Just like I’m rolling out reviews of 40 of my favorite films (that have audio description) after rewatching them, as part of my personal celebration of turning 40, it’s time to talk about the 40 actors who are most likely to get me to watch a film. Favorites. Not the best. There are people I respect, who are terrific talents, but they just don’t draw me in. obviously, I also like more than 40 actors, so a lot of the people on this list will also be here because they have been in several of my favorite things.

So, in no particular order (because I feel like this list is always in flux), here are 40 of my favorite actors of all time.

1) Robin Williams

The day this man died, my heart shattered. He had brought me so much joy over the years, and even in the projects that turned out to not be very good, you could tell that Williams wasn’t phoning anything in. For example, I’m not a fan of Father’s Day, the film he co-starred in with Billy Crystal, but I think that has a lot more to do with the finished product than Williams or Crystal. But, Williams gave me some of the best moments of my childhood, voicing Genie in Aladdin, playing Peter Banning in Hook, and the creation that was Mrs Doubtfire. Say what you want about that last film, but he’s really terrific in it. He also proved himself incredibly adept in drama, nailing performances in Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, and the underrated What Dreams may Come. he even proved scary good in movies like Insomnia and One Hour Photo. Even some of his less popular works like Death To Smoochy or Man of The year are quite high on my list. Do I like everything he ever made? no. But Williams always took a risk, and went for it, and he’s such a big reason I love film.

2) Brian Cox

If we’re going to move forward, you need to know that I absolutely love this man. A consummate character actor, Cox went under the radar for years until starring in Succession. Even when he was in a big film, it never seemed to be the film that changed his career. Even in small roles, he could pop in for a scene and then leave the film better than it was before, like his rather small parts in Adaptation and Zodiac. I think the first time I really noticed Cox was in the film Iron Will, because i was a kid, and watched him move through the background of several films. Then, I saw him in a little seen film called LIE, and everything changed for me. Elevating him into a leading role, he brought so much complicated nuance to a role that can quite easily be problematic on so many levels. But in the oddest way possible, his character made some transition, and by the end of the film I generally felt sadness at how things had been left. I realized it took a great actor to make that happen. Then, he brought one of my favorite X-men villains to life, playing William Stryker in X2, and since has continued to appear in such a terrific assortment of films. From Running With Scissors to being the McDonalds voice currently, he chooses such an array of projects that I think even Logan Roy would be impressed.

3) Jamie Lee Curtis

Even though I woudln’t have given her the Oscar last year, it doesn’t mean I don’t love Jamie. I’m the kind of gay critic who openly admits adoration for Brian Cox in one breath, and in the other, Curtis in true lies is still iconic. It just is. Gay or straight, she has a scene in that film that is hot, and she just spent the first part of the film convincing you how not hot she is. of course, that’s basically the plot of She’s All That, but Curtis isn’t just one film. She’s hilarious in A fish Called Wanda, and I’m one of those few who also enjoy Fierce Creatures. i enjoyed her opposite Mel Gibson in Forever Young, and in My Girl. But I think what she brought to Freaky Friday showed just how good she is at comedy. And if you think she’s not that good at drama, I suggest The Tailor Of panama. But I can’t walk away without mentioning her Laurie Strode, who even in the worst Halloween incarnation still turns in a great performance. From the original, to H20, to the first time we saw her in the requel, she has come a long way with Laurie. You might even say she was everywhere all at once.

4) Philip Seymour Hoffman

Another actor who has unfortunately passed too soon. I was unaware he even had a drug problem. Hoffman has the ability to transform into any role. he can be an asshole, sympathetic, the villain, the hero, a mastermind, or the fool. he’s probably best known for playing Truman Capote, but I think I’ve enjoyed a lot of his smaller films, like Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead or The 25th Hour. He does happen to star in one of my least favorite films of all time, the god awful Synecdoche, New York. I know some people tolerate that, but I just can’t. Seeing his son following in his footsteps in licorice Pizza made me really happy. Make sure to check out his villain turn in Mission Impossible 3.

5) Jack Nicholson

You can love the old stuff. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Chinatown, or The Shining. You can love the middle of his career, in films like Terms Of Endearment, batman, or A Few Good men. or, you can pick his later in life gems like Something’s Gotta Give, The Departed, and About Schmidt. Nicholson is always brilliant, but someone needs to kidnap him and put him in a film because his last film can’t be how Do you Know? No. We must fix that.

5) Morgan Freeman

Let’s be honest. if you could turn your Alexa/Siri into Morgan Freeman’s voice, you would. Freeman has definitely appeared in some not great films, but the idea that he might not be good in a film doesn’t cross my mind. His performance in The Shawshank Redemption is the heart of that film. He knocked playing the President out of the park in Deep Impact. And, he gave us one hell of a right hook in Gone Baby Gone. He feels like he should have ten Oscars, and certainly be remembered for something more than just Driving Mrs Daisy.

6) Robert DeNiro

Congrats on having another kid at 79. Aside from DeNiro repopulating the earth like Nick Cannon, there’s no way this man is not on my list. Goodfellas? Or how about Analyze That? hell, I’m such a fan of DeNiro, I’ll admit to loving Everybody’s Fine. Like everyone else, I still have to forgive him for the occasional turd, and DeNiro did think that starring in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was a good idea. Supposedly, he’s fantastic in the upcoming Killers Of The Flower moon.

7) Julia Roberts

Yeah, I’m a cliche. one of those people who loves Julia Roberts. But you know what? I’ve never seen Pretty Woman. So, Roberts has won me over with other roles. She won me over as Erin Brockovich, her Oscar winning turn. She was terrific in Stepmom, a favorite of mine that flies constantly under the radar. I’ve already mentioned that I love Hook. Add to that films like Notting hill, Mystic pizza, and Ben is back, and there’s a lot I love about her. If I had to target something she probably should have said No to, I wasn’t a fan of The Mexican, but on paper, i understand why they thought that would work.

8) Richard Dreyfuss

It’s so hard to include him on here after learning that he really wants to play othello. But the truth is, he’s another one, who really got me back in the day. mr holland’s opus is one of my favorite films of all time, and i don’t know if it’s possible to ever change that. It’s a happy place for me, and Dreyfuss is such a huge reason for that. it’s not just that one film either, he also pops up in The American president, which is also like a Top 5 film for me. both films I’ve seen over ten times each. Beyond that, he’s still the guy from jaws, The Goodbye Girl, and Close Encounters. It does kind of seem like later on in life he just started saying Yes to whatever came his way, and he’s ended up in some truly awful films like paranoia. But, the latter part of his career isn’t all a waste. Believe it or not, I’m one of those who enjoyed Poseidon, and he was a part of that ensemble as well. I do have hopes Everytime I see his name in the credits, even if his recent interview has made it next to impossible to defend him.

9) Chris Farley

I bet you weren’t expecting to see this name here. Not just was he part of the SNL cast when I was watching and growing up, but I was a big kid myself. And when people talk about representation, as stupid as it sounds, I always looked at Chris Farley, and hoped that one day i would be him. Kids who bullied me in high school still loved Chris Farley. It’s like, because he knew how to make everyone laugh, that he always controlled the joke, but I never knew what that was like for him until he was gone. I cried, watching breaking news coverage of his death. Tommy Boy is one of my favorite comedies, and I’m even someone who enjoys Black Sheep. He doesn’t have a huge film resume to pull from, but he burned bright and fast.

10) Will Smith

If it makes anyone feel any better, if this was a longer list, eventually you would see Chris Rock’s name. So, i do like both of them. But, looking at their films? Smith makes me a lot more optimistic, even though he’s made some awful films. The idea is that for every Men in Black, Bad boys, Independence Day, Ali, or Pursuit of Happyness, we will be subjected to Wild Wild West, Seven Punds, or After Earth. He was terrific in King Richard, and he actually was really good in emancipation. His voiceover work in Shark Tale is even good.

11) Anthony Hopkins

And his placement here has absolutely nothing to do with him playing Hannibal Lecter. He’s just a damn reliable actor, even in small roles. He’s not even in that much of Armageddon Time, but he makes the most of it. I think him being so good all the damn time is why they thought he could fix the Transformers franchise. He’s just as likely to do an artsy Oscar bait film as he is to pop up in Mission Impossible 2 or The Mask Of Zorro. For some lesser seen films that he’s really terrific in, check out The Human Stain or Hearts in Atlantis.

12) Sandra Bullock

probably, her Oscar winning turn in The Blind Side is one of her least interesting things. I know she has some garbage, like All About Steve, but again she has also starred in some of my favorite films, like hope Floats, Miss Congeniality, and even more recently The proposal and The Heat. I’ve even seen Fire on The Amazon.

13) Al Pacino

DeNiro was already here, so this should come as no surprise. The two starred in the excellent heat, and Pacino already had The Godfather franchise behind him, as well as Glengarry Glen Ross and Scarface. He almost lost his spot on the list for doing Jack and Jill. At no point was that film ever good. not even on paper. But, Any Given Sunday, Angels in America, and even the little seen Stand up Guys, and he’s basically been great in everything where he wasn’t trying to fuck Adam Sandler.

14) Denzel Washington

King Kong has nothing on him. This actor director even brought john David Washington into this world, and it’s possible he’ll make this list at some point. But Denzel first caught my attention in glory, which I did see rather young, and from there I enjoyed his performances in films people don’t usually talk about of his, including Fallen and john Q. I actually did really enjoy Roman J Israel, and it seems too easy to say that Training Day and Fences are the reasons to love him. He’s much more than those two films. Even his lighter fare, like The Preacher’s Wife is pretty good.

15) Reese Witherspoon

I love Sweet Home Alabama and legally blonde, which immediately puts her in contention. but when I add to that Cruel Intentions, Just Like Heaven, Walk The Line, and the other films she’s been doing, it seems like I typically enjoy Reese more than the average talent. of course, I can’t forget her role as Tracey Flick in Election. Now, she’s doing some solid TV work in The Morning Show.

16) Will Ferrell

Elf, Old School, Talladega Nighs, Step brothers, The other Guys, and I look forward to a Will Ferrell movie. i think he has a lot of dramatic potential, and not every comedy has worked. The back-to-back combo of Kicking And Screaming followed by Bewitched might have put him on a suspension, if he didn’t immediately land that cameo in Wedding Crashers. Just when you think he’s down, he calls for some meatloaf.

17) Tom Hanks

it does feel kind of easy to put Hanks on here, but that’s because he’s generally a terrific actor. i even forgive him for Pinocchio, because on paper, he makes a great Gepetto. Luckily, a career full of roles gave him a teflon position on here, from Big, A league of Their Own, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Green Mile, You’ve Got mail, Catch Me If you Can, That Thing You Do, Captain Phillips, bridge of Spies, to recently A Man Called Otto, he is so consistent. oh, yeah, and he’s also Woody.

18) Jack Lemmon

Yes, I obviously saw Grumpy old Men. It’s true that I love those two films. But it made me watch a lot of lemmon’s other work, including Glengarry Glen Ross and all the way back to Some Like it Hot. I found that even when a film ws just mediocre, like Getting Away With Murder, Lemmon was still terrific in it. He’s a legend, and I wish more people nowadays remembered that.

20) Walter Matthau

I might as well go ahead and do these two back to back. Again, aside from being Grumpy, Matthau was also in Dennis The Menace from my childhood, and was pretty great in IQ. But I think seeing him with Jack Lemmon in The odd Couple, as well as Goldie hawn in Cactus Flower, and you know this man has always been funny. Even when his co-stars are kids, like in the original Bad News Bears, Matthau is always funny.

21) Jim Carrey

The fact he’s never been nominated for an Oscar is truly highlighted by his roles in three films. The Truman Show, Man On The moon, and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. Three excellent chances to nominate him, and he always came up short. I love Liar Liar, I actually really enjoy Batman Forever, and I even think Frank Darabont did a great job with him in The Majestic. He hasn’t done anything in a while, but I’d still love to see him. Anytime, anywhere.

22) Meryl Streep

you know, it’s easy to talk about her as a dramatic actress. She’s got like fifty dramatic films you could mention. However, I didn’t say this was a list of the best, i said favorite. she got here, because she’s great in comedy as well, like The Devil Wears Prada, Julie and Julia, and Ricki and the Flash, among others. I actually adore It’s Complicated, and I thought she was a great Florence Foster Jenkins. I’m so excited to see what she does in only Murders In The Building.

23) Tom Cruise

It took a while for me to admit that this couch hopper deserved a spot on my list. I honestly dislike very few things of his that I’ve seen. I wasn’t a fan of lions For lambs, or Vanilla Sky, but he seems to be one of the most consistent actors. Some of his earlier films, Top Gun, A Few Good Men, and The Firm are among my favorites, as are some of his later films, like basically the entire Mission Impossible franchise, Top Gun Maverick, and his little role in Tropic Thunder. I’ve just learned to accept that Cruise probably is in a film worth watching if he bothered to make it. By the way, he actually can act, as witnessed in roles in Rain man and Born on The Fourth of July.

24) Dustin Hoffman

Hey Mrs Robinson. Dustin has been making terrific films for years. When I finally saw Kramer vs Kramer, I felt like it was changing my life. he is great in Tootsie. He’s fantastic in Rain man. He’s magnetic in Hook. He’s hilarious in Wag The Dog. If you want something a little less obvious, I thought he was really good with Emma Thompson in Last Chance Harvey.

26) Vin Diesel

I’m always rooting for Diesel to actually make a good film. Not just an entertaining one. But, the Vin Diesel I remember was really good in Saving Private Ryan and boiler Room, and even Knockaround Guys is underrated. Then, he started driving a car and seemingly never stopped. He has a terrible time finding a good film, though Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk gave me hope that the world may see him actually act again at some point.

27) Jonah hill

Jonah gets my butt in a seat. A lot of the people from his ilk do, but Jonah’s story about being Jake Hoffman’s roommate in college and prank calling Dustin, which got him cast in a film, is kind of a great how they got started story. hill has since not only proven his worth comedically, in movies like Superbad, This Is The End, and 21 Jump Street, but he’s a two time Oscar nominee for Moneyball and The Wolf Of Wall Street, and even participated in one of my favorite animated films, How To Train Your Dragon.

28) Amy Adams

Adams has earned this reputation, though she needs to avoid films like The Woman In The Window. She’s funny, as witnessed by Enchanted, Julie and Julia, and Talladega Nights, but also dramatically great. The fact she wasn’t nominated for Arrival still hurts, even if she does have several other nominations already. Hopefully, one day, she will win.

29) Robert Downey jr.

Iron man gets me in a theatre. Not just for playing Tony Stark, but I’ve been a fan since Chaplin. Though I have to admit, his sobriety has made him more consistent, with some strong work in Tropic Thunder, The Soloist, Due Date, and the Sherlock Holmes films. I still haven’t seen Doolittle though.

30) Jake Gyllenhaal

Sure, he has films from when he was a kid, but aside from October Sky, I didn’t really start liking Jake Gyllenhaal until he started appearing in indies like Donnie Darko and The Good Girl. I really enjoyed him in moonlight Mile (with Dustin hoffman), Zodiac (with Brian Cox), and Nightcrawler. It’s easy to think of Brokeback Mountain and make his entire career about that, but those people need to see other films. Brothers, perhaps? Prisoners?

31) Viola Davis

Most people are here because of their film work, but it’s hard to not mention How To Get Away With murder here. Between that, and her consistency in her film choices and roles, Davis becomes someone you can look to assuming in advance the film will be good. Not only does she have films that she has elevated, like the help, but she also pops up in supporting roles in movies like Air, where her presence initiates instant Oscar buzz. However, her supporting and brief Oscar nominated turn in Doubt, which she managed to stand out in with three already mentioned actors on my list, is a seemingly forgotten performance. She may be The Woman King, but she’s also Amanda Waller, and you will learn to not mess with Amanda Waller.

33) Michael Douglas

You might have heard me mention that The American President is a top five for me, and Douglas is such a huge part of that. It’s not just this one film though. This is Gordon Gecko. This man had such a complicated history with women across films like Fatal Attraction, Basic instinct, and Disclosure. he was excellent in Traffic. And, he’s even got a touch of Marvel in his eyes. Something not many people have seen that’s good is Solitary Man, opposite Jesse Eisenberg.

34) Diane Keaton

Ms. Annie Hall has some of my favorites under her belt, like Something’s Gotta Give, The First Wives Club, and Father Of The Bride. I have felt that her career is seemingly getting worse, and her inclusion is getting harder and harder as she says Yes to anything, but the reason I keep knowing her new movies suck, is that I keep watching them. For her. For a more dramatic turn, check her out opposite Meryl Streep in Marvin’s Room.

34) Samuel L jackson

he’s tired of those motherfucking Snakes. With Jurassic park on his resume, not to mention his role as nick Fury in a dozen Marvel films, he’s always in my face. However, his collaborations with Tarantino in films like Pulp Fiction and Django unchained help him earn clout, and his own talent makes him terrific in a movie like Changing Lanes. He’s also got the most memorable moment in Deep Blue Sea.

35) Jeff Bridges T

He Dude abides. not just because of The big Lebowski, but I’m also a big fan of Crazy Heart. you might have forgotten about The Contender, but he’s great in that as well. I think he got better with age, as most of the films i like of his seem to be the ones from the latter part of his career, like k-AX or Arlington Road. He’s also great in The old Man.

36) Nicolas Cage

What I love about Cage is that he’s always all in. he cannot read a script to save his life. Most of that has to do with his need for money, because he spends it like wildfire, but it’s hard to not simply enjoy his work. Con Air, The Rock, Gone in 60 Seconds, and National Treasure are all a certain kind of fun, Adaptation, Pig, The Family Man, and most recently The unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent all just add to the list. But, yeah, the bees.

37) Arnold Schwarzenegger

I’ve come to terms with this. Even though i haven’t seen all of his films, I seem to love the hell out of his body of work that I have seen, from Twins, Kindergarten Cop, True lies, and the Terminator films, to movies I’m told I’m not supposed to like, which I think The 6th Day, Jingle All The Way, and the Expendables qualify. But, if you haven’t seen Maggie. you must. It’s his best dramatic work.

38) Harrison Ford

I couldn’t leave Indy off this list. Or Han Solo, depending on what you first think of when you hear his name. After being in two of the biggest franchises of all time, he did manage to do some other fantastic films. He was in Witness, he played Jack Ryan in Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger, and he kicked Gary oldman right the hell off his plane in Air Force one. his career started getting a bit quieter, but all of a sudden, he’s starring in two TV shows, and there’s a fifth Indiana Jones film opening this month.

39) Melissa McCarthy

I think, looking at her career, I really do see everything she’s done. I mean, if her name in front of a film doesn’t get me there, I don’t know what does. Even with all the films she’s done that were just so-so, like Tammy and The boss, or down right terrible, like Thunderforce, I show up. She wanted to climb that man like a tree in Bridesmaids, and I haven’t been able to quit her since.

40) Adam Sandler

Much like I just said, I think I’ve seen all of his films. Some of them, I actually love. Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, The Wedding Singer, and his dramatic work in Reign over me, and more recently Uncut Gems, have made up for a string of awful films, from Little Nicky to Jack and Jill, and most of what he’s done for Netflix. But, with hustle, he got a SAG nomination. So, perhaps, he’s one more Uncut Gems away from an Oscar?

Honorable Mentions:

I love Sister act 2, but Whoopi Goldberg missed out because she really just spends most of her time on The View.

I wanted to put some of my favorite former child stars, like Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson, and Elijah Wood, but I was limited to 40.

Channing Tatum was so close.

Michael B jordan is so close.

Bruce Willis almost made the cut. As did Michael J Fox.

I’m very aware of the lack of diversity, but I also was trying to be honest. There are a ton of black actresses I admire, but for a top 40? Tessa Thompson just felt too new, but I’m a big fan. I also really considered Octavia Spencer, Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan, and Audra McDonald.

If I spent more time watching classics, I might have a better appreciation for the body of work of james Stewart, Marlon Brando, Katherine Hepburn, and others.

In a longer list, I might have defended kevin Spacey’s position on the list, since he’s in so many of my favorite films.

What happened to jet Li?

Jennifer Garner almost made the cut just for 13 Going On 30 and alias.

I’m excited to see how this list develops in five or ten years. A lot of the younger talent just didn’t have the body of work.