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.
Laurence Olivier
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).
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.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks became Hollywood's darling after his iconic role in "Forrest Gump", which became one of the most popular and beloved movies of all time. The actor played various great roles since the mid '80s, and continues to act to this very day. His films have grossed more than $10 billion worldwide, which makes Hanks the fifth highest-grossing actor of all time. As of 2019, he is ranked as the number-one best actor in film history on Ranker.
Tom Hanks gets most of his charm from being very relatable to everyday people. Audiences trust and like Tom Hanks, which is a huge reason why he's so popular and successful. If you’re looking for the film that made him a historical Hollywood figure, look no further than the incredible "Forrest Gump", which should be the first film that any child watches when they’re old enough to deal with its intricate issues.
Keanu Reeves
When fans think of Keanu Reeves, the first two things that come to mind are either his famous and hilarious “Whoa” line (with his stoic and surprised look), and the second being just how great of a guy he is. The actor became a worldwide figure when he portrayed Neo in the extremely popular sci-fi action film trilogy, "The Matrix". Reeves has since appeared in various roles over the years, mostly centered around either comedy or action films.
Keanu Reeves built himself up as a popular actor thanks to his roles in the "Matrix" trilogy. His return to leading action films was incredibly popular when he took the role of the world’s most bad-ass action hero, "John Wick", an ex-assassin who decides to take revenge on a Russian mob who was responsible for stealing his Mustang and killing his dog. The film was so successful that it spawned two sequels, comic books and a few video-games. It’s Keanu Reeves at his best — stoic, captivating and deadly.