As we watch films and television, over time we get to have particular actors that we like (and dislike). The following are a few of my personal favourites, and why I think they’re good.

 Peter Cushing was a British actor who starred in over 100 films. He was best known for his work in horror films for production companies such as Hammer and Amicus, and to younger people for his role in “Star Wars; A New Hope”. Cushing, despite appearing in many movies that would not be considered high quality, was himself a brilliant actor in my opinion. He was completely dedicated to his work and I have never seen him put in a poor performance, irrespective of the quality of the film. He was a master at the art of delivering lines with sincerity and conviction, so whatever nonsense he might have to say (depending on the movie) the viewer is absolutely convinced by his conviction. In “The Curse of Frankenstein” he has a conversation with a friend which I have quoted from below. The character is bewildered that anyone should have any issue with his dubious activities.  Cushing is convincing and so convinces the audience of Frankenstein’s sociopathic nature.

But what am I doing? I’m harming nobody. Just robbing a few graves. What doctor or scientist doesn’t? How else can we learn the complexities of the human animal?

                                The Curse of Frankenstein

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor best known for his collaboration with the great director Akira Kurosawa. His roles included his unnamed ronin character from Yojimbo and Sanjuro, a bandit in “Rashomon”, a king in “Throne of Blood” (based on “King Lear”) and a yakuza mobster. Kurosawa said he had a great screen presence and could convey emotion more deeply and rapidly than most other actors he knew. While I haven’t seen all of Mifune’s films, his presence and ability to convey emotion without words has always struck me the most. There is a scene in “Yojimbo” where an old innkeeper is ranting about the terrible state of the village and the behaviour of the two feuding families, while Mifune’s character sits at a table and eats. He says nothing, but just in the way he watched the other man out of the corner of his eye conveys very clearly his amusement of the old man’s diatribe as well as a growing interest on how he can turn this to his advantage. He’s just eating, and yet, you know what is going through his mind as clearly as if there were thought bubbles above his head.

Robin Williams began his career in stand-up comedy before entering television and eventually movies. His initial movies were comedies, and he was a superb comedian with an impressive ability to improvise on the spot. However, when he started to be cast in serious films the world discovered that he was just as capable in dramatic roles as comedy. His versatility as an actor was incredible.  From his incredible voice work in Aladdin:

Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!

to the passion and inspiration of “Dead Poets Society”:

We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race,.  

Williams showed the world the whole span of humanity in his movies.

Joan Hickson was an English actress who had a career on stage, film and television. While she had many varied roles, my appreciation of her stems from her portrayal of Miss Marple in BBCs twelve television movies from the mid eighties to early nineties. There has never been another actor that epitomised this role so completely. If a character could step out of a novel into the real world, Miss Marple would look like Joan Hickson. One of my favourite aspects of her performance, and one I could not entirely put my finger on, is they way the character would be just chatting and then she would notice something that was out of the ordinary, and it showed in her eyes. I could not ever pin down what she was doing with her face to make that happen – you might almost say it was a micro-expression. But you always knew the moment, when she stopped being the elderly lady and became the detective. It was a performance for the ages.

Quilters are rarely involved in this many murders.  I think it’s the knitting that does it.

                                                                                A Murder is Announced.

Jack Lemmon was another actor who excelled in both drama and comedy. He was a multi-award winning actor of stage, screen and television. The Billy Wilder directed film “Some Like it Hot” was one of Lemmon’s earlier successes, He was nominated for an Oscar and the film was nominated in 11 categories overall, winning five. He had mostly done comedy and was being labelled as a ‘comedic’ actor, but when he appeared in “Days of Wine and Roses” (for which he was again nominated for an Oscar) he proved his abilities in dramatic roles. He has appeared in so many famous films. He was nominated for an Oscar eight times, winning for “Save the Tiger” and “Mr Roberts”. What I have always liked in Lemmon is a level of genuineness in his performances, a truth in the emotions being conveyed. In “The China Syndrome”, for example, his performance as the doomed nuclear plant supervisor was astonishing – you could see the cracks as he confronts the dishonesty of the government, and, at the end, when he realises they have generated a fault just to make him look like a crazy saboteur. You watch Jack Lemmon, and you believe him.

So here are just a few actors I particularly like. Maybe I’ll do another list with living actors. I would love to hear any thoughts on who are your favourite actors, and why? Please let me know in the comments.