Who is your favourite actor?
This is a question we have all been asked and probably struggled to answer.
It is an impossible question perhaps and particularly so for me, since it requires me to choose between two of my sons who are currently treading the boards.
It is also a question that can easily be reframed to – what are your favourite movies – and who are the actors lucky enough to have starred in them?
And of course our preference varies with age, time, mood…
In my youth, Michael J Fox was unassailable for being Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Then later for his great work in the unsung sit-com, Spin City; his performance even more winning when we later learned of his illness which was well underway during its filming.
Speaking of illnesses and the bearing they have on us – I suspect that many people might now plump for Chadwick Boseman, following his incredibly sad death. No one has any right to judge the actions and decisions of someone with a terminal illness. The ultimate news we all dread. But I think it is noteworthy how Chadwick Boseman dealt with his terrible hand. Had we known of his condition, the outpouring of sympathy and love afforded him must have been tempting. Stellar notices and gongs no doubt, which might have helped salve the pain his doctors were struggling against. But like David Bowie, choosing to keep his illness private was perhaps the hardest option and for me, marks him out as a remarkable individual alone without even what he achieved in his too short life.
Back in the day, Richard Gere was a prominent contender of mine: An Officer and a Gentleman, Primal Fear, Pretty Woman and Internal Affairs.
Denzel Washingston might be on many people’s minds right now. An actor so famous and popular that commentators refer to him by just his Christian name alone. Training Day, Man on Fire, Philadelphia, The Equalizer…
Tom Hanks is another likely heavyweight and who would argue with: Toy Story, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, Sully, Castaway, Philadelphia…
During lockdown, many people have sought refuge in movies, me included and after last night’s viewing, a new actor currently occupies my top spot – an actor who has often caught me unawares and has quietly crept up on me…
Ladies and gentleman, I proudly present to you…
Shia La Beouf.
By starring in Holes alone, Mr La Beouf has already done a lot of heavy lifting for me as it ranks as one of my all-time favourite films. As a writer, I am in awe of the Louis Sachar’s fiendishly clever and perfect story. It is funny, layered, moral, decent and fantastically well concluded. Watch it and immediately feel better about the world. What an achievement this is. The film adaptation has a brilliant ensemble cast including Eartha Kitt, Jon Voigt and Sigourney Weaver and another of my childhood heroes, Henry Winkler and all ably spearheaded by a gawky looking newcomer with the unusual name.
What chances of him lasting in a business as competitive as Hollywood, I wondered?
Then came the war epic, Fury.
I tend not to seek out war movies but only happened upon Fury because of the director and his previous film, End of Watch. Fury is not for the faint hearted. It is a visceral watch and lays bare my ignorance of history and the sacrifices and bravery that were required of our forebears. All the cast are terrific in what is an arresting and chastening film.
And now for the clincher, a film I watched recently on Nikki’s firm recommendation…
I give you The Peanut Butter Falcon – an unlikely buddy film starring Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf and the enchanting Dakota Johnson.
It is such a beautiful film and a shining example of simple storytelling.
Often today, complexity is the order of the day with high concept films where meaning is often subjective and plots can be impossible to follow. I have yet to see Tenet but I have been warned off it by many and after the debacle of Spectre, how many of us are really looking forward to the new Bond?
No such ambiguities with Peanut Butter Falcon, a movie very much in the vein of Little Miss Sunshine. It is a simple story of two vulnerable young men. One has Downs Syndrome and is confined to an inappropriate care home. The other is a guilt ridden drifter with nothing going for him apart from his abundant sense of kinship and kindness. They meet and become unlikely friends, over the course of which we fall in love with them both and Dakota Johnson’s character to boot.
It is so affirming and I suggest as powerful and medicinal as the best drugs that Big Pharma pimp at anyone who needs a lift.
Sadly, there is little kudos in ‘feel-good’ and not much credibility in comedy either when it comes to awards and plaudits. And yet to feel-good is most often the very thing that audiences want from their movies. And therefore The Peanut Butter Falcon is an easy movie to recommend.
The purpose of this blog is pretty broad. Hopefully, it is a weekly take on the quirks of life and it is at least, an amusing and fun read. But occasionally, like this week, I like to use it to share something with my good readers.
Families look to do things together because it is shared experiences that are most likely to create formative memories. Special moments that are more likely to resonate in our manic and complicated lives.
A night in for the family with The Peanut Butter Falcon has a good chance of becoming one of these moments.
You might even think of me when you watch it.
Trust me, it is worth it.
And you can thank me later.
I saw it with my family a few days ago, what a wonderful film!
My favourite hero is tom holland ❣️
Please uncle can you help to watch him
And make me as friend with him ☺️
My age is 13
Please accept my request
And your blogs so impressed
Hi ! I’m French !! And I love what your family do !!
Definitely going to add these to my film list, thank u Mr H. P.s Halfway through reading the fruit bowl, brilliant so far, can’t wait to finish.
Hi Dominic.I loved The Peanut Butter Falcon and The Fury.You must put Honey Boy on your to watch list.It is on Amazon Prime and stars Mr Labeouf .It is a must watch film.Hope you and your family are keeping well..Love Louise
I am not telling lie but my Peter Parker is really cute and awesome …… No words to say
If you see this comment tell to him…..
Saw Peanut Butter Falcon in theaters with my dad & was blow away. However, I already knew looking at it it was going to be amazing. Sometimes you can look at a film & know it’s going to be incredible. “Honey Boy” is another one. Watching “Even Stevens” growing up made it that much more difficult because you didn’t realize something like that was going on. I mean how could you know but still it makes you think about child actors in general. That one is a tear jerker. Also you might want to see the “The Greatest Game Ever Played”. Shia, golf, easy peasy lemon squeezy. It’s a good one.
Certainly my favorite actor is Tom Holland❤. While my family are eating barbecue, talking and playing I am here reading this blog , honestly it is the best blog in the world❤
My favorite actor was also Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future. I remember thinking he was amazing, and I thought he was honestly someone from the 2000s. I had no idea he or the movie was from the 80s.
I don’t really have a favorite actor now. I want to say Tom, but I know that’s not true. It would probably be some voice actor from anime I watch.
I would also like to point out that Paddy has really good potential to become an even better actor in a few years.
I really enjoyed this blog! Thinking about your favorite actor/actress is so much fun. I’ll always answer with “Tom Holland! Tom Holland!” (especially for our generation), and then, I watch Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting and Toni Collette in The Sixth Sense, and the answer isn’t so easy. Of course, it does really depend on time, age, movie genre, and all that good stuff.
Thinking back to Open Links, I can see your writing style is similar to that of Louis Sachar’s in his book, Holes. It’s been seven years since we read it in school, but you are right about his great characteristics in good storytelling. Your book Open Links seems just the same. To me, it was “funny, layered, moral, decent, and fantastically well concluded.”
I’m currently reading your one non-fiction book, but I can’t wait to read more of your fiction!
Hello Mr. Holland, it is the first time I read your blog and I loved it, I have been thinking a lot lately about Who is my favorite actor or why he is, but I did not see it like that … I hope to find out. I will keep reading your blogs.
And of course I will watch the recommended movie.
Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
God bless you…
Hi Dom, I love Tom holland’s movies especially edge of winter. I also like Tom Hanks – Venom, James McAvoy- Wanted. Wanted was also one of my all time favorites. You should watch if you haven’t already.
I meant Tom Hardy – Venom.
I think I would have to say Tom Holland, but I am biased 🙂
Peanut butter Falcon was an amazing film that we watched last week. Another one I recommend for a fabulous heart felt film The Green Book about the piano player Don Shirley and another film that I can’t remember the name , 3 men in a Nursing home escape to fulfil their last dreams and one of them to propose to the love of his life.
X
Thanks for this blog. I found it particularly interesting, thank you for keeping us company every week. I will follow the advice to watch the movie, I will with my family and of course we will think of you!
Oh thank you thank you! We’re all looking for recommendations of movies to watch that is family friendly as well for our family movie night on Sundays. I shall definitely think of you when I watch this! X
Will have to watch that film. Robin Williams and Tom Hanks are up there in my list of favourite actors, but in terms of actresses Toni Collette is my favourite. Her portrayal of Muriel in Muriel’s Wedding and Milly in Miss You Already absolutely left me in awe. I love feel good movies. This may sound cheesy, but I watched Spies in Disguise the other day with my brothers and I’m telling you that is the hardest I’ve laughed in a while- try explaining a cloaca to an 8 year old
This is on my list to see so will get on to it. Don’t be turned off from Tenet, I saw it a few days ago and really liked it, complicated to explain but good.
I like Russel Crowe, RDJr, and Tom Cruise. Guys. Dominic, come on. You didn’t even list Russel Crowe?
I think my favorite actor is Richard Dean Anderson (from MacGyver and Stargate) even though he’s a tv actor. Benedict Cumberbatch has the best voice, though, and Jimmy Stewart was very gifted.
But, I also admire many other actors, including your family for supporting charities, Chadwick Boseman’s grace in dealing with his illness, and many other good things I’ve heard of actors doing to help the unfortunate.
…thanking you later!
We watched ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ last night. Kids loved it, howls of laughter when he fired the shotgun, and did the Atomic Throw. Real feelgood stuff. Thanks for the tip Dom.