The choice of an actor becomes a part of his or her legacy. While severalactors stick to a particular genreor a trope, some actors turn into a chameleon across styles and characters. The art of acting is the perfect canvas for exploring personalities distant from one’s lived experience, and several great actors have proven themselves capable of experimenting with different characters that contribute to their eclectic filmography.
Here are 10 actors whose acting choices make one curious about their methods.
10Christian Bale
Christian Baleisknown for his shape-shifting rolesacross genres. Bale got his break in Steven Spielberg’sEmpire of the Sunwhere he played a young prisoner of war in a Japanese Internment camp during World War II, which he played as a 13-year-old. It was his performance as the serial killer Patrick Bateman inAmerican Psychowhich made him famous as a leading actor.
Bale then starred as the psychologically disturbed Trevor, a machinist struggling with insomnia inThe Machinist, which proved the actor can do extreme roles involving a gruesome physical and emotional transformation. The role involved losing 62 pounds, and the actor continued to do several roles involving weight transformations. Bale landed the role of Batman in 2005 for theChristopher Nolan-directedBatman Beginsand starred in the superhero trilogy, which made him a globally recognized actor. In other notable works, Bale worked in biopics and played real-life characters inThe Big Short, Vice,andFord v Ferrari,whichmakes the actor known for his interesting choices.
Related:Best Christian Bale Movies, Ranked
9Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix’s filmography is an eclectic one. Each character isstarkly different from the other,and the actor pays close attention to exploring the unseen depths of the human psyche. Early in his career, he was known for his performance inTo Die Foras the smitten Jimmy, who assists Suzanne in killing her husband. It is clear that Phoenix was inclined towards sinister characters early on in his career.
Later, he received his first Academy Award nomination for playing the murderous and psychopathic Commodus inGladiator.He received his second nomination for playing Johny Cash in the biopicWalk The Line, andhe finally got his Oscar for playing the titular character inJoker.The actor is also known for his powerful performance as a cult member inThe Master and for playing himself in the mockumentaryI’m Still Here.However, it is the role of an introverted loner who falls in love with an artificially generated voice inHerthat keeps the actor’s work standing out for his range and depth of understanding of diverse characters.
8Tilda Swinton
Knownfor her esoteric choices,Tilda Swintonhas made her mark in all forms of filmmaking. Swinton’s filmography ranges fromexperimental art house filmslikeCaravaggioto playing the White Witch in the fantasy blockbuster filmThe Chronicles of Narniaandthe ancient one inDoctor Strangein the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Swinton was awarded the Volpi Cup forBest Actress for playing Queen IsabellainEdward II.
The actor plays a protective mother in the crime thrillerThe Deep End,for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and she won the Academy Award for playing the general counsel at U-North. She has also starred in several films by Wes Anderson such asMoonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel,andThe French Dispatch,making Swinton one of the most artistically reliable performers of her era.
7Meryl Streep
No character played byMeryl Streepis remotely similar to the other. The actress is known for her inventive ways of making every character eccentric in their own way. The actor has won every important award meant for an actor and has a filmography thatremains an unattainable benchmark for actors. The actor made her debut inJuliain a minor role and then earned her first Academy Award nomination as Linda inThe Deer Hunterwhere she proved her dramatic chops playing Nick’s love interest.
The actor’s otherAcademy Award-winning performancesinclude forKramer vs Kramerwhere Streep played an estranged wife fighting for her child’s custody, a holocaust survivor inSophie’s Choice,and starring as Margaret Thatcher inThe Iron Lady.Streep has shown her effortless comic timing in films such asJulie and JuliaandFlorence Foster Jenkinswhere she played characters based on real life. Streep does not fail to surprise audiences and critics alike as she delivers performances that outperform her previous roles.
6Gary Oldman
Every film lover has a favoriteGary Oldmanperformance. Oldman started out as a Shakespearean actor, performing in theatrical productions ofCabaret,Romeo and Juliet,Entertaining Mr Sloane,Saved,The Country WifeandHamlet. He made his film debut inRemembrancewhere he played a minor role of a dying man who impacts several lives. The actor made his mark in the British film industry by playing the real-life punk rock star Sid Vicious inSid and Nancy, the real-life playwright Joe Orton known for his tragic death inPrick Up Your EarsandLee Harvey Oswald inJFK.
Oldman is also known for being an antagonistinTrue Romanceand the corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent Norman Stansfield inLéon: The Professional. Oldman also remains a franchise favorite as the human leader inDawn of the Planet of the Apesand police commissioner James Gordon inThe Batman Trilogy. However, it is his role as Sirius Black as the father figure to an orphan Harry inthe Harry Potter Seriesthat cements Oldman as a timeless actor.
5Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchetthas made her mark as a versatile actor, often seen incharacters where she is barely recognizable. Blanchett started her acting career on stage in Australia and became a globally recognized talent for her performance as Queen Elizabeth in the biopicElizabeth.Her performance in the biopic earned an Academy Award nomination. It was her performance as Katherine Hepburn inThe Aviatorand a bankrupt socialite inBlue Jasminethat won her Academy Awards.
Her other critically appraised performances include playing a scandalous teacher inNotes on a Scandal,playing Jude Quinn embodying Bob Dylan inI’m Not There,and amusician accused of sexual assault inTárwhich indicates the actors’ attraction to complex characters. Blanchett also proves to be one of the most bankable actresses as she has successful franchises in her filmography as well, which includes her performances inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy,Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,Thor:RagnarokandOcean’s 8.
4Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffmanfinds himself in the category of performers who shine both in leading and supporting characters. In many ways,Hoffman becomes the unique selling point of a filmfor his ability to make any character he plays eccentric. The actor is known for his contribution to theater as well. In his early career, the actor was recognized for his performance as a deviant student in TheScent of a Womanand a socially awkward film assistant in the porn industry inBoogie Nights.
Hoffman is known for being a character actor for his ability to morph into diverse characters, whether it be a music journalist inAlmost Famousor starring in several of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films as a misfit. His Oscar-nominated performance as the cult leader in Anderson’sThe Masterremains one of his most thought-provoking performances. However, It was his performance as Truman Capote in the biopicCapotethat earned him an Academy Awardfor Best Actor.
3Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidmanremainsiconic for her performances across zeitgeists. The actress has been popular since the late 1980s and continues to deliver challenging performances to date. Kidman rose to fame with her performance inDead Calm,where she played a grieving mother in a suspense thriller. She received international acclaim for her collaboration with her future husband Tom Cruise, as a neurosurgeon inDays of Thunderand a passionate partner inFar AwayandEyes Wide Shut.
The actress proved her range by playing thenarcissist obsessed with fame inTo Die Forand an actress in the musicalMoulin Rogue!,but it was her performance inThe Hours,where she portrayed the writer Virginia Woolf, that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress.
2Javier Bardem
The Spanish actor has acted with several Hollywood A-listers and is known for the magnetic presence he adds to every scene in a film.Javier Bardemfound prominence for playing a delivery driver and an aspiring bullfighter, charming Penélope Cruz inJamón Jamón,and as an aspiring actor in the sex comedyBoca a boca.He played one of the most iconic Bond villainRaoul Silva inSkyfalland a passionate painter in Woody Allen’sVicky Cristina Barcelona.
It is his performance as the assassin Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers’No Country for Old Menthat won him an Academy Award, making him the first Spanish actor to win the award. The actor’s other Oscar-nominated performance includesBefore Night Falls,where he plays Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas, which made him the first Spanish actor to get nominated for an Oscar.
Related:These Are Javier Bardem’s Best Performances, Ranked
1Charlize Theron
Charlize Theronis full of surprises. The actress was known for her performance as the wife of a lawyer who is haunted inThe Devil’s Advocate,where she shared the screen with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves quite early in her career.Several successful films followed in the ‘90swithMighty Joe YoungandThe Cider House Rules,where she played powerful supporting characters. Her performance as the real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos inMonsterwon her the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first South African actor to win an Oscar.
She received her second nomination for playing a sexually abused woman seeking justice inNorth Country.Her portrayal of Megyn Kelly inBombshell,which chronicled the instances of sexual abuse in the media industry also won her an Academy Award nomination.Theron has also proved her acting chopsin highly commercially successful films like the heist filmThe Italian Job, the superhero filmHancock, playing the witch inSnow White and the Huntsmenand playing the war captain Imperator Furiosa inMad Max: Fury Road.
