Day #18 of the 30 Day Film Challenge

[shadowkat]

Day #18 of the 30 Day Film Challenge.

A film that stars a favorite actor/actress (it said your favorite, but I changed it to a favorite - because I don't have one favorite. And it varies.)

Now, I've got to pick one...

Ah three actors for the price of on..I'll watch Christian Bale in anything, although I do love Michael Caine and Hugh Jackman, but Bale is by far the most versatile actor I've ever seen.

Watch on YouTube

Oh here's his first film, which blew me away..

Watch on YouTube

Christian Bale is the rare actor who has managed to jump from child star to adult star and still have a wide variety of roles, and be acclaimed. A feat that few others have managed.

Comments

[cactuswatcher]

I'm glad you changed it to a favorite. I thought about Alec Guiness and Spencer Tracy, but choose Burt Lancaster who was just as good as a villain or con-man as a hero

Sample from the Rainmaker (1956)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mzz5jxfPn4

[atpo_onm]

Insanely talented, not afraid to take on a variety of different roles, and prolific to boot. Two standout picks from long careers, and not over yet:

Tom Hanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGuOZPwLayY

Charlize Theron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq70brIQP40

[cjlasky7]

The pertinent question: do I even have a favorite actor or actress? Is there any one person who can bring me into the theater (or stops me from turning the channel)?

I went back and forth on a number of modern choices: Steve Buscemi's oddball charm is almost always entertaining; Nicholas Cage acting on screen is like a high speed car chase (that ends in a flaming wreck half the time); and Sam Rockwell just quietly steals movies away from established movie stars.

But in the end, I had to go with Cary Grant, because he was great for comedy and suspense, he was a favorite of Hawks and Hitchcock, and he starred in more classic movies than anybody else I could name. Pick one? Sure...

[Moves finger over list of classic movies from 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, with eyes closed]

That one!

https://youtu.be/F25nzu6hh0Q

[mtbc]

For what it's worth, I agree, Christian Bale's one of the few actors who's really impressed me with their ability and commitment; movies like The Machinist still stick in my mind. (I had no idea he's in Empire of the Sun!)

[petzipellepingo]

It's a toss up between Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck but I went with Barbara .

[deird1]

Christian Bale is impressive.

I currently have Disney+, so I checked out Newsies. Wasn't a fan, but Bale was incredible. He was clearly a less talented singer and dancer than the others, but it didn't matter because I couldn't take my eyes off him.

[yourlibrarian]

That's true about Christian Bale -- versatile actor with a very enviable adult career. I suspect that child actors who did movies were in a much better position than those who did TV for various reasons. Of course some did both, but until the last 20 years there was a much bigger division between film and TV actors.

I'd have to say my favorite actors are Emma Thompson, Charlize Theron, and Jessica Chastain, though with the latter two a lot of that has to do with the roles they tend to choose, or in Theron's case, create for themselves.