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…
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |
 | 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) |