We are about to try the impossible: Ranking actors and telling you who is the best among hundreds of them.
It is clear that this goal is so hard to achieve due to personal preferences or the fact that letting yourself be influenced by awards, nominations, and specific achievements can also ruin the list.
After all, many actors who have been nominated and awarded are no longer considered good ones, and a role doesn’t define the entire career nor earn him the opportunity to be on the list.
So, how do we plan to handle this tough yet important task? Based on research.
As for movies and series fans, we decided to do our research well and come up with a ranking that is based on more than just the previous aspects.
We will also consider popularity, roles, and consistency in the industry. In this way, the list should be capable of having the top ones we came up with the decision that considers being here.
Of course, lists can always be biased, and although we will mention our preferences along the road, we are not letting our feelings get in the way to add who truly deserves it. So, don’t worry; we won’t miss someone just because we prefer another.
That being said, our ranking is clearly going from 23 to 1, which is why you should expect a wild ride.
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
Charlie Chaplin was born in London, United Kingdom, on April 16, 1889, and died on December 25, 1977, in Switzerland.
When we go back to this actor, it is hard to think someone doesn’t really know about him. After all, Chaplin is considered one of the most important figures in the film industry, and we have to agree with this.
Starting his career on stage at a very young age, Chaplin has left a huge mark in films and will always be remembered.
He is well-known for his roles during the era of silent film and is regardless as the best actor of his genre during the time.
His screen persona, The Tramp, made him an icon worldwide and the number of films in which he starred is all considered classics and must-watch even if you might not be that.
His last completed silent movie was The Great Dictator (1940), a satire on Adolf Hitler, which he wrote, directed, produced, scored, and starred in. He also appeared in A King In New York (1957), released shortly before his death.
Charles Chaplin died on Christmas Day 1977 at age 88 from natural causes due to old age.
Robert De Niro (1943 – Present)
Considered one of the best actors of all time by many new generations is Robert De Niro. He was born on August 17, 1943, in Manhattan, New York City.
He left school at 16 to study acting under Stella Adler. After that, he worked with many well-known film directors like Elia Kazan, Brian De Palma, and, most importantly, Martin Scorsese.
De Niro got his first Academy Award winner for his role in “The Godfather: Part II” (1974). He then went on to make many other critically acclaimed films, including “The Deer Hunter” (1978), and he won his second Academy Award for “Raging Bull” (1980).
The great actor continued to be successful in the 1990s with films like “Goodfellas” and “Analyze.” Recent accolades include the seventh Oscar nomination for his work in “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012).
De Niro is known for his intense acting style and his ability to transform into a character.
He is one of the most respected actors in Hollywood and has won many awards, including two Academy Awards along with seven nominations. Six BAFTA nominations and 1 Golden Globes followed by eight nominations.
Morgan Freeman (1937 – Present)
Born in Memphis on June 1, 1937, Morgan Freeman is another great actor who has been in some amazing films, and in our opinion, those who don’t know him are clearly a bit lost in time.
After high school, Morgan Freeman joined Air Force to become a fighter pilot. However, after realizing that it wasn’t what was needed nor what he wanted, he began acting.
While he struggled for many years and only got small roles, he was able to land major roles and won critical and popular acclaim. He is now one of Hollywood’s most respected stars.
Some of his best work includes “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Seven,” and “Bruce Almighty.”
Freeman is known for his deep voice and calm demeanor on screen, along with his ability to play any role.
He is one of the best actors in Hollywood and has won many awards. His most important work includes “The Shawshank Redemption,” which received seven Academy Award nominations overall, including best picture.
Another famous film was “Million Dollar Baby,” where he played alongside Clint Eastwood. In total, he has one Academy Award and gotten five nominations, he doesn’t fall short in Golden Globe nominations (5), and one of them was won.
Denzel Washington (1954-Present)
Washington was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 28, 1954. He is the son of a Pentecostal minister and a beauty shop proprietor.
Denzel was only seven years old when he first appeared on stage. He was part of a talent show at the “Boys & Girls Club.” Washington was able to stay safe and out of trouble at the club.
He studied journalism at Fordham University during his early years but then became interested in acting.
His feature film debut was in the comedy “A Carbon Copy” (1981), and he was then cast on the popular T.V. medical drama “St. Elsewhere” (1982-1988). He appeared in many hit movies, including “Philadelphia,” “Man on Fire,” and “The Book of Eli.”
He also won Oscars for his roles in “Glory” and “Training Day.”
For his role as the star in 2016’s fences (an adaptation of August Wilson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play) and 2017’s Roman J. Israel Esq was nominated for an Oscar.
In total, Denzel is considered a great actor in role transformation and versatile when it comes to new characters.
With two Academy Awards for best actor, he is one of only a handful of performers to win the award in consecutive years. He also has two Golden Globe awards, four Emmy nominations, and a Tony nomination.
Leonardo DiCaprio (1974-Present)
Who doesn’t know DiCaprio in 2021? Hard to believe there’s anyone, right?
With six Academy Awards nominations and finally his win for “The Revenant,” Leonardo has positioned himself at the top of the best actors in the industry to this date.
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 11, 1974. He is the only child of Irmelin and George DiCaprio.
When he was a toddler, his parents divorced. His mother, a German legal secretary, raised DiCaprio mainly. However, the young boy was close to his father, a comic-book artist and distributor.
In fact, DiCaprio discovered his creative side and began to take an interest in acting at an early age, thanks to his parents, who encouraged him to find any interest in the creative industry.
Today, DiCaprio is a well-known actor for his unconventional and edgy roles.
After starting his career in television, he moved to film and was nominated for an Oscar for his role as the chef in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993).
DiCaprio was a star in James Cameron’s epic drama “Titanic” we all know about, and the actor also worked with Martin Scorsese on several projects, including “The Aviator” in 2004 and “The Departed” in 2006.
“Inception” (2010) and “Django Unchained” (2012) were his most recent films. He also acted in “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) and “The Revenant” in 2015, for which he won his first Oscar, as mentioned before.
Few people in the industry have had a diverse career like him, with all the variety in characters and roles he has accepted and interpreted. With six Academy Awards nominations, 4 for BAFTA, and a win, along with 11 Golden Globe nominations and two wins, he is at the top and continues to bring the magic.
Clint Eastwood (1930-Present)
Born on May 31, 1930, Clint Eastwood has grown to be one of the biggest names in the industry, not only for being a top-tier actor but also for his work as a director.
His career started far from Western films, but his jump to fame came without a doubt thanks to his work in the early 1960s and following years.
Specifically, he got the chance to participate in the trio of Western films directed by Sergio Leone, where he played the “Man with No Name.” As many know, the three movies are the big “A Fistful of Dollars,” “For a Few Dollars More,” and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”
However, before that, Clint Eastwood’s big break came with his starring role in the television series “Rawhide.” Eastwood became a hugely popular actor after portraying tough characters in the previous trio and the Dirty Harry franchise.
He has been widely praised for his direction of such Academy Award-winning films as “Unforgiven” and “Mystic River,” and “Million Dollar Baby.”
With two Oscars (for directing, though), seven nominations in the same awards, and many other awards in his pockets, he has shown his big roles in acting and directing.
Al Pacino (1940-Present)
“The Godfather,” who doesn’t know this film? And more importantly, who doesn’t know the great actor that came from it? Not from it specifically, but a great part of his success comes from it.
Alfredo James Pacino, or better known as Al Pacino, opened his own place in the industry in one of the most iconic and dreamy decades of the cinema.
But before all this, Al Pacino started learning acting as a teenager and made it to the stage later on with all his knowledge and experience building.
He has brought an intense rage and brooding seriousness to gritty roles such as that of Tony Montana, a drug lord, and Michael Corleone, a gangster in “The Godfather” from 1972.
He is a versatile actor who has appeared in many stage productions and directed several films. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a blind man in “Scent of a Woman” (1992) and was awarded the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
With 8 Oscars nominations, five BAFTA nominations, and 2 won, along with 15 Golden Globes nominations and 4 in his pocket, he’s definitely an actor to remember.
Tom Hanks (1956-Present)
Known for his versatility, acting skills rated with 5 out of 5 stars, and great role transformation, Hanks couldn’t be better than other industry figures.
In 1977, Tom Hanks started performing at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. He later moved to New York City, where he would start to make history.
Starring in the T.V. sitcom “Bosom Buddy,” he became much more well-known when he appeared in the Ron Howard movie “Splash.” He was a star in many other popular and highly acclaimed movies such as “Big” and “Forrest Gump.”
Although many films can be included in his acting career, the latter mentioned along with “Philadelphia” and “Saving Private Ryan” are at the pinnacle of his success.
With “Philadelphia,” he finally saw his first Oscars win, which was followed the next year (1994) with his win with “Forrest Gump.” Both as the best actor.
So far, he has pilled 6 Oscars nominations, 4 for BAFTA, and 8 Golden Globe nominations, with 4 of them winning.
To this date, Hanks continues giving us great performances and movies everyone would die to watch at least once in life.
Anthony Hopkins (1937-Present)
Philip Anthony Hopkins was born in Margam, Port Talbot, Wales, on December 31, 1937. While his early years in Wales were not memorable, they still remain in his memory.
He attended Cowbridge Grammar School, but Hopkins’ life would change dramatically when he met Richard Burton, who encouraged him to follow a life in arts.
Thanks to his encouragement, Hopkins, who was just 15 years old, enrolled at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Hopkins graduated in 1957 and spent two years in the British Army. He then moved to London to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After working and training for many years, he became a sort of protégé of Sir Laurence Olivier, the legendary actor.
This happened after Olivier invited him o join the Royal National Theatre in 1965 and became his understudy.
Following his career as a stage actor, he then moved into film in the late 1960s.
Today, Hopkins is well-known for his diverse projects, including “The Dawning,” “The Remains of the Day,” and “Amistad.” He has also been nominated several times for Oscars, winning for “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Some of his most notable work includes “Titus” and “The Mask of Zorro.”
As an actor, Hopkins is always praised for his great talent in challenging new roles and changing for anything in order to deliver the expected or even more.
Michael Caine (1933-Present)
Michael Caine is best known for his work in the crime film “The Italian Job,” which was released in 1969. He received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, and he has been nominated six times in total.
He won the best actor at Cannes Film Festival for “Educating Rita” (1983) and has built a top career since his early years in the industry.
Of course, not everything was Oscars and great roles since he had to work many side jobs and spend some time to cool himself when going through early age.
With many downs in roles and films, he had to jump to another agent and work harder than others to get what he was destined to build.
After several small jobs, he jumped to the big screen and success in 1956 with the film “A Hill in Korea.”
Today, Caine’s well-known films also include “Alfie” (1966) and “Get Carter” (1971). Still, his role as Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy could be considered to have cemented him into Hollywood history after a long time.
Michael Caine has successfully transitioned from a stage performer to one of the most prolific British actors, with over 200 acting credits to his name.
With over 10 Golden Globe nominations, 8 BAFTA ones, and 6 for Academy Awards, he has won at least 1 in each.
Robin Williams (1951-2014)
Lost way too soon, Robin Williams is an actor everyone misses to this date, and unfortunately, new generations won’t get to know him or enjoy new films.
Luckily, we got him and enjoyed (and continue to) the top films he left behind as his legacy.
Known for being a great comedian in the industry and proving he was made for more with roles in a wide range of films, Williams developed his skills that would become what every actor wanted.
First, he developed his stand-up comedy improvisations and was soon able to land his own T.V. show, “Mork and Mindy.” He then moved on to leading roles in the film with Robert Altman’s Popeye.
With many roles in comedy but also drama, he got several nominations. After three nominations, he finally won an Academy Award as best supporting actor in “Good Will Hunting.”
Besides Oscars, he was nominated 11 times for Golden Globes (he won 4) and got 2 BAFTA nominations.
His style was always fresh, funny but never missed the drama and feelings needed when the role required them. What do we think? Unforgettable among all the actors on our list.
Sadly, the actor, who was 63 years old, was found dead at his home on August 11, 2014.
Russell Crowe (1964-Present)
Russell Crowe was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 7, 1964. He first made a name for himself in Australian cinema. Among them, he was best known for his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead in the film “Romper Stomper” (1992).
In 2000, he starred opposite Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan in “The Insider.” In 2001, Crowe won an Academy Award for best actor for “Gladiator,” a role that would bring him to the bigger spotlight in the industry.
But where did it all start? With projects such as “L.A. Confidential,” he became an international superstar in the early years along with the previous ones mentioned.
His later films include a screen adaptation of “Les Miserables,” “Noah,” and “The Nice Guys.”
Today, Crowe has a Golden Globe and a BAFTA in his pockets, while he is also known for the diversity in characters and great ranking when it comes to acting skills.
He may not be the biggest star, but his work with many directors, a wide variety of roles, transformations, and great versatility have brought him the success he sure deserves.
Tommy Lee Jones (1946-Present)
Born in San Saba, Texas, on September 15, 1946, he never thought he would become a legend in the industry.
An eighth-generation Texan, Jones was the only child of Clyde Jones, a cowboy-turned-oil-field worker, and his wife, Lucille Marie.
Jones had admitted in interviews that he had a hard childhood and suffered a lot of physical abuse from his father. Tommy Lee was just a teenager when Clyde Jones started work in the North African oil fields.
In his life, he had worked hard to get a scholarship at St. Mark’s Dallas prep school so he could stay in America.
Jones was a talented student and athlete who eventually received a football scholarship from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
However, his life would change upon graduation when he moved to New York and then to Hollywood, where his career trajectory dramatically changed.
Jones was a household name with 1993’s “The Fugitive.” He has since been remembered for his memorable performances in “Men in Black” and “No Country for Old Men,” as well as in “Lincoln” (2012).
With four nominations in Oscars, BAFTA, and Golden Globe, where he has won one for the first and last, he has made sure to leave his name at the top.
His versatility might not be the top best among other actors, but his role transformation and acting skills never disappoint.
Sean Connery (1930-2020)
One of the most recent losses in the industry, Sean Connery, was born on August 25, 1930, in Scotland.
During his early years, Sean Connery appeared in many U.K. television and film programs during the 1950s.
However, it wasn’t until the 60s, when he was cast as James Bond in “Dr. No” that his success would come to shine. After the big fame of the film, he continued the role in subsequent films like “Thunderball” and “Goldfinger” while enjoying huge popularity.
In 1988, Connery won an Academy Award for supporting actor in “The Untouchables.” He continued to work in film throughout his career, and even the smallest roles would be known for critics and every viewer.
Before retiring from acting, Connery starred in the adventure films “Indiana Jones” and “The Last Crusade” along with “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.”
With 1 Oscars and one Golden Globe won from the only nominations, along with one from 4 BAFTA nominations, he left a great mark before his recent death on October 31, 2020.
Michael Douglas (1944-Present)
His full name is Michael Kirk Douglas, and he was born on September 25, 1944, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to actor Kirk Douglas and his wife, Diana Dill.
Douglas was raised with his three brothers, Eric, Peter, and Joel. As he was the son of an actor, his connection with the industry started very young.
However, he had a difficult relationship with his father as a child. This relationship grew even more strained as he grew older. He studied drama at the University of California Santa Barbara and at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York.
Douglas started his Hollywood career working as an assistant director for some of his father’s 1960s films. He was a star in many television dramas, and then he was able to co-star with Karl Malden on the 1970s T.V. series “Streets of San Francisco” (1972-1977).
After starring in the cop series, Michael Douglas became famous. His film career began not long after.
He starred in “China Syndrome” (1979), “Romancing the Stone” (1984), and “Wall Street” (1987), the latter earning him an Academy Award.
Later films include “Fatal Attraction” (1987), “Fundamental Instinct” (1992), and “Wonder Boys” (2000). During this new century, he has starred in prominent roles in films like “Behind the Candelabra” (2013) and “Ant-Man” (2015).
With 2 Oscars won and 1 Golden Globe, his participation in the industry has been great as an actor but also as a producer.
Heath Ledger (1979-2008)
How much we wished he continued to be here to delight us with more of his big roles, especially similar to his last one in “The Dark Knight.” Unfortunately, he left us way too soon.
Ledger was born to Sally Ledger Bell, a French teacher, and Kim Ledger, a racecar driver, mining specialist in Perth, Australia, on April 4, 1979.
After his childhood, he found comfort in dance, choreography, and acting, which is why he decided to continue to look for roles at his grammar school.
His first attempt on the big screen was as an extra in the film “Clowning Around.” Later, he was a part of the T.V. series “Ship to Shore.”
When he was 16 years old, he passed his first graduation exams and traveled across the country to Sydney with Trevor DiCarlo to pursue an acting career.
After a few small television roles, Ledger made his feature film debut in 1997 with the emotional drama “Blackrock.” This led to Ledger’s starring role in the historical fantasy television series “Roar.”
The now actor was exposed to American audiences and Fox executives due to the success and popularity of the series, which was nominated for several awards.
At the request of Liza Zane, his girlfriend at the time, Ledger searched for an American agent. He then started building an actual career in Hollywood and bringing success his way.
Thanks to this, Heath Ledger started to be best known for his role in the film “Ten Things I Hate About You,” starring Julia Stiles. For his role in “Brokeback Mountain,” he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
Unfortunately, here’s when tragedy starts. After completing filming Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” in 2008, Ledger was fatally overdosed by a prescription drug.
For his portrayal of the Joker, he was awarded a posthumous Best Actor Academy Award.
His diversity, versatility, and top acting skills were appreciated in the short span of his Hollywood career, and he is dearly missed every day.
Christoph Waltz (1956-Present)
Have you ever heard of the perfect record? With two nominations for Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTA, Waltz has won each of them. But before going there, what about learning a bit more?
Born in Vienna, Austria, on October 4, 1956. He began his acting career on the stage as an actor at the age of 16.
He also began acting on television and was featured in numerous T.V. films. He eventually moved to the movies and appeared in many German films, mostly playing the roles of a villain.
However, it wasn’t until his later roles like Colonel Hans Landa, a character played in the film “Inglourious Basterds” by Quentin Tarantino, that he would become to grow greatly in the spotlight and earned him international recognition.
The movie was such a commercial and critical success that it won Waltz his first Oscar and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Although many other roles came, his role in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained” was also largely appreciated and earned him his second Oscars.
He was a voice actor for both of the big films and dubbed himself in both the French-language and German versions.
He is also known for his roles in the James Bond film “Spectre” (where he was the antagonist) and in “The Legend of Tarzan,” where he was a supporting character.
His acting, versatility, and great transformation for each role are big and always remembered, especially when a new film comes.
Johnny Depp (1963-Present)
Let’s leave personal life aside and focus on the big career this man has had over the years. No Oscars so far, but with three nominations, we would expect more to come once everything settles.
His full name is John Christopher Depp II, and he was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, to John and Betty Sue Depp.
Depp’s father was a civil engineer, and his mother was a waitress/homemaker. The youngest of four children, Depp was shy and admittedly an oddball.
His early years were difficult and full of drugs and self-harm. However, if we move to the later ones, he married Lori Allison, a 25-year old makeup artist, in 1983 when he improved in his mental and physical health.
In the hope of making it big since Johnny was part of a band at the time, Depp and Allison moved to Los Angeles with Depp’s band that same year. Depp and his bandmates still lived on a tight budget, but they were able to make living selling pens to a telemarketing company.
Depp got into acting a year later when his wife’s ex-boyfriend, actor Nicolas Cage, was introduced to him by his wife.
Cage recognized the potential in Depp and recommended him to a Hollywood agent. After a few small roles as an extra in various films, he was offered his first movie role in the horror movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984).
In 1987, he was offered a role in the T.V. series “21 Jump Street.” Since then, he has been known for his willingness and ability to play darker roles in movies like “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), and “Alice in Wonderland” (2010).
He also starred in the big-budget “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies that have brought great recognition.
Besides his three Oscars nominations, he has been nominated ten times for Golden Globe and 2 BAFTA, winning one Globe so far.
Versatility and transformation for each role are what characterizes him the most, and we bet that if you’ve watched at least two films (not from the same sequel, though), you will notice every single difference.
Jamie Foxx (1967-Present)
Jamie Foxx, an Academy Award-winner and a talented comedian, actor, and singer, has proven to be a triple threat within the entertainment industry.
Foxx was just one year old when his parents divorced. His maternal grandparents adopted him, and as a child, he enjoyed music and sports. He attended Terrell High School in his hometown.
He then went and received a scholarship and enrolled at U.S. International University, San Diego, where he majored in Music.
He was inspired by friends to perform at an open mic night at a comedy club in college, beginning his entertainment career.
Foxx left college to pursue a career as a comedian in Los Angeles. He was cast as a regular on Fox’s “In Living Color” in 1991.
He then launched his own sitcom. After proving himself to be a dramatic actor, Foxx won an Academy Award for his role as Ray Charles in the 2004 film “Ray.”
His films later included “Django Unchained” and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” “Baby Driver,” and the last released, “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
With two Oscars and 1 of them won, he has settled himself in the industry, especially after his acting skills and versatility have been proven countless times.
Joaquin Phoenix (1974-Present)
On October 28, 1974, Joaquin was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was the son of missionaries from the Children of God religious group and often moved with his family throughout his childhood.
Arlyn and John Bottom spent time in South and Central America before becoming disillusioned from Children of God. Then, the family adopted the surname Phoenix after they left the group as a symbol of their new life.
Joaquin moved to Los Angeles when he was four, along with his older brother River and older sister Rain. There, together with his siblings (the younger ones as well), they started to pursue an acting career.
With their ideas, their mother was able to find an agent, and at this time, the Phoenix children enjoyed performing shows for one another.
River was the first Phoenix family star. He landed a part on the television series “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers,” which aired from 1982 through 1983.
Joaquin made a guest appearance in the eight-year-old’s role on the show. This led to smaller television roles on shows like “Hill Street Blues,” “The Fall Guy,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
After a long road, Phoenix is today a claimed actor who has won numerous awards and found success with his film “Parenthood.” After his initial successes, he appeared in “Gladiator” as well as “Walk the Line.” He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
After a brief hiatus, Phoenix made his return to the big screen in “The Master.” He was a star in “Her,” “Inherent vice,” and he won his first Oscar for his performance as the Joker in the film with the same name as the character.
Matthew McConaughey (1969-Present)
Transformations… this is the perfect word for Matthew’s career and how he has played a wide range of roles throughout his career.
Now, before getting there, there’s a lot of history behind his current success.
First, McConaughey was born in Uvalde on November 4, 1969. At a young age, he was an athlete, playing tennis and golf at Longview High School, where he was very popular as he was also voted “Most Handsome student.”
He went on and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He started his acting career during his early years despite finishing college.
His first major break came with the 1993 film “Dazed and Confused.” Later, he starred in “A Time to Kill” (1996) and “Amistad” (1997).
Besides his acting career and how his popularity grew, McConaughey was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2005. With the spotlight on his head, he went on and starred in different roles.
Some of them included “Mound” (2012) and “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013). The latter film earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
McConaughey was a strong performer in 2014, thanks to his role as a star on the T.V. series “True Detective,” a project which propelled him further along his star trajectory.
Today, Matthew is a big name in the industry with the films “Killer Joe,” the previous ones mentioned, but also others like “Interstellar.”
He has gone through many physical transformations to play several roles and is admired by both small actors, fans, and big names just like him.
Christian Bale (1974-Present)
Many know Bale for his role as Batman in the trilogy “The Dark Knight.” However, his trajectory in the industry comes from way before that.
Born on January 30, 1974, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Bale began his acting career as a child and quickly rose to prominence in the entertainment business.
Bale’s genes are clearly in performing. His mother was a dancer, a clown, and his older sister was an actress. His grandfather was even a stunt double on the 1962 film “Hatari.”
At age 9, Bale appeared in his first commercial. Steven Spielberg then selected him from a group of 4,000 young actors to play Jim Graham in “Empire of the Sun” (1987). This World War II drama is about an English boy who grows up in China and ends up in a Japanese internment prison.
After returning to the spotlight as the sadistic character in “American Psycho”(2000), he went on and lost more than 60 pounds in “The Machinist” (2004).
His big role as Batman brought him to another transformation when he then trained for “Batman Returns” (2005) and its sequels.
Bale was nominated for an Oscar (and won) for his role in “The Fighter” (2010) and also won recognition for his roles in “The Big Short” (2015) and “Vice” (2018).
Brad Pitt (1963-Present)
We remember watching a commercial that used to say, “Yeah, yeah, with Brad Pitt.” Of course, this was due to a movie they were streaming on the weekend. Now, it couldn’t be more real when it comes to mentioning Pitt. After all, just like the actors so far, it is hard not to know who he is.
Born in Oklahoma on December 18, 1963, he was the third of three children from a Southern Baptist family and grew up in Springfield.
His father, Bill Pitt, owned a trucking business, while his mother, Jane Pitt, was a counselor for families. Brad studied journalism at the University of Missouri and originally wanted to become an advertising director.
The young college student also had quiet dreams resulting from his childhood love for movies. When he realized that he could leave and set his mind on his ideas, his dreams became a reality during his final semester of university.
Pitt quit college on a whim and drove west to pursue an acting career. He was only two credits away from a college degree and couldn’t care less about it.
He had stated to his parents that he wanted to enroll at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. However, he spent the next few months driving a limousine.
He chauffeured strippers from one bachelor to the next, delivered refrigerators, and tried to get into the L.A. acting scene. Shortly after he joined an acting class, he accompanied his classmate on an audition with an agent.
The agent signed Pitt, not his classmate, in the end. Thanks to this, he was able to secure an agent and regular acting work after only seven months of living in Los Angeles.
Brad Pitt’s big-screen debut was in the 1989 horror movie “Cutting Class.” In 1994’s “Legends of the Fall” role helped secure his place in Hollywood.
Two-time winner of People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” title, Pitt was also willing to accept more difficult roles in features such as “Seven” (1995), and “Fight Club” (1999), and “Babel” (2006).
Others like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008) and “Inglourious Basterds” roles are part of the biggest ones in his life.
He was awarded his first Oscar in the best picture as a producer of “12 Years a Slave “(2013). His roles in “Allied” (2016), “The Big Short” (2015), and “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood” (2019) are some of the most recent works that have been claimed as well.
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