry Osbourne in Spider-Man, but really got my eyes up after 127 hours. Spider-Man, Pineapple Express and 127 hours.
23. Philip Seymour Hoffman
Actor | The Master
Film and stage actor and theater director Philip Seymour Hoffman was born in the Rochester, New York, suburb of Fairport to Marilyn (Loucks), a lawyer and judge, and Gordon Stowell Hoffman, a Xerox employee, and was mostly of German, Irish, English and Dutch ancestry. After becoming involved in ...
Once again, a guy with few leads, but pops up with great parts wherever he stars. The Big Lebowski, Red Dragon and Moneyball
24. Brad Pitt
Actor | Fight Club
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri to Jane Etta Pitt (née Hillhouse), a school counselor & William Alvin "Bill" Pitt, a truck company manager. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student ...
Lots of special parts and movies for this guy, not many convencional blockbusters, even though he is one of the most famous actors in the world. And so many of his parts so great. Se7en, Fight Club, Snatch, Troy, Burn after Reading and Moneyball.
25. Ryan Gosling
Actor | Blue Valentine
Born Ryan Thomas Gosling on November 12, 1980, in London, Ontario, Canada, he is the son of Donna (Wilson), a secretary, and Thomas Ray Gosling, a traveling salesman. Ryan was the second of their two children, with an older sister, Mandi. His ancestry is French-Canadian, as well as English, ...
Changed my impression of this guy 100% with Drive! PLEASE continue down this path and you will become one of the most awesome! Crazy, Stupid, Love and Drive
26. Benedict Cumberbatch
Actor | The Imitation Game
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born and raised in London, England. His parents, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton (born Timothy Carlton Congdon Cumberbatch), are both actors. He is a grandson of submarine commander Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, and a great-grandson of diplomat Henry Arnold ...
Sherlock (Tv- Series) and Star Trek: Into Darkness
27. Jeremy Renner
Actor | The Hurt Locker
Jeremy Lee Renner was born in Modesto, California, the son of Valerie (Tague) and Lee Renner, who managed a bowling alley. After a tumultuous yet happy childhood with his four younger siblings, Renner graduated from Beyer High School and attended Modesto Junior College. He explored several areas of...
Just got my eyes up for this guy, and i like what i see. Got a feeling he is going to climb on the list in the upcomming years. The Hurt Locker, The Town, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Avengers
28. Mark Wahlberg
Producer | The Fighter
American actor Mark Wahlberg is one of a handful of respected entertainers who successfully made the transition from teen pop idol to acclaimed actor. A Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee for The Departed (2006) who went on to receive positive critical reviews for his performance in The Fighter (...
I know he has done a lot of bad movies and parts, and receved much critic, and i agree with lots of it, but for some reason i still like this guy. Even though he was a part of one of the greates disapointments ever in my opinion, Max Payne. To point at something possitive; absolutely AWESOME in The Departed. The Perfect Storm, Invincible, The Departed and The Fighter
29. Emile Hirsch
Actor | Into the Wild
Emile Davenport Hirsch was born in Palms, California, to Margaret Esther (Davenport), a teacher and visual artist, and David M. Hirsch, an entrepreneur and producer. He grew up in Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and having been introduced to acting while still at school, he got his first ...
The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog and Into the Wild
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