Top Hero Actors

#1 – Morgan Freeman

Go Ahead

Argue. I dare you.

Seriously, please argue with me on this. Pleeeeease. The man has played God and every other role under the sun. But they’re almost always the same nice old man and/or nice old man badass. He paired up as a cowboy with Clint Eastwood, he’s Lucius Fox (Batman’s WEAPONER), he’s Nelson Mandela, he’s a boxing trainer. In his villainous roles, he’s villainous. But in the other 3/4 of his roles, he soars as the voice of inspiration. Sometime when you go to sleep… admit it: your dreams are narrated by this man.

He's doing it now.

Or maybe just your thoughts.

Who wouldn’t want this man in their own private Justice League? If not for his voice alone?

 

Advertisements

Top Hero Actors

#2 – Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe

We’ve gone through three different actors – and some had a problem with my #3. But there should be no doubt or discredit to my third choice. The man has played too many heroic roles to count. And he can’t be called an anti-hero. In most all of his films, he is the underdog, the man out of luck, the man who must rise to his occasion… and does:

• Robin Hood
• Cinderella Man
• Gladiator

Now, he has played some diverse roles as any actor should, but most often he plays the hero of the story AND the hero.

He satisfies every basic heroic capacity.

Top Hero Actors

#3 – Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp

Now, at this point, you’re all arguing with me. I hear shouts of “he’s too young” or “he’s more of a villain”. Or possibly, you’re even using my antihero argument against me. I assure you, your opinions are invalid:

• The man is as old as some of your dads: 47 years old.
• I can name atleast 6 roles here where he is not just normal or the good guy… but the HERO. Count em’ up. I think I count his own villain role as Sweeney Todd.
• And he’s hardly ever, if ever, an anti-hero. He’s good or bad. Doesn’t straddle that line. He’s eccentric, but that could fall on either side of the fence. His moral agenda in each movie is fairly straightforward. The closest he comes is as Captain Jack.

That said, this wasn’t an easy choice. Ex and I argued about it. And I HATE that Depp is cast in everything under the sun. He’s even going to be Tonto in the upcoming  Lone Ranger movie. He’d be the Plastic Man or Martian Manhunter in the Justice League… but a Leaguer nonetheless. He even brought a touch of heroism to The Mad Hatter.

Honorable Mention for #3:

Denzel Washington – Almost. But just like Depp, he’s rather versatile. But his roles spread all over the place, whereas Depp’s are still rather hero-centric.

Up and Coming Mention for #3:

Chris Evans – Current Torch, Former Jensen, Future Cap. This man is one to watch.

–JMS

Top Hero Actors

#4 Will Smith

Will Smith

Agent J

Hancock

Robert Neville

Del Spooner

Mike Lowrey

Captain James West

Captain Steven Hiller

There are so few movies where this man isn’t the hero AND heroic. The few that aren’t… he’s still the hero of the STORY in.

Don’t believe me? Check it out.

He is the hero, inspires confidence and has attitude. It would be seriously hard to imagine this man portraying the villain also.

Top Hero Actors

#5 Richard Dean Anderson

 

This man used be MacGyver.

Ok, so I intentionally started off this list with someone you’re all gonna argue with, but whom I had to get out of the way. He has a limited acting career… and the only two jobs you’ll think of in that career are as Colonel Jack O’Neill, and this guy, the lovable MacGyver.

 

The Lovable MacGyver

It should then come to you as no shock that I picked him to start my list:

• He’s a personal favorite.
• His only two notable roles are as heroes.
• Both of those heroes are of two different clothes – one avoids killing at all costs… and one doesn’t.
• He rocked a mullet.

If you decide that this isn’t enough criteria, consider this. Anyone one character can be the hero of a story, but a hero actor has to be someone who is both the hero AND heroic in a large majority of his more famous roles.

His acting career.