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Top Actors Movie Stars
Build your taste profile and get better suggestions. You've rated 0 of 50 movie stars. Want more suggestions? Launch Quick Rate- Johnny Depp
in Edward Scissorhands, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeney Todd
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician known for his portrayals of offbeat, eccentric characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Sam in Benny & Joon. Nominated for...
- Morgan Freeman
in Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, Street Smart
Born June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tenn., Freeman has enjoyed a long career onstage, in television and in movies, where his dramatic presence has lent an air of gravitas to many features. He had a peripatetic childhood, moving with his family from Mississippi to Indiana to Illinois while still very...
- Robert Downey Jr.
in Iron Man 2, Sherlock Holmes, The Soloist
Robert John Downey, Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films...
- Brad Pitt
in Inglourious Basterds, Legends of the Fall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt was born Dec. 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Okla. The family moved to Missouri, where Pitt attended Kickapoo High School. After graduating, he went to the University of Missouri, where he studied journalism and belonged to the Sigma Chi fraternity. After years of downplaying his handsome, heroic...
- Will Smith
in Seven Pounds, Hancock, I Am Legend
"Fresh Prince" Will Smith is a bona fide Hollywood rarity: a Grammy Award-winning rap star who has successfully crossed over into superstar leading man status in movies. Born Sept. 28, 1968, in Philadelphia, Pa., Smith was the second of four kids. Smith, who earned the moniker "Prince" because of...
- Leonardo DiCaprio
in Shutter Island, Body of Lies, Revolutionary Road
A young superstar whose talent matches his fame, Leonardo DiCaprio was born Nov. 11, 1974, in Hollywood. As a child, he appeared in commercials and educational films, followed by the sitcoms "Parenthood" and "Growing Pains."An unnoticed film debut in Critters 3 was soon followed by his...
- Heath Ledger
in Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight, A Knight's Tale
An Aussie import (born April 4, 1979) best known for his Oscar-winning role of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) and his Oscar-nominated portrayal of a closeted gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain (2005). He began his acting career in Australian soap operas before making his American debut in the...
- Bruce Willis
in The Expendables, Surrogates, Cop Out
Born March 19, 1955, on a military base in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany, Bruce Willis grew up in Penns Grove, N.J. He studied acting in New York while tending bar and made his film debut as an extra in The First Deadly Sin and The Verdict. Willis's wise guy sparring with Cybill Sheperd on TV's...
- Robert De Niro
in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas
This influential actor was born August 17, 1943, in New York City. A Lee Strasberg acting student, De Niro made his film debut in 1963's The Wedding Party (released in 1969). First noted in late-'60s underground comedies (Greetings and Hi, Mom!), De Niro gradually moved into studio films.
- Matt Damon
in The Informant, Invictus, Green Zone
Actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter (with fellow actor Ben Affleck for Good Will Hunting in 1997), Matt Damon exudes a boyish charm that has vaulted him to the front rank of bankable stars in Hollywood. Born October 8, 1970, and raised in Newton and Cambridge, Mass.
- Jack Nicholson
in The Departed, As Good As It Gets, Five Easy Pieces
Jack Nicholson was born in Neptune, N.J., on April 22, 1937. After getting his high school degree, he set out for Los Angeles, and after a few years was cast in his first movie, The Cry Baby Killer (1958). It took him only 10 years to hit it big -- with Easy Rider (1969), for which he garnered the...
- Robin Williams
in Good Morning Vietnam, The Fisher King, Good Will Hunting
It's not clear whether Robin Williams was this zany when he was a child, but he certainly put his manic energy to good use as an adult, using it to fuel himself to the top of the comedy mountain. Born July 21, 1952, in Chicago, Ill., Williams was poised to pursue a far more serious field, politics...
- Harrison Ford
in Star Wars, Blade Runner, Raiders of the Lost Ark
One of the highest-paid and best-known leading men in American movies, Harrison Ford has put his mark on two great franchises: the first Star Wars trilogy and the Indiana Jones series. Born July 13, 1942, in Chicago, Ill., Ford flunked out of college and went to Hollywood, where he played small...
- Denzel Washington
in Glory, Training Day, Philadelphia
This charismatic star was born in Mt. Vernon, N.Y, on December 28, 1954. After some acclaimed stage work with San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, he made his film debut in the 1981 comedy Carbon Copy. By the mid-1980s, Washington's success on the TV series "St.
- Samuel L. Jackson
in Pulp Fiction, Jungle Fever, The Negotiator
Born December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C., Jackson was raised by his mother and grandparents in Chattanooga, Tenn. After attending Morehouse College and co-founding Atlanta's black-oriented Just Us Theater, Jackson got his big break (and a Best Supporting Actor win at Cannes) as a drug addict in...
- Christian Bale
in The Dark Night, The Fighter, American Psycho
With a dancer (his mother) and two actors (his grandparents) in the family, Christian Bale has performing in his blood. Born Jan. 30, 1974, in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Bale began acting in British commercials at age 9. Stage and TV work followed, but it wasn't until his affecting performance as a boy...
- Edward Norton
in Leaves of Grass, The Incredible Hulk, Bustin' Down the Door
The oldest child of a lawyer and a foundation executive, Edward Norton was born in Boston, Mass., on August 18, 1969. His parents soon moved to Maryland, where Norton trained at the Columbia School for Theatrical Arts. After graduating from Yale and living in Japan for a brief stint, Norton headed...
- Anthony Hopkins
in Silence of the Lambs, Beowulf, Howard's End
Philip Anthony Hopkins was born on December 31 1937, in Margam, Wales. Influenced by Richard Burton, he decided to study at College of Music and Drama and graduated in 1957. In 1965, he moved to London and joined the National Theatre, invited by Laurence Olivier, who could see the talent in Hopkins.
- Nicolas Cage
in Sorcerer's Apprentice, G-Force, Astro Boy
Born Nicholas Coppola on January 7, 1964, in Long Beach, Calif., Cage is the son of college professor August Coppola, nephew of director Francis Coppola and cousin of Sofia Coppola. He dropped out of Beverly Hills High to pursue acting, changing his name to declare his independence from the Coppola...
- Bill Murray
in Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Get Low
In 2004, Bill Murray became the first "Saturday Night Live" original cast member to be nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, for his hilariously low-key performance as an American star stranded in Japan in Lost in Translation.This master of deadpan dry wit was born the fifth of nine children in...
- Al Pacino
in The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Scent of a Woman
Born April 25, 1940, in New York City, high school dropout Al Pacino established a theatrical career in the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. It was his intense work as a junkie in Panic in Needle Park (1971) that convinced Francis Coppola to hire the then-unknown Pacino to play Mafia heir Michael...
- Kevin Spacey
in The Usual Suspects, American Beauty, Beyond the Sea
Kevin Spacey grew up in Los Angeles, but was born on July 26, 1959, in South Orange, N.J. As a child, he got in trouble so much that his parents sent him to military school, from which he was expelled. A prescient teacher at his next school suggested he try the theater, and a passion was born.
- Dustin Hoffman
in The Graduate, Rain Man, Little Big Man
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable types of characters. He first drew critical praise for the 1966 Off-Broadway play Eh? for which he...
- Russell Crowe
in The Insider, L.A. Confidential, Gladiator
Crowe was born on April 7, 1964, in Wellington, New Zealand, and raised in Australia. He became well-known and respected in Australia for his starring roles in The Crossing (1990), Proof (1991) and Romper Stomper (1992). American audiences have Sharon Stone to thank for giving them their first...
- Tom Cruise
in Rain Man, Risky Business, Jerry Maguire
Born July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, N.Y., Thomas Cruise Mapother had a peripatetic childhood, changing schools 15 times by the time he finally settled with his mother and stepfather in Glen Ridge, NJ, in 1974. After Cruise made his film debut in Endless Love (1981) and gained popularity with the teen...
- Sean Penn
in Dead Man Walking, Milk, Mystic River
The son of director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan and brother of actor Chris, Sean Penn was born August 17, 1960, in Santa Monica, Calif. Acting since his teens, Penn apprenticed at L.A.'s Group Repertory Theater. He made memorable dramatic and comedic impressions with his first film...
- Gene Hackman
in The Conversation, The French Connection, Unforgiven
A commanding screen presence for decades, Gene Hackman was born January 30, 1930, in San Bernadino, Calif. The Marine vet studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and then pursued his craft on the New York stage. A bit part in Mad Dog Coll (1961) was followed three years later with a speaking role...
- Paul Newman
in The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, The Sting
Known almost as much for his blue eyes as for his acting talent, philanthropy and longevity, Paul Newman was born Jan. 26, 1925, in Shaker Heights, Ohio. From an early age, Newman was interested in stage acting, but never considered it as a profession until he went to college after serving in the...
- Marlon Brando
in On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Godfather
Marlon Brando, Jr. (April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004) was an American actor who performed for over half a century. He was perhaps best known for his role as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, his Academy Award-winning performance as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront, both directed by Elia...
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
in Happiness, Capote, State and Main
Born on July 23, 1967, in Fairport, N.Y., Philip Seymour Hoffman earned a B.F.A. degree in drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He acted in several films -- including Scent of a Woman, When a Man Loves a Woman and Twister -- before appearing in his breakout role as a lovelorn...
- Cary Grant
in North By Northwest, Notorious, The Philadelphia Story
One of the silver screen's true gentlemen, Cary Grant was born in Bristol, England, on January 18, 1904. He left school at age 14 to join a comedic troupe of acrobats, which was discovered by a producer and brought to America to perform in 1920. Opting to stay in the United States, Grant started...
- Robert Redford
in The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Natural
An accomplished actor, director and independent film supporter, Robert Redford was born August 18, 1937, in Santa Monica, Calif. After losing a college baseball scholarship due to drunkenness, Redford studied acting in New York. He landed his first major film role opposite Marlon Brando in The...
- Humphrey Bogart
in Casablanca, The African Queen, The Big Sleep
Born December 25, 1899, in New York City, Humphrey Bogart was sent to prep school for medical studies but was expelled. He joined the Navy, where he was injured, resulting in his trademark snarl and unique speaking voice. After years on the New York stage, Bogart got his break in film playing a...
- Benicio Del Toro
in Che, The Wolf Man, Things We Lost in the Fire
Born on February 19, 1967, Benicio Del Toro moved from his native Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania after his mother's death when he was 9 years old. While at the University of California, San Diego, one acting class amidst all his business courses changed his career focus, and he soon dropped out of...
- Martin Sheen
in Apocalypse Now, The Dead Zone, The West Wing
The son of immigrant parents -- his mother Irish and his father a Spaniard who reached America via Cuba -- Martin Sheen became an actor despite his father's resounding disapproval. Born Ramon Estevez in Dayton, Ohio, on Aug. 3, 1940, he took his stage surname from a man he deeply respected: the...
- Harvey Keitel
in Taxi Driver, Reservoir Dogs, Bad Lieutenant
A screen tough guy with a large cult following, Harvey Keitel was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 13, 1939. After a hitch with the Marines, Keitel trained with acting legends Frank Corsaro, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg and was a member of the Actors Studio.
- Clark Gable
in Gone With the Wind, It Happened One Night, The Misfits
Born February 1, 1901, in Cadiz, Ohio, Clark Gable dropped out of school at age 16 and joined a stock theatre company at 17. In 1924, he found work as a movie extra in Hollywood but eventually moved to New York, where he was spotted on Broadway and given a screen test at MGM.
- Daniel Day-Lewis
in Nine, There Will Be Blood, In the Name of the Father
Daniel Day-Lewis was born April 29, 1957, in London. His father, Cecil Day-Lewis, was the Poet Laureate of England. Daniel studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic, making his film debut as a teenager in Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). A decade later, a small role in Gandhi led to highly visible work in...
- Gregory Peck
in To Kill a Mockingbird, Roman Holiday, Cape Fear
California native Gregory Peck was born in La Jolla on April 5, 1916. After catching the acting bug while at the University of California, Berkeley, he moved to New York, where his 1942 stint in a Broadway play brought scores of Hollywood movie offers.
- Gene Kelly
in Singin in the Rain, An American In Paris, On The Town
Born August 23, 1912, in Pittsburgh, dazzling entertainer Gene Kelly was dancing from childhood. He supported himself with odd jobs until he got his break on Broadway as a choreographer and star of "Pal Joey." In 1942, he made an impressive film debut opposite Judy Garland in For Me and My Gal. In...
- Sidney Poitier
in Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?, Lilies of the Field, The Defiant Ones
Hollywood trailblazer Sidney Poitier was born Feb. 20, 1927, in Miami to Bahamian parents. After Army service, he joined the American Negro Theater, making a 1946 Broadway debut in "Lysistrata." In 1950, Poitier made his screen debut in No Way Out. Through such 1950s films as Blackboard Jungle and...
- Kirk Douglas
in Paths of Glory, Seven Days In May, Spartacus
Born Issur Danielovitch December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, N.Y, Kirk Douglas grew up in poverty, escaping the ghetto via an acting scholarship. After playing minor parts on Broadway, Douglas was cast in his first movie, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). Three years later, the cleft-chinned...
- Henry Fonda
in 12 Angry Men, On Golden Pond, The Grapes of Wrath
With an acting career that spanned nearly 50 years, Henry Fonda was born May 16, 1905, in Grand Island, Neb. He made his way from community theatre to Broadway, where he starred in the stage hit "The Farmer Takes a Wife" -- a play that was later adapted for the big screen and gave Fonda his first...
- Rock Hudson
in Seconds, Giant, A Farewell To Arms
Blessed with chiseled good looks and a muscular 6-foot-4-inch frame, Rock Hudson was born Roy Scherer Jr. November 17, 1925, in Winnetka, Ill. He made his big-screen debut with a bit part in The Fighter Squadron (1948). Hudson continued in small roles and supporting turns until lassoing the lead...
- Spencer Tracy
in Bad Day at Black Rock, Father of the Bride, Inherit the Wind
A favorite among audiences, critics and his peers, Spencer Tracy was born April 5, 1900, in Milwaukee. He settled on an acting career while attending college and played small parts on Broadway until his lead role in "The Last Mile" caught the attention of director John Ford, who cast Tracy in Up...
- Laurence Olivier
in Hamlet, Spartacus, Marathon Man
Deemed by many as the best actor of his era, Laurence Olivier was born May 22, 1907, in Dorking, England. He began acting in his teens and in 1930 got his first big break in Noel Coward's play "Private Lives"; Olivier became a full-blown star after landing the lead in a 1935 staging of "Romeo and...
- Anthony Perkins
in Psycho, Fear Strikes Out, The Tin Star
Anthony Perkins was born in New York on April 4, 1932, the son of actor Osgood Perkins, who died when Tony was 5. Entertaining acting ambitions from an early age, Tony worked in summer stock as a teenager before breaking into the movies when he was in his early 20s.
- Burt Lancaster
in Atlantic City, Elmer Gantry, Judgment At Nuremberg
A movie icon whose career spanned four decades, Burt Lancaster was born on November 2, 1913, in New York. The athletic Lancaster worked as a circus acrobat until an injury sidelined him. He then enlisted in the Army during World War II and performed with the USO.
- Montgomery Clift
in From Here to Eternity, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Young Lions
Born in Omaha, Neb., on Oct. 17, 1920, Montgomery Clift was blessed with features that would catapult him to fame as one of Hollywood's hottest young stars of the 1940s and '50s. Acting on the stage since he was a boy, Clift first appeared on-screen in The Search (1948) and promptly earned an Oscar...
- Edward G. Robinson
in The Stranger, Soylent Green, The Cincinnati Kid
Born Emanuel Goldenberg on Dec. 12, 1893, in Bucharest, Romania, legendary movie gangster Edward G. Robinson immigrated with his Yiddish-speaking family to New York's Lower East Side when he was 10 years old. Once he took up acting at a city college, Robinson deserted his plans to become a rabbi or...
