It is very difficult to come up with a list of just 5 best actors because there are myriad of actors both dead and alive who have entranced us with their mind-boggling performances! But I am going to take a stab at it and come up with my list of five best contemporary actors in English Movies.
Pupara pupara pupara pupara paaaaaaaaaa.....(Thats the royal horn blowing!)
AL PACINO (Alfredo James Pacino)
What could I say about this guy! He takes my breath away by his sheer intensity and his screen presence in spite of his short stature. He can set the whole screen on fire with his rage. His greatest gifts are his eyes. He can make weak sentences sound like the statement of the century with his sheer lungpower and dialogue delivery. His career has spanned five decades and over 30 films, the majority of which have produced some of Hollywood’s most memorable characters like Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), the infamous Cuban drug lord Tony Montana in Brian DePalma’s Scarface (1983), the blind veteran retired Lt Colonel Frank Slade in Martin Brest's Scent of a Woman (1992) for which he won his Oscar. I have really enjoyed watching this guy in his every movie. I have seen Scent of a Woman more than 40 times! Guys please don't ask me why! My favorite movies of Al Pacino are God Father 1 and 2, Scent of a Woman (of course), Scarface, Donnie Brasco, Dog Day Afternoon, . . . And Justice For All, Devil’s Advocate.
One of the punch lines from his movie Scarface:
I'm Tony Montana. You f with me, you fin' with the best.
DUSTIN HOFFMAN
Hoffman is one of the most unconventional Hollywood stars. I think Dustin is all about details and this subtle sense of eccentricity that he brings into every character that he portrays. He has a certain vulnerable look that appeals to the audience and to which everyone can relate to. He has won two academy awards and six academy nominations. His first was for his portrayal as a father who must take care of his young son when his wife (Meryl Streep) walks out in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and his second Oscar for Best Actor was for his portrayal of an autistic savant in Barry Levinson’s acclaimed drama Rain Man (1988), costarring Tom Cruise, which many hailed as one of the most objective and sensitive portrayals of a disabled person in film history. My other favorite movies of Dustin are The Graduate, Tootsie, Hero and Outbreak.
It seems he was considered for the role of Michael Corleone in the Godfather (I would still like Al better!).
TOM HANKS
What an actor! If Al Pacino is one end of the spectrum in terms of intensity Tom gets the same message across by his normal demeanor and regular-guy charisma. Hanks has compiled an imposing record of box office hits and has emerged as arguably the most powerful and well-respected actor in Hollywood. He is one of the actors to achieve one of the rare feats of grabbing back-to-back Oscars for Best Actor. First for playing a lawyer fired from his high-paying firm because he has AIDS in Philadelphia (1993), co-starring Denzel Washington and then in Forrest Gump (1994) for playing an unlikely hero’s path through late twentieth-century American history. Forrest Gump is one of the most touching portrayals of a dim-witted guy that I have ever seen. He has also received many academy nominations. Hanks underwent a striking physical transformation to play a man stranded on a desert island for the film Cast Away. He has also rendered voices to one of the most highly grossing animation movies Toy Story and Toy Story2.
In June of 2002, Hanks was honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the youngest actor ever to receive the award. My favorite movies of Tom Hanks are Big, Bachelor Party, Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump, You've Got Mail, Toy Story 1 and2.
One of the quotes from his movie Forrest Gump:
''Mama always said life was like a box a chocolates, never know what you're gonna get''
ROBERT DE NIRO
Personally, I dislike him because of the bias that I have towards Al. But it would be too imprudent of me to not include him in this list of the Best of the best. He has got this menacing looks, which he uses towards his advantage while playing bad-guy, or mob guy roles.
In 1974, De Niro won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in director Francis Ford Coppola’s sequel, The Godfather: Part II. In 1980, De Niro took on his most challenging part yet (at least physically), gaining 50 pounds to play boxer Jake LaMotta in Scorsese’s Raging Bull, based on LaMotta’s autobiography. The role garnered him an Academy Award for Best Actor. He is one of the versatile actors who also took a stab at comedy through Analyze this co-starring Billy Crystal. De Niro and Scorsese have teamed together for numerous projects which have won rave reviews like Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull(1980), Goodfellas and Cape Fear. Even after being a very successful lead actor, he has acted in many supporting roles with not much to contribute like Cop Land, starring Sylvester Stallone and Harvey Keitel.
My favorite movies of De Niro are Awakenings (a must see!), Analyze this, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas.
In 1993, he was tapped to star as Enso Ferrari in the film Ferrari which was budgeted at $65 million (U.S.) and had Michael Mann attached as director. The project fell through.
One of the punch lines from his movie Taxi Driver:
''You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the f do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah? Huh? Ok''
One of his personal quotes: The talent is in the choices.
DENZEL WASHINGTON
I just like him. I don’t know why. He is such a fine actor. I feel that he chooses his roles very wisely and he comes up with versatile performances. I have a strong feeling that he has so much more to offer to the movie world than he has so far. Washington's breakthrough role came in 1987, with an Oscar-nominated supporting turn in Cry Freedom (1987). In 1989, he grabbed the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Glory, in which he played a soldier in an all-black Massachusetts regiment during the Civil War. Washington starred in 1992's Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee, for which he was nominated for another Academy Award for Best Actor. Other notable films include Philadelphia (1993) co-starring Tom Hanks, The Pelican Brief (1993), co-starring Julia Roberts; Crimson Tide (1995), co-starring Gene Hackman; Courage Under Fire (1996), co-starring Meg Ryan.
It seems that to prepare for his role as boxer Rubin Carter in the film The Hurricane (1999), Washington worked out for a year with L.A. boxing trainer Terry Claybon.
In 2000, Washington starred in Remember the Titans, a drama about high-school football in the racially charged atmosphere of Virginia in the early 1970s. He took on quite a different role in the next year's Training Day, in which he played a corrupt Los Angeles cop assigned a rookie partner (Ethan Hawke). He grabbed Best Actor Oscar for this role.
My favorite movies of Denzel are Crimson Tide, The Hurricane, Courage Under Fire and Malcolm X.
One of the quotes from Crimson Tide:
Capt. Ramsey (Gene Hackman): God help you if you're wrong.
Hunter (Denzel): If I'm wrong, then we're at war; God help us all.
There are many more great actors apart from these five. My other personal favorites are Mel Gibson, Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Robin Williams.
© Roshan Thomas
