Top 10 Greatest Actors of All Time

Or at least Mr. Hand's favorites.

Number 10
Brad Pitt

He's one of those actors who's grown on me in the past few years. Very good actor who I think should play more funny characters, provided he's given a script of the caliber of the Coen Brothers (ie Burn After Reading).

My Favorite Films: Se7en, Fight Club, Ocean's Trilogy, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Burn After Reading, Inglourious Basterds














Number 9
Robin Williams

One of the funniest people alive on this earth. He has a mind that moves at the speed of light. While some of his comedies aren't that funny, most, if not all, of his dramatic roles are superb. Great comedian as well as dramatic actor.

My Favorite Films: Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poet's Society, Awakenings, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage, Good Will Hunting, Insomnia, One Hour Photo













Number 8
Denzel Washington

What can I say? He's a true badass. One of the best actors of today and look no further than Training Day for good entertainment.

My Favorite Films: Glory, Malcolm X, Remember the Titans, Training Day, John Q, American Gangster, The Book of Eli











Number 7
Johnny Depp

One of my favorite actors of today. I can't wait to see the characters that he plays and how he plays them. Studied guys like Brando and it really shows. One of the best actors who's never won an Oscar, although he really deserves one.

My Favorite Films: Edward Scissorhands, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Blow, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Pirates Trilogy, Secret Window, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street













Number 6
Heath Ledger

A great talent gone far too soon. Only with his latest films Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight did we get a chance to see him truly shine and give his two best performances (in my opinion). It could have only gotten better from there but at least he left us with a great catalog to look back on.

My Favorite Films: 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, Monster's Ball, A Knight's Tale, Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight












Number 5
Gary Oldman

The villain. Gary Oldman plays bad guys like he was born to do it. Another of the finest actors working today and I can't wait to see what he does next.

My Favorite Films: Bram Stoker's Dracula, Leon, The Fifth Element, Hannibal, Harry Potter Films, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Book of Eli

Number 4
Anthony Hopkins

Regarded by some as the greatest living actor, Anthony Hopkins has portrayed the most memorable onscreen villain in movie history(only to be rivaled with Heath Ledger's Joker). The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest films ever and most of that greatness can be attributed to him.

My Favorite Films: The Silence of the Lambs, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mission: Impossible 2, The Grinch, Hannibal, Hearts in Atlantis, Red Dragon














Number 3
Jack Nicholson

He may be a 72 year-old playboy who wears sunglasses indoors but no one can deny Jack Nicholson's legendary status in films. A great actor with an extensive career and multiple Oscars to show it. Dude is nuts but that's why we love him.

My Favorite Films: Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, Batman, As Good As It Gets, About Schmidt, Something's Gotta Give, The Departed













Number 2
Daniel Day-Lewis

The best actor alive today, in my opinion. Daniel Day-Lewis is one of those rare method actors who selects his roles carefully and turns them into some of the most memorable characters ever on screen. It's rumored that he stays in character on the set between scenes and I don't doubt it. This man is truly committed to every performance and he has two Oscars to prove it. Best characters are Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York and Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood.

My Favorite Films: My Left Foot, The Last of the Mohicans, The Age of Innocence, Gangs of New York, There Will Be Blood















Number 1
Marlon Brando

The man. According to Jack Nicholson, "We are all Brando's children" and "When Brando dies, everyone else moves up one." Marlon Brando is the greatest actor of all time because he changed acting and influenced countless actors that came after him. In a time when overacting was king, Brando stepped in and brought "method' acting to the forefront. He showed truer and rawer emotions than any actor before him. He had a bizarre private life and was a bizarre person, but that only catapults his image as a star even higher. He was known for not caring much about acting as a craft and only really saw it as a job. This frustrated some and made others idolize him even more. He won two academy awards in his life; one for On the Waterfront and the other for the greatest film ever made, the Godfather. Marlon Brando refused to accept the latter and used the first Oscar he won as a doorstop. That just says awesome to me. Passed away in 2004 but his memory lives on in the classic films he left behind.

My Favorite Films: A Streetcar Named Desire, The Wild One, On the Waterfront, Guys and Dolls, The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris, Apocalypse Now, The Score