Favorites list- Top 5 actors

Let me start of my Favorists list for the top 5 movie actors and I think this is easy list for me. Also, I don't think anybody is likely to disagree with this list at all, especially as I am going to point out that this list is no particular order.

My top 5 actors are-
1) Russell Crowe
2) Jack Nicholson
3) Anthony Hopkins
4) Shah Rukh Khan
5) Amitabh Bachchhan

Even as I was writing this list down, I realized that we have one North American, one European, one Australian and two Indians in this list- very global and completely unintentional I may add. I just wanted to write down the five actors whose movies I would go and watch, five actors who excel in their craft, five who have given me enormous joy through their performances over the years, five who have played a diverse range of roles and excelled at each of them.

Lets start off with Russell Crowe who wears his temper on his sleeve and his latest throwing of the telephone incident notwithstanding, he remains one of the my favorite actors in Hollywood. You really need to watch three movies to come to that conclusion- A Beautiful Mind (one of the finest performances you are ever going to watch), Gladiator and now, Cinderella Man. In A Beautiful Mind, he plays a young John Nash battling with mathematical puzzles and schizophrenia with as much intensity as he plays the older John Nash slowly coming to grips with a fractured existence that makes him hurt people even when he doesnt intend to. It is a very moving performance. His performance as Jim Brodock, a resilient boxer literally fighting against bankruptcy at the time of The Great Depression is another outstanding portrayal that does deserve but will not get him an Oscar. Ironically, the movie for which he actually got an Oscar, Galdiator, is the least favorite of my three performances. He is more unidimensional in that movie than in the roles of John Nash and Jim Braddock wherein he brings together an amazing range of emotions to the forefront with a genuineness and authenticity that is truly remarkable. Unfortunately, his off-screen temper will continue to tarnish his image, but as far as acting ability goes, this guy is as good as anyone I've seen.

Jack Nicholson- the first movie I watched of his was A Few Good Men, where he had a very small role but his presense was remarkable and his imprint on the movie indelible. It was supposed to be a Tom Cruise, Demi Moore movie to begin with, but the performance you are likely to remember is that of Nicholson- cool, assured, full of confidence and very commanding. I was so taken in I have seen A Few Good Men several times since and am always amazed at the power he packed into a small, but very important role. Then, I watched As Good as It Gets. Here, he shows a sensitive side to himself- his sense of timing, his humor, his incredible sense of getting under the skin of the character he is playing again comes through. I do think this was Helen Hunt's best movie and Greg Kinnear was phenomenal but it was Jack's show at the end of the day. I have since tried to see his earlier movies too and was very impressed with One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. You really can't go wrong with him in a movie.

Anthony Hopkins- I know he is most famous for his role as Hannibal Lector in different movies and I have enjoyed him immensely in that role, but my favorite remains his role of Charles Morse in The Edge. Here, he plays a billionaire, whose plane crashes, he is stranded in the middle of a forest with two of his friends- how they survive, what the entire experience teaches him about who his actual friends are- is a remarkable story and he plays it with a sensitivity and intensity as only he can. Also, enjoyed him The Mask of Zorro. Watch these movies if you haven't. You will not be disappointed.

My choice of Shah Rukh Khan may appear odd to some people. He is brash, and of late, has been increasingly obnoxious about his status as India's No. 1 star over the past decade. But what he represents is something more than just his acting ability. He grew up in a middle class family in Delhi, lost his parents very early in life, was a very good student- both at St. Columba's- one of Delhi's finest schools where he got the school's highest award, the Sword of Honor and at Hansraj where he studied Economics, married his sweetheart from school though she came from a different religion than he himself, came to Bombay to act with nothing but plenty of talent and confidence in himself and then made it big. For me, there is a lot to admire about his story. Remember this- in the early nineties, it was still very difficult to break into the Hindi film industry if you did not come from one of the big families. He was the quintessential middle class educated Indian- hardworking, committed, great self belief and ability to carve a niche for himself- and that is why I greatly admire him and from his anti-hero role in Baazigar to the more traditional ones in Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai to more meaningful ones like in Swades, he has proven that he is one of the most dependable names on the Box Office over the last decade. I just hope he continues to stay close to his 'roots' and does not lose his bearings. I watched him at a concert in Singapore, and found some of his comments condescending. If he continues in that vein, I may need to re-evaluate my assessment but till then, I shall continue to maintain he truly represents the very best that our country has to offer in terms of talent, grit, confidence, perseverence and self belief.

Amitabh Bachchhan- He has an unmatched, almost God-like status in the Bombay film industry- suffice it to say that in college, I once made a casual remark that Shah Rukh was a better actor than Bachchhan and I almost got lynched! Some people have believed ever since that my brain is not in the right place- hopefully I'm making some amends now and that is happening for a few reasons. First, I do think the Bachchhan that we are seeing right now, in older roles where he plays almost a stateman like figure is so much better to see than his earlier avatar in the seventies and eighties when he was pretty much typecast as an angry young man. For me, his finest performance has been in Black. He needs to do an English movie as Western audiences do need to see a better version of Sean Connery- I mean that a hundred percent! He is classy, suave, sophisticated, cultured, handsome and talented at the same time. From what he has shown to us recently, I do get the feeling that his best years may still be ahead of him and he is well into his sixties!

So thats my top 5. Who are some people who have narrowly missed this list? Denzel Washington and Leonardo di Caprio. Sometimes, I feel bad for Leonardo. His acting talent is obliterated by his good looks. Watch both The Aviator and The Man in the Iron Mask to really see what I am talking about. He was outstanding in both and didn't quite get the recognition he deserved. But he is young and I am sure he will recognized by the Award juries sooner rather than later.

Thats my first favorite list. Food for thought, huh?