It is extremely difficult to pin point 5 top actors of English Movies. Though here is my list.
Denzel Washington
He is a son of a strict minister (Priest) who wouldn’t let his children watch films. He started his career off broadway playing the role of Malcolm X. Years later in 1992 he starred in Spike Lee’s directorial venture - Malcolm X. Till date Malcolm X is his best intense and most personal film till date.He is very much obsessed with thje great afro-american leader and has also named his son after him. His other good performance was in The Hurricane.
Robin Williams & Tom Hanks
To ask who is better amongst Robin Williams and Tom Hanks is impossible. Both are such good actors and their off screen image is also so nice and clean that to give any one of them a higher ranking then the other would be unfair.
Robin Williams
Unlike many other comiedians, Robin Williams had a very comfortable Childhood. His father was a senior executive in Ford Motors. He studied drama at the Julliard School o draama before becoming a stand up comedian. He was first noticed as a manic alien in the hit comedy TV series Mork and Mindy. His first film Popeye was a box office failure but got him noticed. It was Good Morning Vietnam which established him as a Superstar Comedian and an actor. Infact the real life character of Adrian Cronaeur that he played in Good Morning Vietnam had said he was not even half as good as Robin Williams. His best performance has been in Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, Mrs. Doubtfire and Dead Poet’s Society.
Tom Hanks
Possibly one of the most loved nice guys on and off acreen. Works on only 1 movie at a time (a trend which he got inspired from Dustin Hoffman and later on Aamir Khan started this trend in Hindi Film). A perfectionist who started his career on stage and got fame as a 12 year old boy in a body of a 24 year old manin BIG. His best performance is in Forrest Gump which many believe is the best acting performance of the 20th century. Although he has done only 3 movies with Meg Ryan, They are considered to be the most love on-screen duo.
Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Please don’t ask me who is the better out of the 3 because All of them are top-league actors. Although none of the 3 have acted together in one movie they have starred in movies starring 2 of them.
Dustin Hoffman has acted With Al Pacino in Dick Tracy (1990)
Dustin Hoffman has acted With Robert De Niro in Wag The Dog (1997)and Sleepers (1995)
Al Pacino has starred with Robert De Niro in Godfather - 2 (1974) and Heat (1995)
Dustin Hoffman
Originally studied to be a concert pianist he switched to acting. He had slept on Gene Hackman’s floor, taken jobs washing dishes and selling toys till he got the lead role in The Graduate which took him to instant stardom. He is reputed to be the biggest (Although he is only 5 foot 6 inches in height) perfectionist in hollywood. He often ends up with tiffs with the directors and his character in the movie Tootsie is said to be very much like the real him. Works on only1 movie at a time and sometimes has only 1 release in 2 years. (All these qualities can be found in Aamir Khan). His best performances have been in The Graduate, All The President’s Men, Kramer Vs Kramer, Rainman and Tootsie.
Robert De Niro
More extra ordinary than his acting is the length to which he goes to achieve his performance. Gained superstardom and a text-book for all method actors after he gained nearly 30 KG in weight and ate lots of pasta and underwent rigrous training for his role as Jake La Motta in Raging Bull (1980). He learnt sicilian for his role in The Godfather - 2. He lived with actual steel mine workers to study hios role in The Deer Hunter. He learnt latin to play the role of a priest in True Confessions. Learnt fencing for hios role in The Mission. Only once he failed when he had to get a Bus Drivers Licence for his role in The Bronx Tale. He failed the drivers test Twice. His best performances have been The Godfather - 2, raging Bull, The King Of Comedy, Awakenings The Deer Hunter and Heat.
Al Pacino
Raised by his mother and grandparents. They were so strict taht till he was 7 he was allowed to go out only to school and Cinema. He was a one time dancer and a stand up comic till he got the role of Micheal Corleone in The Godfather (1972). This role was rejecetd by both Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. The role got him instant super stardom and the mocie was world wide huge Hit and a cult classic. A box office disaster in 1985 Revolution nearly finished Pacino’s career. It was 4 years later in 1989 that he got a hit in Sea Of Love. He had gone on a self imposed exile from acting in movies from 1985 to 1989. One of the few actors who truly immerses himself in his role. He hhad also turned down The Lead Role in the following movies.
1) Kramer Vs Kramer
2) Star Wars
3) Apocalypse now
4) Born On The 4th of July
5) Pretty Woma
6) Crimson Tide
Originally asked for $7 million for Godfather - III, A figure that angered director Francis Ford Coppola so much that he threatened to write a new script that opened with Michael Corleone’s funeral. Al Pacino settled for $5 million.
His best performances are in The Godfather (1972), The Godfather - 2 (1974), Scarface (1983), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Godfather - 3 (1990), Heat (1995), The Insider (1999).
The reason why I have chose the above actors as the best around is becaue betwen them they have played such a huge variety of roles with true convictions and dedications that
it would be insulting if either one of them do not feature in anyones top list. There are many other actors but most of them have failed to come in my fav list is because either they have been giving wooden performances or they have got themselves typecasted. I won’t name any of them.
Due to constarint of space in mouthshut.com I can not writethe filmography of all my fav actors. But you an find out the films they have starred in anywhere on the internet. Your feedback and comments is extremely important so please email me or comment on this review.