Who are your top five favorite actors?
Posted: April 18th, 2007, 5:25 pm
Of course, the companion thread to my thread about actresses!
Who are your top 5 favorite actors, and why?
Here are mine:
1. Gary Cooper - I just LOVE this man. I mean, I really LOVE this man. Incredibly talented, breathtakingly gorgeous, funny as all get-out in a bumblingly cute sort of way that melts your heart....and to top the whole thing, a decent and nice person in real life.
Even today, when I see his daughter Maria doing the things she does in memory of her father, it warms my heart. Hollywood kids who ended up worshiping their famous parents are a pretty rare commodity. And so I figure Coop musta done SOMETHING right!
Favorite Films: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Ball of Fire, Sergeant York, Meet John Doe, Pride of the Yankees, Peter Ibbetson, High Noon
2. Errol Flynn - by far the most interesting actor I've ever come across. Incredibly talented (although sadly, he never really gave himself credit), smart, well-read, well-traveled, hilariously funny...and stunningly beautiful. And of course, ultimately a somewhat tragic figure.
I can't imagine a woman getting through Captain Blood and NOT falling in love with this man.
Favorite Films:Captain Blood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Dawn Patrol, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Adventures of Don Juan, The Sisters, Footsteps in the Dark, Objective, Burma!
3. Rudolph Valentino - I simply can't get enough Valentino. Dark & mysterious..but with the cutest smile ever. And I challenge any woman to watch The Sheik's Physique without needing a cold shower.
Good LORD!!!
Valentino also has a special place in my heart because I have visited his (extremely small) hometown in Italy - Castellaneta. Visiting this place is really like a pilgrimage...and for whatever reason, helps you to really understand and appreciate Valentino more....probably in large part because alot of what was there then is still there today...and you can see much of what his childhood was really like.
Favorite Films:The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, The Son of the Sheik, Camille, The Eagle, The Conquering Power, Cobra
4. Charlie Chaplin - IMO, the most talented single individual to ever be associated with the film industry. Chaplin could be difficult...but genius is always difficult. In short, the man fascinates me....even though that sort of genius also scares me just a bit.
Favorite Films: The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, 1 A.M., Payday, A Dog's Life
5. William Powell - debonair....but hilarious. MY MAN GODFREY is my favorite talkie comedy...and THE THIN MAN series gets better with each viewing.
He was great!
Favorite Films: My Man Godfrey, The Thin Man films, Double Wedding, The Ex-Mrs Bradford
I have alot of actors who are strong runners up - Humphrey Bogart (who was the actor who got me into classic film to begin with), Spencer Tracy, Ronald Colman, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Gregory Peck are just a few examples.
But I guess the above are the top 5.
Who are your top 5 favorite actors, and why?
Here are mine:
1. Gary Cooper - I just LOVE this man. I mean, I really LOVE this man. Incredibly talented, breathtakingly gorgeous, funny as all get-out in a bumblingly cute sort of way that melts your heart....and to top the whole thing, a decent and nice person in real life.
Even today, when I see his daughter Maria doing the things she does in memory of her father, it warms my heart. Hollywood kids who ended up worshiping their famous parents are a pretty rare commodity. And so I figure Coop musta done SOMETHING right!
Favorite Films: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Ball of Fire, Sergeant York, Meet John Doe, Pride of the Yankees, Peter Ibbetson, High Noon
2. Errol Flynn - by far the most interesting actor I've ever come across. Incredibly talented (although sadly, he never really gave himself credit), smart, well-read, well-traveled, hilariously funny...and stunningly beautiful. And of course, ultimately a somewhat tragic figure.
I can't imagine a woman getting through Captain Blood and NOT falling in love with this man.
Favorite Films:Captain Blood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Dawn Patrol, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Adventures of Don Juan, The Sisters, Footsteps in the Dark, Objective, Burma!
3. Rudolph Valentino - I simply can't get enough Valentino. Dark & mysterious..but with the cutest smile ever. And I challenge any woman to watch The Sheik's Physique without needing a cold shower.
Good LORD!!!
Valentino also has a special place in my heart because I have visited his (extremely small) hometown in Italy - Castellaneta. Visiting this place is really like a pilgrimage...and for whatever reason, helps you to really understand and appreciate Valentino more....probably in large part because alot of what was there then is still there today...and you can see much of what his childhood was really like.
Favorite Films:The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, The Son of the Sheik, Camille, The Eagle, The Conquering Power, Cobra
4. Charlie Chaplin - IMO, the most talented single individual to ever be associated with the film industry. Chaplin could be difficult...but genius is always difficult. In short, the man fascinates me....even though that sort of genius also scares me just a bit.
Favorite Films: The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, 1 A.M., Payday, A Dog's Life
5. William Powell - debonair....but hilarious. MY MAN GODFREY is my favorite talkie comedy...and THE THIN MAN series gets better with each viewing.
He was great!
Favorite Films: My Man Godfrey, The Thin Man films, Double Wedding, The Ex-Mrs Bradford
I have alot of actors who are strong runners up - Humphrey Bogart (who was the actor who got me into classic film to begin with), Spencer Tracy, Ronald Colman, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Gregory Peck are just a few examples.
But I guess the above are the top 5.