by Jared Garrett

Created on: April 11, 2008

Acting is one of the oldest professions next to.. well, you know. And if you don't, don't worry about it. Through the centuries, there have no doubt been amazing actors that we don't even know about. Rumor has it that Shakespeare himself was no slouch.

But the problem is that when we decide to talk about our favorite actors, most audiences to an article like this are going to expect us to discuss movie actors. But if that wasn't the case, I'd talk about Anthony Sher, Paul Rhys, and several other phenomenal stage actors I saw in London.

However, cinema is probably where our mind is when we think of this subject. What's more, most of us are probably going to be thinking about relatively recent actors. So, in a spirit of conformity, I will discuss some of the men (although 'actor' today, in the business, does refer to women as well) who I believe are the best and at the top of their game.

These are in no particular order.

*Heath Ledger. I have to say this man because his work has had such an impact, not because of his tragic death. If you think only about his jaw-dropping work in Brokeback Mountain, you are missing out. Go see The Brothers Grimm, which Ledger did with Matt Damon and Monica Bellucci. This film is wonderful, and Ledger's character so unique and so perfectly motivated that you are shocked he didn't get an Oscar nod for it.

A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, 10 Things I Hate About You, all of these movies were made better by Heath Ledger's work in them. And now we can anticipate a remarkable sequel to Batman Begins with Ledger playing the Joker. Trailers are making many of us drool over what may be the most iconic and textured Jokers in all time.

*Paul Giamatti. The guy got a lot of press for his work in Sideways, which was actually a terrible movie. If you want to see this man act, and I mean act, check out these movies: American Splendor, The Illusionist, Lady in the Water, Man on the Moon and Duets, to name but a few.

But it's his role in Cinderella Man, with Russell Crowe and Renee Zellwegger that takes the cake. It is nuanced, deeply felt and provides much of the emotional impact that this movie carries. This fellow is a character actor that knows how to get it done.

*Robert Downey, Jr. Sure, he messed up his life a few times, but Downey, Jr. has been doing remarkable work his entire career. If you saw Chaplin, you saw Robert Downey, Jr. own a role better than almost any other actor in all history. He starred in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Singing Detective,

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