^ That lovely lady is named first for a reason. Part one, part two. And, of course, my thoughts.
Kate Winslet: Absolutely. She's not always in the greatest movies ever, but she's almost always absolutely amazing. Mediocre movies are made far better by her divine presence.
Alec Baldwin: Yeah, I will definitely watch him in anything too. Glengarry Glen Ross, The Departed, and 30 Rock are way more than enough to forever cement my love for him.
Jude Law: I'd stare at him in anything...does that count? Nah, there was 2004 when he was in like 5 movies, none of which were any better than a B-grade, but he was wonderful in most of them, Closer aside. He's given great performances in very uneven movies.
Philip Seymour Hoffman: He often plays ugly characters - physically and emotionally - so I'm not really running out to see his films. But, yes, extremely talented and I always catch up with his films.
Edie Falco: Yes. Never less than extremely good. Even in Freedomland!
Morgan Freeman: Probably the definition of an actor worth watching in anything. Simply marvelous, he brings gravitas and class to any production just by being in it.
Meryl Streep: Her too. Obviously we know she's a Great Actress, but now we know she knows how to bring the funny and creative. Yes, I will say it - she has yet to give a bad performance (Oscar-nominated that didn't deserve it, sure. But not bad. But I should note that I have yet to see Rendition and Lions for Lambs.).
Johnny Depp: No. I'd prefer to not watch him in anything, thanks.
Daniel Day-Lewis: Absolutely. His movie choices aren't always A+ but he's normally A+ in them. Now, if only there friggin' were more movies he was in...
Simon Pegg: Shrug. He's lovable...
Ryan Gosling: Probably not. He's amaaaaazing in Half Nelson, and I can't stress how good he was enough, but he's not good enough in anything else for me to say "Ryan Gosling? I'd see him in anything!" I should say I haven't seen The Believer or The United States of Leland, I guess.
Rosario Dawson: YES. I LOVE YOU, Entertainment Weekly. Probably one of the most underrated actresses in the business. Even when the movie's shit, she's usually great.
Don Cheadle: Yes. Never less than very solid, and he's got a great screen presence.
Kristin Bell: I still have never watched Veronica Mars. So I guess I can't talk.
Tony Leung: He's often good, even great, but I'm not going to run out and see anything because he's in it.
Nathan Fillon: Absolutely. Talented, likable, and charming. Can't say I've been watching Desperate Housewives because of him (I've stayed the heck away from that show for a while), though.
Emma Thompson: Again, absolutely. Even in crap she's wonderful, and has a great presence.
Denzel Washington: Often, his movies are so bad that I don't want to see them. But, as I think I've said before, he is a human charisma machine and I adore him. I think he's one of the most talented actors alive.
Cherry Jones: She's awesome, but she hasn't had a great role in the movies yet. And I certainly wouldn't run out to see a movie because she's in it.
Brendan Gleeson: Definition of a fantastic character actor.
Will Ferrell: Yeah, I probably would watch him in anything, and I gotta applaud EW for risking the "EWWWW WILL FERRELL!!!!! WORST ACTOR EVERRRRRR!!!!!!!" comments they'll probably get.
Catherine Keener: She's one of those character actresses that I think is terrifically boring a lot of the time. She gets roles with character but often makes them seem pretty generic.
Tom Selleck: Can't say I know much about his acting, but it's an inspired choice.
Patricia Clarkson: No. She's the boring, less talented Laura Linney. Her only great performances are High Art and The Station Agent, and though she deserved noms for both, she wasn't SPECTACULAR. I'm shocked at how overpraised she is in Far from Heaven, Pieces of April, and Dogville.
Paul Rudd: I'll see anything he's in just cuz he's so hot, quite frankly.
Amy Adams: Since Enchanted, YOU BET YOUR ASS. She brings effortless charm to everything.
George Clooney: Yesyesyes. EW's writeup of him is fucking brilliant.
Tommy Lee Jones: I never really appreciated him until 2007 with that double punch of Elah and No Country, but I kind of love him for it. Ugh, he was so amazing in those two movies...
Mos Def: Incredibly underrated actor. I wouldn't say I'd go see him in anything, but he's great.
Helen Mirren: I'd go see anything she's in just because she's made of awesome. I love that broad.
Sarah Polley: Her acting can be either excellent or horrendously dull, and her movie choices either amazing or awful, but she's certainly one to watch. I will worship her turn in The Sweet Hereafter forever.
Bill Nighy: He's the only bright spot of the entire Pirates series besides the techs. That's gotta count for something.
Christian Bale: I'd go see him in anything just to, you know, see him in anything. It helps that he's really talented too.
Joan Cusack: uhhh, not really.
Alan Rickman: YES. Even in crap, he's amazing and a great presence. LOVE HIM.
Javier Bardem: Probably. I definitely have to check out more of his earlier work...
Allison Janney: I didn't really like her all that much on The West Wing (lunacy?), but she's so cuddly and lovable in Juno...
Viggo Mortensen: Again, another one I'd go see just to see him, if you know what I mean.
Andre Braugher: Ya'll know I know every celebrity but... who??!??!?!
Regina King: She's fine, I guess. I don't get why her performance in Ray is so praised.
Steve Carell: FUCK YES. He can elevate even the worst crap (cough cough, 40-Year-Old Virgin, cough, though I can't say I've seen Evan Almighty), and he can bring the great to an even more amazing level (do I have to say it at this point?). He's one of the best comedic actors we've had, ever.
Paul Giamatti: Eh. He's not always great. He's so good in Sideways, though, that I'm forever on his side.
Mary Louise Parker: She's pretty overrated by her insane fans, of which there are a lot, but I absolutely adore her and think her whole stoned-seeming nature is totally charming. And yeah, she's really fantastic on Weeds, and obviously in Angels in America.
Clive Owen: Oh, Clive. You know I love you, but...no. Yes, he was amaaaaazing in Closer and he's often really good, but he's also often really bad (Derailed?!?!?!?!). His movie choices aren't always great. Though, I kind of like seeing movies to again, see him, you know?
Jeffrey Wright: FUCK YES. One of the greatest actors alive, maybe even of all time. And yes, I'm willing to say that on the strength of his performances in Basquiat and Angels in America alone. The latter is, if we're counting it, easily the second-best male performance of the 2000s...
Julianne Moore: No, absolutely not. Yes, she can be divine. But she can also suck hard. And lately, her work's been so bad, and the likes of Safe and Far from Heaven seem sooooo far away. Though, yeah, Blindness looks like a return to form.
Neil Patrick Harris: YES. He's an absolutely incredible character actor. Trying to decide an Emmy Supporting Actor in a Comedy winner must be a nightmare between him, Jeremy Piven in Entourage, Rainn Wilson, and John Krasinski (c'mon Emmy Academy. You're gonna nominate JKras one of these days right? RIGHT???!?!!??!?!).
Colin Firth: Yup, absolutely. He owns the "charming Brit" role, even more than Hugh Grant.
Laura Linney: FUCKING DUH.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Not so much. I really liked him in Mysterious Skin, but...
And that's that.
Kate Winslet: Absolutely. She's not always in the greatest movies ever, but she's almost always absolutely amazing. Mediocre movies are made far better by her divine presence.
Alec Baldwin: Yeah, I will definitely watch him in anything too. Glengarry Glen Ross, The Departed, and 30 Rock are way more than enough to forever cement my love for him.
Jude Law: I'd stare at him in anything...does that count? Nah, there was 2004 when he was in like 5 movies, none of which were any better than a B-grade, but he was wonderful in most of them, Closer aside. He's given great performances in very uneven movies.
Philip Seymour Hoffman: He often plays ugly characters - physically and emotionally - so I'm not really running out to see his films. But, yes, extremely talented and I always catch up with his films.
Edie Falco: Yes. Never less than extremely good. Even in Freedomland!
Morgan Freeman: Probably the definition of an actor worth watching in anything. Simply marvelous, he brings gravitas and class to any production just by being in it.
Meryl Streep: Her too. Obviously we know she's a Great Actress, but now we know she knows how to bring the funny and creative. Yes, I will say it - she has yet to give a bad performance (Oscar-nominated that didn't deserve it, sure. But not bad. But I should note that I have yet to see Rendition and Lions for Lambs.).
Johnny Depp: No. I'd prefer to not watch him in anything, thanks.
Daniel Day-Lewis: Absolutely. His movie choices aren't always A+ but he's normally A+ in them. Now, if only there friggin' were more movies he was in...
Simon Pegg: Shrug. He's lovable...
Ryan Gosling: Probably not. He's amaaaaazing in Half Nelson, and I can't stress how good he was enough, but he's not good enough in anything else for me to say "Ryan Gosling? I'd see him in anything!" I should say I haven't seen The Believer or The United States of Leland, I guess.
Rosario Dawson: YES. I LOVE YOU, Entertainment Weekly. Probably one of the most underrated actresses in the business. Even when the movie's shit, she's usually great.
Don Cheadle: Yes. Never less than very solid, and he's got a great screen presence.
Kristin Bell: I still have never watched Veronica Mars. So I guess I can't talk.
Tony Leung: He's often good, even great, but I'm not going to run out and see anything because he's in it.
Nathan Fillon: Absolutely. Talented, likable, and charming. Can't say I've been watching Desperate Housewives because of him (I've stayed the heck away from that show for a while), though.
Emma Thompson: Again, absolutely. Even in crap she's wonderful, and has a great presence.
Denzel Washington: Often, his movies are so bad that I don't want to see them. But, as I think I've said before, he is a human charisma machine and I adore him. I think he's one of the most talented actors alive.
Cherry Jones: She's awesome, but she hasn't had a great role in the movies yet. And I certainly wouldn't run out to see a movie because she's in it.
Brendan Gleeson: Definition of a fantastic character actor.
Will Ferrell: Yeah, I probably would watch him in anything, and I gotta applaud EW for risking the "EWWWW WILL FERRELL!!!!! WORST ACTOR EVERRRRRR!!!!!!!" comments they'll probably get.
Catherine Keener: She's one of those character actresses that I think is terrifically boring a lot of the time. She gets roles with character but often makes them seem pretty generic.
Tom Selleck: Can't say I know much about his acting, but it's an inspired choice.
Patricia Clarkson: No. She's the boring, less talented Laura Linney. Her only great performances are High Art and The Station Agent, and though she deserved noms for both, she wasn't SPECTACULAR. I'm shocked at how overpraised she is in Far from Heaven, Pieces of April, and Dogville.
Paul Rudd: I'll see anything he's in just cuz he's so hot, quite frankly.
Amy Adams: Since Enchanted, YOU BET YOUR ASS. She brings effortless charm to everything.
George Clooney: Yesyesyes. EW's writeup of him is fucking brilliant.
Tommy Lee Jones: I never really appreciated him until 2007 with that double punch of Elah and No Country, but I kind of love him for it. Ugh, he was so amazing in those two movies...
Mos Def: Incredibly underrated actor. I wouldn't say I'd go see him in anything, but he's great.
Helen Mirren: I'd go see anything she's in just because she's made of awesome. I love that broad.
Sarah Polley: Her acting can be either excellent or horrendously dull, and her movie choices either amazing or awful, but she's certainly one to watch. I will worship her turn in The Sweet Hereafter forever.
Bill Nighy: He's the only bright spot of the entire Pirates series besides the techs. That's gotta count for something.
Christian Bale: I'd go see him in anything just to, you know, see him in anything. It helps that he's really talented too.
Joan Cusack: uhhh, not really.
Alan Rickman: YES. Even in crap, he's amazing and a great presence. LOVE HIM.
Javier Bardem: Probably. I definitely have to check out more of his earlier work...
Allison Janney: I didn't really like her all that much on The West Wing (lunacy?), but she's so cuddly and lovable in Juno...
Viggo Mortensen: Again, another one I'd go see just to see him, if you know what I mean.
Andre Braugher: Ya'll know I know every celebrity but... who??!??!?!
Regina King: She's fine, I guess. I don't get why her performance in Ray is so praised.
Steve Carell: FUCK YES. He can elevate even the worst crap (cough cough, 40-Year-Old Virgin, cough, though I can't say I've seen Evan Almighty), and he can bring the great to an even more amazing level (do I have to say it at this point?). He's one of the best comedic actors we've had, ever.
Paul Giamatti: Eh. He's not always great. He's so good in Sideways, though, that I'm forever on his side.
Mary Louise Parker: She's pretty overrated by her insane fans, of which there are a lot, but I absolutely adore her and think her whole stoned-seeming nature is totally charming. And yeah, she's really fantastic on Weeds, and obviously in Angels in America.
Clive Owen: Oh, Clive. You know I love you, but...no. Yes, he was amaaaaazing in Closer and he's often really good, but he's also often really bad (Derailed?!?!?!?!). His movie choices aren't always great. Though, I kind of like seeing movies to again, see him, you know?
Jeffrey Wright: FUCK YES. One of the greatest actors alive, maybe even of all time. And yes, I'm willing to say that on the strength of his performances in Basquiat and Angels in America alone. The latter is, if we're counting it, easily the second-best male performance of the 2000s...
Julianne Moore: No, absolutely not. Yes, she can be divine. But she can also suck hard. And lately, her work's been so bad, and the likes of Safe and Far from Heaven seem sooooo far away. Though, yeah, Blindness looks like a return to form.
Neil Patrick Harris: YES. He's an absolutely incredible character actor. Trying to decide an Emmy Supporting Actor in a Comedy winner must be a nightmare between him, Jeremy Piven in Entourage, Rainn Wilson, and John Krasinski (c'mon Emmy Academy. You're gonna nominate JKras one of these days right? RIGHT???!?!!??!?!).
Colin Firth: Yup, absolutely. He owns the "charming Brit" role, even more than Hugh Grant.
Laura Linney: FUCKING DUH.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Not so much. I really liked him in Mysterious Skin, but...
And that's that.
