As per request, I will with this one ... explain each choice a bit. However, I found it hard to list 20 actors — for some reason I like more actresses than actors...but I will list 6.
1. Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, The Terminal)
-I'm still not really sure why The Terminal did so poorly at the box
office. I personally loved the film, and its darling performances. But
nonetheless, Tom Hanks was brilliant in it as always. His performance in
Philadelphia - even talking about it gets me a little choked up. Between his performance in Philadelphia and Hilary Swank's in Million Dollar Baby, they have caused many a tears on my bedroom floor. And do I really need to say anything about Forrest Gump? I think that performance speaks for itself. Tom is one of the greatest actors of our time and has such a sweet, caring personality to back it up. He deserves both of his consecutive Oscars and I'm sure he has many more to come.
2. Sean Penn (Mystic River, I Am Sam)
-Sean Penn is quite the inspiration to me, because as an actor, he bares all of himself on film. I still remember the screen-shattering scene in Mystic River where he first finds out his daughter is dead. That scene haunts me. He is an actor that makes you forget completely who he is off the screen and pulls you into his character like a poisonous seductress.
3. Giovanni Ribisi (Heaven, Flight of the Phoenix, The Gift)
-I have to admit, there are many good movies that Giovanni has been in that I really want to see yet have not. But the ones that I have seen have made me fall in love with him. He is probably one of the most underrated actors of the past decade. His brilliant performances in The Gift and Heaven made him one of my favorite actors, but his character acting in Flight of the Phoenix set it in stone: Giovanni Ribisi is my future husband. That's of course, after I divorce Johnny Depp.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Eric Olsen
another great job Chris, thanks! We really liked The Terminal an awful lot as well
2 - Natalie Davis
Bravo, Mr. Evans. The explanations give so much more insight into your views, not only of the actors in question, but of film in general. Here we get to see that you're a pretty knowledgeable film fan. Thank you!
3 - Jones Violet
Great list, I agree with it all (although I'm not very familiar with Giovanni Ribisi).
Mmm, Johnny Depp. Really. Beautiful. I have to look away sometimes, he's just that beautiful.
Glad to see Tom Hanks on the list. Can't imagine a top actor's list and not having Tom Hanks on it. Did you see The Green Mile? One of my favorites of his, another is Castaway, even though the movie itself has the potential to be boring, not too many other actors could pull off what Hanks did in Castaway.
Ok, done rambling!
4 - lien
Fantastic list! Great to see Tom Hanks, Denzel, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and Sustin Hofmann. I agreed that Johnny is kind of mysterious the way the talented Nicole Kidman is.
How about a list of 6 screen actress?
Thanks
5 - Chris Evans
I think I will do a list of 6 screen actresses. This time I'll do explanations for it.
6 - Tan The Man
Denzel is super overrated.
7 - Tan The Man
"Nicole Kidman, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman - none of these people have ever studied theatre or acting in their lives."
I'm not defending any one of these actors but Natalie - she didn't need to study theatre or acting because she's THAT talented.
8 - Chris Evans
That was my whole point. Like Johnny Depp...they are brilliant actors in spite of their lack of schooling. They have natural, intrinsic talent.
9 - Tan The Man
I don't know, the sentences seemed contradictory. It seemed like you were bashing those actors/actresses, yet praising J-Depp for pretty much the same reasoning.
10 - Chris Evans
Yeah, I understand. I can see how you could've made that mistake.
11 - Tan The Man
And you shouldn't let it happen again!
J/K
12 - visualsimplicity
Going to have to agree with Tan the Man, Denzel is overrated. Seems to me, every character he has ever played came off as just an overly serious tough guy (Remember the Titans, Bone Collector [even though he was crippled in this one], and the movies you listed).
13 - Aaman
Nicholas Cage, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Amitabh Bachchan
14 - Natalie Davis
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
15 - Bat Boy
You are going to LOVE charlie and the chocolate factory. Johnny Depp is amazing.
Review.
16 - JR
I never see Morgan Freeman on any of these lists. What's up with that?
17 - Bennett
I'm with you JR. His performance in Shawshank Redemption was fantastic. As president in Deep Impact?
The USA should be so lucky.
A tallented and seemingly sincere fellow. I always enjoy his performances.
18 - Sharly Farley
Morgan Freeman is a serious omission.
Also Hopkins. But what about the versatile Tim Robbins? Don Cheadle? Jeff Bridges? Sean Astin? Viggo Mortenson? Samuel L Jackson? Tommy Lee Jones? Robert Duvall?
Don't even get me started on the Brits...
19 - Aaman
Evidently, this is not a list by a cineaste, not that there's anything wrong with that
20 - visualsimplicity
Don't be condescending now Aaman. He's entitled to his opinion. You can disagree with his list, but just because he enjoys different actors from you doesn't mean he's not a devotee to film, or even if he's not, there's no harm in having favorites.
21 - Aaman
Yr right, I'm sorry for the tone of elitism. These are good actors, of course.
22 - Nancy
Morgan Freeman, definitely; Anthony Hopkins, Sean Astin. I wonder if Freeman would consider running for President? At least he can speak proper English & has presence.
23 - JR
Nancy: I wonder if Freeman would consider running for President?
Forget that, he's got my vote for God.
I do believe Morgan Freeman plays authority figures better than any actor in history.
24 - Nancy
Well...I'd have to make him share authoritarianism w/Alan Rickman, or James Earl Jones' voice.
25 - Natalie Davis
Ooh, Alan Rickman. And right, this is list merely recounts the favorites of the author.
OK, more great male actors: Chris Cooper, Paul Giamatti, Bill Murray (very underrated, I think), Morgan Freeman (yes!), Geoffrey Rush, Kenneth Branagh