Ok all, I promise this will be my LAST article EVER to mention Robert Pattinson (well unless he becomes involved in some bizarre snorkeling accident involving an angry starfish or something). Anyway, I’ve been hearing a lot of responses to my “Top Ten Greatest Actors” list stating that RPatz is “just starting out” and can’t be compared to anyone that I mentioned, and that it isn’t fair. WAAAAAHH!!! Of course, that wasn’t even the point of the article, as I was merely responding to a question asking me what I thought ‘great acting’ was. That being said, let me state unequivocally that I don’t have some kind of bias against young good looking actors, quite the contrary, I feel there are a bunch of ‘em out there that have a tremendous amount of potential. So in the interest of closure, here is my list of 10 young actors under 30 whom I think possess ‘the goods’ that Pattinson sadly does not.
10) Paul Dano
His take as a hypocritical preacher in “There Will Be Blood” was one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time. He truly was a mesmerising presence on screen. There’s a frenetic quality to him that is very compelling, and the final scene in the film was truly a powerhouse. I hated “Little Miss Sunshine,” so I can’t really speak too much about his performance in that, although I could say he was the thing I loathed the least about it, which in a way is sort of a compliment. Still, solely based on his role in “There Will Be Blood,” I will definitely keep my eye out for him as an up and coming star.
9) Josh Hutcherson
So far everything I’ve seen this kid in has impressed me. He’s got great warmth to him that comes through strong on screen, endearing you to him instantly. I first caught him in a cute movie called “Little Manhattan” about a young boy’s first love, and I found him very affecting in it. “Journey To the Center of The Earth” was also a fun flick in which he excelled. In fact, I thought he was the best thing in it. At 16 years old, he’s got plenty of time to truly develop into something really special.
8 ) Seth Rogen
Although at times I find him grating, there’s no questioning the fact that the guy’s got major ability. Moreover, he’s got a tremendous instinct for what connects with an audience as far as the types of movies he picks to get involved in. He’s got a sophisticated comic timing for someone so young, and I believe he’s going to be a major player for a long time.
7) Justin Timberlake
Not only does Timberlake possess every tool in the belt when it comes to dancin’ and singin’, but it turns out the kid’s got major acting chops as well. He was damned good in “Alpha Dog,” bringing to the role a physical menace with an interesting core warmth that worked well. “Black Snake Moan” was a piece of shit movie, but he was by far the best thing in it. To date though, his greatest work has been his appearances on SNL. He definitely has an innate comic flair, and I believe with the right roles he could develop into a fine actor of light comedies and romances.
6) James McAvoy
Charming and charismatic, he’s a throwback to another time. I could very easily see him in one of those great ‘kitchen sink’ British melodramas from the 60s like “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.” I thought he was very competent in “The Last King of Scotland,” and adorable as Mr. Tumnus in “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” He’s definitely someone who’s got a ton of potential and who I will be expecting great things from in the future.
5) Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Now this guy’s got a unique gift. Even as a child on “3rd Rock From the Sun,” it was evident that there was something really special about him. It’s wonderful to see that he’s been growing by leaps and bounds as an actor. He’s also got a great sense for choosing interesting projects. I thought the Noir-ish mystery “Brick” was very well done, and he played it with a lot of nuance. I haven’t seen his new movie “500 Days of Summer,” but everyone I know that has, raves about his performance in it. He definitely seems to be more interested in making substantial work, rather than going for blockbuster shlock.
4) Ryan Gosling
Gosling is simply a fantastic actor. He’s already got one Oscar nomination for his powerful performance in “Half Nelson,” and I have no doubt that he will eventually win one day. His ability to play quirky characters as he did in “Lars and the Real Girl,” as well being the romantic leading man like his turn in “The Notebook,” makes him one of the greatest young actors today. I believe he’s going to have a long and illustrious career ahead of him.
3) Zac Efron
Zac Efron’s not only one of the best looking celebrities to come along in ages, but he’s also proven himself to be a truly competent actor. I first caught notice of him in”Hairspray,” and I was immediately struck. He can sing and dance wonderfully, and he’s also got a great comedic sense. I mean, he’s definitely not just another pretty face, he’s a true talent. When I heard that he turned down the lead in the upcoming remake of “Footloose,” I thought it was a good move. He’s obviously thinking ahead, not wanting to get pigeon-holed into the musicals genre.
2) Shia LaBeouf
Again, here we’ve got a genuine talent. I really enjoyed his performance in “Disturbia.” I thought it was a very clever ‘reimagining’ of one of my favorite films, “Rear Window,” and he played it with a lot of maturity and skill. The other day I caught “Eagle Eye” on cable, and his performance really drew me in. It seems he’s been making a lot of action films early in his career; I’m intrigued to see how he fares in the upcoming sequel to “Wall Street.”
1) Jake Gyllenhaal
Already nominated for an Oscar for his heartbreakingly brilliant portrayal of Jack Twist in “Brokeback Mountain,” Jake Gyllenhaal is on his way to become a truly ‘great’ actor. His role as a conflicted Marine in “Jarhead” was raw and gripping in an otherwise underwhelming film, and “Donnie Darko” has become a veritable cult-classic, having much to do with the layered performance he turned in. On a side note, Jake was one of the major names mentioned in the casting for “Spider Man,” and I really believe he would have been the better choice over Tobey Maguire. It’s not that I dislike Maguire (in fact, he would have made this list if he were a few years younger), it’s just that Jake has all the elements that would have made a classic Peter Parker. There are rumblings, in fact, that Sony Pictures studio is thinking of replacing Maguire with Gyllenhaal, so I’ll definitely be rooting for that. Anyway, the sky’s the limit for Jake as far as his career goes. “Prince of Persia” will be his next big release, and it should be interesting to see how it does. Personally, making a movie out of a video game doesn’t sound like a very compelling concept to me, but who knows? Either way, Jake’s gonna do just fine in the future!
So that’s that…my “Top Ten Young Actors Under 30″. I hope we all can now have peace in the valley, hold hands and sing Kumbaya in resounding harmony.
Bonus Read: Robert Pattinson vs. The Top 10 Actors of All Time (Part 1)
Bonus Read: Robert Pattinson vs. The Top 10 Actors of All Time (Part 2)
More on these topics:
Jake Gyllenhaal prince of persia newest project brokeback mountain genius, james mcavoy great new talent, Joseph Gordon-Levitt 3rd rock matured as an actor, josh hutcherson cactor, justin timberlake multi talented, mediocre pattinson, paul dano great actor, robert pattinson can't act, rpatz and twilight fanatic, Ryan Gosling powerhouse actor top 10, seth rogen funny dude, Shia LaBeouf compelling young actor, the top 10 young actors under 30, twilight and robert pattinson, twilight obsessions, Zac Efron best looking actor to come along in a while
Magz says:
Zac really is wonderful and talented. I agree on the footloose part, which is why if he agrees to Hairspray 2(if that disaster ever even happens) then he's an idiot.
Branwyn Lancourt says:
Yeah, didn't really dig Hairspray the musical, I actually thought he was by far the best thing in it.
Linda says:
You have an interesting list and I do aggree with several entries. But I would like to remind you that even though these actors are young that does not mean they are without experience. I took a look at their filmographies on IMDB and found that in almost all cases they were extensive except for Robert Pattinson. Take a look:
Paul Dano (born 1984) Filmography begins 2000 with 20 credits
Josh Hutcherson (1992) begins 2002 with 28 credits
Seth Rogen (1982) begins 1999 with 32 credits
Justin Timberlake begins practially at birth
James McAvoy (1979) begins 1995 with 33 credits
Joseph Gordon Levitt (1981) begins 1988 with 53 credits
Ryan Gosling (1980) begins 1995 with 27 credits
Zac Efron (1987) begins 2002 with 23 credits
Shia Lebeouf (1986) begins 1984 with 37 credits
Jake Gyllenhaal (1980) begins 1991 with 24 credits
So...where does this leave Robert Pattinson??
He was born in 1986 making him one of the youngest on the list but more important than that is the fact that his filmography begins in 2004 and has only 14 entries. Half of the entries are dated 2008. You can not be fair if this is not taken into account. I stand by my assertion that he is very inexperienced and has performed well despite that fact. I think he deserves the same opportunity to grow as the other actors on your list.
Linda says:
Woops obvious typo for Shia Lebeouf whose filmography begins in 1994.
Jens says:
I almost hate myself for feeling the need to comment BUT I honestly think you under estimate Robert. Yes, I like Twilight but I also completely agree the movies are cheesy and not exactly a showcase for great acting but thats besides the point here, because I've seen some of Robert's other movies(albeit small independent British films) and he was quite good, like surprisingly good. I really really hope he gets to do some good movies after Twilight because he is far better than his role in Twilight.
Linda says:
You often through out established actors to compare against RP well I picked one of the 4 you used in a reply. You chose Jack Lemmon, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando. So I picked Jack Nicholson one of my favorites and did a little research. Turns out Jack started his film career with the blockbuster teen drama (HA!) The Cry Baby Killer. This was followed by even more bad drama punctuated by the drug induced The Trip and Head with The Monkees. In fact he did not win any awards until he did Easy Rider and was into his 30's. The Oscar came at 37 years old. You need to do your homework. With the exception of Jack Lemmon, who I believe was a Harvard graduate and majored in drama, I am sure I would find similar stories in the other cases.I should have realized when you had Paul Newman on the 10 best list that you needed some guidance. I mean I like Paul but 10 best??? I think not. Paul played Paul and even in a Roman Toga he was Fast Eddie. I feel confident after researching Jack N. that RP will be fine.
Branwyn Lancourt says:
Well first off I appreciate your passion, and research.. but again I have to say that the initial 10 actors list was a response to what I thought was great acting!Moreover what I had said was Nicholson got nominated for an oscar for his first major role in easy rider, he was 32 at the time.. Anyway, this is why I made this NEW list. I believe all te young actors I've mentioned have the potential for going on and being truly great. I stand by my opinion that Pattinson is and always will be a major lightweight. It doesn't matter how many roles you get, either you've got it or you don't. It's called innate talent. Again though, your research was cool and appreciated.
Linda says:
Well thank you. It's good to feel cool and appreciated:)
Linda says:
PS. Ugh! Did I really say "through out" instead of throw out?? I vow to finish my coffee next time.
Branwyn Lancourt says:
haha.. don't worry about it, happens to me all the time!
Ines says:
I'm from Tunisia(north Africa) so excuse my English ,it's my third language after arabic and french.And yes even here in Tunisia we know about Rob and we like him a lot .First of all i must say that it's the first time in my life (I'm just 22 years old girl)that i feel the need to defend an actor and i just don't know why .It's in fact very intriguing and i kept asking my self what about this guy (that i have ,at first, found unattractive ,sorry).Well after watching twilight (which at first i didn't like ,again sorry) i read the books translated in french (and found some parts cheesy and even ridiculous!) but begun to understand the whole idea of the movie and the complexity of the character.Then i watched some interviews of Robert Pattinson and he just blew me away by his humility and wit.So he is not only extremely talented (i saw little ashes and how to be and this guy can act )but also really inspiring .He basically made me want to see more movies and enjoy this art .He just brought back the magic in Hollywood!!
Lisa says:
Yeah, but have you *seen* Robert in Little Ashes, Bad Mother's Handbook, and How to Be? Even in his short career to date he's shown quite a lot of range, unconventionality, primal rawness, AND comic timing. In How to Be his self-obsessed awkward loser character moves from a Ricky Gervais-like comic odiousness to a furious, resentful guy who's raw like an open wound and who you actually feel sorry for. As Dali in Little Ashes he shows us this gradual transformation from shy provincial eccentric to debonair modern radical, to the pompous egotistical artist-as-performer --- he absolutely NAILS Dali's self-conscious weirdness if you've seen footage of the actual artist, at the same time Robert shows hints of the tortured man underneath the artist's public persona. My husband came into the room while I was watching the DVD and was transfixed by Robert in this role - laughing at his boggle-eyed delivery of lines like 'have you ever tried communal defecation!?', and later saying with respect, 'wow - that guy has no vanity whatsoever'. We agreed that some American reviewers who thought Robert overacted the part of Dali hadn't actually seen footage of the artist, so didn't realise how he presented himself as larger than life. I really think this kid has great range in the way he can transform himself from dork, to heart-throb, to just plain weird and otherworldly. I went into Twilight totally prepared to hate him, but he won me over with this and his other roles. Give him a chance.
Jess says:
Ugh, you Pattinson fans are so stubborn and stupid! The man CANNOT act. He is NOT innately talented, no matter how hard you wish it. He does not have the gift and has no X factor. Let it go FFS.
LH says:
Just saw Twilight and was not impressed with the acting of either of the lead characters. When watching the DVD extras it seemed that many of the scenes were rushed due to bad weather and various other problems that plague independent films with low budgets. I have seen both of these actors do much better work in other projects. I guess that you have to consider the material and wait to see if they will live up to their hype. Mr. Pattinson is very young and given his popularity, will have plenty of opportunities to redeem himself.
sarah says:
I first saw Robert Pattinson honestly in Harry Potter and I though he was a great actor like the rest on the film. I had read twilight and honestly one day my best friend and I went to the movies I was visiting her in Mexico, I had no idea what the translation of the movie would be so I said ok lets watch that vampire movie..As the film started I was thrilled that it was about a book I read a long time ago but I am not a fan of the saga. A lot of people have said he is all looks and no talent but I have seen him in Little Ashes and I was like ok what are people talking about??He portrayed that role very well..I have also seen his interviews and he is funny and humble. I hope gets more fresh and mature roles so he can prove more of that talent of his..Give this young guy a break he is just starting.
Branwyn Lancourt says:
The Dali flick was a mess and it's not just ME that thinks som it was one of the most reviled films to come along in a while... the critics tore it apart.
Marsha says:
Have YOU seen LITTLE ASHES, though? Apparently all you've seen is TWILIGHT. Where do you come to the assumption that he will always be a light-weight actor. Always? Have you seen any of his other work? He has won a Best Actor award for HOW TO BE. Maybe you should research more before making grand statements about one actor and his future in films. You're case would make more sense. Oh, and Roger Ebert actually thought Pattinson's performance in LA was brave.
TwinkleisTired says:
Funny that many of the critics that tore it apart did so without doing a shred of research or having any working knowledge of the history of that time and/or the personalities and characteristics of both Dali and Lorca PRE-fame. Not to mention the fact that 90% of the reviews started out with a sentence that clearly put them in the "I hate the Twilight kid" category. In fact, I think the one of the only American critics who gave a really fair review and had obviously done research was Ebert. I was disgusted by most of the reviews in America and not because I didn't agree that the script needed work and there were definite problems with pacing, etc. No, I was disgusted by the fact that most of the American reviewers used this tiny film that was never going to be seen and was made on ZERO money compared to most films these days as their shot to take Pattinson down and tear him apart. Strange that many of the reviews that came from Europe targeted the director, writer and script and surprise, surprise, had several nice things to say about Pattinson's performance. But of course I expected Europeans to have a much better grasp of that time and how those characters should be portrayed and it doesn't shock me at all that they zeroed in on the real problems of the film and not Pattinson.
Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to who is talented and who is not and frankly, the fact that you put Efron ahead of Gosling is laughable but that's your opinion and you are free to express it seeing as this is your pulpet here. But it would be so much more interesting if a critic like yourself had reasons they could share with the readers rather than just a flat out "He's crap and will always be crap and I will never use his name again" generalization. What makes you think he's such a lightweight? What films of Pattinson's have you actually sat through and watched start to finish? Did you have an open mind or are you viewing everything through the 'Twilight It Boy' lens? Why are talented writer and directors like Alan Coulter, Jenny Lumet and Peter Berg interested in hiring him if he's such utter awfulness? And please don't say it's just because he will bring in an audience because the films they're interested in him for are not his demographic so that argument will not hold water. Why do you think Madeline Stowe thinks he'll be able to pull off playing a white Indian and speaking nothing but Comanche? Why is someone like Declan interested in directing him in the European production of Bel Ami if he's an untalented lightweight?
As I said, you are certainly entitled to your opinion but I think you're being very shortsighted when it comes to this man and his choices and whether or not he has the talent to go farther. I suggest you may be eating a little crow some day and I, for one, will enjoy watching that. You can have all of your favorites lined up in a row and I'll grant you, there are some extrememly talented actors you've pointed out and yes, even some with more talent than Pattinson, no doubt. But no one has come along in quite a few years who has caused this sort of uproar in Hollywood -- both good and bad, positive and critical. Whether you like him or not, he's got a bag of tricks that you're going to have to keep watching because I honestly don't think he's going anywhere, no matter how much you and other critics like yourself would like him to. He's fascinated far too large a segment of the population now and I hope that some day if you end up being wrong about him and what you see as a lightweight who will never go anywhere against the likes of Efron, et al, perhaps you'll be man enough to admit you were wrong and put a little hot sauce on that crow.
Pixie says:
Your previous two articles on what Robert Pattinson's lacks in acting ability were spot on and dare I say smart. Then I saw Justin Timberlake's name on your list of young actors with "the goods."
You have officially lost my respect.
Seriously? Justin Timberlake? Come on. This guy has a great voice and musical talent, but he is not an actor. He does not distinguish himself in comedy and I think there were a handful of other hosts on SNL who deserved that Emmy. His acting chops are so far below Robert Pattinson -- who I loathe -- that I imagine you had a tough time writing this list.
I get that you were trying to make a point, but adding Justin Timberlake was a mistake that you MUST take back. Quick, do an edit over and add a new name before this becomes a part of your permanent record!
Branwyn Lancourt says:
hahaha! C'mon you don't think he's got 'the goods'? I think with the right role , there's a potential there for really good things!
Feels Like An Idiot says:
If you're wondering about the 'feels like an idiot' name, it's because I don't even know why I'm getting involved in this argument. There are tons of these all over the internet, and not a single one of them is going to change anything. Not anyone's opinion, not Robert Pattinson's ego. No matter the size (or lack thereof) of it.
To whoever pointed out that Pattinson won a 'Best Actor' award for 'How to Be,' I merely wished to point out in turn that he apparently won an award for Twilight as well. Admittedly, I haven't seen him in anything other than 'Twilight' and 'Harry Potter,' and my impression of him may have been a buit skewed. However, I think that anyone who does that bad a job on such a famous and long-awaited movie and expects to, for lack of a better phrase, 'get away with it' is just asking for trouble. If he was so good in other movies, how come we didn't see any of that talent in 'Twilight'? Okay, so maybe it was a little rushed, but from what I see he didn't put in anything close to an effort.
Also, I don't want to get too personal concerning looks, but I really can't understand why people say he's so good-looking. And it wouldn't even matter if he had been a good Edward Cullen, but since he wasn't I feel a little cheated that he didn't deliver anything at all. Not to be shallow; I'm just saying I don't understand why he has leagues of fangirls. Although there are several people who take my side. I quote: "he looks like a constipated fish." Not to say that I agree with that entirely, but even his star-struck fans can't fail to see the logic in it - however asinine the wording.
I can't say I really have an opinion on any of the other actors; I just wanted to put that out there. Sorry about rambling on; I really shouldn't have got into this argument at all.
Feels Like An Idiot says:
Oh,and to 'TwinkleisTired,' although I appreciate the sound arguments you made, I got the impression that you were taking it a little too personally against Branwyn Lancourt. You expressed time and time again that he was entitled to his opinion, yet it seemed as if you were just telling him to go to hell and stop insulting an actor you like. The 'eat crow' comment was more subtle than 'Go to Hell,' but only marginally. I know I can't say anything - being a biased hypocrite, myself - but even I felt like wincing while reading your comment. You might want to rethink the acid 'I'll laugh while you burn' attitude. We're just expressing our innocent opinions here; there's no need to turn it into an out-and-out war.
Branwyn Lancourt says:
haha... where were you 2 weeks ago, when I was getting bombarded by the hoardes of angry twi-moms!!
Feels Like An Idiot says:
Obviously I was in a different country. One of those ones that doesn't get involved in wars much.
Although I would like to say that, having read the comments on your other article about Robert Pattinson, and I'd just like to say that it's rather presumptuous to judge a person's maturity by their age. I, myself, am thirteen, and somehow I feel ever-so-slightly more mature than the people insulting your looks for lack of a better come-back. I mean; if it's that hard to refute your opinions on Rob Pattinson's acting ability then he can't have much to defend, right?
Melinda says:
Finally a person with guts to say the truth about Pattinson.
I never understand all hiper about this guy. I dont hate him, he seems an humble person who knows he has luck but i dont know why he is soo popular.
He's not as talented as Leo Dicaprio or handsome as Brad Pitt. Let's face,guys, Pattinson is vacuous star and after twilight saga is over, I bet he will be too.
Well, about your top ten, I make a few complaints:
1.- Seth Rogen isnt a good or sophisticated comic actor.He is rough, gross and unfunny.
If I have to pick up a talented young comic,I would choose Michael Cera anyday
2.-Justin Timberlake... come on, he isnt even an real actor in my book.
3.-Paul Dano deserves 3th place and Zac Efron, 10th.
4.-Josh Hutcherson??? I like the guy but its too soon to be 9th place.
5.-where is Jim Sturgess, Eddie Redmayne, Ben Barnes, Jesse Eisenberg and Jaime Bell??
rianon says:
as far s rob is concerned he's had better performances than in twilight.
I'm not such a fan but i think he deserves some more credit, he seemed to be the only one who put some thought into his performance, he captured Edward's character,in his mannerisms, speech and expression well enough, but could do better than that. However i think directorially,the movie was a complete failure,it was so poor it was distracting, i'd say rob's acting in this movie was the only worthwhile thing...(if he's got so many girls goin' crazy he's obviously connected and so is doin something right)I think he's capable of more though, a better director perhaps would be able to get a real good performance out of him
ANYWAY
HOW COME HALEY JOEL OSMENT DIDN'T MAKE THIS LIST???? HE'S DONE MORE THAN PROVE HIMSELF AND HE'S STILL 21, C'MON TIMBERLAKE MAKES THIS LIST, HUTCHERSON(LIKE THIS KID, BUT)NO. 9??SHIA AHEAD OF GOSLING?
MOST OF THEM CAN'T COME ANYWHERE NEAR HALEY'S INTENSE ACTING PERFORMANCES
Branwyn Lancourt says:
ugh..
kaleigh says:
why isn't the incredible jim Sturgess on this list? Okay, so his first major film Across The Universe received mixed reviews, but his performance was excellent. The same applies for the following couple of films after this. No matter how the films are received, his acting has never been dissed. but if you watch Fifty Dead Men Walking, he really comes into his own and his acting abilities shine through. I have read more amazing reviews for his new flick 'Heartless' and his future resume seems very impressive indeed. not to mention his musical abilities on top of that. He is definitely a great leading man and I trust he will continue to make such interesting film choices.
I saw Little Ashes and I can't even begin to write about how AWFUL RPs acting was in that. He is not versatile at all and certainly isn't a challenging or interesting actor; and as for Zac Efron.....
jackie says:
James McAvoy is the true gem of this bunch.He was cheated at Oscars for two years now for Atonement &lLast king of Scotland.He's also a stage actor.Best British find since Jude Law.