Best of the Rest, The Actors

Updated 2 January 2007

To hear the midi file of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight", click on the buttons above.

Best of the Rest

- The Actors

And now for something completely different!

For those of you who aren't that enamored of Hiroyuki Sanada (and what strange people you must be!!), here's a few of my other favourite great talents to have graced our screens and stages over the years - unfortunately I have had to leave out so many; legends like James Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Toshiro Mifune, Burt Lancaster and John Wayne, who were always so wonderful on screen, also some of the contemporary greats and favourites like Samuel L Jackson, Gabriel Byrne, Robert DeNiro, Vin Diesel, Kathy Bates, Patrick Stewart, Maggie Smith, Morgan Freeman, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe... the list goes on and on... otherwise the page would be far too big and would take ages to load! This page is dedicated to the actors.

See also my website for the wonderful Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada at:-

http://www.hiroyukisanada.info

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

And the vastly under-rated Canadian actor Michael Wincott at:-

http://www.oocities.org/michaelwincott2004/index.html

The Actors

Brian Blessed

The larger than life Brian Blessed has graced many a television series, show and movie over the years - *Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Chasing the Deer, Henry V, I Claudius, McGyver,* and the series *Tom Jones* among them. He attacks every movie with gusto and enthusiasm. I was lucky enough to meet him at his one man show in Colwyn Bay in North Wales a few years ago, where during the interval he came and sat on the side of the stage with his cup of coffee and chatted happily with everyone. A thoroughly adorable man. If you read this Brian, best of luck to you with your movies and your next climbing expeditions - "Follow your Dream".

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Pictures 3, 4 and 5 of Brian Blessed scanned from his tour brochure, others are from my collection.

Johnny Depp .
Not only is Johnny Depp gorgeous, but he is, more importantly, also extremely talented. Unlike some of the Hollywood stars, he is an actor who chooses not to exploit his looks, and has gained the respect of his peers and his fans. He has a knack of choosing movies that are both interesting and challenging, often verging on the strange. Some of his movies include *Edward Scissorhands, Before Night Falls, The Man Who Cried, Don Juan de Marco, Ed Wood, Chocolat, Sleepy Hollow, Secret Window, From Hell, Dead Man, Finding Neverland,* and of course Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (I am delighted that he is doing more of the Pirates movies) As with all great actors, you tend to forget who he is for a little while; he becomes the part he's playing at the time.
	In The Man Who Cried
In Chocolat

As Capt. Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
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Pete Duel
Sadly Pete Duel died in the early 70s at the height of his career when he shot himself. Whether this was accidental or not was never really proven, his family and friends were positive that it was not suicide. Pete played the part of the loveable Hannibal Heyes in the western series Alias Smith and Jones, with Ben Murphy as Kid Curry. From the beginning of the series he was a great favourite, and is sadly missed. Despite bringing in another actor (Roger Davis) to play the part, fans still preferred to see re-runs of the episodes starring Pete Duel.

Pete Duel with Ben Murphy
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Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson was superb as William Wallace in the Award Winning movie Braveheart, which he also directed. A highly enjoyable, if rather historically inaccurate movie, which some felt was a bit too violent. My mother summed it up for me though - "That's patriotic violence, so that's OK!" Now this guy made a kilt look good! Mel has also starred in the Lethal Weapons and Mad Max series of movies, and also in movies such as Tim, Man Without a Face, Signs, the highly acclaimed Hamlet, and The Patriot, which he also directed, to mention but a few.


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Michael Gothard

Seen here in the 1970s series Arthur of the Britons as Kai the Saxon adopted by the Celts, (which also starred Oliver Tobias and Brian Blessed) Michael Gothard starred in many a movie, including Ivanhoe, The Devils, La Vallee: Obscured By Clouds, the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, and Jack The Ripper, and also worked in several stage productions. Tragically, following the completion of his last movie Frankenstein in 1993 Michael committed suicide by hanging himself - I don't know why. I will remember him best for his great smile, and as Kai, which was a part that seemed to suit him so well. RIP Michael.

	As Kai in Arthur of the Britons
In The Devils	In La Vallee: Obscured by Clouds

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Hugh Jackman

Born in Sydney Australia on 12 October 1968, Hugh Jackman has most recently been seen in the blockbuster movie, Van Helsing. He gave an excellent performance as a rather more athletic hero with a dark side, in contrast to that famously portrayed by Peter Cushing. He has also appeared in movies such as the X-Men series as Wolverine, Standing Room Only, Kate and Leopold, Swordfish, Someone Like You, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, Paperback Hero and Correlli to name but a few. Let's hope that this attractive and likeable actor continues to make movies for a very long time.



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Tommy Lee Jones

Born in San Saba, Texas on 15 September 1946, Tommy Lee Jones is definitely one of Hollywood's top actors, with credits such as The Fugitive, for which he won an Oscar for best supporting actor, US Marshalls, Volcano, Men in Black, Blown Away, JFK, Under Siege and The Missing to his name. He was also excellent in the western mini-series Lonesome Dove and gave a memorable portrayal of Gary Gilmore in The Executioner's Song. His roles have been very varied, ranging from psychopathic killers to priests, Tommy Lee Jones has risen to every challenge and come up trumps. He owns a ranch and is also a champion polo player. Busy guy eh!

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Klaus Kinski

Best known for his performances in Werner Herzog's movies such as Aguirre Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo and Nosferatu, Klaus Kinski was notoriously difficult to work with. His furious rages and sexual exploits soon became legendary. Whether playing the hero or a psychopath Klaus' characters always drew the viewer's attention like a magnet. He also starred in films like Vampires in Venice, For a Few Dollars More and Crawlspace to name but a few. He was a self-taught actor, and love him or hate him, no one could ever say that Klaus Kinski was boring.

.Above Klaus Kinski photos taken from my copy of his autobiography *Kinski Uncut*
. In Cobra Verde	In Dracula
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Nick Mancuso
The first time I saw Nick Mancuso was in Walks Far Woman as a native American warrior, who became Raquel Welch's husband in the movie. He made quite an impression on me, not only for his good looks and physique, but for his portrayal of a proud man brought to his knees by grief. I then saw him in Ticket to Heaven, another remarkable piece of acting on his part. He has starred in numerous movies, series and dramas, such as Blame it on the Night, Heartbreakers, Burning Bridges, Lies Before Kisses, Loving Evangeline, Time of Fear, Somebody's Daughter, Paroles et Musique (Love songs). and many more. This is another fine actor who does not get the recognition that he deserves.


for more of Nick Mancuso please visit:- Tedino's Nick Mancuso site (in Italian and English)
Rudolf Martin
From male model to soap star to movie star, Rudolf Martin has come a long way. Born in Berlin and educated in France and the USA, he has made a good career for himself with his charismatic style of acting and his good looks. For me his forte was playing the part of Vlad the Impaler in Dracula: The Dark Prince, a lead role, which he excelled in. He has also made appearances in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as Dracula), and in *Enterprise, Swordfish* and also in the first series of 24, to name but a few. I am sure he has a long and varied career ahead of him... something for us to look forward to.



The website for the 'Official Rudolf Martin Fan Club' no longer seems to be available. You could find lots of photos and information on Rudolf Martin - some of which he personally sent to President, Lidia for the club at this site. If you've moved the site to somewhere else Lidia, could you email me so that I can put a link to your new location. Thanks. Many thanks to the RMFC also for some of these photos.
Alex McArthur

A highly versatile actor, Alex McArthur is perhaps best known for his role in the series of Desperado western movies, where he played the character Duell McCall, a man accused of a murder he didn't commit, who must find the real killer and the man who can prove his innocence. He has also starred in many movies and series including Conspiracy Theory, Rampage, A Race for Glory, Perfect Alibi, Knots Landing, Riptide and Hill Street Blues. He was also seen in a role in Madonna's video for the single "Papa Don't Preach", where he made quite an impact.

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Some of these photos were taken with kind permission from Brenda's Alex McArthur site. There are literally dozens more great photos and information on Alex on this site, including some photos that he personally sent to her and a signed photo. http://www.duellmccall.atfreeweb.com/

Sam Neill

Seen below as Brian de Boise Guilbert, the Knight Templar in *Ivanhoe, Sam Neill outshone the actual hero of the movie by miles. Sam Neill is again one of the world's great actors with a string of successful films behind him, such as Jurassic Park* (1 and 3), *Omen 3, Attack Force Z, Dead Calm, Death in Brunswick, Family Pictures, In The Mouth of Madness, The Jungle Book, Leap of Faith, One Against the Wind, Restoration, Sally Hemmings - An American Scandal, Snow White, The Dish, Kane and Abel, Merlin, Sirens, Submerged,* the TV series Reilly Ace of Spies and also the documentary series Space, which he presented. His roles vary in genre and he excels in all of them, from playing the bad guy, which he does so well, to the role of the hero.



Pictures no. 4, 5 and 6 are from the movie "*Ivanhoe". Picture no. 7 is from the Official Sam Neill Website, which is excellent and you can find literally 100s more photos there at "A Typical Kiwi Bloke"* The Official Sam Neill Home Page

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is without a doubt one of Britain's best actors. His appeal however, is worldwide. With a wide variety of parts in movies such as *Sid and Nancy, Coppolla's Dracula, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are Dead, Basquiat, Romeo is Bleeding, The Red Letter, Lost in Space, and recently Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Gary Oldman brings his characters to life, tempting you to believe that he is not an actor at all - all his characters are real! With a long list of credits to his name he has been one busy bunny!


For more information and photos of Gary Oldman please visit Gary Oldman Info site .
Lou Diamond Phillips

Perhaps best known for his role in *Young Guns* as Chevez y Chevez, Lou Diamond Phillips has a very long and varied list of movies and TV appearances to his credit. From early movies such as *Harley* and *Dakota, to more recent lead roles in Lone Hero, where he plays the part of motorbike gang leader. He has also appeared on TV shows such as Spin City*, and was once again reunited with pal Keifer Sutherland, in the first series of 24. Whether he is acting the part of a hero or villain, he still manages to convince his audience that he is that character. A superbly versatile actor, that is both exciting and attractive to watch.


Some of these photos have been obtained from the following site. Lou Diamond Phillips Boulevard Unfortunately the link to this site no longer works, so I don't know if it's gone permanently or temporarily - shame, it was a really good site, and I spent many a happy hour browsing there! I have written to ask permission to use these photos, but have received no reply, so presume that there is no objection!

Michael Praed

This one's for Ebe! The legend of Robin Hood has been popular for a long time, and therefore it was no surprise that the series *Robin of Sherwood* became so popular. Michael Praed's appeal also helped make the series a success. When he left the part was taken up by Jason Connery as Robert of Huntingdon, while Michael went on to star in the US soap, *Dynasty, Riders* and several stage productions.



Thanks to Ebe Kastein for these photos.

Oliver Reed

Oliver Reed seemed like two different people! One was the heavy drinker who on occasion proved to be a chat show host's worst nightmare! The other was the talented actor, who brought not only gusto and interest to his characters, but also depth and sensitivity. He could play the part of a bully or nasty character just as well as that of the hero and romantic lover. He was superbly funny, without seemingly trying to be. Some of his more memorable roles included, *The Three Musketeers* and *The Four Musketeers, The Devils, Castaway, Gladiator* (his final movie), *Burnt Offerings, Hannibal Brooks, Tommy, The Trap, and Women in Love*.


Sadly Oliver Reed died of a heart attack in 1999 while filming the award winning movie *Gladiator* in Malta. I still reckon he had the best line in the movie though ..."You sold me queer giraffes!". The way he says it just always makes me laugh. At least he got his wish... he died in a pub! R.I.P. Ollie, you're missed.

Jean Reno

Juan Moreno was born to Spanish parents in Casablanca, Morocco before moving to France where he settled when he was 17. He later became an actor under the name of Jean Reno. He has worked widely with film director Luc Besson on movies such as *The Big Blue, La Femme Nikita* and *Leon* (aka *The Professional). He also worked on every stage production that director Didier Flamand made from 1977 to 1981. More recently he has starred in Roseanna's Grave, Just Visiting, Wasabi* and *Jet Lag*. He is an extremely versatile actor who is equally superb at playing villainous roles, comedies, action movies or romance. Jean Reno is the kind of actor that steals the show every time. A real class act.


Jean in Reno in *Just Visiting*	With Vanessa Paradis in *Witch Way Love*

Richard Widmark

Richard Widmark is one of the Hollywood Greats. He began his movie career playing the baddie, with devastating conviction, as in *Kiss of Death, but over the years his natural easy going charm, popularity and good looks, brought him more and more heroic parts. He starred in many genres of movie, but I particularly liked him in the westerns - he was superb in The Alamo* as Jim Bowie, *Cheyenne Autumn, The Last Wagon. As he grew older he excelled in lead and supporting roles as detectives, army generals, etc., such as Madigan* and *The Swarm*. Because of his interest in wildlife conservation, he also narrated many wildlife documentaries. I don't think I ever saw Richard Widmark play a part badly; he always gave it all he had. Richard Widmark is a legend.

Stuart Wilson

Stuart Wilson is again one who is best known for playing the role of the baddie. In films such as "Ivanhoe" (seen in the pic right and the two pics below) and *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, The Mask of Zorro* and *Lethal Weapon 3, he was the baddie that many of us loved. In Romance on the Orient Express*, however (two bottom row pics), he changed roles to play the hero. To date he has over 30 films to his credit and several TV appearances, not to mention a great smile!



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Midi file is "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

(I cannot link to the site where I got this midi file as it is now apparently not available!)

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Artwork by Ebe Kastein Artwork by Kate, Lady G.

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