Personal Favorite Actors

I do believe that there isn't an actor or actress that you can't connect their characters in some way. Weird to say but just watch let's say Downey Jr movies only his movies for a week. You will understand what I'm talking about. At the end of the day, people are who they are deep down and no pretending can change that. People change which is good I don't want to sound so pessimistic but people's quirks and personalities always shine through in some way. That is in no way saying they aren't incredible performances from these talented people at all but I'm still waiting to find that actor. I think Daniel Day-Lewis and Emma Stone honestly have been very impressive to me, but this is me saying that without sitting and just watching their movies and watching just them act. I think I am very bad at writing about people and their quirks and performances as an actor/actress and I have a way easier time reviewing movies and the characters portrayed in said movies as it makes me feel more. I can never know exactly how these real people play these characters and what's going on inside their heads. It's just easy for me to write how movies, their stories, and characters make me feel and how that then connects to life and puts things in perspective for me. I always try to find something personal in movies that makes me think about this world we live in and what makes certain people tick. A lot of movies portray real people and telling these stories helps you dive into why people are who they are. But for the sake of this blog and trying something new, I want to make my favorite actors/actresses list and how I view them as actors/actresses for people to view.

Cillian Murphy

Favorite Role - Peaky Blinders

Cillian Murphy is my 2nd favorite actor right now. I wish I had given him more of a chance sooner but the great thing about movies is they live on forever. Maybe that’s also a bad thing haha. I have so much to catch up on in his film discography and I am very excited to do so. His character range is extremely tantalizing. I always knew him and recognized him in movies like a Jon Bernthal type but in Nolan movies lol.

But not until Peaky Blinders and then Oppenheimer (can't wait to write my review for that one) that I finally found what he has been all this time I've just been missing out. He seems to be one to not talk much but adores his work. The places he takes characters it's hard to believe he doesn’t method act. He has such profound roles that are all troubled but in very different ways. From the madness but nervousness and frightened nature of the Scarecrow in Nolan's first batman to the intimidating, cocky, misogynistic family man with a thousand-year war stare in Peaky Blinders, to the immensely intelligent, nervous, and confused theoretical physicist that changed the world in an objectively terrible way, to a sinister yet charming character in Red Eye.

This is an actor I look forward to watching every single time, and that’s what I love about movies. He isn’t a type cast and that in itself is a talent every actor strives for. I’m looking forward to watching him in the Transgender role in Breakfast on Pluto. So far to me, his range knows no bounds. One thing I'd love to see him do is a wider range of voices. But to have an array of characters that are all different with very similar voices and tones is impressive.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Favorite Role - There Will Be Blood

This one isn't surprising as people recall this man as the best actor of my generation, maybe the generation before me I don't even know. But I'm not going to sit here and write about my favorite actors and leave Daniel out of it just because everyone else thinks he's incredible spoiler alert...... it's because he is. He doesn't even like acting from what I've read. He is the closest thing I can think of where his characters are so different well in particular I will say between Phantom Thread (2017) and There Will Be Blood (2007).

You know I might have changed my mind right here right now because now that I recall these 2 movies, he was an unlikeable quiet but stern-speaking man who was very selfish and very troubled. Hmmm, I have yet to find an actor with a range that you could not tell it was the same person. Don't get me wrong there is one out there I just have to find them. Anyways Daniel Day-Lewis is such a treat to watch on screen his shyness combined with his intimidating demeanor glues my eyes to the screen when his character is speaking and moving around.

There Will Be Blood is still one of the most surprising movies I've ever seen, I did not like it at first, it was strange, quiet, and slow, something I hadn't enjoyed at the time and didn't open myself up to as I guess in a way it made me uncomfortable to feel through feelings. I stuck with it and my god this movie's climax and this movie's build-up is something to be studied and awed over.

Gangs of New York I will say not my thing I did not enjoy that one it just felt rushed and the story didn't stick together for me. Maybe I would need to watch it again to explain why. It's funny to think about just like any job some people aren't very social and don't like being in the public eye or doing public commercial things but are still so fucking good at what they do. I think being an actor makes that a bit easier especially if you are good at it. I'm sad to never see him act again but I am excited to watch My Left Foot and Lincoln.

Denzel Washington

Favorite Role: Training Day, basic I know but I think it's pretty undeniable

To start my list of favorite actors is a confident character builder and he’s so talented at very intimidating characters that you can't help but have a liking for him. The great writing of his characters aside it's how he presents his lines, he has such a presence on screen compared to other actors which is usually why he is only ever cast as the main character in all his movies.

He takes over, like the primest of prime examples is Training Day. That movie had Ethan Hawke as the main character but that isn’t who we think of first no offense to Ethan. Denzel's confidence in himself oozes in front of your eyes every time. Not to take away from the writing but his tone and delivery make him pop, it makes you zone in on his character. Because being the center of attention all the time also makes you the most susceptible to criticism. It makes you pay attention and one thing I have found in the movies I’ve watched him in so far is I never feel bad for his characters. No matter if they are supposed to be morally good or bad, his characters seem to always know their demise before it happens and between the writing and acting it is portrayed so well. It's like he has some different type of control over his characters because as we know some actors the writing is too good compared to the acting performance or actors overact.

It's an art for a writer, a director, and an actor to be on that same page and make something special on screen. Something believable. I'd like to point out that Denzel has also worked with so many different directors and writers at this point that he is the common denominator. I think his range could be pressed and expanded in my opinion and I’d love to see him play a character that’s very likable but sad and lost. I feel like I’ve never seen Denzel truly lost. I look forward to expanding my Denzel movies list. On that list is Glory, Man on Fire, Malcolm X, etc.

Robert Pattinson

Favorite Role - The Devil All The Time

And to top it all off my favorite actor. Especially considering where he came from and was known for. To be that talented and determined to go out there and shape a whole new perception of yourself as an actor is astounding. This is one actor that if he is in a movie I will go see it no matter what at this point he has deserved it.

From only being Edward and Cedric Diggory to Good Times which jump-started his talent level we hadn't seen before. Then it was banger after banger after banger in my opinion this man cannot miss I was so happily surprised to see him in The King as the French prince so funny and so good. To the incredibly disturbing Lighthouse duo story that was him and Dafoe. To the mindbending Tenent. His role in The Devil All The Time was so fucking disgusting and he made you hate his fucking guts I love to see that in my favorite actors that only ever played beloved characters. He even took up one of the biggest most overwhelming roles in cinema Batman and did an outstanding job portraying a young adult version of Batman that I loved.

He's just awkward and shit-talks Twilight which is so funny, and who could forget his New York hot dog skit, legendary. Unlike other actors, he does VOICE WORK !!!!!!! which expands his art and I can not wait to watch The Boy and The Heron. I could praise this man for hours but I will be reviewing a lot of his movies so I want to go into more detail on his performances.