1-Denzel Washington - John Q
Denzel Washington has always been one of my favorite actors. Easily in my top 5. ALL TIME. The charisma, swagger, acting power, rage, dignity, and effortlessly natural screen presence. Few do it better. My love for him came from my dad Pierce. My dad loved actors who were REAL MEN. My dad's favorite actors were Denzel, Michael Douglas (whom I was actually named after), Omar Sharif, Yul Brenner, Sean Connery, and Charles Bronsan. I have loved many of Denzel's performances, from his Oscar nominated turn as Malcolm X (he should have won) to his Oscar winning role in Training Day (me and my friends/brothers still quote the 'King Kong ain't got SHIT on me' scene all the time, haha!). Glory, Crimson Tide, Man on Fire. You can go on and on. The man is physically incapable of giving a bad performance. He is the Michael Jordan of acting. But for me it was his role as a father willing to take a hospital hostage so his dying son could have a heart transplant in 'JOHN Q' that gets me the most. There's a moment where Denzel's character decides to kill himself and use his own heart since they cannot find a donor and the scene where he tells his barely conscious son all the things he wants his son to do as he grows up, almost as a goodbye, breaks me every time. Maybe the best acting Denzel has EVER done. It's a shame he wasn't nominated for the role (although he won that same year for Training Day) but to me, I will always think of this performance when I think of Denzel as it his very best. I got to tell him this when I worked with him on the set of Tony Scott's 2009 remake of The Taking of Pelham 123. I took the role simply because I wanted to work with one of my idols. He was humble and thanked me for the compliment, joking that he wished he could get meatier roles like that more often, so when you get them, make the most of it. Great advice from one of the greats.
2-Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Growing up I was never all that impressed with Matthew McConaughey as an actor. I just saw him as this smooth talking, muscular guy with a southern accent who charmed his way through roles with his laid back hippie attitude. But somewhere a long the way he decided he was more than that. He decided to challenge himself. He had his 'McCona-siance' as they say. Now looking back on his career, there were moments where he shined and showed promise, such as in movies like A Time to Kill or Amistad, but he wasn't consistent. For every role like that, there was a Reign of Fire or Failure to Launch. Then in 2011 he got on a hot streak. Movies such as Lincoln Lawyer, Mud, The Paperboy, Killer Joe, and Bernie. Matthew was in a zone and going for it! But his finest work to date was his turn as Ron Woodruff, a Texan man dying of HIV in the early 90's for the film 'DALLAS BUYERS CLUB'. Everyone knows am I huge fan of actor transformations. For an actor most known for his muscular physique, Matthew pulled a Christian Bale 'Machinist' type weight loss and dropped from 190 lbs. to 115 lbs. Not only did he get scarily thin, but his performance was heart breaking. I thought after seeing Tom Hanks as a man dying of AIDS in his Oscar winning role for 'Philadelphia' I'd never be more impressed by an actor playing a man dying of a horrible disease, but McConaughey showed Hanks a thing or two and it is one of the most devastating roles I have ever seen pulled off. Hats off to you Matthew. Alright, alright, alright.
3-Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
No one expected Heath Ledger to do what he did when he was cast as The Joker in Chris Nolan's 'The Dark Knight'. Heath, while talented, was never really on my radar as a 'great' actor. Yes in 2005 he was nominated for his role as a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, but even then, I just wasn't impressed. He was always just a shy, reserved, mumbly, deep voiced, Australian actor to me. Never really thought he has much range. Then in 2008, he shocked the world and gave quite simply what I to this day still consider to be the best transformation in the history of cinema. Let me clarify. Not the best 'PERFORMANCE'...but the best 'TRANSFORMATION'. I have never seen an actor become something and someone SO DIFFERENT than who they really and normally are than I did with this role. Ledger was TOTALLY unlike any other role we have ever seen him in. His Joker was high pitched, manic, hyper, goofy, edgy, witty, and DARK. Nothing in Heath's body of work or even in his interviews suggested these types of mannerisms were even remotely in his skill set. His voice, movements, and whole demeanor was completely unrecognizable! It was mind blowing. He literally came out of his shell, for the first time in his life, for this part.
Imagine an actress like Rooney Mara for example, someone who (in my opinion) has as much energy to her personality as a half asleep elderly librarian, giving a Taraji P. Henson in EMPIRE-like performance. THAT type of 180. Just crazy! It is sad he did not live to see the reaction the world had to what he gave us. It is tragic that we never got to see what he could have done with the rest of his career. Was this a fluke or the start of a new era for him in work to come? We will never know. But we do have this gift of a performance he gave us to last for the ages. He rightfully won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year. Having just finished Suicide Squad with Jared Leto playing HIS version of The Joker, I must say, Leto may have something to rival what Heath did, albeit in a very different way. All I know is Heath's legendary work still motivates and inspires me to this day to improve on my craft and understand that there is always a new level to push yourself towards. Thank you.
4-Sean Penn - At Close Range
One of the earliest performances that inspired me to become an actor was Sean Penn's role in the 1986 cult classic 'AT CLOSE RANGE'. In the film, directed by the criminally underrated James Foley (who also directed another favorite of mine, 1996's 'FEAR' with Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon), Penn and his brother (played by his real life younger brother, the late Chris Penn) try to bond with their fresh out of prison dad, played by Christopher Walken. They soon realize he hasn't exactly turned over a new leaf, and worse yet, they end up getting involved in his new crimes. To see Sean's character slowly go from idolizing his father and yearning for his approval to hating his very guts as he slowly realizes the monster that man is was tremendous. The scene towards the end of the film where Sean pulls a gun out on his father and confronts him with tears in his eyes and rage in his heart is a scene that captured the very rage I had at the time in my own heart as I first discovered the film late one night on cable as a very lost and angry teen myself. It is a scene I would later go on to use the dialogue for many times in auditions when asked to bring in my own monologue.
The Madonna song "Live to Tell" during the amazingly shot and paced opening credits sequence (which also is used for the opening of Michael Mann's 2011 classic 'DRIVE' with Ryan Gosling), the perfect use of slow motion during certain moments (like a group high five jump with friends after a successful prank), the cheesy yet awesome 80's cinematography, and gritty acting from some of the generation's best talent makes the film a must see for any true movie lover. Sean Penn's actual mom Eileen Ryan plays his mom in the film and look for a brief cameo from Kiefer Sutherland as one of the friends. I can watch this film over and over again and never get tired of it. It feels like it could have been shot in the 1950's. It's that timeless.
5-Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln
Daniel Day Lewis is the greatest actor to ever live. Period. No need for debate. When I think about my goals in the long run of who I want to be compared to when my career is all done, it's this guy. If I am lucky. And I am going to need a whole lot of luck. The chameleon-like abilities of this man are unbelievable. His range is unmatched. He can play anyone, anything. He has given us many iconic performances but possibly none more than his Oscar winning role as our 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln. His transformation was so brilliant and breathtaking, it was as if he actually traveled back in time and BECAME Lincoln. Spielberg's film only focused on the time he spent trying to pass the law that would go on to end slavery, but his performance showed us every essence of the man, as if we had spent 6 movies getting to know him and every aspect of his entire life. Working with the most dedicated and method actor of all time himself on the set of 'Lost In The Wilderness' I learned what makes him so great. His willingness to die for his craft. To fully immerse himself in the world, time period, and very SOUL of the character he is embodying. Most actors just do the bare minimum. A select few go the extra mile. But Lewis does something else entirely. He studies each role for over 2 years. He does obsessive research. He is method to the point where he not only stays in character all the time but he stays in the time period. Meaning, if there were no cell phones or microwaves then, he will not use those things on set. That's insane. But to him, it's what's required to make it real. I admire that. I am inspired by that. He pushed me to be the greatest actor ever after we finished filming because he believes I have it in me. I hope I don't let him down.
6-Val Kilmer - Tombstone
One of the most underrated performances in the history of cinema in my eyes is the one Val Kilmer gave as Doc Holliday in Ridley Scott's 1994 western 'TOMBSTONE'. Kilmer was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and should have won. It's the only nomination he ever got, which is a shame. I thought he deserved one for The Doors as well. They don't give awards for films like The Saint, but he played like 18 different characters in that film, something I'd like to try one day (John Malkovich did something similar in 'IN THE LINE OF FIRE' as did Gary Oldman in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula').
Kilmer's portrayal as the womanizing, devil-may-care dentist turned gun slinger whose dying of tuberculosis was downright stunning. Doc was cocky, self loathing, wise, stubborn, immature, goofy, yet probably the most intelligent and educated character in the whole film. He loved quoting Bible scripture and his favorite poets. He spoke several languages. He seemed like a man who was someone and something completely different a long long time ago, but something changed him. Tragedy, heart break, corruption. Something. Now he is a shell of his former self. He doesn't believe in love or justice, just money and drink. A lost soul. You wanted a prequel to see how he got that way. He reminds me of my favorite quote from Tony Scott's 'MAN ON FIRE' remake from 2004 with Denzel where Creasy tells the nun 'I'm the sheep that got lost Madre'. Doc was one of those lost sheep.
Even though he was near death throughout much of the film, even at 30% of who he once was, he was still arguably the best shot in the whole movie. His death scene is one of the greatest performances in the history of movie making. I was especially moved by the part where he mentions falling in love with a cousin of his and them having to run away together but ultimately breaking up because of their love being so forbidden. He was a man who knew his lifestyle did not fit the times they were in and he'd rather die on his own terms than live by anyone else's. Just like with Sean Penn's 'AT CLOSE RANGE' scene, the death scene with Holliday in this film is one I often used as my monologue in auditions and I even acted the scene out in an episode of The Best Tears.
Val never got the respect he deserved throughout his career. In his prime, he was too 'pretty' to be respected and yet in some people's eyes, not talented enough to justify his diva-like behavior. I sometimes would look at his lesser performances and wonder, is he really as good as I think he is? The more I learned about his off the wall personality the more I started to think some of his lazier work most likely stemmed from his not liking the material he was given and him 'phoning it in' on purpose as some sort of 'F You' to the industry and playing into his leading man looks. Like Brando, Kilmer played games with the media by never answering questions straight on. Ask him what it was like to work with a certain director or co-star he would most likely either go into some made up (or was it) anecdote about how the two did not get along at all on set, or he would just totally get random and go into some 15 minute rant about how peyote is better than mescaline. The dude was just off, in the most wonderful way. He pissed off directors by being 'difficult' and 'eccentric' (Google what John Frankenhiemer and Joel Schumacher think of their experiences working with Kilmer) and just when you thought he was washed up he'd give a performance like 2003's 'Wonderland' where he played porn star John Holmes.
He has by far one of the most interesting personalities and careers in Hollywood and if I ever go off the rails, get fat, and start only doing straight to RedBox movies, you can thank Val for inspiring me to go that route if this shit all hits the fan. If I'm gonna crash and burn, best believe I'm gonna have fun doing it.
7-Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Somewhere in the dictionary (or Wikipedia now) next to the word COOL is a picture of Mickey Rourke. One of the cult legends of cinema for the 80's and early 90's nobody did it better than Mick. He made his mark playing the too cool for school bad boy men wanted to be and women wanted to be with in films such as 9 and a Half Weeks, Rumble Fish, Revenge, Body Heat, Diner, Angel Heart, and Desperate Hours. He had a penchant for playing bad ass loner biker types in B action movies or the leather jacket clad average joe from the wrong side of the block who managed to seduce the professional hottie way out of his league in controversial sex thrillers. His magic trick was he took projects that should have been playing on HBO at late night and injected them with Oscar calibur gravitas. He was well on his way to being the next Jack Nicholson when his obsession with becoming a champion boxer (and the multiple unsuccessful following facial surgeries to fix the damage his boxing career did to his once movie star good looks) along with his drinking issues and burning too many bridges in Hollywood became his undoing.
After becoming a forgotten 'has been' throughout much of the mid and late 90's, directors such as Robert Rodriguez, Tony Scott, and Quentin Tarantino gave his acting career life support by casting him in tiny bit roles in the early 2000's in films such as Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Man on Fire, and Sin City, respectively. He made the most of these opportunities with scene stealing performances that reminded fans he still had the chops and also showed the higher ups in Hollywood that he could play by the rules this time. But it was when Darren Aronofsky casted him in The Wrestler that Rourke finally lived up to the promise his career once had in his heyday of the 80's. His performance as an old beat up wrestler struggling to re-live his glory days all while failing to connect with his now grown up daughter (played amazingly by the always brilliant and SEXY Ev Rachel Woods) was beyond heart breaking and garnered Mickey a much deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Although he lost to Sean Penn that year (who won for MILK), he won something perhaps much more important, the respect of his fans and movie fans world wide. The King of COOL, was finally back!
8-Al Pacino - Scarface
I know. I know. I know. Al Pacino has given many performances in his legendary career that could and maybe SHOULD be considered his 'best'. The Godfather. Serpico. Dogday Afternoon. And Justice For All. Carlito's Way (a personal favorite of mine, both him and Sean Penn are AMAZING in this film). Heat. Heck he even won the Oscar for Scent of a Woman (which I didn't think was all that great). But this list isn't about 'best'. It's about 'favorite'. And boy do I LOVEEEE Tony Montana in 'Scarface'. Best 'bad guy as the protagonist' movie of all time. More than American Psycho, Wolf of Wall Street, Pain & Gain, you name it. Tony had such arrogance, wreckless ambition, ego, and an insatiable lust for life and power. There's a reason every rapper worships the guy. He represents the American Dream, in a dark way of course. He built himself up from nothing to something. And he did it HIS way, with swagger. I love that. What is weird is, I do not look at the performance like I do the others on this list. It's not something I look at and say 'I wanna give a performance like that in a film' (although it was definitely a big inspiration behind my Devil's Double performance when portraying Uday Hussein)...but it is more of an inspiration on how to live my REAL life. No, I don't plan on moving to Miami to start a cocaine empire. But whenever people doubt me or talk shit about me, I often ask myself...'what would Tony Montana say right now?' Either that..or 'what would Jerry Seinfeld say right now?' Depends on my mood that day...
9-Tom Cruise - Jerry Maguire
I've always found Tom Cruise to be one of the best and most dependable actors working today. The guy gets labeled as just a movie star or just an action star but he is so much more. I have been a fan since the beginning. His Oscar nominated role in Born on the Fourth of July to his role as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible films. The guy can do it all. The Last Samurai, A Few Good Men, and Collateral should have been Oscar nods too but were not. The most unexpected Oscar nod though was the one he got for a little romantic comedy from 1996 by Cameron Crowe called 'JERRY MAGUIRE'. I truly love this film and his performance in it. We see him be funny, charming, romantic, you name it. Something about the performance to me says everything you need to know about the guy as an actor. Working with him on the set of MI3 he taught me how to be a movie star, how to carry a film. Be a true leading man. Things they don't teach you in acting school. He helped me alot. And this film helped alot of romantics out there, especially me, learn how to get a girl to say 'You Had Me at Hello'.
10-James Dean - Rebel Without A Cause
He's the guy who started it all. James Dean is an icon, a legend, for a reason. His method acting came at a time where no one else was doing what he was doing. There was a time where male actors could not cry on screen. It wasn't seen as manly. Brando, Clift, and Dean changed all that. His role in Rebel Without a Cause changed the game.
