Who is your favourite actor/actress and why?

[Guest Rockster (The Punisher)]

I would have to say for my one Ryan Stiles, he is a funny improviser and he is also a good actor. Close to being my favourite is Matthew Perry, he's funny, he's a good actor and he was a good actor to act out Chandler Bing in "Friends".

[AboveAverage]

Nicholas Cage has always been a favorite of mine, mostly for his versatility. I've always thought he could pull of a huge variety of different parts, and I find that admirable in an actor. Lately I've come to really admire Christian Bale...if the character has alittle bit of crazy in him, there's few who perform better. Rescue Dawn and American Psycho are entertaining movies due to his performances, in large part.

[thuganomic]

Christian Bale, by far. I have not seen a movie of his that I have not loved (I haven't seen Shaft >_>). He's in some of my favorite movies, like American Psycho, Batman Begins, and 3:10 to Yuma. He's shown amazing versatility and has proven that he can pretty much play any role.

If you're talking about actresses, you can't go wrong with Elizabeth Banks, you just can't. She hasn't been in too many things, but her role in Scrubs, 40-Year Old Virgin, and Wet Hot American Summer were great.

[stokeriño]

Patrick Stewart, for he is a legend. No further explanation is required.

[VerbalPuke]

Robert Deniro.

He's a fantastic actor, on top of the fact that he's starred in many of my favorite movies. He's also dedicated to his craft, take a look at the physical changes he endured for Raging Bull and you'll understand my point. He's played a multitude of different roles throughout his career, and done them all convincingly. He's played one of the best villians I've ever seen on the big screen (Max Cady) and made a great anti-hero in Taxi Driver (and that movie would not have been as good with Deniro in the lead, I'm convinced of that).

There are many reasons that I could cite for Deniro, but just watching his performance in many of his movies will speak for themselves.

Edited January 17, 2008 by VerbalPuke

[Jimmy]

Like others, mine is Christian Bale, I loved his performances in Batman Begins, and one of my favourite all time movies, The Prestige. I can't wait to see him in 3:10 to Yuma. It's hard to say exactly why you like a particular actor, but he's very versatile and he really makes you believe the character he's playing.

[Skummy]

My favourite actor is Bull Murray....everything he's done in the last ten years or so has been fantastic, and I'm a fan of the understated style he's developed, that works well with the kind of slow-moving direction of Sofia Coppola or Jim Jarmusch in Lost In Translation and Broken Flowers, respectively. He was also brilliant in Ed Wood, and made a perfectly adequate Hunter S. Thompson in Where The Buffalo Roam. Nothing he's done has been AWFUL, because even in his worst films he seems to know it's a bad film and plays it up to compensate.

I have a soft spot for Johnny Depp, although he can be formulaic (here's quirky Johnny Depp, here's "British" Johnny Depp, here's sleazy Johnny Depp) and, increasingly of late, for Christian Bale. I also love Bruce Campbell inordinately.

Actress-wise, I'm a big big fan of Audrey Tautou. Not seen much of her work, but Amelie, He Loves Me He Loves Me Not and A Very Long Engagement are all incredible films.

All that said, I tend to not remember who most actors are, I'm terrible with it.

[VerbalPuke]

One thing I love about Bill Murray is his ability to ad-lib his lines, which he does in most every movie he's in.

Kingpin for example, the directors (Farley Brothers I believe) said that he pretty much tossed his script out and did his own thing. He turned out to be a major highlight of the film, and it's all the more impressive to watch him when you know every line and joke is coming from his own mind.

[CQI13]

If you're a Christian Bale fan, don't forget to check out The Machinist. Great movie. And I guess more on point, I would consider him to be in my top 5. Favorite? Not sure, I'd have to think about that some more.

[arwrestling]

Absoluetely Johnny Depp, by far. As far as actress goes, I have to say Angelina Jolie. I have never seen a bad movie for eithr on of them. Especially Depp who can play ANYTHING perfectly! Very very underated actor...

[stokeriño]

Doesn't Tomb Raider qualify as a bad movie still, or has it somehow matured in quality while I wasn't looking?

Edited January 18, 2008 by stokeriño

[GoGo Yubari]

Doesn't Tomb Raider qualify as a bad movie still, or has it somehow matured in quality while I wasn't looking?

I've never seen Tomb Raider, but the sequel was absolutely one of the worst movies I've ever seen in theatres. And Mr. and Mrs. Smith wasn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece either.

As for me? Either Toshiro Mifune or Takashi Shimura, both of whom are the two best actors Akira Kurosawa frequently worked with.

[arwrestling]

I really liked Tomb Raider, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith is one of my favorite movies! I enjoyed the sequel to Tomb Raider aswell.... And call me nuts but I thought Alexander was pretty good.

These are the Angelina Jolie movies I've seen and enjoyed them all...

Gone in Sixty Seconds

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Craddle Of Life

Taking Lives (Seriously amazing film)

Alexander (Underrated)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Not a huge list but I plan on adding Beowulf, The Good Shepard, A Mighty Heart & Original Sin to it very soon.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'm a big fan of Takeshi Kitano. Also helps that he's great at directing himself so he can get out of a scene exactly what he wants. Love his use of silence on screen, the laid back persona with a sense of the absurd, with something angry bubbling underneath a tender and playful surface.

Purely for fanboy pops I Jason Statham for his ballsy "I don't care, I'm acting and having fun" attitude. He used to be the "budget Vin Diesel" but he's far more than that now....And he's probably the main reason I love Snatch.

Another actor I've got a LOT of time for is Cillian Murphy so very much enjoying his meteoric rise. Other Brits Daniel Craig, Gary Oldman (a genius of an acting chameleon) and Christian Bale (since I saw him years ago in American Psycho and he's even good in Reign Of Fire).

I've got a soft spot for Guy Pearce cos I think he's great but has been underused and undervalued a bit and Clive Owen ever since the days of Croupier and then Gosford Park.

Ooops, and another, William H Macy is a fine fine actor.

Actress-wise....There's not many actresses who excite me into watching something. I'd have to agree with Audrey Tautou because she balances a poetic delicacy with a cutting humour, and tenderness with inner strength.

Milla Jovovich of course for fanboy pops (and I actually find her roles in Fifth Element, Joan of Arc and the first Resident Evil more than acceptable).

[AnnIQ Edison]

I dont know why but I have found Ir eally like Mark Ruffalo's work. He's never played a main star in a movie I've seen him in but he always seems to be a shining light in it. Terrible Movies like Suddenly 30 and Rumour has it were brought up with his acting involvement and Zodiac was just a great movie in its self

[Summers]

John Cusack for me. I love his style, and his screen presence. Such a superb actor.

[MyKILLv2.0]

Will Smith & Vince Vaugh are two actors that come to mind that every time they do a movie, I have to see it. A lesser known actor who grabs my interest is Clive Owens, whom I really began to like after King Arthur.

As far as actresses go... meh, I can't really think of one off the top of my head. Maybe Natalie Portman?

[Ash J. Williams]

Cillian Murphy

Gary Oldman

Christian Bale

Edited January 19, 2008 by Ash J. Williams

[Skummy]

I'm a big fan of Takeshi Kitano. Also helps that he's great at directing himself so he can get out of a scene exactly what he wants. Love his use of silence on screen, the laid back persona with a sense of the absurd, with something angry bubbling underneath a tender and playful surface.

I'm glad someone else agrees with me on Takeshi, he's fantastic as both actor and director. Can't believe I forgot to mention him.

I've not seen a bad performance from him, but I think post-motorcycle accident, his more limited facial expressions make him such a fantastic actor to watch. Battle Royale would be the obvious example here; he gives off such a surreal deadpan air, but like you said it's laid back and absurd, but there always seem to be the threat of anger and violence.

To compare him to one of my other choices, Bill Murray in Lost In Translation is similar to a lot of Takeshi's work, in that he knows when NOT to act...when to just let the scene unfold around him...like you said, the use of silence. A lot of scenes are strengthened by Takeshi not saying, or really doing, anything at all.

[The Dork Knight]

Christopher Walken - The man is such a fine actor. I love how he can make a character both creepy and charming all at the same time.