Favourite Actor/Actress In a Movie/TV Role Played by More Than One Performer.
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Christian Charles Philip Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK on January 30, 1974, to English parents Jennifer "Jenny" (James) and David Bale. His mother was a circus performer and his father, who was born in South Africa, was a commercial pilot. The family lived in different countries throughout Bale's childhood, including England, Portugal, and the United States. Bale acknowledges the constant change was one of the influences on his career choice.
His first acting job was a cereal commercial in 1983; amazingly, the next year, he debuted on the West End stage in "The Nerd". A role in the 1986 NBC mini-series Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) caught Steven Spielberg's eye, leading to Bale's well-documented role in Empire of the Sun (1987). For the range of emotions he displayed as the star of the war epic, he earned a special award by the National Board of Review for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor.
Adjusting to fame and his difficulties with attention (he thought about quitting acting early on), Bale appeared in Kenneth Branagh's 1989 adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V (1989) and starred as Jim Hawkins in a TV movie version of Treasure Island (1990). Bale worked consistently through the 1990s, acting and singing in Newsies (1992), Swing Kids (1993), Little Women (1994), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), The Secret Agent (1996), Metroland (1997), Velvet Goldmine (1998), All the Little Animals (1998), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999). Toward the end of the decade, with the rise of the Internet, Bale found himself becoming one of the most popular online celebrities around, though he, with a couple notable exceptions, maintained a private, tabloid-free mystique.
Bale roared into the next decade with a lead role in American Psycho (2000), director Mary Harron's adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis novel. In the film, Bale played a murderous Wall Street executive obsessed with his own physicality - a trait for which Bale would become a specialist. Subsequently, the 10th Anniversary issue for "Entertainment Weekly" crowned Bale one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures" of the past decade, citing his cult status on the Internet. EW also called Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment", and "Premiere" lauded him as one of the "Hottest Leading Men Under 30".
Bale was truly on the Hollywood radar at this time, and he turned in a range of performances in the remake Shaft (2000), Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001), the balmy Laurel Canyon (2002), and Reign of Fire (2002), a dragons-and-magic commercial misfire that has its share of defenders.
Two more cult films followed: Equilibrium (2002) and The Machinist (2004), the latter of which gained attention mainly due to Bale's physical transformation - he dropped a reported 60+ pounds for the role of a lathe operator with a secret that causes him to suffer from insomnia for over a year.
Bale's abilities to transform his body and to disappear into a character influenced the decision to cast him in Batman Begins (2005), the first chapter in Christopher Nolan's definitive trilogy that proved a dark-themed narrative could resonate with audiences worldwide. The film also resurrected a character that had been shelved by Warner Bros. after a series of demising returns, capped off by the commercial and critical failure of Batman & Robin (1997). A quiet, personal victory for Bale: he accepted the role after the passing of his father in late 2003, an event that caused him to question whether he would continue performing.
Bale segued into two indie features in the wake of Batman's phenomenal success: The New World (2005) and Harsh Times (2005). He continued working with respected independent directors in 2006's Rescue Dawn (2006), Werner Herzog's feature version of his earlier, Emmy-nominated documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997). Leading up to the second Batman film, Bale starred in The Prestige (2006), the remake of 3:10 to Yuma (2007), and a reunion with director Todd Haynes in the experimental Bob Dylan biography, I'm Not There (2007).
Anticipation for The Dark Knight (2008) was spun into unexpected heights with the tragic passing of Heath Ledger, whose performance as The Joker became the highlight of the sequel. Bale's graceful statements to the press reminded us of the days of the refined Hollywood star as the second installment exceeded the box-office performance of its predecessor.
Bale's next role was the eyebrow-raising decision to take over the role of John Connor in the Schwarzenegger-less Terminator Salvation (2009), followed by a turn as federal agent Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's Public Enemies (2009). Both films were hits but not the blockbusters they were expected to be.
For all his acclaim and box-office triumphs, Bale would earn his first Oscar in 2011 in the wake of The Fighter (2010)'s critical and commercial success. Bale earned the Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund, brother to and trainer of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg. Bale again showed his ability to reshape his body with another gaunt, skeletal transformation.
Bale then turned to another auteur, Yimou Zhang, for the epic The Flowers of War (2011), in which Bale portrayed a priest trapped in the midst of the Rape of Nanking. Bale earned headlines for his attempt to visit with Chinese civil-rights activist Chen Guangcheng, which was blocked by the Chinese government.
Bale capped his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012); in the wake of the Aurora, Colorado tragedy, Bale made a quiet pilgrimage to the state to visit with survivors of the attack that left theatergoers dead and injured. He also starred in the thriller Out of the Furnace (2013) with Crazy Heart (2009) writer/director Scott Cooper, and the drama-comedy American Hustle (2013), reuniting with David O. Russell.
Bale will re-team with The New World (2005) director Terrence Malick for two upcoming projects: Knight of Cups (2015) and an as-yet-untitled drama.
In his personal life, he devotes time to charities including Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation. He lives with his wife, Sibi Blazic, and their two children.Role : Batman / Bruce Wayne.
The most rounded performance and most convincing in dual roles. I also love that his Batman films make Batman the central character.
Special mention to Michael Keaton who is my second favourite.
I'm not overly keen on Ben Affleck as an actor however he gave a solid performance which was superior to Val Kilmer and George Clooney's turns as Bruce Wayne/Batman.- Actress
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Pamela Sue Martin attended public schools in Westport, Connecticut and graduated from Staples High School in February 1971. Before she graduated, Pamela was working in a hamburger stand for $1.45 per hour when a friend told her that she was earning $60 per hour modeling in New York. Liking the wages and being of an ambitious nature, Pamela Sue decided to emulate her friend and soon was earning a good living as a teenage model for print ads and television commercials. Although she was completely innocent of dramatic training, experience or even ambitions, when Pamela Sue heard that Columbia Pictures was auditioning girls for a film called To Find a Man (1972), she decided to try. It took the producers three months to make up their minds, but in the end Pamela Sue had the female starring role. Pamela returned to Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut to finish high school. On the basis of her performance in To Find a Man (1972), producer Irwin Allen cast her to co-star with five Academy Award winners in The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Then came a starring role in the ABC Movie of the Week The Girls of Huntington House (1973) and a co-starring role with Jan-Michael Vincent in Buster and Billie (1974). She is particularly proud of her portrayal in the production, The Hemingway Play (1976). She has played the character Celia Grey in the television movie, Strong Medicine (1986) and has hosted "Saturday Night Live." Pamela enjoys athletic pursuits, especially scuba diving, tennis and skiing.Role: Fallon Carrington Colby
Pamela originated this role on the TV Series Dynasty. She gave the character more layers than her replacement Emma Samms who was much more one note. (However must add Samms did improve particularly in Series 9 although a lot of the improvement is due to the rise of quality of scripts in the last season following a dramatic dip in quality in Dynasty's mid-years.)
Pamela also had better chemistry with the other actors/actresses on the show. Take the Mother/Daughter relationship between herself and Joan Collins (Alexsis) for example. A great dynamic.
I think Pamela Sue Martin has a lot more range as an actress. I really don't think that Emma could pull off the ruthless intelligence and wit that the original actress displayed in the first and second seasons.- Actress
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- Director
Jamie Lee Curtis was born on November 22, 1958 in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of legendary actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. She got her big break at acting in 1978 when she won the role of Laurie Strode in Halloween (1978). After that, she became famous for roles in movies like Trading Places (1983), Perfect (1985) and A Fish Called Wanda (1988). She starred in one of the biggest action films ever, True Lies (1994), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance. Curtis also appeared on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), and starred in Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story (1981) as the title role. Her first starring role was opposite Richard Lewis on the ABC situation comedy Anything But Love (1989). In 1998, she starred in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) in which she reprised her role that made her famous back in 1978.
Jamie Lee served as an honorary chairperson for the Building Resilience for Young Children Dealing with Trauma program held at the Shakespeare Theatre - Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C. She was an inspiration for the youth that were celebrated. Curtis was also given an award from US Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman for her work on behalf of children through her charities and children's books.Role : Laurie Strode.
Jamie Lee created the role and is the classic and more traditional version of Laurie. She made the audience feel more empathy for her and for that reason we had an investment in whether she (the film's heroine) lived or died.
Scout Taylor - Compton was a more white trash version of the character in the Halloween remake and it's sequel who was not as easy a character to root for. Her Laurie was far more outgoing and not as reserved or timid as Curtis' which reduced the impact of the character's arc from going from a damsel in distress to badass heroine.- Actress
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- Soundtrack
Margot Kidder was born Margaret Ruth Kidder in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, to Jocelyn Mary "Jill" (Wilson), a history teacher from British Columbia, and Kendall Kidder, a New Mexico-born mining engineer and explosives expert. Margot was a delightful child who took pride in everything she did. At an early age, she became aware of the great emotions she felt towards expressing herself, and caught the acting bug. As a child, she wrote in a diary that she wanted to become a movie star, and that one day it would happen, but she had to overcome something else first. She was aware that she was constantly facing mood swings, but didn't know why. At odd times, she would try to kill herself - the first time was at age 14 - but the next day she would be just fine. Her father's hectic schedule and moving around so much didn't help matters, either, causing her to attend 11 schools in 12 years. Finally, in an attempt to help Margot with her troubles, her parents sent" her to a boarding school, where she took part in school plays, such as Romeo and Juliet", in which she played the lead.
After graduation, Margot moved to Los Angeles to start a film career. She found herself dealing with a lot of prejudice, and hotheads, but later found solace with a Canadian agent. This was when she got her first acting job, in the Norman Jewison film Gaily, Gaily (1969). This led to another starring role in Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970), in which she co-starred with Gene Wilder. After some harsh words from the film's director, Margot temporarily left films to study acting in New York, doing television work to pay her bills, but when the money ran out, she decided it was time to make a second try at acting. When she arrived in Hollywood she met up at a screen test with actress Jennifer Salt, resulting in a friendship that still stands strong today. Margot and Jennifer moved into a lofty beach house and befriended other, then unknown, struggling filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Steven Spielberg and Susan Sarandon, among others. Late nights would see the hot, happening youngsters up until all hours talking around a fire about how they were all going to change the film industry. It was crazy living and within the Christmas season, Margot had become involved with De Palma, and as a Christmas present he gave her the script to his upcoming film Sisters (1972). Margot and Salt both had the leads in the film, and it was a huge critical success.
The film made branded Margot as a major talent, and in the following years she starred in a string of critically acclaimed pictures, such as Black Christmas (1974), The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), 92 in the Shade (1975) - directed by Thomas McGuane, who was also her husband for a brief period - and a somewhat prophetic tale of self-resurrection, The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975).
After three years of being a housewife, looking after her daughter Maggie and not working, Margot decided it was time to let her emotions take control and get back into acting. Once her marriage to McGuane was over, she eyed a script that would change her life forever. Her new agent referred her to a little-known director named Richard Donner. He was going to be directing a film called Superman (1978), and she auditioned for and secured the leading female role of Lois Lane. That film and Superman II (1980) filmed simultaneously. After the success of "Superman" she took on more intense roles, such as The Amityville Horror (1979) and Willie & Phil (1980). After that, Margot starred in numerous films, television and theater work throughout the 1980s, including Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). When the 1990s erupted with the Gulf War, Margot found herself becoming involved in politics. She made a stir in the biz when she spoke out against the military for their actions in Kuwait. She also appeared in a cameo in Donner's Maverick (1994).
In 1996, as she was preparing to write her autobiography, she began to become more and more paranoid. When her computer became infected with a virus, this gave her paranoia full rein, and she sank into bipolar disorder. She panicked, and the resulting psychological problems she created for herself resulted in her fantasizing that her first husband was going to kill her, so she left her home and faked her death, physically altering her appearance in the process. After an intervention took place, she got back on her feet and started the mental wellness campaign. Since then, she resumed her career in film, television, and theatre, including appearing in a Canadian stage production of "The Vagina Monologues", and in films like The Clown at Midnight (1998).
Margot died on May 13, 2018, in Livingston, Montana.Role : Lois Lane
She is the only actress who has convinced me fully that she is a gutsy, beautiful, headline-hunting reporter.
She breathed more life into Lois than Amy Adams and Kate Bosworth combined.
For me she is the definitive Lois Lane.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Maggie Gyllenhaal was born on November 16, 1977 in New York City, New York as Margalit Ruth Gyllenhaal, the daughter of producer/screenwriter Naomi Foner and director Stephen Gyllenhaal, and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She is of Ashkenazi Jewish (mother) and Swedish, English, and German (father) descent.
She made her film debut in Waterland (1992). She had sporadic roles throughout her teenage years though she took a break to attend Columbia University where she graduated w/ a degree in literature in 1999. In addition, she briefly studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, which helped w/ her post-graduation transition back into acting.
Soon after graduating, she had supporting roles in Cecil B. Demented (2000) & Donnie Darko (2001). Her breakout role came later when she starred in Secretary (2002), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She followed that up w/ supporting roles in 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Adaptation. (2002), & Mona Lisa Smile (2003) among other movies. She received her 2nd Golden Globe nomination for playing a recent prison parolee in Sherrybaby (2006). She followed that up w/ roles in World Trade Center (2006), Stranger Than Fiction (2006) & The Dark Knight (2008).
In 2009, she received great acclaim for her role in Crazy Heart (2009), which earned her 1st Oscar nomination. Since then, she has been seen in Nanny McPhee Returns (2010), Hysteria (2011) & Won't Back Down (2012).Role : Rachel Dawes
While Katie Holmes' acting was fine in Batman Begins ; I think she wasn't old enough for the part especially after Bruce Wayne has been missing from Gotham for many years. In these parts of the film once Bruce has returned to Gotham she appears to be too young to be the love interest of Christian Bale. Whereas Maggie appears to be as mature as Christian and looks like a more believable love interest for him.- Actor
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One of the British theatre's most famous faces, Daniel Craig, who waited tables as a struggling teenage actor with the National Youth Theatre, has gone on to star as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021).
He was born Daniel Wroughton Craig on March 2, 1968, at 41 Liverpool Road, Chester, Cheshire, England. His father, Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was a merchant seaman turned steel erector, and then became landlord of the "Ring O'Bells" pub in Frodsham, Cheshire. His mother, Carol Olivia (Williams), was an art teacher. Craig has English, as well as Irish, Scottish and Welsh, ancestry. His parents split up in 1972, and young Daniel was raised with his older sister, Lea, in Liverpool, then in Hoylake, Wirral, in the home of his mother. His interest in acting was encouraged by visits to the Liverpool Everyman Theatre arranged by his mother. From the age of six, Craig started acting in school plays, making his debut in the Frodsham Primary School production of "Oliver!", and his mother was the driving force behind his artistic aspirations. The first Bond movie he ever saw at the cinema was Roger Moore's Live and Let Die (1973); young Daniel Craig saw it with his father, so it took a special place in his heart. He was also a good athlete and was a rugby player at Hoylake Rugby Club.
At age 14, Craig played roles in "Oliver", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella" at Hilbre High School in West Kirby, Wirral. He left Hilbre High School at age 16 to audition at the National Youth Theatre's (NYT) troupe on their tour in Manchester in 1984. He was accepted and moved down to London. There, his mother and father watched his stage debut as Agamemnon in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida". As a struggling actor with the NYT, he was toiling in restaurant kitchens and as a waiter. Craig performed with NYT on tours to Valencia, Spain, and to Moscow, Russia, under the leadership of director Edward Wilson. He failed at repeated auditions at the Guildhall, but eventually his persistence paid off, and in 1988, he entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican. There, he studied alongside Ewan McGregor and Alistair McGowan, then later Damian Lewis and Joseph Fiennes, among others. He graduated in 1991, after a three-year course under the tutelage of Colin McCormack, the actor from the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1992-1994, he was married to Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, their daughter, named Ella Craig (born 1992).
Craig made his film debut in The Power of One (1992). His film career continued on television, notably the BBC2 serial Our Friends in the North (1996). He shot to international fame after playing supporting roles in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Road to Perdition (2002). He was nominated for his performances in the leading role in Layer Cake (2004), and received other awards and nominations. Craig was named as the sixth actor to portray James Bond, in October 2005, weeks after he finished his work in Munich (2005), where he co-starred with Eric Bana under the directorship of Steven Spielberg. Craig's reserved demeanor and his avoidance of the showbiz-party-red-carpet milieu makes him a cool 007. He is the first blond actor to play Bond, and also the first to be born after the start of the film series, and also the first to be born after the death of author Ian Fleming in 1964. Four of the past Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan have indicated that Craig is a good choice as Bond.
He was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) by Queen Elizabeth II at the 2022 Queen's New Years Honours for his services to Film and Theatre.Role : James Bond
Craig is my favourite Bond due to him bringing a grittiness to the character. A much more grounded Bond. I prefer the added realism in his Bond films along with the increased emotional depth he displays in this iconic role.- Actress
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With her expressive blue eyes, soft, Southern-tinged voice and an acting range that can carry her from hysterically funny to terrifying in seconds, Patricia Arquette is one of the most underrated and talented actresses of her generation. Though she has been working for years, she's always stayed just under the radar of true stardom, despite a 1995 marriage to Nicolas Cage.
Patricia was born in Chicago, though the family soon moved to a commune near Arlington, Virginia. Her parents, Lewis Arquette, an actor, and Brenda Denaut (née Nowak), an acting teacher and therapist, had 4 other children: Rosanna Arquette, Richmond Arquette, Alexis Arquette, and David Arquette, all actors. Her paternal grandfather, Cliff Arquette, was also an entertainer. Patricia's mother was from an Ashkenazi Jewish family (from Poland and Russia), while Patricia's father had French-Canadian, Swiss-German, and English ancestry.
At 15, Patricia ran away from home to live with her sister Rosanna and, after initial insecurity, got her start in Pretty Smart (1987). A year later, she gained attention for her starring role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), considered by many to be the best film of the Nightmare series. In 1989, Patricia's son, Enzo (father is Paul Rossi), was born. Soon after, her career took off, and she has since appeared in such critically acclaimed movies as True Romance (1993), Beyond Rangoon (1995), Ethan Frome (1992), Lost Highway (1997) and Flirting with Disaster (1996). She won a CableACE award in 1991 for her portrayal of a deaf epileptic in Wildflower (1991). In 1997, after her mother died of breast cancer, Patricia took the lead in the fight against the disease. She has run in the annual Race for the Cure and in 1999 was the Lee National Denim Day spokesperson.Role : Kristen Parker
Patricia in her breakthrough role brought a vulnerability to Kristen. However as the 3rd instalment in the 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' series progresses she is equally impressive in playing a more empowered character following her battles with Freddy Krueger.
I was very disappointed that Patricia did not reprise her role in the sequel. The film really does suffer from her absence. Tuesday Knight's performance sadly lacks Patricia's depth and presence.- From the bubbly blonde with starry blue eyes and those famous hot pants to being the most famous cocaine addict in Britain, Danniella Westbrook is no stranger to the attentions of the media. Born on 5 November 1973 in Walthamstow, the only daughter of Andy and Sue Westbrook, she knew that her life would be far from just ordinary.
As a young child Danniella dreamed of becoming a champion show jumper, but that all changed when she was just seven-years-old. For at that early age Westbrook entered into the world of show business dreaming a different dream; becoming the new Jodie Foster. She began her career as a child model, and the next few years saw her model children's fashionware in various catalogues, enter numerous beauty contests and, one of the highlights of her modelling career, become the face of the high street store Tammy Girl. It wasn't long before stage school beckoned in the form of The Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she attended weekend classes and later became a full-time student due to bullying at her local school.
Then on 19 July 1990 Westbrook became a household name as she appeared as her most famous character, Sam Mitchell, on the highly-praised and highly-watched BBC One soap opera: EastEnders (1985). The timing couldn't have been better as the sixteen-year-old had just been asked politely to leave school and the future was uncertain, but as she walked through the famous Albert Square in her quintessential costume consisting of a tight sweater and denim hotpants she knew that she had made it, and she knew that her life was about to change forever. Danniella's original stint on the classic soap opera came to an end just shy of three years, with her final scenes being aired on 4 February 1993. During this time Westbrook's character Sam had been involved in highly-publicised storylines, including a now-famous romance with mechanic Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) which resulted in a teenage elopement to Gretna Green, as well as her aspirations to become a model, leading to a brief career in topless modelling and culminating in an affair with a yuppie that led to her downfall. Danniella had made the decision to quit EastEnders (1985), feeling that three years was enough to make her mark on television and the door was left open for her to return at any time.
Away from EastEnders (1985), Danniella's career was just beginning. She found herself inundated with modelling work, and was also given the opportunity to work on the TV series Frank Stubbs Promotes (1993), portraying a character completely opposite to Sam: moody teenager Dawn Dillon. Working with esteemed actors Timothy Spall and Lesley Sharp, the show was a success and proved that Westbrook had a future in acting outside of soap operas. Unfortunately the show was axed in 1994 after just two seasons, and Danniella decided to return to what she knew best: EastEnders (1985).
Danniella's return scenes, which saw Sam's brothers Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant (Ross Kemp) find her in Spain working in a seedy club and bring her back home to Albert Square, were aired in July 1995. However Westbrook's second stint wasn't as fruitful as her original. Behind the cameras Danniella's private life had begun to spiral out of control due to her addiction to cocaine. She had started taking cocaine before she had even entered EastEnders (1985) the first time, but by now it was starting to take its toll on the pretty young actress and her work suffered extremely. Eventually a decision by the producers was reached; to terminate Westbrook's one-year contract early. Danniella's exit scenes, where she left Albert Square for Spain with her new Spanish boyfriend Guillermo, were aired in March 1996 and her eight months in the soap had seen her involved in a love triangle with ex-husband Ricky and new girlfriend Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), as well as have a relationship with Bianca's father David Wicks (Michael French), and cause plenty of trouble for the Mitchell family. Once again the door was left open for her to return. However Danniella was facing a new role in her life: motherhood.
On 23 November 1996, Danniella gave birth to her beloved son Kai. Unfortunately, however, it wasn't the incentive to give up on cocaine like her family and friends had hoped. During her pregnancy she had used as much as five grams of cocaine per day, and it was a miracle that the child had survived and not been left with any disability. She took a hiatus from her acting career to raise her son, taking on a few modelling jobs in order to keep them afloat, but her cocaine addiction was spiralling out of control. Prior to her pregnancy she had spent a week in The Priory, leaving because she felt that she wasn't an addict. After constant drug abuse she was given an opportunity to redeem herself when EastEnders (1985) asked her back for a third stint, and Sam was once again seen returning to Albert Square, this time on our screens in July 1999. However Danniella was keeping another secret from the public. Her cocaine abuse throughout the years had caused her septum to disintegrate, leaving her with one gaping nostril instead of two. Once discovered by the press at The British Soap Awards, the producers had no choice but to axe Sam again before her one-year contract and in January 2000 her last scenes, which saw Sam live with her friend in South London, were aired and two years later Sam was recast with actress Kim Medcalf in the role.
By this time Danniella was in serious need of help. She had alienated all family and friends, and was now living with her son in a flat above a social club, followed by a brief stint in a half-way hostel. She had lost her looks, and was reduced to doing an odd shift in the social club where she would be jeered at by punters. But one man had faith in her: her boyfriend Kevin Jenkins. The businessman, and former alcoholic, sought out the help Danniella needed and she attended a rehabilitation centre in Arizona whilst pregnant with their child. After spending months there she came out finally clean and prepared for motherhood again. However heartbreak was to follow as the world became aware of her antics and her son was taken into care. After a few months apart Danniella was finally reunited with her son, and she later gave birth to her daughter Jodie on 5 September 2001.
The recovering drug addict then forged herself a career in television presenting following a disastrous stint on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2002) in 2003. For the next three years she presented various shows, such as ones discussing cosmetic surgery, before again taking a hiatus in 2006 in order to write her groundbreaking autobiography The Other Side of Nowhere, which was released in April 2006. Danniella then continued to raise her family before being given the chance of redemption: to return as Sam Mitchell and finish her story on EastEnders (1985). Convinced that she would never again portray her beloved Sam after the recast, Westbrook took the opportunity with both hands and, after nearly 10 years off screen, her returning scenes were aired on 4 September 2009.
However, Danniella's time in the spotlight was not over yet. From January to March 2010 the EastEnders (1985) star was seen competing against thirteen other celebrities in the hit reality TV show Dancing on Ice (2006). Danniella, who didn't expect to make it past the first round, became a favourite to win and even topped the leader boards in Week 10 after a raunchy secretary dance routine on the ice. However she was eliminated in the semi-final after facing a skate-off with The Bill (1984) favourite Gary Lucy.Role : Sam Mitchell
When Danniella was replaced by Kim Medcalf in EastEnders it made the personality of Sam very inconsistent. This is no offence to Kim who is a fine actress ; the problem was that she wasn't playing the Sam Mitchell who I grew up with watching the show. She was playing a version of her.
I really don't think they ever should have replaced Danniella Westbrook in the first place ; fair enough she couldn't appear due to her 'problems' so they should have just not had Sam appear on the show. She was a very established character and Danniella had played her on and off for 10 years. Too long for a replacement imo. Susan Tully played Michelle Fowler for 10 years and now she won't return EE bosses have said they will never replace her with another actress. This should have applied to Sam also.
Obviously new producers and management team have now gone back on their former stance and recast the role of Michelle Fowler in 2016. Most would agree that the recast was unsuccessful hence the character being written out after just over a year of being back. The character of Michelle did not appear on the show for twenty one years and still the change of actress was hard to accept. In relation to Westbrook and Medcalf ; Kim Medcalf stepped into the role a mere two years after Westbrook played her.
I am pleased that all Sam Mitchell appearances since 2009 on the soap have been with Westbrook in the role. - Actor
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- Soundtrack
Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his high school senior year. He left high school without graduating, but earned a diploma through a professional education course, and graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in film. For much of the mid-1990s, he lived in New York City as a struggling, unemployed actor.Role : Harvey Dent / Two Face.
Batman Forever's version of Two-Face played by Tommy Lee Jones was more of a Jack Nicholson's Joker knock-off than the multifaceted character Aaron plays in The Dark Knight. Aaron's Two Face is a much less cartoonish character who fits in well with the more reality based trilogy of films.
Two Face's reliance on the coin was also portrayed by Tommy Lee as more of a quirk than a necessity, one scene showing him repeatedly flipping the coin to get the result he wants rather than simply accepting its original result.
Furthermore he spent a large chunk playing second fiddle to Jim Carrey's The Riddler who was more the main villain in the movie whereas Aaron's role is much more prominent in Nolan's film. The Dark Knight is the origin story of Two Face as Batman Begins had been the origin story of the title character.
Billy Dee Williams never got the opportunity to play Two Face and did an okay job as Harvey Dent. There really wasn't a lot for him to do as there was no pay off in him becoming Two Face. I've always been curious on what his take on the character would have been after the transformation.- Actor
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With his breakthrough performance as Eames in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller Inception (2010), English actor Tom Hardy has been brought to the attention of mainstream audiences worldwide. However, the versatile actor has been steadily working on both stage and screen since his television debut in the miniseries Band of Brothers (2001). After being cast in the World War II drama, Hardy left his studies at the prestigious Drama Centre in London and was subsequently cast as Twombly in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001) and as the villain Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
Edward Thomas Hardy was born on September 15, 1977 in Hammersmith, London; his mother, Elizabeth Anne (Barrett), is an artist and painter, and his father, Chips Hardy, is a writer. He is of English and Irish descent. Hardy was brought up in East Sheen, London, and first studied at Reed's School. His education continued at Tower House School, then at Richmond Drama School, and subsequently at the Drama Centre London, along with fellow Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender. After winning a modeling competition at age 21, he had a brief contract with the agency Models One.
Tom spent his teens and early twenties battling delinquency, alcoholism and drug addiction; after completing his work on Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), he sought treatment and has also admitted that his battles with addiction ended his five-year marriage to Sarah Ward. Returning to work in 2003, Hardy was awarded the Evening Standard Most Promising Newcomer Award for his theatre performances in the productions of "In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings" and "Blood". In 2003, Tom also co-starred in the play "The Modernists" with Paul Popplewell, Jesse Spencer and Orlando Wells.
During the next five years, Hardy worked consistently in film, television and theatre, playing roles as varied as Robert Dudley in the BBC's The Virgin Queen (2005), Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (2007) and starring in "The Man of Mode" at the National Theatre. On the silver screen, he appeared in the crime thriller Layer Cake (2004) with Daniel Craig, Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006), and the romp Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006).
In 2006, Hardy created "Shotgun", an underground theatre company along with director Robert Delamere, and directed a play, penned by his father for the company, called "Blue on Blue". In 2007, Hardy received a best actor BAFTA nomination for his touching performance as Stuart Shorter in the BBC adaptation of Alexander Masters' bestselling biography Stuart: A Life Backwards (2007). Hailed for his transformative character acting, Hardy was lauded for his emotionally and physically convincing portrayal in the ill-fated and warmhearted tale of Shorter, a homeless and occasionally violent man suffering from addiction and muscular dystrophy.
The following year, he appeared as gay hoodlum Handsome Bob in the Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla (2008), but this would be his next transformation that would prove his extensive range and stun critics. In the film Bronson (2008), Hardy played the notorious Charles Bronson (given name, Michael Peterson), the "most violent prisoner in Britain". Bald, pumped-up, and outfitted with Bronson's signature strongman mustache, Hardy is unrecognizable and gives a harrowing performance that is physically fearless and psychologically unsettling. Director Nicolas Winding Refn breaks the fourth wall with Hardy retelling his tales directly to viewers as well as performing them outright before an audience of his own imagining. The performance mixes terrifying brutality, vaudevillian showmanship, wry humor, and an alarming amount of commitment, and won Hardy a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor. The performance got Hollywood's attention, and in 2009, Hardy was named one of Variety's "10 Actors to Watch". That year, he continued to garner praise for his starring role in The Take (2009), a four-part adaptation of Martina Cole's bestselling crime novel, as well as for his performance as Heathcliff in a version of Wuthering Heights (2009).
Recent work includes the aforementioned breakthrough appearance in Inception (2010) alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Elliot Page. The movie was released in July 2010 and became one of top 25 highest grossing films of all time, collecting eight Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and winning four.
Other films include Warrior (2011), opposite Joel Edgerton, the story of two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime from director Gavin O'Connor, and This Means War (2012), directed by McG and co-starring Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine. Tom also starred in the heralded Cold War thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) with Colin Firth and Gary Oldman. Hardy rejoined Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises (2012); he played the villain role of Bane opposite Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman. Hardy's menacing physique and his character's scrambled, hard-to-distinguish voice became a major discussion point as the film was released.
Outside of performing, Hardy is the patron for the charity "Flack", which is an organization to aid the recovery of the homeless in Cambridge. And in 2010, Hardy was named an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust, which helps disadvantaged youth. On the recent stage, he starred in the Brett C. Leonard play "The Long Red Road" in early 2010. Written for Hardy and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, the play was staged at Chicago's Goodman Theater.
In 2015, Hardy starred as the iconic Mad Max in George Miller's reboot of his franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). He also collected a British Independent Film Award for his portrayal of both the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, in Legend (2015), and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as John Fitzgerald in The Revenant (2015). Hardy also starred on the BBC series Peaky Blinders (2013), alongside Cillian Murphy, and on the television series Taboo (2017), both created by Steven Knight.
He has an outlaw biker story among other projects in development. In 2010, Hardy became engaged to fellow English actress Charlotte Riley, whom he starred with in The Take (2009) and Wuthering Heights (2009), and is raising a young son, Louis Thomas Hardy, with ex-girlfriend Rachael Speed. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to drama.Role : Bane
Tom Hardy is phenomenal as the towering back-breaker Bane, doing wonders with his eyes (as most of his face is concealed by the mask the character wears). Also with his physicality and with his voice. He's the physical threat Batman needed in Nolan's trilogy and Tom delivers fully.
My only problem with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises lies solely in story. His role is diminished greatly by the Talia twist. He's rendered a henchman, no longer the mastermind he appeared to be and is in the comics. While Hardy's performance and character is much superior to Jeep Swenson's take on Bane in Batman and Robin, this is the one common thread each performance has. Swenson's Bane also serves as a bodyguard and henchman of the primary villainess of his film Poison Ivy.
Jeep's interpretation of Bane varies from Tom's who demonstrates Bane's above-average intellect and cunning whereas he displays a version of the character who has a far less than average I.Q and is an inarticulate thug. His Bane is barely even capable of speech and uses growls, roars, and snarls for most of his communication; only occasionally roaring single words or short, incoherent sentences.
Despite this particular change in his character from the comics, he is still muscular, wears an accurate replication of his classic costume and mask, and is still superhumanly strong; easily overpowering various thugs, police officers, and holding his own against both Batman and Robin in hand-to-hand combat.- Writer
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Nick Castle was born on 21 September 1947 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for The Last Starfighter (1984), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) and Escape from New York (1981). He has been married to Mary Charlene Napp since 31 December 1981. They have one child.Role : Michael Myers
Castle in the original Halloween had the best body language IMO, the way he walks for example really highlights the characterization that Michael Myers is pure evil. Also the way he moves/tilts his head when he is studying one of his victims Bob who he has just killed. Little gestures like this really did make the difference and make Castle stand out as the best Myers.- Actor
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Al Corley was born on 22 May 1956 in Wichita, Kansas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Dynasty (1981), The Ice Road (2021) and Don Juan DeMarco (1994). He was previously married to Jessika Cardinahl.Role : Stephen Carrington
Originally played by Al Corley until Jack Coleman took over the role in 1983. Both actors played the role well. They both displayed the characteristic of particular importance of the role of Steven which was that he seemed to be the only Carrington with any ethical values. Coleman is a fine actor however while Corley was on the show the character was more clearly defined and his storylines were not repetitive.
Coleman's Steven was always being modified to make him less controversial. While a self-identified homosexual, Steven slept with more women than Warren Beatty in his prime, and has even married a few. While some of his trysts could realistically be chalked up to curiosity or confusion, one major reason for the character’s erratic journey to self-awareness and acceptance of his orientation was pressure from the religious right. The character seemed to go round in circles during this period.
By the end of the series, Steven (played again by Al Corley) is much more well-adjusted. In the reunion special, which aired in 1991, he is shown to be in a long-term relationship with another man – and finally receives acceptance from his father.- Melissa Suffield was born on 24 December 1992 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), EastEnders: E20 (2010) and Poirot (1989).Role : Lucy Beale
I don't think either actress Melissa Suffield or Hetti Bywater (who have played Lucy) were great actresses but I found Hetti particularly weak.
However it was Melissa's Lucy that stapled the character as "Lucy Beale". It was she, not Hetti, who put their mark on the character and made her recognisable to the viewers of EastEnders.
While I don't think Hetti is the best actress in the world, I do think she would have had a better reception if she did not step into the role of Lucy. If she played a different character on the show (which let's be honest, she more or less did), I would have accepted her more. It's the fact that she was so far removed from the character I once knew that made it so much harder for me and many other viewers to accept her as "their" Lucy. She changed Lucy's personality completely. Any actress stepping into the role would have had tough boots to fill but if the team at EE and the actress had kept to the same characterisation, personality and traits - while adding some vulnerability to the character, Hetti's stint wouldn't have been such a flop.
Melissa's Lucy was a bold, brash and outspoken character who had a knack for getting in trouble. She could be rude and abrasive while always being confident and strong-willed. Whether viewers liked Lucy this way or not, that's how the role was developed. Hetti's Lucy on the other hand was a feeble, fragile, introverted, softly-spoken, timid and simpering wreck who constantly looked scared out her wits.
EastEnders bosses have been clever and retroactively explained Lucy's change in character as being the result of her having a secret drug problem. This was revealed during the 'Who Killed Lucy Beale' storyline in which a lot of secrets about the character were discovered. Even so I prefer Melissa's portrayal and believe Hetti's version of Lucy is the reason they decided to kill her off in the show. - Actress
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Arguably best remembered for her role as Miss Ellie, the Ewing family matriarch on the long-running TV series Dallas (1978), Barbara Bel Geddes had earlier scored success on stage and screen long before gaining more lasting fame on television. She was born in New York City on Halloween Day 1922, the daughter of noted theatrical and industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes, who staged more than 200 plays. After growing up amidst the theatre, Bel Geddes began acting on stage at age 18 and soon moved on to Broadway. The silver screen also beckoned; she made her film debut in The Long Night (1947). She was quickly labeled a star, gracing the cover of Life magazine on April 12, 1948. Her third motion picture, I Remember Mama (1948), garnered Bel Geddes an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. Other notable films include Panic in the Streets (1950) directed by Elia Kazan; Alfred Hitchcock's classic mystery-thriller Vertigo (1958) with James Stewart and Kim Novak; and The Five Pennies (1959) opposite Danny Kaye. Though she achieved immediate success in films, Bel Geddes also continued to tread the boards on Broadway, since theatre was her first love. In 1952, she received the prestigious Woman of the Year Award from Hasty Pudding Theatricals USA, America's oldest theater company. She was nominated for Tony Awards as best dramatic actress for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1956 and for the lead in Mary, Mary in 1961. Bel Geddes made several TV appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and other programs in the mid 1950s, but her greatest television role came as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow on Dallas (1978), which enjoyed a run of 13 years (1978-1991). She won the Emmy Award for best actress in 1980 and was nominated in the same category in 1979 and 1981. Bel Geddes left the show for health reasons during the 1984-85 season, with Donna Reed taking over the role of Miss Ellie. Bel Geddes returned for the 1985-86 season and continued on Dallas (1978) until 1990, when she effectively retired from acting. She did not appear in either of the two Dallas TV reunion movies. On August 8, 2005, she died following a long illness.Role: "Miss" Ellie Ewing
Donna Reed when she took over the role did not keep her portrayal consistent with the way Barbara had played Miss Ellie. Donna's version was more a typical wealthy socialite character even down to the appearance of the character. Donna had a glamorous look instead of sporting a simple, frumpy, lovable Miss Ellie look (BBG version).
Although Barbara is my preferred Miss Ellie ; this is no disrespect to the talents of Donna Reed. She was faced with an impossible task, to fill a role which had been totally dominated by Barbara Bel Geddes who had left her mark on the character with such strength that it was always going to be hard for Donna Reed to adapt or make the character her own. It's a shame they didn't bring her on as a new character such as Miss Ellie's socialite sister who came to watch the family in her sister's absence for example.
In Donna's defence I always found it odd that Miss Ellie was so frumpy and dowdy when she was a multi-millionairess. Donna's interpretation was more how I would imagine the wife of an oil baron to be like. Unfortunately Barbara's Miss Ellie was already established so the change was a sharp contrast with what preceded it.- Actress
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As a kid, Sissy Spacek climbed trees, rode horses, swam, and played in the woods. She was born Mary Elizabeth Spacek on December 25, 1949, in Quitman, Texas, to Virginia Frances (Spilman) and Edwin Arnold Spacek, Sr., a county agricultural agent. Her father's family was of Czech and German origin.
Sissy attended Quitman High School and was homecoming queen. After graduating, she embarked on an acting career, gaining interest in the profession through her cousin, actor Rip Torn. Sissy relocated to New York, and through him, enrolled in the New York branch of the Actors Studio. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute while also pursuing work as a model and singer, appearing in West Village showcases such as the Bitter End for $10 a night. Sissy eventually broke into film and one of her first roles was as Holly in the classic Badlands (1973). The art director on that film was Jack Fisk, with whom she would marry in 1974 and ultimately collaborate on eight films. Sissy followed this landmark film with a star-making and Oscar nominated performance in Carrie (1976), in which she played a humiliated prom queen who goes postal with her telekinesis. Sissy has had an enduring and award winning career in movies and television, which includes an Oscar as Best Actress for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980). The parents of two grown daughters, Sissy and Jack live on a large horse ranch in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Even though she continued to appear in film and television during the late 1980s and 1990s, Sissy devoted most of those years to her family. Then, in 2001, Sissy returned to the big screen in a major way with a powerful performance in In the Bedroom (2001), which not only earned her a sixth Best Actress Oscar nomination, but a win for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, Independent Spirit Awards, and numerous critics association awards. Sissy continues to work steadily as an actress, but in 2012, her credits expanded even further to include a memoir, My Extraordinary Ordinary Life.Role : Carrie White
Spacek in the role without speaking a word really was able to display a wide eyed terrified vibe. Late in the story when Carrie's telekinesis goes into over drive, Spacek demonstrated this merely with the glaring whites of her eyes which is pretty unnerving to watch.
Spacek was able to showcase every nuance of the character with her trembly, forlorn, extremely vulnerable, naked performance.
Chloe Grace Moretz had big shoes to fill when she took on the role in the remake as Spacek was widely applauded for her performance and even got an Oscar nod for it. She is less successful than Spacek in being fully credible as a downcast and withdrawn teenager although she is somewhat sympathetic as Carrie. I think she was a little miscast especially when in comparison to Spacek's iconic playing of Carrie.
Carrie White of the 2013 film is not the awkward little duckling of the original. This is the biggest issue of the remake and what makes Moretz's Carrie weaker. Although she is a fantastic young actress of whom I am a fan ; she's just not really the right choice for Carrie. Despite her best efforts to look as socially awkward and sheltered, she came off as way too natural and confident. Perhaps it's believable that she wouldn't be the high school's most popular student, but she's nowhere near Sissy's original version of the character who was the most hated and bullied girl in the halls.- Actor
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Terence was born in London and spent his early years watching American films and dreamed of being like the stars on the screen, He was awarded a scholarship for the Webber Douglas School of Dramatic Art. In his second year, during an audition, Peter Ustinov signed him for the title role in Billy Budd (1962). This was not only his remarkable film debut but his performance earned him his first and only Oscar nomination too in 1962 and marked the start of his international stardom. He consolidated his career by working with some of the top directors such as William Wyler (The Collector (1965)), Joseph Losey (Modesty Blaise (1966)), John Schlesinger (Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)), Ken Loach (Poor Cow (1967)) and Pier Paolo Pasolini (Teorema (1968)). He then took a break from films and traveled around the world returning to cinema in a variety of films including, among others, Superman (1978), Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), Superman II (1980), The Hit (1984) (for which he was awarded the Grand Medaille de Vermeil in Paris), Legal Eagles (1986), The Sicilian (1987), Wall Street (1987), Young Guns (1988), Alien Nation (1988), The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Valkyrie (2008) and Unfinished Song (2012). He has also published the first two instalments of his autobiography, Stamp Album, which became a best seller.Role : General Zod
When I think of this character it is Stamp's iconic version that comes to mind. I believe he defined the character which in some part is down to my mixed reaction to Man Of Steel as a whole and Michael Shannon's take on the role.
Obviously now the Superman movies of the 70's and 80's look campy compared to Man Of Steel however Stamp’s Zod still remains a cool, ominous threat. He is menacing in part because of how unflappable he seems. Shannon’s performance is exactly the opposite: brutal and belligerent. Both are valid, effective interpretations of the character. Although Stamp's interpretation stands out as it is much more memorable and entertaining with dialogue such as 'Kneel Before Zod' becoming a much quoted line. I can't think of anything that Shannon as Zod said in his film that compares.
They both have contrasting takes in films that have very different tones. Stamp's portrayal is much more traditional Comic Booky as opposed to Shannon's more serious playing of the character. Regardless of nostalgia (which admittedly does play a part) I conclude that Stamp's playing General Zod is much more enduring.- Actor
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Award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, of humble means to father Frank Lawrence Ruffalo, a construction painter and Marie Rose (Hebert), a stylist and hairdresser; his father's ancestry is Italian and his mother is of half French-Canadian and half Italian descent. Mark moved with his family to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he lived out most of his teenage years. Following high school, Mark moved with his family to San Diego and soon migrated north, eventually settling in Los Angeles.
Mark first took classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory and subsequently co-founded the Orpheus Theatre Company, an Equity-Waiver establishment, where he worked in nearly every capacity. From acting, writing, directing and producing to running the lights and building sets while building his resume.
Moving into film and TV, Mark's inauspicious movie debut was the drifter role of Christian in the horror opus Mirror Mirror 2: Raven Dance (1994) and returned to the film series in the role of Joey with Mirror Mirror 3: The Voyeur (1995). He continued on through the 1990's rather indistinctly with more secondary roles in the horror film The Dentist (1996) starring madman Corbin Bernsen; an amusing perf in the obscure dramedy The Last Big Thing (1996); a third billed role in the Jerry Stiller/Anne Meara bickering senior comedy A Fish in the Bathtub (1998); and the war drama Ceremony... The Ritual of Love (1976) directed by Ang Lee.
Bartending for nearly nearly a decade to make ends meet and discouraged enough to give it up, a chance meeting and resulting collaboration with playwright/screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan approaching the millennium changed everything. Ruffalo won NY success in Lonergan's 1996 off-Broadway play "This Is Our Youth," a story about troubled young adults. This led to his male lead in Lonergan's Oscar-winning film drama You Can Count on Me (2000), playing the ne'er-do-well brother of Laura Linney. The performance drew rave reviews and invited comparisons to an early Marlon Brando.
Ruffalo never looked back. Notable roles in The Last Castle (2001), XX/XY (2002), and Windtalkers (2002) followed, although in 2002 Ruffalo was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumor. Though the tumor was benign, the resulting surgery led to a period of partial facial paralysis, from which he fully recovered. In 2003, Ruffalo scored leading roles alongside two popular female stars, playing a police detective opposite Meg Ryan in In the Cut (2003) and the love interest of Gwyneth Paltrow in the comedy View from the Top (2003).
Though both films were high-profile box office disappointments, Ruffalo went on to four notable (if highly disparate) films in 2004 -- We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), 13 Going on 30 (2004), and Collateral (2004) -- which solidified his ability to be both a popular leading man and an acclaimed ensemble player in either comedy or drama.
After 2004, Ruffalo was consistently at work, with leads in popular Hollywood films and independent productions that continued to solidify him as one of film's most consistently strong actors: Just Like Heaven (2005), All the King's Men (2006), Zodiac (2007), Reservation Road (2007), and The Brothers Bloom (2008). He also made his Broadway debut as Moe Axelrod in the play "Awake and Sing!"
In 2010 Ruffalo achieved something of a breakthrough, by directing the indie film Sympathy for Delicious (2010), which won him the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and co-starring as the sperm-donor father to lesbian couple Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right (2010). His role in the idiosyncratic domestic comedy/drama earned him Academy Award, Independent Spirit Award, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to earn two more Best Supporting Actor nominations as an Olympic-winning wrestling champion in Foxcatcher (2014) and as a journalist working to uncover the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal in Spotlight (2015). In 2017, the actor returned to Broadway in Arthur Miller's "The Price."
High-profile roles in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island (2010) and Longeran's long-delayed film Margaret (2011) followed before Ruffalo's appearance as Dr. Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk, in Joss Whedon's movie blockbuster The Avengers (2012). Garnering highly positive reviews for a role in which actors Eric Bana and Edward Norton could not find success in previous films made Ruffalo a box office action star in addition to a critically-acclaimed actor. He returned to the Banner/Hulk role frequently in such Marvel movies as Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019) and Avengers: Endgame (2019),
Reunited with former co-star Gwyneth Paltrow in the sex-addiction comedy-drama Thanks for Sharing (2012), he went on to earn a Golden Globe nomination for playing a bipolar Dad in Infinitely Polar Bear (2014). Ruffalo also took on the lead in Ryan Murphy's adaptation of Larry Kramer's AIDS-drama play The Normal Heart (2014) and earned a SAG Award and Emmy Nomination. He later took home the Emmy playing twin brothers, one a paranoid schizophrenic, in I Know This Much Is True (2020).
Ruffalo has been married to actress Sunrise Coigney since 2000; the couple has three children, two sons and a daughter.Role : Hulk / Bruce Banner
The character/s present a challenge to any actor trying to inhabit the dual roles. The duality and contradictions of the character have all been explored by Eric Bana, Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo in their respective films to varying degrees of success. While they all have their merits Ruffalo stands out for me.
Both Bana and Norton played the character rather dourly. It's no fun or engaging as a viewer to watch a hero being mopey and overly obsessing over their problems. (See Season 1 of Marvel's Iron Fist). Ruffalo is much more successful as he makes us care about Banner to a greater degree in his portrayal so we are more invested in The Hulk too. The Bruce Banner of the Ruffalo's films is inherently kind, unassuming, gentle, quiet, a little shy and dignified. He is much less detached than the previous versions. Empathy is felt for him and he is the last person you would want inflicted with this curse.
Ruffalo does this by his subtle and smart acting such as a scene in which he admits to a previous suicide attempt. He does not play the scene for sadness or sympathy thus making Banner less gloomy than the 2003 or 2008 versions.
Also Ruffalo's Hulk is a lot more fun to watch. He has much more comedic moments. He steals the show in The Avengers in this regard in my opinion.
Norton's Banner was much darker and repressed. He brought the lone wanderer and intellect aspects to the part. He was the best Banner physically as he was smaller than the two other actors so there was a real contrast when he Hulked out. Bana was convincing as a mentally anguished scientist although at times it seemed his Banner was angrier than The Hulk. He is good at playing intense yet calm characters which fits with what Bana had to display with Banner as he is constantly trying to achieve peace which is in stark contrast to his alter ego in Hulk (2003).