Actors worth following, part 3
This list continues from part 2.
Robert Downey, Jr.
Downey nabbed 2 roles which have kept him in business for many years — Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes. But he continues to make other movies as well, including the recent brilliant one The Judge.
- Masterpieces
- Chaplin
- The Judge
- Tropic Thunder
- Great movies
- The Avengers
- Captain America: Civil War
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 3
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
- Sherlock Holmes
- Good movies
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Iron Man 2
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Tom Hanks
Hanks starred in the TV show Bosom Buddies but quickly made his mark as a movie star. He directed That Thing You Do! and Larry Crowne. His son Colin is also an actor. Hanks has made more masterpieces than anyone on the list so far, even beating Matt Damon.
- Masterpieces
- Apollo 13
- Catch Me If You Can
- Forrest Gump
- The Green Mile
- A League of Their Own
- Saving Mr. Banks
- The Terminal
- Toy Story
- Toy Story 2
- Great movies
- Angels & Demons
- Big
- Bridge of Spies
- Cast Away
- Charlie Wilson’s War
- Cloud Atlas
- The Da Vinci Code
- Larry Crowne
- Toy Story 3
- You’ve Got Mail
Ed Harris
Harris has played a wide variety of roles, from Beethoven to an army general to the producer of a reality TV show. He’s also directed 2 movies, Pollock and Appaloosa.
- Masterpieces
- Apollo 13
- The Rock
- The Truman Show
- The Way Back
- Great movies
- The Abyss
- Appaloosa
- A History of Violence
- That’s What I Am
- Good movie
- Copying Beethoven
Anthony Hopkins
Hopkins typically plays calm, intelligent characters. He has also directed 3 movies.
- Masterpiece
- The Remains of the Day
- Great movies
- A Bridge Too Far
- The Elephant Man
- Hearts in Atlantis
- Instinct
- Legends of the Fall
- The Lion in Winter
- Red 2
- Thor: The Dark World
- Good movies
- The Human Stain
- The Mask of Zorro
- Thor
Scarlett Johansson
Johansson has become an action star lately, but she also excels in quirky movies.
- Masterpieces
- Her
- A Love Song for Bobby Long
- The Prestige
- Great movies
- The Avengers
- Captain America: Civil War
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Don Jon
- Ghost World
- Lost in Translation
- We Bought a Zoo
- Good movies
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Iron Man 2
- Mediocre movies
- The Island
- Lucy
- Bad movie
- Under the Skin
Tommy Lee Jones
I likely first encountered Jones in The Fugitive, so I’ve always seen him as a cranky old guy — but he’s a brilliant cranky old guy.
- Masterpieces
- The Fugitive
- Great movies
- The Company Men
- In the Valley of Elah
- Men in Black
- The Missing
- U.S. Marshals
- Good movies
- Batman Forever
- Men in Black 3
- Space Cowboys
- Mediocre movie
- Men in Black II
Michael Keaton
Keaton was brilliant as Beetlejuice and Batman. He was also amazing in Birdman as an actor who used to star as a superhero.
- Great movies
- Beetlejuice
- Birdman
- Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
- Good movies
- Batman
- The Dream Team
- Not-so-great movie
- Batman Returns
Keira Knightley
Unless it’s a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, if you’re watching Knightley then you’re watching a good movie — probably a great one.
- Masterpieces
- Atonement
- Pride and Prejudice (2005)
- Great movies
- Begin Again
- Bend It Like Beckham
- Laggies
- Never Let Me Go
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
- Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
- Good movies
- Domino
- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
- Mediocre movie
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
- Bad movie
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Chloƫ Grace Moretz
Moretz will grab you whether her part is large or small. She’s particularly compelling in the superlative vampire movie Let Me In.
- Brilliant but disturbing
- Let Me In
- Great movies
- The Equalizer
- Hugo
- Laggies
- Good movie
- Clouds of Sils Maria
- Mediocre movies
- Dark Shadows
- If I Stay
- Kick-Ass
Ellen Page
Page burst on the scene in the hilarious Juno and has been worth watching ever since.
- Masterpieces
- Inception
- Juno
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
- Great movies
- The East
- Love That Boy
- Whip It
- Bad movie
- X-Men: The Last Stand