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Just to balance out the Actors You Can't Stand thread, which actors/actresses do you love to watch? I'll watch anything with Mark Strong, he's appeared in the odd questionable movie but usually nails every role.
Debbie Benton but only in that 1978 film
David Tennant, Dame Judie, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan. 🙂
Amy Adams
Mia Khalifa, she's also appeared in the odd questionable movie funnily enough!
Stephen graham
Leo de caprio
Jodie comer
All of the above so far. Emma Stone has been phenomenal in all the films I've seen her in too
Alan Tudyk.
Mark Sheppard.
Eliza Dushku, for entirely different reasons.
Kevin Spacey.
christoph waltz. xavier bardem. christopher walken. madds mikkleson. eva green.
Almost everyone who has ever been in a Wes Anderson movie 🙂
Samantha Morton
Stephen Graham
Paddy Considine
Some actors who seem to play great characters
Mark Rylance
Toby Jones
Stellan Skarsgård
A pre NRA Charlton Heston. Paul Newman.
Tom Hanks
Matthew McConaughey
Keely Hawes
Toby Jones
Jason Watkins
I have to admit to being a Denzel Washington fan. OK he plays a similar tough guy role in pretty much all of his films, but I'm a man of simple movie tastes.
Lassie
Kevin Spacey
Agree, despite feeling uncomfortable about him being a wrong un, he's a brilliant actor
Rami Malek, though not in his recent Bond foray
Joaquin Phoenix
Lassie
Which one?
Jason Statham.
Margot Robbie.
Brendan Gleeson.
For different reasons, but all amazing at their jobs.
The one that had baws
Eva Green and possibly a wee bit more Eva Green. Not just because she is pleasing to the eye.
Also Gary Oldman, not quite as pleasing to the eye for my taste but very good imo.
I miss Alan Rickman, such a great voice.
Christopher Walken - even makes that cruddy Outlaws comedy watchable 😊
Colin Farrell
Niamh Algar
Lupita Nyong’o
Florence Pugh
de Niro obvs
loads
I have to admit to being a Denzel Washington fan. OK he plays a similar tough guy role in pretty much all of his films, but I’m a man of simple movie tastes.
I can certainly say I've never seen a Denzel Washington film I didn't enjoy. Same goes for George Clooney.
I'm currently enjoying watching Gabrielle Creevy in In My Skin. She is absolutely phenomenal.
Can't believe I forgot to say Charlize Theron. Possibly the finest of the fine, she just seems to inhabit each role and looks / behaves completely differently. A true chameleon
Rhys Ifans
Brendon Gleeson
Donald Sutherland.
I’ll agree with some of the suggestions above. Denzel Washington, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, Christoph Waltz.
I do like Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, & Ryan Gosling too. Special mention for Ethan Hawke.
Michael Sheen, although that christmas on a time travelling train thing I have recently seen advertised might change my opinion.
Stephen Graham is a good shout. Tom Hardy also for me.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Rickman, both sadly cut from any further scenes.
Jackie Chan
Jeff Bridges
Keanu Reeves
Karen Gillan
Gary Oldman
Regina King
Woody Harrelson
Sigourney Weaver
Bryce Dallas Howard
Second for Keanu Reeves, mainly because he comes across as a thoroughly decent guy (from what I've read).
The rock, Kevin heart and what's his face from Deadpool.
You know it'll be shite but it will be entertaining good shite.
I like Keanu as a person and he's made some great films, but he's also some some terrible acting. Dracula, anyone?
Bob Odenkirk
Clint
Michelle Pfeiffer
Stephen Graham
Steve Coogan (really)
Michael Sheen
Bryan Cranston, Hal to Walter White!
Kaley Cuoco, love her comic timing.
Nicholas Cage
j law
anna kendrick
IHN Try Man on Fire, my favourite Denzil Washington film. I think its his best.
Loads already mentioned but also...
Jean Reno
Ron Perlman
Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton is always good. Karl Urban pretty much always worth watching, except in Star Trek.
And David Strathairn- partly because he's brilliant and partly because of how stealthy he is, if you look through his filmography it is non stop "Oh he was in that?". And partly because of how spectacular he is in the Expanse.
Rewatching Sopranos atm
Gandolfini had such presence, whether he's raging or just sitting silently
Daniel Radcliffe
Sarah snook
Jessica chastain
Great list already.
IHN Try Man on Fire, my favourite Denzil Washington film. I think its his best.
Seen it, enjoyed it.
Rewatching Sopranos atm
Gandolfini had such presence, whether he’s raging or just sitting silently
Yep, brilliant.
To try and do something for the gender balance on this thread:
Edie Falco
Olivia Coleman
Keira Knightley
j law
+1
She's been a bit quiet lately though, or was in films I wasn't prepared to watch (like Mother!)
And I know this is a bizarre and unlikely claim-to-fame, but I believe I was the first journo to use that nickname for her. It probably had multiple points of origin, but I made it up when freelancing for a very well known showbiz news website.
Nicholas Cage
The only actor who can legitimately go in both threads?
Philip Seymour Hoffman +1
Mesmerising, even made one of the Mission Impossible sequels worth watching.
Of the 'A' list, I enjoy most films with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and diCaprio. They all know what roles suit their styles.
And I know this is a bizarre and unlikely claim-to-fame, but I believe I was the first journo to use that nickname for her. It probably had multiple points of origin, but I made it up when freelancing for a very well known showbiz news website.
J-Law for me is a talented scramble-bike rider, hampered by being somewhat of a dick. 🙂
https://www.readmeta.com/blog/2018/3/6/ill-advised
The one you're on about seems a fantastic, fun and very real person despite her fame. 😉
Gandolfini had such presence, whether he’s raging or just sitting silently
His scene with Patricia Arquette (another one, always brilliant) in True Romance is an absolute classic.
J-Law for me is a talented scramble-bike rider
I thought it referred to Jude Law, and had been submitted to the wrong thread.
Gary Oldman
John Brolin
Brad Pitt since Seven
Leo DiCaprio in recent years.
Robert Deniro in the 90s.
Morgan Freeman
Emily Blunt
Tommy Lee Jones
Viggo Mortensen
Denzel Washington
Harrison Ford in the 70s/80s/90s ish
Samuel L Jackson - only in a supporting role.
Meryl Streep
Dwayne Johnson
Always Dwayne the Rock Johnson - he can make mediocre films worth watching.
Jason Bateman for me 
Donald Sutherland
Yeah, good shout. I especially loved him in Backdraft.
I also like Brad Pitt – I think he gets a bit of a raw deal at times because he can be seen just as a 'pretty boy' but 12 Monkeys, Burn After Reading, Seven, Snatch...
I also like Brad Pitt – I think he gets a bit of a raw deal at times because he can be seen just as a ‘pretty boy’ but 12 Monkeys, Burn After Reading, Seven, Snatch…
He's a proper movie star.
Whatever you think of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he was bloody great in it.
When I got Netflix I just sat down and watched everything with Dwayne Johnston in. It's not a badge of quality but every single one was enjoyable to watch, and there were some real randoms like Faster. Even Rampage sucked less than it ought to have sucked. He's an excellent sign of mild goodness.
Arthur Lowe (seriously) - a master of his craft!
Gene Hackman is brilliant
Matt Berry.
Hilarious (to me) in whatever he is in. Pretty much plays the same character, just in a different costume. (IT Crowd / What We Do In The Shadows in iPLayer.)
This cracks me up:
Matthew McConaughey - maybe a bit of a man crush. He just makes moving and talking look smooth and easy.
Ben Mendelsohn
Tom Hollander
Ben Kingsley
Bill Murry
Richard Griffiths, Jet Li (Love the film Hero), Michelle Yeoh, Laurence Fishburne, James Spader just for his character Red Reddington.
I've only seen him in one move but Ansel Elgort in Baby Driver but, he played a great part as Baby, and as a billy bonus he kills Jamie Fox in it.
Steve McQueen, cool as. Also, Edward Norton and John Cusack (has anyone ever seen them in the same room together?)
Topically, I'd like to add Alec Baldwin.
Just watching 30 Rock at the moment and he is sublime in that. The scene where Tracy is in therapy in particular.
Michelle Yeoh
And Ellen Barkin.
Ben Kingsley. Amazing range as an actor and can do almost anything from psycho to comedy. He was awesome in Sexy Beast.
Sigourney Weaver too. Liked her since I first watched Alien and she was not terrible in Avatar.
I'll throw in a +1 for Bill Murray. Stripes is still one of my favourite films and Caddyshack always makes me laugh.
Can’t believe I forgot to say Charlize Theron. Possibly the finest of the fine, she just seems to inhabit each role and looks / behaves completely differently. A true chameleon
Cate Blanchett for exactly the same reason
Juliette Binoche
Stephen Grahame
Denzel Washington
Gene Hackman
Al Pacino
Steve Buscemi
Tim Roth
Gary Oldman
Paul Giamatti
Ryan Gosling
Josh Brolin
Ethan Hawke
Jason Robards
Henry Fonda
Jack Lemmon
Harvey Keitel
William H Macy
Stephen Dillane (v underrated imho and not in nearly enough stuff for my liking)
My favourite young actor atm is Anya Taylor Joy. I think she will last.
As for the older variety, too many to mention. But I'm a fan of a period drama.
...Sam Rockwell
Adam Driver
Jessie Buckley
Amy Adams...
My favourite young actor atm is Anya Taylor Joy. I think she will last.
Excellent choice. The VVitch is one of my favourite films and she's amazing in that.
Dennis Hopper
Lola Dueñas
Penélope Cruz
Sissy Spacek
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Morena Baccarin
Zhang Ziyi
Some great actors already mentioned. I’m a fan of Joe Gilgun aswell. Really funny in Brassics and a great performance in the infiltrator.
Christopher Eccleston and Laura Linney.