This week’s blog is the last of my three week series on my favourite directors (see here), actresses (see here) and actors.

 

In assessing each actor, I have only considered films they have starred in since 2002. To use a sporting term, I’m only looking at those who are “in form”. The two questions I ask myself are (1) how excited would I be if this actor appeared in a new movie? and (2) how many great films have they appeared in over the past decade?

 

Those just missing the top 10 were Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Ryan Phillippe, Paul Giamatti, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Spacey, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn, Jim Broadbent and Mark Whalberg.

 

Here then are my top 10…


Josh Hutcherson
10. Josh Hutcherson


Best Recent Performance: Bridge To Terabithia (2007)
Other Great Performances:
The Hunger Games (2012), The Kids Are All Right (2010), Winged Creatures (2008), Zathura (2005), Little Manhattan (2005)

Clive Owen
9. Clive Owen


Best Recent
Performance: Closer (2004)
Other Great Performances: Duplicity (2009), The International (2009), Children Of Men (2006), Inside Man (2006), Sin City (2005), The Bourne Identity (2002)
Robert Downey Jr
8. Robert Downey Jr


Best Recent
Performance: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
Other Great Performances: Due Date (2010), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Tropic Thunder (2008), Iron Man (2008), Zodiac (2007), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
7. Joseph Gordon-Levitt


Best Recent
Performance: 50/50 (2011)
Other Great Performances: Inception (2010), 500 Days Of Summer (2009), Stop-Loss (2008), Brick (2005), Mysterious Skin (2004)
Brad Pitt
6. Brad Pitt


Best Recent
Performance: Burn After Reading (2008)
Other Great Performances: Moneyball (2011), The Tree Of Life (2011), Inglourious Basterds (2009), The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008), Ocean's Thirteen (2007), Babel (2006)
Russell Crowe
5. Russell Crowe


Best Recent
Performance: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Other Great Performances: The Next Three Days (2010), State Of Play (2009), Body Of Lies (2008), American Gangster (2007), 3:10 To Yuma (2007), Cinderella Man (2005), Master & Commander (2003)
Leonardo DiCaprio
4. Leonardo DiCaprio


Best Recent
Performance: Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Other Great Performances: J Edgar (2011), Inception (2010), Shutter Island (2010), Revolutionary Road (2008), Body Of Lies (2008), Blood Diamond (2006), The Departed (2006), The Aviator (2004), Gangs Of New York (2002)
Ryan Gosling
3. Ryan Gosling


Best Recent
Performance: Drive (2011)
Other Great Performances: The Ides Of March (2011), Blue Valentine (2010), Lars And The Real Girl (2007), Half Nelson (2006), The Notebook (2004)
Philip Seymour Hoffman
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman


Best Recent
Performance: Capote (2006)
Other Great Performances: The Ides Of March (2011), Moneyball (2011), Doubt (2008), Charlie Wilson’s War (2008), Before The Devil Knows Your Dead (2007), The Savages (2007), Cold Mountain (2003), Owning Mahowny (2003), 25th Hour (2002), Red Dragon (2002), Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
George Clooney
1. George Clooney


Best Recent
Performance: Michael Clayton (2007)
Other Great Performances: The Descendants (2011), Fantastic Mr Fox (2009), Up In The Air (2009), Burn After Reading (2008), Leatherheads (2008), Syriana (2005), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002)