Best Actors of the 2010s
10. Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan is a young, Irish actress who has proven herself to be more than capable of being a dramatic leading lady. She broke out onto the silver screen with her role as the precocious teenager in Atonement, for which she was nominated the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the startling age of 13. Delivering an impressive collection of complex, unique and empowering characters throughout the course of her acting career, she deservingly garnered much praise on account of her roles in Lady Bird, Brooklyn and Little Women. All of the aforementioned movies have earned Ronan four Academy Award nominations which is remarkable considering the actress is only in her mid-twenties.
9. Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie’s acting career catapulted into the spotlight ever since her breakthrough role in Martin Scorsese's commendable film; The Wolf of Wall Street. Originally from Australia, the young actress was solely known for her small role in the Australian Soap Opera Home and Away, yet is now one of the most sought after stars in Hollywood. In the 2017 biopic I Tonya, Robbie portrayed Tonya Harding, a struggling and foul mouthed ice skater trying to rise amongst the ranks. This ultimately led to Robbie’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Follow up movies such as Mary Queen of Scotts and Bombshell led to further praise, the latter of which earned Robbie another Oscar nomination. Her less acclaimed films such as Suicide Squad regardless became a box office hit, with Robbie shining through with her striking portrayal of the DC comic’s Harley Quinn.
8. Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper started off his acting career by exclusively taking on roles where he portrays the typical douchebag in mediocre rom-coms. Yet following the success of the The Hangover trilogy, Cooper went on to truly display his potential of being a dramatic lead actor in 2012’s Silver Lining’s Playbook, co-starring Jennifer Lawrence. Since then, he has delivered a multitude of critically acclaimed performances, earning him four acting Academy Award nominations. In 2014's biopic American Sniper, Cooper received further recognition for his dramatic physical transformation and elevated portrayal of the late SEAL sniper, Chris Kyle. Yet Cooper's most notable film to date must be the sensational A Star is Born, which he wrote, directed, produced and starred alongside an equally talented Lady Gaga.
7. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico City, but raised in her father’s native Kenya. Establishing herself as one of the most talented actresses of our time, she won an Academy Award for her outstanding performance in the 2014 Best Picture winner, 12 Years a Slave. This was in fact her first feature film. Although it was only a supporting role, Nyong’o commanded every scene she was in with a powerful intensity. Even the most indifferent individuals could feel the strength of her emotions emanating from her performance. Ever since, Nyong’o displayed consistent versatility in her roles, demonstrating herself as a potent action star in the MCU superhero film, Black Panther. Recently starring in Jordan Peele’s uncanny horror/thriller Us, Nyong’o garnered further acclaim for her electrifying performance.
6. Mathew McConaughey
Mathew McConaughey started off the decade often dismissed as the handsome male lead in rom-coms such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch, the Wedding Planner etc. Nevertheless, ever since 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer, the so-called ‘McConaissance’ of the 2010’s commenced. Earning roles of notable range in the likes of Magic Mike, Interstellar, The Gentleman and by no means forgetting his Oscar winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club where he portrays a rodeo cowboy diagnosed with AIDs, losing a startling amount of weight to better portray the real life Ron Woodroof. He followed this up with an Emmy nominated performance in the drama series, True Detective. McConaugehy will in no doubt continue to grace us with his talented screen presence and all we can say to that is “alright, alright, alright”.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio
How could there be a list of Best Actors without including the astounding Leo DiCaprio? Breaking out onto our big screens as a young boy, Leo first captured the hearts of many around the world with his portrayal of an autistic boy alongside Johnny Depp in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? From then on, Dicaprio was thrust into the spotlight with career defining roles in the screen-adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the sensational box office smash that was his role as Jack Dawson in 1997’s Titanic. However, the 2010’s truly was DiCaprio’s decade with his highly applauded roles in Django Unchained, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and his Oscar Winning portrayal in The Revenant. Yet many believe that his most solid and captivating performance is demonstrated in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street where he plays the charismatic former Wall Street broker; Jordan Belfort.
4. Viola Davis
Undoubtedly one of the most inspiring actresses of our time, Viola Davis is the first African-American actress to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting'', having won an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Tony Awards. Starring as the lead actress in the drama series How to get away with murder, Viola Davis displayed her sublime acting capabilities and incredible versatility. Winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her flawless portrayal in Fences, Viola consistently delivered admirable performances in all of her feature films, most notably demonstrated in her breakout movie; The Help. Moreover, Davis is a two time winner of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, further proving her exceptional range and ability to cover all fronts in film, television and theatre.
3. Joaquin Phoenix
Following in the footsteps of his late brother River Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix became one of the most commended actors of his generation. Starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 The Master, Phoenix portrays an alcoholic war-veteran struggling to adjust to post-war society. Phoenix’s performance was widely acclaimed, openly lauded by acting powerhouse; Daniel Day-Lewis. The film roles that ensued garnered Phoenix additional praise, such as the movie Her where he excelled at playing a secluded man that falls in love with an A.I virtual assistant personified by a female voice. Yet no one was prepared for his nothing short of dumbfounding performance in Todd Phillips's neo-noir psychological thriller; Joker. The movie was a box-office smash, becoming the first R-rated film to gross over $1 billion. His portrayal of the iconic DC Comics villain received widespread acclaim and subsequently led to him finally earning the well-deserved Academy Award for Best Actor.
Known for both her comedic and dramatic performances, this American actress often flies under the radar, even while turning in some of the best performances of the decade. Adams has charmed us for two decades now, but the last ten years have been a master class in method acting. Her ability to ‘climb inside a character’ has helped audiences to easily relate to her roles that Adams brings to life on screen. She kicked off the decade with a Best Supporting Actress nomination for The Fighter. She was nominated twice in 2013 for her roles in The Master and American Hustle before landing yet another nod for Vice in 2018. Adams is a force of acting that has not been given enough recognition. She is one of Hollywood’s most sought after leading ladies and is yet to win her overdue Academy Award. Although judging by this phenomenal actress’ filmography, it is unquestionably a forthcoming event.
1. Christian Bale
Christian Bale is one of the most revered actors of the 21st century. A Wales born actor, Bale has an exceptional manner of never breaking character and allowing his very evident Cockney accent to come through. One aspect that practically defines the actor is the way he drastically transforms his body for specific roles. This is most evidently demonstrated in 2004’s The Machinist. For this role, Bale portrayed a man whose severe insomnia and psychological issues lead him into a downward spiral of paranoia and delusion. The actor shed 62 pounds and displayed an authentic emaciated figure, earning him critical praise for not only his physical appearance, but likewise his staggering performance. In 2011, Bale took on the role of playing the boxer-turned-trainer; Dicky Eklund in The Fighter.
The actor was universally commended for his performance which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a long overdue achievement.
Bale, recently slimming down once again for his role as a race car driver in Ford v Ferrari, is clearly showing no sign of stopping any time soon. For the past two decades, year after year, he has delivered countless jaw-dropping performances in the likes of American Hustle, Vice, The Big Short etc. He is one of the most committed actors in the industry and admirably takes his craft to the next level. Bale made use of his aptitude and extreme dedication to become one of the most accomplished actors (and by far the best Batman) today.
Honorable Mentions
Adam Driver
Mahershala Ali
Emma Stone
Scarlett Johansson
Regina King
Ryan Gosling
Jake Gyllenhal
Tom Hardy
Comments
Post a Comment