Top 50 Hottest Young Actors - THE TOP 10 : #10 SHIA LABEOUF. Top 50 status: Ranked #11 on the previous list."Best acting performance: His definitive portrayal as the young Dito Montiel in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints.
Why he made the top 50: I'm not that impressed with LaBeouf's acting talents, but I am with his ability to play the Hollywood game. While he admits, he's not your usual 'Hollywood idol type of guy', he certainly has proven time and again that given a good enough role where he can sink his teeth and involve himself in some serious character study, he can show some amazing results.
The biggest factor that puts him into the Top 10 is his ability to draw crowds into the movie houses. A lot of young audience certainly look at Shia as one of their favorite young stars, but not necessarily their favorite young actor. #9 EMILE HIRSCH. Top 50 status: Ranked #4 on the previous list.Best acting performances: Hirsch certainly made a good number of breakthrough performances, but I have to say his role in Sean Penn's Into The Wild is his best so far- as adventurer Chris McCandless. Also worth mentioning is his role in Imaginary Heroes as the younger son of Jeff Daniels and Sigourney Weaver, the emotionally traumatized Tim Travis.
Why he made the top 50: Together with Joe Levitt and Jake Gyllenhaal, he is the only Hollywood-based young actor who can compete with the current onslaught of young actors from across the Atlantic, most notably the current crop of talented British actors led by the likes of Jim Sturgess, Robert Pattinson and Ben Whishaw, to name a few. #6 JAKE GYLLENHAAL. Top 50 status: Ranked #9 on the previous list. Best acting performances: His Oscar nominated role in Brokeback Mountain is certainly his best role so far. As Jack Twist, he brought so much credibility into the character, it completely complements the emotional pain and anguish of Ennis del Mar, played by the late Heath Ledger. Coming in second is the cult hit, Donnie Darko where he played the title character. Also worth mentioning is David Fincher's Zodiac where Jake plays Robert Graysmith, who happens to be the author where the movie was based.
Why he made the top 50: He is probably the most identified among the young actors as a 'celebrity'. But while he is part of the celebrity circle where paparazzi like to hunt and intrude upon, Jake has certainly made the best of it. His sense of humour while guesting in some of America's biggest talk shows certainly made him a household name, but while some of these household names are being dismissed as having no talent, Jake is that rare exception. I certainly look forward to his next movie, Brothers, with Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman, definitely a great showcase of young talents! #3 JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. Top 50 status: Ranked #5 on the previous list. Best acting performances: After a hustling gig that turned violent, we see Neil (Gordon-Levitt) silently licking his wounds as he stared at his bruises and cuts, silently he cries – he must have realized he’s all alone and that there’s no one to help him or even listen to him… Such was the performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Greg Arakki’s Mysterious Skin, that almost all critics agreed- Levitt is the young actor to watch! Of course, Levitt is no ‘one-movie wonder’, as Brick from director Rian Johnson proves.
Why he made the top 50: He's a better actor than Jake Gyllenhaal or Emile Hirsch for that matter. He can play a credible and exciting romantic lead better than Ryan Philippe or James Marsden for that matter.
While he reminds me of Heath Ledger, and there is certainly some striking resemblance, Gordon-Levitt is someone who has proven himself as an actor's actor. There is one particular movie that I would love to watch Joe Levitt, and I just think this will be one of his finest ever- The Frog King". Source: themovie-fanatic.com
Well, a pair of notes I'd like to add related to these list posts:
1.- My favourite role by Jake is "Donnie Darko", that performance just stuck deep inside my heart, although Jack Twist in "Brokeback Mountain" is definitively his adult acting wide break-through role (and really wonderful).
2.- Regarding opinions about who's an better actor than another, I think it's extremely difficult to compare and discern. For example, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is impressive in almost everything, he chooses very dark and brooding characters to play, whereas other roles wouldn't be so suiting for him. On the other hand, I don't find Shia Labeouf particularly gifted, his tendency to star in blockbusters seems an elongation of his Disney roots and his real-life person seems off-putting. I think Shia is cute but not endearing. Emile Hirsch is more than competent, was especially brilliant in "Into the wild" and he's physically gorgeous. My personal favourites (young actors) are Jake, Joseph, Ryan Gosling, Emile Hirsch and Michael Cera. Also liking a lot Ben Foster, James McAvoy, Anton Yelchin, Robert Pattinson, Patrick Fugit, Andrew Garfield, Michael Welch, and many more. Source URL: http://americanendeavor.blogspot.com/2008/09/ Visit american endeavor for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Late actor Heath Ledger's daughter Matilda Rose will inherit all of her father's estate, Ledger's father told an Australian newspaper.
"There is no claim," the newspaper quoted Kim Ledger as saying in a report published Sunday. "Our family has gifted everything to Matilda."
The actor signed the will on April 12, 2003. It lists assets and cash of just $118,000, but the actor's estate is believed to be worth more than $16.3 million, the newspaper said.
Adelaide accountant Mark Dyson, who is an executor of the estate, said he could not reveal how much Matilda would inherit.
[...] The lawsuit doesn't mention Ledger or his daughter's name. It states that it's on behalf of a man who died of "accidental causes on January 22, 2008." That's the day Ledger was found dead of an apparent accidental prescription drug overdose.
A spokesman for ReliaStar says the insurer has made no decision about whether to pay the claim". Source: www.usatoday.com
"EVERY penny of Heath Ledger's estimated $20 million will go to his little girl Matilda Rose, Ledger's father says.
In his will, which has been probated behind closed doors at the Supreme Court in Perth, Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters.
The 28-year-old Ledger doted on Matilda, but was separated from Williams, who joined the Ledger family in Perth for a memorial and wake on Cottesloe Beach in February.
Some estimates have put the value of the Heath Ledger estate at up to $20 million.
But Adelaide accountant Mark Dyson, who is an executor of the estate, said he could not reveal what Matilda would inherit".
-“Have you seen Brokeback Mountain?“ -Paul Newman: “Yeah.” -“Did it make you think about Butch Cassidy and the Sundace Kid in a new light? Robert Redford’s a good looking guy ...” Pause for thought. Or comic effect. -Paul Newman: “Why not?” Part of the interview to Paul Newman by Aer Lingus Inflight Cara Magazine, 2006. Source: www.davecullen.com And let's rememorate again this post related to Paul Newman, Cool Hand Paul. Also: "Neman style". Source URL: http://americanendeavor.blogspot.com/2008/09/ Visit american endeavor for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
Emile Hirsch (23) "his star rose quickly in 2007 when Sean Penn cast him in Into the Wild and it was on Hirsch's shoulders to carry the majority of the film in-between fantastic supporting roles by Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener. His ability to "act" was proven. However, if you want to be a big star you need to put asses in the seats. This is where Hirsch's star drops slightly as his first major box-office bid was Speed Racer and it failed miserably. Hirsch is still young and he has a supporting role in the upcoming Oscar candy Milk and I would say his potential remains undecided, but he wouldn't be my first pick for "Next Big Thing".Joseph Gordon-Levitt (27) "Remember this kid when he was playing Tommy on "3rd Rock from the Sun"? Well, he is slowly building himself a little filmography and is starting to gain some attention. People liked him in Brick and The Lookout. He had a small role in Spike Lee's The Miracle at St. Anna and he will next be seen in Killshot and, of course, the biggie, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra in which he plays the Cobra Commander. He has proven he has acting chops, they aren't exactly Oscar caliber as of yet, but he is getting there and the G.I. Joe flick really could up his profile as villains are always remembered above the heroes. Will he be able to pull a Heath Ledger type performance out of his hat or is that way too much to expect? James Franco (30) At 30-years-old I almost didn't add Franco to the list, but in the 2008 he has transformed himself from being known for his awful role as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man films to a funny-man and he will be joining Sean Penn as well as Emile Hirsch in Milk. Franco plays Scott Smith, Harvey Milk's lover and partner in a camera shop business. Franco is setting out to prove he can make folks laugh as well as tackle serious drama, a complete reinvention if you ask me and he is already gaining some minor Oscar buzz. 30-years-old may seem old, but George Clooney was 33 when he sky-rocketed to stardom with "ER" in 1994 so I think there is still a chance for Franco.Shia LaBeouf (22) "I've already discussed Shia at some length in my intro, but I think we can all agree his ability to attract Oscar caliber films is yet to be proven. Personally I am a big fan of LaBeouf. I think he can deliver dialogue with the best of them and I have yet to see him in a role I didn't think he was decent in. Sure, swinging with the monkeys in Indy 4 was silly, but I am not going to judge his acting in a film that itself didn't deserve to be made. Shia has managed to make the films people go and see, but it is still up in the air as to whether he is attracting the attention or just the films he is in".Anton Yelchin (19) "I talked ill of Alpha Dog already, but one positive thing that came out of Alpha Dog was Anton Yelchin. Yelchin surprised the hell out of me as he and Justin Timberlake actually made Alpha Dog worth watching and unfortunately I missed Charlie Bartlett as Columbia Pictures basically pushed it under the rug Yelchin has a few major films up and coming. He will star as Sulu in Star Trek and as Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation. Sure he won't be carrying either picture, but it is certain to bring him some attention and after Alpha Dog I already know the kid can act, it now remains to be seen if he can capture the attention of audiences".James McAvoy (29) "James McAvoy doesn't come off as a major movie star. I have always thought of him as that guy in the smaller film I liked. However, he has recently proved to be something of a powerhouse in a pair of smaller flicks as well as a 2008 blockbuster. McAvoy, I felt, was robbed when it came to The Last King of Scotland as all the attention went to Forest Whitaker even though McAvoy carried the entire film. He was also fantastic opposite Keira Knightley in Atonement. The boy can act, no denying". Jake Gyllenhaal (27) "Jake G starred in the wildly popular cult classic Donnie Darko was nominated for an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain and is now set to topline Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for a summer 2010 release. People know who he is, he's already earned some Oscar attention and he has a major blockbuster on the way. Sounds like he is testing the boundaries of stardom, but I can't help but wonder if audiences will bite". Michael Cera (20) "If there is one thing going against Michael Cera it is that he seems to play the exact same person in every single movie. He is certainly funny in all of his films, including the upcoming Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but to say he is playing a character that is any different from his role on "Arrested Development", in Juno or even in Superbad is really going to hurt Cera unless he can break the cycle. Actors don't get too much time to be on top and Cera needs a role that will get him out of that timid, yet lovable, every man. Of course, maybe he doesn't want to be a star, as he certainly makes clear in a recent New York Times interview when he said, 'I don't really want to be famous, and I'm kind of scared that might be happening'.
Other actors I considered included Ryan Gosling, Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Hayden Christensen, Jay Baruchel, Ben Barnes, Michael Pitt, Jay Hernandez, Josh Hutcherson, Robert Pattinson, Zac Ephron, Rupert Grint and Kal Penn. Source: www.ropeofsilicon.comSource URL: http://americanendeavor.blogspot.com/2008/09/ Visit american endeavor for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
A musical video featuring images of Michael Cera in "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist", in the episode "Amigos" episode of "Arrested Development", etc. Songs: part of "Absolute Beginners" by David Bowie, part of "Mexico" by James Taylor and part of "Middle Management" by Bishop Allen.
A video featuring some images of Michael Cera's female partenaires in "Arrested Development", "Superbad", "Juno", "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" and her future partenaires in "Youth in Revolt" and "Scott Pilgrim". Source URL: http://americanendeavor.blogspot.com/2008/09/ Visit american endeavor for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
On the set with Jim Sheridan and Tobey Maguire in Los Alamos, New Mexico (February 9th 2008).
"Jeff Wells has put together his Oscar balloon and has mentions for the film and the boys - Jake and Tobey. Wipe away those tears because Fanatical found a nice breakdown from a screening, which paints Natalie's performance in a really good light.
Someone called Brothers Spy spoke to an IMDB poster that had attended a screening for the film. The IMDB poster told him this:
"Jim Sheridan was there, he actually sat behind me during the audience feedback session. I got the impression from his reactions that he wasn't entirely happy with the way the film has turned out thus far, but i'm just guessing. I saw the other producers there, but none were recognizable. This was the first screening. The questions being asked led me to believe the producers saw this film as being in good shape. They said that the release date of the film was December 4th. I heard from 19 other test audience members who were much more positive in their praise for the film than I was. They seemed to really enjoy it. None of them, however, had seen the original film and none were very familiar with film in general. I believe I suffer a slight bias due to my appreciation of the original film, but only a slight one. My major issues with the film are the scenes of brutality that feel very toned down from the original version. I have many complaints, but that is my main one."
Brothers Spy spoke to him again and got some more details about the performances, and this is Brothers Spy relating what he had been told:
Nearly everyone in attendance, including the guy I spoke to, loved Jake and Natalie's characters and their performances. In fact, everyone loved that storyline the best. The crowd was about evenly divided on Tobey and his character. The guy said that Tobey starts very weak, but finishes strong. As for Jake and Natalie, they have A LOT of chemistry together. There's a lot of sexual/romantic tension between their characters which is both very believable and palpable.
Everyone, except my guy, said they would recommend the film to their friends. The film got an average of 4 votes out of 5, on those questionaires they hand out. Jake and Natalie got 5 out of 5 by 17 out of the 19 people who stayed behind. Tobey however got an average of 3/5.
The only two things people seemed not to like were: Tobey's unsympathetic character and they didn't like the beginning or the ending which has some narration apparently (neither the original film nor the adapted script had this).
As for the guy's personal opinion, the script, he believes, was the weakest part of the whole thing. He says, despite a couple of differences from the original film, it's pretty much a straight forward adaptation. Yet the original film was written in 2002, before Iraq. But this films takes place in 2007, yet Iraq is never mentioned which he find weird". Thanks to : Fanatical By dazza on Friday, Sep 26th at 13:21
Amanda Seyfried On "Jennifer's Body" Set, 2008 May 6 -Vancouver, Canada-
"It was among the more gothic scenes in “Jennifer’s Body,” a closing battle with fewer rules than Ultimate Fighting, pitting Jennifer (“Transformer’s” Fox) against her longtime friend Needy Lesnicky (Seyfried, of “Mamma Mia!”) and her relatively wimpy boyfriend Chip Dove (“Evan Almighty’s” Simmons)."I want to be faithful to the genre but also turn all of those things sideways", Cody continued. "My biggest priority is putting words in women's mouths -- it just doesn't happen. Women don't get the good lines. They don't get to do anything. And they don't get to be reckless. And I've always been reckless."
A former alternative newspaper reporter, Internet blogger, sex industry worker and memoirist, Cody grew up loving scary 1970s and 1980s movies -- "I'm a horror junkie," she said. Cody was particularly drawn to thrillers with artistic flair -- "Rosemary's Baby," "Carrie," "The Shining," "Poltergeist" and the darkly comic pre-" Spider-Man" films from director Sam Raimi, especially "The Evil Dead."
Yet Cody was equally struck by films that many might not find inherently terrifying, including Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides." "There's the idea of the adolescent feminine mystique being inherently creepy", Cody said. "Two girls holding hands platonically as they cross a schoolyard -- I find that creepy." 'Juno' is a life-affirming movie", Cody said over dinner, with filming wrapped for the day. "And this is a death-affirming movie. The people who really loved 'Juno' -- I don't know if they will love this in the same way. And the people who hated 'Juno' -- well, this will just be more grist for the mill."
While the film, set in rural Minnesota not far from where Cody once lived, tweaks the conventions of the killer-on-the-loose genre, it does so in Cody's familiar pop-culture-reference-laden style. When a poser devil-worshiping rock band named Low Shoulder decides to perform a human sacrifice, they rely on plans printed out from the Internet. "But horror is a surprisingly feminist genre", Cody said. "The last person standing is usually a woman. And most of the guys in this movie are vain and insecure. You'll notice there are no fathers in this movie. I didn't want there to be any male role models -- I didn't feel these were girls who were loved by their fathers".As she bobbed in the pool wearing a black-and-white prom dress (of course, there's a prom scene -- it's a horror movie after all), the 22-year-old Fox said she knows girls like Jennifer all too well. "I was the Jennifer of my school -- the troublemaker, the anarchist" Fox said. "She has an appetite for destruction". Source: www.latimes.comSource URL: http://americanendeavor.blogspot.com/2008/09/ Visit american endeavor for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Thought of you as my mountain top, Thought of you as my peak. Thought of you as everything, I've had but couldn't keep. I've had but couldn't keep. Linger on, your pale blue eyes. Linger on, your pale blue eyes.
If I could make the world as pure and strange as what I see, I'd put you in the mirror, I put in front of me. I put in front of me. Linger on, your pale blue eyes. Linger on, your pale blue eyes.
Skip a life completely. Stuff it in a cup. She said, Money is like us in time, It lies, but can't stand up. Down for you is up. Linger on, your pale blue eyes. Linger on, your pale blue eyes"
"Annoyed by the public's fascination with his resemblance to a Roman statue, particularly his Windex-blue eyes, Newman often chose offbeat character roles. In the 1950s and '60s, he helped define the American anti-hero and became identified with the charming misfits, cads and con men in film classics such as "The Hustler," "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.""Acting," he once said, "is really nothing but exploring certain facets of your own personality trying to become someone else." In early films, he said he tried to make himself fit the character but later aimed "to make the character come to me."
The actor was most proud, friends say, of his later, Oscar-nominated roles in "Absence of Malice," "The Verdict" and "Nobody's Fool," in which he dug deep into the complex emotions of ordinary men struggling for dignity, justice or a sense of connection. In 2003, he was nominated for an Oscar for his last feature film appearance, as a conflicted mob boss in "Road to Perdition." Two years later, at 80, he won an Emmy for playing a meddlesome father in "Empire Falls."
"He's a majestic figure in the world of acting," said director Arthur Penn, who worked with him in his early career. "He did everything and did it well."
Part of a generation of edgy, naturalistic New York actors who changed Hollywood in the '50s and '60s, Newman was often compared with fellow Method actors Marlon Brando and James Dean. Film critic David Ansen once observed that if the trim actor lacked the others' physical or psychic presence, he was more approachable, even when he played a heel.
"Newman," Ansen wrote, "is our great middleweight movie star."
Nominated eight times for Academy Awards in the best-actor category, Newman won only once, for "The Color of Money" (1986), in which he reprised the role of "Fast" Eddie Felson that he originated in 1961's "The Hustler." He also took home honorary Oscars in 1985 for career achievement and in 1993 for his humanitarian efforts. In later years, however, he boycotted awards shows despite continuing Oscar, Emmy and Tony nominations. He claimed he no longer owned a tuxedo.Married since 1958 to Woodward, his second wife, Newman cultivated a distinctly un-Hollywood lifestyle, shuttling between a homey New York apartment and a renovated farmhouse in woodsy Westport, Conn., from which he pursued passions including cooking and auto racing.When Newman finally won an Oscar in 1986 for "The Color of Money," it was neither his nor director Martin Scorsese's best effort and was seen by some observers as compensation for having been overlooked in "The Hustler."Despite his fears that actors risk corruption by placing a "premium on appearance," Newman valued keeping himself fit. He did push ups and ran up and down stairs until he was 80. He soaked his face in ice water or would swim in a cold lake when he could.After "Road to Perdition," he did voice work for the animated film "Cars" in 2006 and narrated the 2007 film "Dale" about the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.
Newman didn't hide his disappointment that filmmaking had abandoned the "theater of the mind" for the "theater of the senses." He lamented that skyrocketing costs had increased the pressure on actors, writers and producers who could no longer afford to make mistakes and be part of a "growing-up process."
In 1997, he hinted he was struggling, explaining to National Public Radio's Daniel Zwerdling that "sometimes you begin to lose your center. . . . You become a collection of the successful mannerisms of the characters you play. . . . What you try to do is get rid of those successful mannerisms, get back to what you are at the core of your own personality."
In 2007, Newman announced his decision to retire, saying he'd lost confidence in his abilities, that acting was "pretty much a closed book for me."
Besides Doc Hudson, the animated Hornet voiced by Newman in the film "Cars," he called the role of Sully in 1994's "Nobody's Fool" the closest he had come to playing himself. Critics called Sully a "classic Newman type" -- an aging version of a witty loner who keeps friends and a family at a distance to protect himself. A bond with his fearful little grandson opens up the possibility of becoming more involved with an estranged son and the rest of the community.
"The most Paul moment," Stern said, "is when he sees the crazy lady down the street and offers his arm and walks her back home as if she were a queen. That's how I'll always remember Paul: dignifying other people."“Cars”: Newman gives a delightfully warm and wise voice performance in this 2006 Disney/Pixar hit directed by John Lasseter. Newman is the voice of the old-time car, Doc Hudson, who gives advice and wisdom to a hotshot racing car named Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson).
#10 SHIA LABEOUF.
"Best acting performance: His definitive portrayal as the young Dito Montiel in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints.
#9 EMILE HIRSCH.
Best acting performances: Hirsch certainly made a good number of breakthrough performances, but I have to say his role in Sean Penn's Into The Wild is his best so far- as adventurer Chris McCandless. Also worth mentioning is his role in Imaginary Heroes as the younger son of Jeff Daniels and Sigourney Weaver, the emotionally traumatized Tim Travis.
#6 JAKE GYLLENHAAL.
Best acting performances: His Oscar nominated role in Brokeback Mountain is certainly his best role so far. As Jack Twist, he brought so much credibility into the character, it completely complements the emotional pain and anguish of Ennis del Mar, played by the late Heath Ledger. Coming in second is the cult hit, Donnie Darko where he played the title character. Also worth mentioning is David Fincher's Zodiac where Jake plays Robert Graysmith, who happens to be the author where the movie was based.
#3 JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT.
Best acting performances: After a hustling gig that turned violent, we see Neil (Gordon-Levitt) silently licking his wounds as he stared at his bruises and cuts, silently he cries – he must have realized he’s all alone and that there’s no one to help him or even listen to him… Such was the performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Greg Arakki’s Mysterious Skin, that almost all critics agreed- Levitt is the young actor to watch! Of course, Levitt is no ‘one-movie wonder’, as Brick from director Rian Johnson proves.
#10 SHIA LABEOUF.
"Best acting performance: His definitive portrayal as the young Dito Montiel in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints.
#9 EMILE HIRSCH.
Best acting performances: Hirsch certainly made a good number of breakthrough performances, but I have to say his role in Sean Penn's Into The Wild is his best so far- as adventurer Chris McCandless. Also worth mentioning is his role in Imaginary Heroes as the younger son of Jeff Daniels and Sigourney Weaver, the emotionally traumatized Tim Travis.
#6 JAKE GYLLENHAAL.
Best acting performances: His Oscar nominated role in Brokeback Mountain is certainly his best role so far. As Jack Twist, he brought so much credibility into the character, it completely complements the emotional pain and anguish of Ennis del Mar, played by the late Heath Ledger. Coming in second is the cult hit, Donnie Darko where he played the title character. Also worth mentioning is David Fincher's Zodiac where Jake plays Robert Graysmith, who happens to be the author where the movie was based.
#3 JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT.
Best acting performances: After a hustling gig that turned violent, we see Neil (Gordon-Levitt) silently licking his wounds as he stared at his bruises and cuts, silently he cries – he must have realized he’s all alone and that there’s no one to help him or even listen to him… Such was the performance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Greg Arakki’s Mysterious Skin, that almost all critics agreed- Levitt is the young actor to watch! Of course, Levitt is no ‘one-movie wonder’, as Brick from director Rian Johnson proves.
