Best of the 2010s: Actors
Every month I've been focusing on a particular genre of film and count down the 10 Best of the Decade from that genre. This will, ultimately, lead to a 100 Best list. In addition to this, our podcast, The Movie Lovers, has had a corresponding segment monthly during the Film Faves portion of the show wherein we count down our favorite films.
We've gone through quite the list of genres over the past several months. So, this month, as we approach the end of the year, we turn our attention to the talents of the decade. First up: Actors.
So, the decade is nearly over. Let's look at the actors that helped define the decade.
What factors are taken into consideration when crafting such a list? Well, one of the first is whether the actor is one that comes to mind when reflecting on the decade. Did the actor make his debut or break-out performance during the decade or even shortly before it? How prolific or varied were they during the decade? And what sort of win/loss record does their filmography have critically? Rotten Tomatoes plays a large role in answering that question. Box office is not a deciding factor, as any piece of crap can make a ton of money in theaters (case in point: Disney remakes). All of these other things play a role in weighing a list of over 30 actors and boil them down to just 10.
Note: while there have been a great number of talent in TV this decade our focus is on those in film.
Let's get to it...
Best Work: Jane Eyre, 12 Years a Slave, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Steve Jobs
Some cinephiles first noticed Fassbender in 2009's Hunger and Inglorious Basterds. But most critics really took notice when the UK indie Fish Tank hit Stateside at the beginning of 2010. However, it was 2011 that was Fassbender's big year as he starred in no less than four films: Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, A Dangerous Method, and Shame. Nobody could ignore him at that point. Putting on the helmet of Magnus Lensherr in the new X-Men trilogy probably made for his biggest role. Fassbender peaked this decade in 2015 by trading the helmet for the glasses of tech pioneer Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle's film. That film was a modest success critically and commercially with Fassbender giving an intriguing performance as the titular icon. Fassbender fizzled the past few years with further performances in mediocre X-Men and Alien films and the atrocious video game movie Assassins Creed. That's why his placement on this list is so low. But the work that came before - and his ability to balance between thoughtful indie films and big budget franchise films - made him one of the decade's best breakout talents. That and the fact that Instagram followers voted for him to be included squeaks him onto this list.
Best Work: Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther
Michael B. Jordan is one of the best breakouts this decade who quickly transitioned from TV to film. Many people first took notice of Jordan in extended runs in Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. What followed was a quick rise in stardom within three years. Fruitvale Station won Jordan universal accolades for his performance as a real-life victim of police violence. He capitalized on that cred by jumping onto big-budget franchises. Fantastic Four was a misstep that would lead to one of the worst films of his budding career. But the other 2015 film, Creed was a massive KO that won cheers from critics, Rocky fans, and earned huge box office. He followed that up not only with a sequel to that film, but as a villain in the MCU film Black Panther. His character Killmonger with his political and personal agendas added another layer to that film that helped give the MCU one of its greatest villains and the franchise's best solo films. Jordan's reputation was now cemented: he elevates each scene he's in no matter the movie. And yet Jordan is still just getting started.
Best Work: The Town, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, American Hustle, Arrival, Wind River, Avengers: Endgame
Jeremy Renner isn't necessarily one of the first names that may come to your mind as one of the best actors of the decade. Yet think back to his performance in The Town. He was an absolute animal ready to be let loose. You didn't know what he was capable of if he found out his friend's secrets or if a teller at one of the banks he robbed decided to defy his demands. Compare that to his performance as a man who has lost his entire family right before his eyes in the otherwise action-heavy Avengers: Endgame. Throw in there a pinch of science in Arrival and mystery in Wind River and you begin to have a tapestry of characters, not the same note played in every role. Renner can bring emotional nuance to a character and it's because he doesn't pound those notes hard in every role that he might seem like an unlikely candidate for a list like this. But he's got range and he's not afraid to mix it up between action franchises, comedy (The House, Tag), and drama (The Immigrant, American Hustle, Kill the Messenger). He may not have drawn in the big box office dollars on his own yet, but give him time... he will.
7. Idris Elba
Best Work: Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom, Pacific Rim, Thor: Ragnarok, Molly's Game
Speaking of elevating the work, the next two picks bring a certain gravitas to any film they star in. Idris Elba certainly has enough gravitas to spare.
Pacific Rim wasn't exactly the best film of his career, but his performance in that film took it to another level and gave us one of the most quotable characters of the decade. But it's also clear in that film and films like Zootopia and Hobbs and Shaw that he doesn't take himself too seriously. Be that as it may, with his exceptional portrayal of Nelson Mandela and his ability to make a relatively small part in Molly's Game hold its own with the likes of Jessica Chastain makes Elba one of the decade's best dramatic actors.
Best Work: Star Trek Into Darkness, The Imitation Game, Dr. Strange, Avengers: Infinity War
And then we have The Batch. Benedict Cumberbatch has spent majority of the past decade rising up in esteem and fame by jumping from one franchise or remake to another: The Hobbit, Star Trek, Dr. Strange, The Grinch, and even that British TV series Sherlock just to name a few. Benedict could've just stopped there. Instead, he weaved in-between each of these performances in smaller dramatic films, beginning with the terrorist comedy Four Lions, Spielberg's War Horse, and the buttoned-up spy film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He won numerous accolades for his moving portrayal of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. Cumberbatch became one of the most prolific new stars of the decade. Without him it would look a whole lot less refined.
5. Adam Driver
Best Work: Logan Lucky, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, BlackKklansman, The Dead Don't Die
If you didn't watch HBO's series Girls, in which Driver starred in all but 13 episodes from 2012 to 2017, then he was quite the gradual discovery in film this decade. He started his balance between TV and film with small parts in Frances Ha, Lincoln, and Inside Llewyn Davis (who can forget his baritone vocals in 'Please Mr. Kennedy'?). Then came Star Wars and the chance to play one of the decade's biggest bads, Kylo Ren. His ability to play a man who is seduced by the Dark Side, yet conflicted about his feelings of resentment, anger, fear and what is required to be loyal to the Dark Side surprised many. Interestingly enough, he didn't cash in those franchise chips for even more big-budget fare. He kept things small, working with Jim Jarmusch (Paterson), Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special), and Martin Scorsese (Silence), stretching his acting muscles. Those quieter productions might have prepared him for the further depths of complexity required in the next Star Wars film where he walks a tightrope of emotions as he clashes with Snoke, Rey, and Skywalker. And Driver continued this pattern in his career, working with Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky), Spike Lee (BlackKklansman) - and earning an Oscar nomination! - Terry Gilliam (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote), and teaming up again with Jim Jarmusch (The Dead Don't Die) and Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story) before finishing the Star Wars series. Driver has had an incredible decade, rising as one of its best talents because he works with creators who will challenge him as an actor. As a result, he not only has starred in over 20 films this decade, but he also has more critically-praised films in his resume than any other actor on this list. He is a quality actor with quality work to back him up.
Best Work: The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie, Magic Mike, Mud, The Dallas Buyers Club
How could one ignore the McConaissance?! While it mostly was limited to the first half of the decade it was a great run and an amazing return to form for an actor who was largely lost to the romcom dump bin. In truth we saw hints of this in 2008's Tropic Thunder where he played Ben Stiller's agent. But the McConaissance began in earnest in 2011 with The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie, and Killer Joe. It pretty much ended with 2016's Kubo and the Two Strings and Sing. But the run that breathed new life into his career was predicated on a series of risks and low-budget work that got him back to Acting and critical praise. He was still taking risks towards the end of the decade with films like The Dark Tower, Gold, Serenity, and The Beach Bum; they were just risks that failed. But thanks to the McConaissance we were reminded how great an actor Matthew is when given the right project.
3. Jonah Hill
Best Work: Cyrus, Get Him to the Greek, Moneyball, 21 Jump Street, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jonah Hill broke out in 2007 with Superbad. Within the three short years before the decade began he grew to be a household name. But it was this decade that made him the extraordinary actor and debut director he is. He lent his voice to a lot of quality animated movies like How to Train Your Dragon, Megamind, and The LEGO Movie and their sequels and spin-offs - always a supporting character, never the star. His starring roles ranged from comedy with such films as 21 Jump Street, Get Him to the Greek, and This is the End to drama. It's his arc as a dramatic actor that made him really interesting this decade. He first dipped his toe into drama with the dramedy Cyrus (2010) and then Moneyball (2011). Then came The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) where he blended quiet reservation with coke-charged mania and greed. His output the rest of the decade was dominated by those animated sequels and a bit part in a Coen Bros. movie (Hail, Ceasar!). That might be because he was busy writing and prepping his directorial debut Mid90s (2018), which was absolutely extraordinary and exceeded creative expectations. In any case, it's very difficult to think about this decade without thinking about Jonah Hill.
2. Tom Hardy
Best Work: Inception, Warrior, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Dunkirk
So, Tom Hardy is probably one of the most inevitable entries on this list; there was just simply no denying his contribution to the decade. Yes, he's had his share of divisive (The Dark Knight Rises) and poor choices (Venom). But the former helped make him a known name early on after he grabbed everyone's attention as the handsome safe-cracker in Inception. He followed them up with Locke, a single location movie set almost entirely in a car. The man can hold our attention simply by making a few phone calls while driving, people! Of course, peak Hardy this decade was in a film where he kind of took a back seat despite being the title character. That film was Mad Max: Fury Road, easily one of the greatest films of the decade. He stepped into one of the most iconic roles in science fiction and nobody batted an eye. Part of that is a tribute to how damn good that film was, but it's also a testament to how well he filled that role. He pretty much finished the decade with some TV and supporting roles in The Revenant and Dunkirk. One could argue he was a highlight of both of those films, although they are far from his best work. With films like Inception, Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max: Fury Road Tom Hardy gave us some of the decade's most memorable scenes and quoted dialogue. Like others on this list, he, too, will be someone to keep an eye on in the '20s.
1. Ryan Gosling
Best work: Blue Valentine, Drive, The Big Short, The Nice Guys, La La Land, Blade Runner 2049
There is no actor who is more handsome or has more range and commitment this decade than Ryan Gosling. The man is an absolute star, but also a talent who has committed himself to stretching his acting muscles and challenging himself in nearly every project he takes on. Sure, there is the occasional light fare where he simply dazzles us with his charm; in Crazy, Stupid, Love. he showed all middle-aged men exactly what they were lacking in the ways of love. Despite his efforts, he is out-acted by Emma Stone in La La Land, but gets by on charm and Gene Kelly-like smoothness. But one doesn't take on a film like Blue Valentine if they're just interested in charming audiences. Nor do they sign on to Drive, star as a self-proclaimed douchebag in The Big Short, or whine their way through a mystery like in The Nice Guys. The only two roles in his career that have any similarity are the Driver in Drive and K in Blade Runner 2049. Even as stoic as he is in First Man, he manages to convey emotional complexity as Neil Armstrong. Gosling is an actor who has achieved stardom, yes, but is not interested in coasting on his fame. He has starred in 15 films this decade and most of those are anything but wide-appeal, four-quadrant entertainment; they are challenging to the audience with complicated characters and themes. Because of that he is the most interesting and best actor of the decade.
Honorable Mentions:
Those are the best actors of the decade. Who do you think is the best? Comment below.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the Best of the 2010s series, including last month's horror list. Next we'll move on to Actresses of the decade. Who should be considered?
Look for that in just a few days! And be sure to check out The Movie Lovers Episode 68 where we countdown our favorite talents of the decade!