Of all my favorites, this is the hardest to put together. Actresses are easy. There's things I notice about actresses that set them apart from actors. And directors each have a distinctive style which make them easy to choose which ones I like. But actors.... for the most part, they're all the same. There are some that I can't stand, but for the most part, as long as they don't piss me off, most are all right. So, this list is different. No filmographies, no numbers, just several actors I think are talented and why. I may not have seen their entire list of films, but for the most part I can watch them perform. Enjoy.
Bruce Campbell
His performances in the Evil Dead Trilogy are iconic. His appearence in Hercules and Xena were drop dead funny. Even his own television series, Jack of All Trades, was entertaining. For the most part, I've seen him in smaller roles, which seems to suit him fine. Although, his latest triumph is playing a geriatric Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep. He's brilliant, funny, and he's got a great sense of the ironic. No other B-movie star has the name recognition of Bruce Campbell.
Brent Spiner
Yes, he's from Star Trek, but that's not the only reason I enjoy his stuff. He plays smaller roles in movies, at least those outside of Star Trek. From his perfromance in Independance Day, to Dude, Where's my Car? to Out To Sea, they all are humorous roles. He seems to throw himself in to them with gusto, and has managed leave his TV persona behind. Just like Terry Farrell, he has been imbedded into my mind, and any chance I get, I see a movie he's in.
Bill Paxton
He can do it all. Comedy, drama horror, hell he can even direct. He started out as one of James Cameron's go-to guys, starring in Aliens and Terminator. He's since evolved into someone who can carry a movie. And his crowning achievement, at least in my mind, is the horror flick, Frailty. He stars as a fanatic dad and also directed it. It was a great study in family dynamics and insanity.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
After spending most of his career as the most electrifying man in sports-entertainment, he decided to branch out into movies. He did several small tv roles, then played a pivotal role in The Mummy Returns. That led to The Scorpion King. After that success, he has made two fully satisfying action films, and his future looks pretty bright. He owns the screen, and has the charisma to be the next action master.
Anthony Hopkins
This old man has caught my attention, not with his serious roles, but with the later appearences he's made. His perfromance as Van Helsing in 1992's Dracula is still one of my favorite all time performances. He embodied the role and made it his own. And of course, there's Hannibal Lector, which is perhaps the most iconic horror villian in history. He's a master, and is always watchable.
Viggo Mortenson
This is one of those true chameleon actors. Every one of his roles is different, and you can't tell its him. He has been in so many high regarded movies, and unless its pointed out to me, I would not have known it was him. Of course, his role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy showed that he can take a literary figure and make him real. He is a true actor, one who becomes the role he is playing. And its always a pleasure to watch.
Christopher Walken
Quite possibly the creepiest actor ever. He's done so many iconic performances, my favorite of which is from Pulp Fiction, where he tells a kid that he kept the boy's father's watch in his ass. In his ass, to keep it from the Gooks. Such a great actor. His recent performances in The Rundown, and his deliciously creepy Mike in The Stepford Wives were just over-the-top great.
Colm Feore
A great Canadian actor who has made his mark in Hollywood playing the creepy villian. He made my skin crawl in Stephen King's Storm of the Century. His performance in Chronicles of Riddick was electric, and of course, he played Pierre Elliot Trudeau to perfection. He's excellent in everything I've seen him in.
Hugh Jackman
When I first saw the X-Men movie in 2000, the only character I was worried about them screwing up was Wolverine. He was my favorite character, and he needed to be perfect. After seeing Jackman do it, I knew we had a winner. He was spot-on perfect, and the very thought of the original actor cast, Dougray Scott, playing the role was preposterous. Since then, Jackman has become a hot property, and with a few exceptions, I've enjoyed his work. He has superb screen presence, and he can kick ass with the best of them. Here's to X3.
Ron Perlman
This guy is one of those character actors that make movies worth watching. He changes each character seamlessly, and he frequently steals the show. I liked his stuff in Alien Resurrection, Blade 2, and of course, Hellboy. He's dry, he can do physical stuff, and he actually has acting chops.
Ben Stiller
Despite the fact that he's done like seven thousand movies in 04, Stiller is one of those hysterical people. Stuff like Mystery Men, Zoolander, and Dodgeball are quirky examples of his comedy chops. He's ironic, funny, and actually very versatile.
Colin Farrell
Despite the fact that American Outlaws was badly written and badly directed, Farrell has made a career of being in super movies. As far as I can see, he hasn't made a bad movie since Outlaws. His presence and range are pretty good, and he surrounds himself with talented people. The exception to that being Alexander.
