An Australian actor, Heath Ledger grabbed limelight in America with the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. However, it was role in Brokeback Mountain that made him a star and earned him comparisons with greats actors like Marlon Brando. The brilliant actor gave his last performance as Joker in The Dark Knight which became a massive success.
Cinema lovers around the world hold Charlie Chaplin in high esteem. One of the biggest stars of the silent film era and an icon, he left the audience in splits with his comedic performances. Even today, his performances in movies like Modern Times and The Gold Rush are considered classic. The legendary actor was also a writer, director and producer.
A critically acclaimed actor, known for working in many small independent films, Ewan McGregor’s first notable film was Shallow Grave, followed by Trainspotting which propelled him to stardom. Films like Emma, A Life Less Ordinary and Moulin Rouge and the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three Star Wars prequels, plus the television series Fargo are his other notable works.
One of the greatest movie actors of all time, heartthrob of millions of women around the world, and a cultural icon, who had immense influence on actors of future generations, there are very few like Marlon Brando. In a career spanning six decades, Marlon Brando delivered critical and commercial successes in movies like A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather.
Gary Oldman is an English actor who can be best described as a chameleon, for his remarkable ability to imbibe the traits and mannerisms of the character he portrays. Whether playing a Cold War spy or a Sci-fi villain or Winston Churchill, this acting genius has earned the praise of millions of fans around the world.
Active in the film industry for over 35 years, Russell Crowe is an actor, film producer, director, and musician. Gaining international fame with his role in the epic historical film Gladiator in 2000, he is the recipient of several awards, including an Academy Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award.
Christopher Walken is one of the highest-grossing American actors as his films have generated over $1 billion in the US alone. He has a unique distinction of appearing in over 100 films and TV programs. A man of many talents, Christopher Walken is also known for his comedic, singing, screenwriting, directing, and dancing skills.
American actor Gregory Peck was one of the most famous movie stars between the 1940s and the 1960s. In 1999, Gregory Peck was ranked 12th in the Greatest Male Stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema list published by the American Film Institute. Also known for his humanitarian efforts, Gregory Peck was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.
Alec Guinness went from being an ad copywriter, to a Shakespearean stage actor, to delivering an Academy Award-winning performance as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai. He was part of the Royal Naval Reserve during World War II and received the knighthood for his contribution to arts.
Jackie Chan is a martial artist, actor, film director, screenwriter and singer and is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing and innovative stunts in his films, which he performs himself. Rumble in the Bronx, Shanghai Noon and Rush Hour are some of his popular Hollywood films. He has a widespread following in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres.
Actor and comedian, Eddie Murphy, is one of the highest-grossing actors in the United States. Beginning his career as a comedian on the TV show Saturday Night Live, he went on to become a bankable movie actor. Also a singer, he has released many studio albums. He has been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Comedy films like This is 40, The 40-year-old virgin, Wanderlust and The object of my affection made Paul Rudd a bona fide comic actor. He has also acted in some serious films like The cider house rules and The great Gatsby and has been part of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s popular Ant-Man franchise and the highest-grossing film of all time Avengers: Endgame.
Actor, director, and comedian, James Franco, has been active in the entertainment industry for over two decades. He was studious as a child and wanted to become a marine biologist. However, fate had other plans and he became an actor instead. In addition to acting, he teaches film classes at many universities, including New York University.
Dubbed the King of Cool, Steve McQueen was an American actor known for his antihero persona. He was one of the most bankable stars during the 1960s and 1970s. Renowned for performing many of his own stunts, McQueen remains a popular star. In the 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Steve McQueen was played by Damian Lewis.
One of the most popular actors of classical Hollywood cinema, Spencer Tracy was known for his versatility, which helped him win two successive Oscars for Best Actor. In 1999, he was ranked the ninth greatest male star of Hollywood's Golden Age by the American Film Institute. Tracy is widely regarded as one of the finest actors of the 20th century.
William Holden is best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in Stalag 17 and his Emmy-winning role in the TV film The Blue Knight. He also appeared in the films Sunset Boulevard and The Bridge on the River Kwai, and on Lux Radio Theatre. He was also a wildlife conservationist.
Michael Fassbender is a critically-acclaimed Irish-German actor best known for playing a sex addict in the psychological erotic drama film Shame. Apart from being an actor, Michael is also a well-known racing driver; he started his auto racing career in 2017 and currently races for Proton Competition in the European Le Mans Series.
Charles Hunnam is an English actor. Some of his well-known works on television are the drama Queer as Folk, comedy series Undeclared and drama series Sons of Anarchy. His notable films are Nicholas Nickleby, Green Street, Pacific Rim, The Lost City of Z, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Crimson Peak and The Gentlemen. He is also a screenplay writer.
In 2018, Jim Parsons was named by Forbes as the world's highest-paid TV actor. His role as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory has played a major role in determining his success as a TV actor. Apart from making him rich, the series was also responsible for earning him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A celebrated son of Scotland, David Tennant is best known for his lead role in the BBC series, Doctor Who, from 2005-10. The show made him a household name and a sex symbol. His career continues to flourish with lead roles in films and television. He’s also a prolific theater actor having played Shakespearean characters like Hamlet and Richard II.
Canadian actor, Hayden Christensen, is best known for his role of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. However, many critics panned his acting in both the films. Shattered Glass, Awake, Jumper, Outcast, First Kill and The Last Man are some of his other notable films.
Canadian actor, William Shatner, is best known for his roles in the television series Boston Legal, a legal drama for which he won two Emmy Awards and Star Trek, a science fiction adventure. He has also worked in many other sitcoms and films and has authored a number of science fiction novels. He is a singer and a spoken-word artist too.
David Harbour is a successful actor popular for playing important roles in superhero films, such as Suicide Squad and Hellboy. Despite struggling with bipolar disorder and alcohol addiction in his 20s, David Harbour fought against all odds to become a well-established actor in the American film industry.
Actor and model Scott Eastwood is the son of veteran actor Clint Eastwood and was introduced to the show business when he was a young man. He began his career under the name “Scott Reeves” in order to avoid charges of nepotism. After establishing himself as an actor, he ventured into production as well.
Tim Curry, who idolized the Rolling Stones and the Beatles as a teenager, went on to become an actor and singer. He serves as an inspiration to many as he continues to contribute to the film and TV industry even after suffering a major stroke, which has left him wheelchair-bound since 2012.
Sean Bean is an English actor known for his Yorkshire accent. Often described as surprisingly shy and a man of few words, Sean Bean is a down to earth person. Since he often portrays villainous characters that are killed violently, Sean has gained notoriety on the internet and is a subject of many internet memes.
Canadian actor Seth Rogen established himself as a bankable and popular comic actor when he starred in Hollywood films Knocked Up in 2007 and Funny People in 2009. His other notable films are Steve Jobs, The Interview, Like Father, Long Shot and An American Pickle. He is active in raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease and is an open marijuana user.
Best known for playing the iconic character of Sonny Corleone in the movie, The Godfather, James Caan is a practising martial artist, apart from being an actor and director. He has trained under Japanese-American master of karate, Takayuki Kubota, for almost 30 years. For his contributions to arts, he was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
American actor Matthew Broderick has starred in more than 50 films since the 1980s and has also acted in several television shows and theater production. Some of his notable films are War Games, The Cable Guy, Godzilla, The Producers, Finding Amanda and Manchester by the Sea. He was involved in a car crash in 1987 in which two persons were killed.
Adrien Brody is best known for his Academy Award-winning performance as Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman in The Pianist. He also invited controversy for kissing Halle Berry on stage. Fans loved him in the Wes Anderson films The Darjeeling Limited and The Grand Budapest Hotel, and the series Peaky Blinders.
Award winning stage, films and television actor and singer, Jonathan Groff gained recognition by featuring in Broadway production Spring Awakening. He further cemented his success by working in Netflix drama Mindhunter, Broadway production Hamilton and Frozen film series. He has been recognised for his work for LGBTQ community as well.
Asa Butterfield is best known for his BIFA-nominated role of Bruno in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which he performed at age 11. He also amazed audiences with his performance as Hugo Cabret in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. He makes music and has also participated in Nintendo world championships.
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian-American actor who came into prominence after playing Malcolm Reynolds in the TV series Firefly. His popularity and style prompted public artist, Martin Firrell, to choose Fillion as his subject for two works of public art. Fillion is also credited with co-founding a non-profit organization, Kids Need to Read, along with author PJ Haarsma.
Luke Evans is one of the most successful and popular actors from Wales. Also a decent singer, he released his debut studio album, At Last, in 2019; he studied music under the tutelage of an established singing coach named Louise Ryan. Since he is openly gay, Luke Evans serves as an inspiration to the gay community around the world.
Robbie Coltrane is a Scottish actor, writer, and comedian best known for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the popular Harry Potter movie series. Coltrane has also played important roles in other popular movies like GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. Over the years, Robbie Coltrane has won several prestigious awards, such as the British Academy Television Awards.
James Garner was an American actor and producer. He is credited with mentoring fellow actor and producer Tom Selleck. He is also credited with helping celebrities like Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood establish themselves in the film industry. He was also an avid golfer and racing enthusiast; he owned the American International Racers racing team for a couple of years.
Ron Perlman went on to become a successful actor and voice actor despite suffering from low self-image during his formative years. Apart from being active as an actor, Ron Perlman is also actively involved in the political affairs of the United States. His criticisms directed towards President Donald Trump have inspired a series of internet memes.
The oldest of the popular Roberts siblings, Eric Roberts is an acclaimed American actor. In a career spanning more than four decades, Eric Roberts has gathered more than 596 credits, one of few actors to do so since the 1970s. Eric Roberts has been on the wrong side of the law on a couple of occasions for possession of drugs.
Martin Lawrence is a German born-American actor and comedian. Despite being traumatized after witnessing his parents' divorce at the age of eight, Lawrence went on to succeed as a comedian and later as a leading Hollywood actor. After a problematic 1990s, which included episodes of arrests, lawsuits, and health problems, he bounced back with several hit films.
One of the most acclaimed and celebrated American filmmakers of all time, Warren Beatty has received 15 Oscar nominations as actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He has also been involved in politics as a supporter of the Democratic Party; he played an important role in organizing fundraising for George McGovern's presidential campaign. He is also known for his Casanova image.
One of the most talented Irish film actors of all time, Brendan Gleeson gained international attention after playing Alastor Moody in the Harry Potter movie series. He was ranked 18th in The Irish Times' Ireland's greatest film actors list in 2020. Brendan Gleeson is also credited with inspiring his sons Domhnall and Brian Gleeson to become actors.
Born into a family of film personalities, Cole Hauser decided to drop out of school at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in acting - it turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life as he went on to become a popular actor.
Rick Moranis is one of the most popular Canadian artists to make it big in the American film industry. Best known for playing father characters in children's films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Rick proved to be a great father off-screen as he took a long break from his career to take care of his children, after the death of his wife.