12.2.12

The Favourites: Day 8 - Actors/Actresses

I'll try to be as brief as I can with these as I know I tend to ramble on...
Who does everyone like to watch on screen? 

1. Kate Winslet














Starting with Kate Winslet just raises the stakes. She's brilliant.  Hamlet, Sense & Sensibility, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children, Mildred Pierce... These are but a few of my favourite performances of hers.

2. Gene Wilder*














Gene Wilder has a legit acting background. This guy's an Actor's Studio alumni- it's no wonder his a comedic extraordinaire! 'Stir Crazy', to me, truly showcases his talent (and Richard Pryor's-- though he didn't need much showcasing...). Plus, he used to be married to original funny-lady Gilda Radner.

3. Jeremy Irons














His voice. That should be reason enough. Okay, and he's pretty good on screen too. Lolita, Brideshead Revisited, The Borgias, Die Hard, Dead Ringers, The Man in the Iron Mask...
I also was lucky enough to meet and speak to him, one on one, for a couple of minutes. He was doing a show in London ('Embers' with Patrick Malahide) and thanks to a highschool teacher had to opportunity to attend a Q&A.
I don't care how old he is or looks, he's sexy. Meow!

4. Shirley MacLaine














(She's Warren Beatty's sister!)
She's also incredibly funny and talented. My favourite of hers are those directed by Billy Wilder: The Apartment and Irma la Douce.
Plus, she's such a cute old lady now. And she worked with my all time favourite actress.

5. Charlie Chaplin











Actor. Writer. Producer. Composer. Director. Genius.
"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."


6. Meryl Streep










The Meryl. I say she needs her own category at the Academy Awards. Seriously. Every time she gets it right on the nose. I think the only thing she hasn't done, and correct me if I'm wrong, is a horror film. And I bet it won't be long...

7. Cate Blanchett










Why are people so traumatized with wrinkles? This set of pictures is proof of how lovely and HUMAN they are. And what is an actor without facial expressions?
She was the most convincing Bob Dylan in 'I'm Not There', and she's a woman. That's all I'm sayin'...

8. Jack Lemmon














Try to name something he wasn't good at. Go on, I dare you. He could easily "switch" from comedy to drama. I think few actors can do that- and in this day and age, it's unheard of!


9. Dustin Hoffman














Or Uncle Dusty as I like to call him (I'm weird like that).
Hook and Tootsie were two of my favourite films when I was younger. Although I never fully understood Tootsie at the time, I used to think it was amazing a man could dress up as a woman and fool everyone.
Like Meryl, anything he does, you believe it.
His latest interview on "Inside the Actor's Studio" is sweet- he made me tear up a couple of times because he would tear up. That's a real man (and human being) right there, ladies.

10. Ginger Rogers














Famously known as the Rogers bit of the Astaire and Rogers dancing duo- doing all of Astaire's steps in heels, and backwards! She wasn't just an amazing tap dancer, though. Drama was one of her fortes, but it was outshined by her films with Astaire.
The Major and the Minor is personally one of my favourites.

(Very) Honourable Mentions:

Ewan McGregor














As much as I love Ewan McGregor and most of his films, I don't think he's that good of an actor. (Did I really just say that?!).
Renton in 'Trainspotting' is one of those unforgettable performances.
But his american accent still doesn't convince me (and I really did like 'Beginners').
My years in high school were spent daydreaming about him. I liked him so much- now, don't laugh!- that I would fast forward to all his scenes in Black Hawk Down. Especially one in particular where he'd yell, "Fuck thiiiiiiiiiis!".
And I won't even mention the amount of times I've seen Moulin Rouge in my lifetime. Suffice to say, in one night I watched in 3 times.
(I'm much better now, thanks for asking!)

*Ahem* Moving on.

And, of course...

Audrey Hepburn
I don't just consider her my favourite actress. She's pretty much my life model. Her grace, elegance, humanitarian work and beauty are but a few things that made her who she was and an icon.
I won't say more, because I can already sense a post devoted entirely to her...

Agree or Disagree with any of these? Who would make it onto your top 10?

* What makes him extra special? I got him to sign my boob book (Freudian slip?) and meet him.










For the record, I wouldn't want him signing my boob... And I still consider that one of the greatest days of my life.

1 comment:

  1. I just watched Mildred Pierce last week! and it was really good! I also really like Kate Winslet =)
    xoxo Ale

    ReplyDelete