Last week we talked about the top ten actresses of 2008. This week we're turning our attention to the men.
10. Colin Farrell: I think I'm one of perhaps 14 people that saw "In Bruges." That number is sure to get a little bigger now that the film has garnered three Golden Globe nominations including best comedy or musical and a best actor nod for Farrell. When I tell you this is one of the funniest movies I've seen, I don't just mean this year.
9. Michael Emerson Season four of "Lost" had many high points but none higher than the performance of Emerson as Benjamin Linus, the enigmatic head of the Others. Emerson's triumph was recognized with the third Emmy nomination of his career and second for his role as Linus. With new season just around the corner, look for Fanboy's next interview with Emerson in the coming weeks.
8. Leonardo DiCaprio: DiCaprio is getting rave reviews for his role in "Revolutionary Road," his reunion film with "Titanic" co-star Kate Winslet. But thanks to actors like Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn, DiCaprio will continue working on his Susan Lucci impersonation come Oscar time. But don't fret, he'll get at least one at some point.
7. Josh Brolin: Brolin is starting to generate some Oscar buzz for his role as city supervisor and assassin Dan White in "Milk" but it is his performance as Dubya that earns him a place on this list. While the film "W." really isn't best pic material, Brolin will be one to consider come Oscar time. He has the president's mannerism and dialect down and is truly believable as George W. Bush.
6. Michael C. Hall: Find me a more likeable serial killer than Hall's Dexter Morgan. You can't, can you? Of course you can't. Hall has been carving up the competition as a forensic analyst with a horrific hobby for the past three seasons but this year could be his best and he might have Jimmy Smits to thank for that.
5. Frank Langella: The 70-year-old actor has been on the stage and screen since the '60s but his performance as disgraced president Richard Nixon in "Frost/Nixon" could be his coup de grace. If you're a betting type of person, put money on Langella to earn an Oscar nomination.
4. Robert Downey Jr.: Downey Jr. brought in close to $800 million worldwide with "Iron Man" and "Tropic Thunder." Could a best supporting actor trophy go home with Downey Jr. for his role as Kirk Lazarus, the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude, in "Thunder"? Probably not. Only because of number three on this list.
3. Heath Ledger: Has there ever been a more hyped performance in the history of film? I don't think so. And guess what? The performance actually lived up to the seemingly unreachable buildup that the actor's tragic death helped create. And since we've been talking Oscars, you can count on Ledger taking home a posthumous win.
2. Sean Penn: There is some major buzz surrounding Penn's performance as tragic gay rights figure Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. If Penn doesn't win best actor than the award will go to...
1. Mickey Rourke: It doesn't matter who gets chosen as the best actor award winner in February, Fanboy's choice is clear. Mickey Rourke's triumphant comeback as Randy "The Ram" an aging wrestler whose life has passed him by in Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" is a performance for the ages. You connect with him, you feel for him, and once you get past that initial "Holy crap is that Mickey Rourke?" moment, you get totally sucked in.
