Roy's Favourite Actors Part 2: Kevin Costner

    

Kevin Costner is an  actor, director, producer, and musician. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, one Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

He's not my favorite actor by a long shot and i don't even really think he's a particularly gifted actor but what i do know is that he has been in some great films. He hit a winning streak in the Mid-Eighties until the late nineties with a string of box office smashers. Then there was 'Waterworld'. The most expensive flop in history after it hit cinemas. 'Field of Dreams' is a wonderful film that is easy to watch and filled with touching sentiment. A feel good movie for a Sunday afternoon. Then there's 'Revenge'.  An old villians young wife becomes the tale of Revenge after a line is crossed. Lastly there's Dances with Wolves. The Oscar hit where an old US soldier records a diary whilst in relative solitude in North America. He befriends a timid wolf which happens gradually throughout the film. Of course he falls in love with a Native woman and eventually becomes converted. 


* Kevin Costner rejected the chance to star in the following films*

Air Force One, Apollo 13, Armageddon, Beyond Borders, Big,The Big Chill,Dave,The Fugitive

Field of Dreams (1989)

Revenge (1990)

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Roy's Top 3 Bond Films

From Russia With Love (1963)

                                                                      Goldeneye (1995)

                                                                   
                                                               Casino Royale (2006)

Roy’s Favourite Actors Part 1: Gene Hackman

One of my all time favourite actors is Gene Hackman.

He retired in 2008 at 78 years old. In a career that spanned nearly five decades, Hackman was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning Best Actor in The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor in 'The Unforgiven'. He won four Golden Globes, one SAG Award and two BAFTAs. 

Here’s some Hackman facts:

* Gene Hackman was the first choice to play Dr. Hannibal Lecter In ‘The silence of the Lambs’ but rejected the part. 
* He also rejected the lead roles in Jaws(1975) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Raiders of the lost Ark (1981)
* He was sixth choice to play Popeye Doyle in the French Connection. 
In an interview he stated that his performance in Scarecrow(1973) was his personal favourite. 
* Gene Hackman was roommates with Dustin Hoffman during the early years of his career.




                                               Roy’s top 5 Gene Hackman films.  

* Misissipi Burning (1989)

* The Firm (1993)

* Runaway Jury (2003)

* French Connection (1975)

*Class Action (1991)

                               And finally some words from the legendary actor himself..

Roy's must see Crime/Thrillers

(In no particular order)

Goodfellas (1990)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099685/

"The perfect gangster movie which ticks every box"

Pelican Brief  (1993)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107798/

The Godfather (Trilogy)

"The original, the best.. nothing else needs to be said"

The Bourne Trilogy (2002-2016)

House of Games (1987)

The Sting (1973)

American Hustle (2013)

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Catch me if you can (2002)

Sometimes films have that touch that only comes along now and again. House of games has been overlooked and is a typical example of the perfect David Mamet film. Men behaving irresponsibly usually involving a heist type crime that is littered with double crossing which keeps the viewer guessing. I think and it's even better than The Sting which i also rate on this list as one of the finest con movies ever made. 'The Bourne Trilogy' set the benchmark for a much needed reboot of the action genre. Classy fighting sequences mixed in with ingenious tricks to kill baddies (the magazine in the toaster scene). Taken(1) just misses this list based on the originality of the Bourne films ruthlessness.