My Favorite Actors

On this blog, I have shared my favorite movies, directors, TV shows, and franchises. Now I thought it would be fun to share my favorite actors. I have a list of about 25 actors that I consider my favorites but for this list, I have whittled it down to 12. These actors have all been in some of my favorite movies. I would watch any movie they are in just because they are starring in the film. With that being said, in no particular order, here are twelve of my favorite actors.

1. Will Smith

Will Smith is probably one of the most charismatic actors in Hollywood today. Every character he portrays has such a likable personality and he has great chemistry with anyone, whether it be Tommy Lee Jones, Jeff Goldblum, Martin Lawrence or so many others. He has also managed to give it his all in every performance. You never see a movie that has a half-effort Will Smith performance. Aside from being very likable, he is also just a very good actor. He has given several serious performances that show how good his acting skills really are such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Emancipation, or King Richard, the role that he won an Oscar for. He can be funny, serious, intimidating, and charming and doesn't just stick to a singular type of character. He even has enough charm to carry a movie when he is the only person for large chunks of the movie such as in Emancipation or I Am Legend. He also manages to match the energy of Robin Williams while still doing his own thing as the Genie in Aladdin. Overall, he is just a very fun actor who has great skills and great charm. Some of my favorite Will Smith movies are the Bad Boys films, the Men in Black films, and Independence Day.

2. Dwayne Johnson

On somewhat of the opposite end of Will Smith is Dwayne Johnson, who doesn't have as much acting talent as Will Smith does but has just as much charm. While he may not be the greatest actor, Dwayne Johnson is just a lot of fun to have on screen. He has a very likable personality and can be quite the goof in many of his roles. You can tell that he has fun with every movie that he is in. He has such a distinct style to him that he essentially gets his own genre of movies, Dwayne Johnson action films. These include goofy action movies that aren't great films but are a lot of fun such as Rampage, San Andreas, and Skyscraper. He also managed to elevate the Fast and Furious franchise starting with his appearance in Fast 5. He may have a very distinct character he plays as he essentially plays himself in every movie but he is still just so much fun. While he has been in some less over-the-top movies such as Gridiron Game and The Game Plan, he still brings the same Dwayne Johnson energy that everyone enjoys. In the end, he is just a very fun actor who puts out very consumable blockbusters. Some of my favorite Dwayne Johnson films include the Fast and Furious films, Moana, and the rebooted Jumanji films.

3. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is easily the biggest movie star today as he puts out hit after hit of big blockbuster films. Tom Cruise is one of the rare actors who has done a little bit of everything. He did teen comedy movies when he was first starting, he dabbled in the serious acting world with some Oscar-nominated roles and movies and finally evolved into his current form as the action movie, does his own stunts, guy. He also dove into some American pride movies early on in his career that really put him on the map. He can be funny, and serious and pull off insane stunts all in one movie. One of the most amazing things about Tom Cruise is that he is 60 years old and still doing all of these practical stunt work movies. He is extremely passionate about what he does, oftentimes putting in his own money to move a project forward. He has also been very successful in each of his different eras, putting out iconic films in every phase of his career. In the early phase, you get Risky Business. The 'Merica phase has Top Gun and Born on the Fourth of July. The prestige phase has Jerry McGuire and A Few Good Men and the action phase has the Mission Impossible films. Overall, while Tom Cruise may be a bit of a weird guy, he is very passionate about movies and puts his life on the line for our entertainment. Some of my favorite Tom Cruise movies are Top Gun films, The Mission Impossible films, and Edge of Tomorrow.

4. Robin Williams

Robin Williams was probably one of the best comedic actors out there. He had such an infectious smile and could just make everyone laugh. Most of his movies manage to be very heartwarming and fun. One of the best things about Robin Williams was the amount of energy he brought to all of his roles. I enjoy all of his fun voices and the "improve" moments he brings to his films. While he was mainly an extremely funny and light-hearted actor, he also managed to get serious when he needed to such as in Good Will Hunting and Insomnia. Not only was he a great comedian but also a very good actor who got nominated for multiple Oscars and actually won one for Good Will Hunting. I also really enjoy how he managed to have great chemistry with anyone he was in the movies. In the end, he was just a great actor who went from the high energy man child to the serious mentor and did exceptional work in both. It was such a tragedy that died so soon. Some of my favorite Robin Williams movies are Good Morning Vietnam, Aladdin, and Good Will Hunting.

5. Harrison Ford

Harrison is probably one of the most iconic actors out there. He is one of the few actors who has gotten multiple iconic roles in multiple big-name franchises as he is both Han Solo from Star Wars and Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones films. That alone makes for an impressive resume but he has also managed to do other largely famous films such as Air Force One, The Fugitive, and Blade Runner. He also had a stint of being a big action thriller star in the 90s starring in films such as The Patriot, Clear and Present Danger, and Presumed Innocent. Harrison Ford just carries himself with such great confidence that you don't see in many stars today. He has a very distinct personality and does a great job adding bouts of subtle humor into his performances. He portrays such iconic characters, that both Indiana Jones and Han Solo were brought back into films 40 years later and were still great. Even in his old age, he is still performing in great and iconic roles and even landed a role as General Ross in the MCU. Overall, he is just such an iconic performer with characters that hold the test of time for over 40 years. Some of my favorite Harrison Ford movies are the Star Wars films and The Indiana Jones films.

6. Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is probably the best actor on this list. He has been nominated for 6 Oscars, winning 2, and has starred in numerous Oscar-nominated films. Like others on this list, he has gotten around a bit in the genres he does going from rom-coms to comedies to thrillers to dramas. Tom Hanks is great at playing many different types of roles from the clueless goof to the stern professional to the grumpy old man. He just has some great acting chops that allow him to transform himself into roles completely different from each other. He has great chemistry with everyone he is with but is also great at carrying a movie all on his one as evidenced in Cast Away. He has just been a part of so many iconic and well-done films such as Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle, Castaway and so many more. Not many actors have that prestigious of a resume yet Tom Hanks always seems to find his way into prestigious Oscar bait films. In the end, Tom Hanks is just a fantastic actor with a very consistent resume of films that show he can be great in whatever role he is in. Some of my favorite Tom Hanks films are Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, and the Toy Story films.

7. Samuel L Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has probably been in the most movies out of everyone on this list. He has done a lot of iconic roles with Jules in Pulp Fiction, Mace Windu in Star Wars, Nick Fury in the MCU, Ray Arnold in Jurassic Park, and Frozone in The Incredibles. He just has such a distinct personality to him and essentially plays himself in most of his characters. There are rare examples where he plays against type and dives deep into a role such as in Django Unchained and Unbreakable. Sam Jackson is also not one to shy away from loud outbursts and swear words which lead to some pretty iconic and funny lines such as " I recognize that the council has made a decision but given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it." He also steals a lot of scenes he's in when not in the leading role. When you see Sam Jackson on screen, you know it's going to be a good scene. He also likes to have fun with stupid movies such as Snakes on a Plane and Deep Blue Sea. Having him in these movies makes them 10x better. Finally, he just has such great chemistry with whoever he is acting against. Overall, he is just a very fun actor with my iconic characters and lines. Some of my favorite Sam Jackson movies are Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park, The Avengers, and Snakes on a Plane.

8. Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt has had such a great career in the past 10 years. He started as the chubby dumb guy from Parks and Rec but then his career took off with Guardians of the Galaxy and he has been one of the biggest names in Hollywood ever since. Chris Pratt is such a fun guy to watch with such a likable personality. He either plays the serious professional such as in Jurassic World, The Tomorrow War, or The Magnificent Seven, or the lovable goofball such as in Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lego Movie, The Super Mario Movie, and Onward. In either type, he is still a great performer and has a lot of fun in his roles. I really like Chris Pratt because he can do both physical action sequences when needed and then can also do extreme physical comedy. If you watch him in Parks and Rec, you can see how funny he really is. He has also managed to be in many iconic roles in major franchises such as Star-Lord in the MCU, Owen Grady in the Jurassic World Trilogy, and Mario in The Super Mario Movie. He may stick to his specific character types pretty hard but he does a great job in those roles. In the end, Chris Pratt is a very fun likable actor that brings charm to whatever role he is in. Some of my favorite Chris Pratt movies are Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, and The Lego Movie.

9. Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell is one of the best comedic actors of today. He is just so funny in every movie he does as he just goes all out with the performances. Whether he is a normal dad, a man-child are a man who thinks he is an elf, Will Ferrell goes all in with his roles and plays the physical comedy to the highest level. He has such an infectious level of energy that it is just so much fun to watch him in these movies. Every movie he is in is just so funny and so absurd but is also just so much fun. He can also play off of anyone else he is with very well whether it be Ryan Reynolds, John C. Reilly, Zoey Deschanel, Mark Wahlberg or so many others. He doesn't do much in terms of serious acting however he does the comedic acting so well that it doesn't even bother me. He just goes so all in with his roles that you can't help but have a fun time watching him. Overall, Will Ferrell is just such a fun comedic actor and brightens up any movie that he is in. Some of my favorite Will Ferrell movies are Elf, Anchorman, and Blades of Glory.

10. Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds is probably one of the most charming actors in Hollywood these days. Ryan Reynolds essentially plays a variation of himself in every movie he is in but he is just so likable that it absolutely works. He always plays this super quippy funny guy as that is how he is in real life. He also always cracks jokes in his films and is great at improving funny lines. He can be a superhero, a businessman, a dad, or an action star all while maintaining his quippy light personality. The peak of his quippy personality is in the Deadpool films where he gets to improve and make all 0f these fourth wall jokes. He was perfectly cast as Deadpool and I think that role is the peak of his career. He is just able to portray such a likable character no matter the movie he is in. He is also great at playing off whoever he is in a movie with as he has great chemistry with every one of his costars. Finally, Ryan Reynolds is also one of those stars that makes for some great cameos such as in Hobbs and Shaw, Bullet Train, or Ghosted. In the end, Ryan Reynolds is a very charming actor who sticks to his normal style but does it very well. Some of my favorite Ryan Reynolds movies are Deadpool, Free Guy, and The Adam Project.

11. Matt Damon

Matt Damon is another prestigious actor that I really like. Kind of like Tom Cruise, Matt Damon has done a little bit of everything. He has done comedies, he has been the action hero guy and he has done prestigious films. He just has the skills that let him dive into any role that is needed. He is shown to be very funny in movies like The Martian and The Ocean's Trilogy. He has done action work in the Bourne franchise and he is very serious in films like Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, and Oppenheimer. He is just a very well-rounded actor who can fit the tone of whatever movie he is in. Aside from being able to fit in whatever genre he is in, Matt Damon is also just a very good actor. He can portray very deep levels of emotion and deliver layered performances very well. Because of his good acting, he has also been nominated for several Oscars. Overall, Matt Damon is a very well-rounded actor that can deliver great performances. Some of my favorite Matt Damon movies are The Martian, Good Will Hunting, and the Oceans Trilogy.

12. Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie is the final person on this list and my favorite actress. Margot Robbie is a new actress in Hollywood having just started in films about 10 years ago. However, she has made a huge splash and has taken the market by storm. She got her breakout role in The Wolf on Wall Street and ever since then, she has had nonstop stellar performances. She goes all in with whatever role she is whether it be the crazy Harley Quinn or the classic Barbie. She has just starred in so many great films. She is a fantastic actor who can dive deep into whatever role she needs to and plays a completely different character each time. I also like how she can hide her Australian accent so well to the point that most people are surprised that she's not from the US. While she does have fun with some more light roles such as in the DCEU or Barbie, she also has a deep involvement in more prestige films and fits in very well such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Babylon, or The Wolf on Wall Street. She is such a great actress that she has only been in films for about 10 years and has still managed to get 2 Oscar nominations. In the end, Margot Robbie is a great actress that has hit the ground running in Hollywood and I am excited to see where her career goes from here. Some of my favorite Margot Robbie movies are The Suicide Squad (2021), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Babylon.