70. Ryan Gosling
Few actors have had as much succeess in the past 10 years as Gosling. Alternating between silent heroism, suave, charismatic leads, and quirky characters filled with neuroses, the baby goose has somehow managed to walk out of the past decade with only 1 Oscar nomination to his name, in spite of the critical and commercial success of many of his films. A leading man with the ability to take on challenging roles, and often defying expectations while doing it.
Favorite performances:
Blue Valentine
Drive
Half Nelson
Lars And The Real Girl
The Place Beyond The Pines
The Big Short
The Believer
The Notebook
69. Clark Gable
One of my very favorite classic leading men, Gable had a long career and never really broke out of his typical roles. That isn't always a bad thing as he is one of the most infectiously charming actors who has ever lived. Every performance he gives is drenched in charisma, making every movie he's in all the more fun to watch because of it. His acting may not have been the most mind-blowing, but his presence is undeniable.
Favorite performances:
It Happened One Night
Gone With The Wind
Mutiny On The Bounty
San Francisco
Run Silent, Run Deep
68. Christopher Plummer
Some actors get better with time, and others begin to phone it in and stop doing "acting" as much as "get paid just to sort of be there". Plummer, the wonderful Canadian thespian that he is, is part of that first group, giving most of his best performances in the past 15 years or so. Basically, he is the less sinister and foreign version of Max Von Sydow, although he has been known to take on villainous roles himself. With several big awards and a strong filmography under his belt, he is possibly the most accomplished Canadian actor ever.
Favorite performances:
The Last Station
Remember
Beginners
The Insider
The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus
Up
Inside Man
67. Matt Damon
An action star who actually knows how to act, Damon has had as much critical and commercial success as anyone in the past 20 years, starting off his career strong and never ceasing to deliver strong performances. Although the number of leading men with actual acting talent has definitely increased over the years, I am still often surprised by how effective Damon really is. Most actors go through dry spells throughout their careers, and he never really has, still taking on difficult roles every so often. One of the biggest movie stars of our time, without a doubt.
Favorite performances:
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Good Will Hunting
The Informant!
The Martian
The Departed
The Bourne series
Saving Private Ryan
66. Humphrey Bogart
Unlike Gable, Bogart was a leading man/star who wasn't afraid to change things up, giving tons of fantastic performances for years until his untimely death at age 57. A distinctly dark actor who often took on corrupt or morally ambiguous roles, no one could pull off a better hard-boiled detective than Bogie. But despite his typecasting and instant recognizable features, he still managed to disappear into difficult and mentally unstable roles like it was second nature. He was a huge star with huge talent, and wasn't afraid to utilize it to its fullest effect.
Favorite performances:
Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
Casablanca
The Caine Mutiny
In A Lonely Place
The Maltese Falcon
The African Queen
Desperate Hours
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