One of the greatest English actors of all time is Laurence Olivier. The actor is considered as the one of best theatrical actors in the UK and has appeared in over fifty films and many successful TV shows. Olivier worked his way into acting during the ’20s, and finally got his breakthrough role in Noel Coward’s “Private Lives”. Since then, the actor has had a string of successful films and was highly awarded from the ’40s up to the ’80s for his amazing roles. What made the actor so unique and memorable was his extreme appearance changes from role to role.
Olivier admitted that he was a fan of extravagant make-up and had a wide range of voices and accents. He is most remembered for appearing in a trilogy of Shakespeare films as both actor and director, including “Henry V” (1944), “Hamlet” (1948), and “Richard III” (1955). The actor has received four Academy Awards and some of the highest honors a British civilian can get, including a knighthood (1947), a life peerage (1970) and the Order of Merit (1981).
Anthony Hopkins
Many know Anthony Hopkins as either the psychotic serial killer Hannibal Lecter from "Silence of the Lambs", or as owner of Westworld from HBO’s hit show. His acting career goes back a long way and contains some of the most memorable and highly-awarded performances of all time. Hopkins is truly one of Hollywood’s most versatile and endearing actors. The veteran actor graces every film and TV show he has appeared in with an air of mystery and intrigue.
Most actors with Hopkin's experience tend to find themselves getting either typecast into specific roles, or slowing down towards the end of their careers. He’s quite a different breed of Hollywood star though, as the veteran actor continues to hone and improve his acting skills, which seem to only get better over the years. Some of his greatest films are "The Elephant Man" (1980), "The Bunker" (1981), "The Bounty" (1984), "Howards End" (1992), "Shadowlands" (1993) and "Nixon" (1995).
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington has had the same cultural appeal as fellow African-American actor Samuel L. Jackson, while possessing acting skills on the level of Oscar winning actors. The actor has appeared in everything from R-Rated action films, such as "The Book of Eli", to crime dramas such as "American Gangster" and "Training Day". He also played as Malcolm X in the biographical film of the same name, and has done various passion projects with directors Spike Lee, Antoine Fuqua, and Tony Scott.
It would be hard to pinpoint the best films of such a successful and accomplished actor. It’s safe to say that some of his most noteworthy performances were in films that are considered the most culturally significant films of their times. His roles in "Malcolm X", "The Hurricane", "Training Day" and "Glory" were some of the most important films, and will likely remain as some of his best work too.
Ben Affleck
The tall and handsome Ben Affleck began to catch the public’s eye when he took up some incredible roles, such as his iconic performance in "Good Will Hunting". The actor has seen his fair share of box office hits, and also some critical flops, but he has been a consistently great actor from the start. Affleck was chosen to portray Batman in Zack Snyder’s popular "Batman v. Superman".
One of Ben Affleck's most popular and successful movies is also one which he directed himself. The 2012 movie, "Argo", is a historical drama film that centers around a CIA operative who helped rescue six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran when he and his crew pretended to be science fiction film-makers who wanted to use Tehran as the film’s place of production.
Adrien Brody
The American actor and producer, Adrien Brody first showed his incredible acting skills when he starred in Roman Polanski’s 2002 holocaust film, "The Pianist", which went on to secure him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Brody received the award at age 29, making him the youngest actor to ever receive this award. The actor has since starred in many other successful films, including "The Thin Red Line", "The Village" and "King Kong". He often works with director Wes Anderson in his films.
Adrien Brody’s best and most iconic performance to date is his portrayal of a polish-Jewish pianist named Wladyslaw Szpilman, during the holocaust. The film "The Pianist" received widespread acclaim and is considered by many to be the second best holocaust film of all time, right after "Schindler's List". This Oscar-winning performance turned Adrien Brody from a relatively unknown actor to one of Hollywood’s hottest assets at the time.