(Chronicles of Riddick Trilogy, Babylon A.D. (coming out soon), Knockaround Guys, A Man Apart, Saving Private Ryan, Boiler Room, Strays, The Pacifier)

This man was born B.A., the deep, gravely voice and the muscular physique meshed perfectly in every role he has appeared in. He exudes the mindset of a man who doesn't give a rip about the law or society and what they think. Every role he's played has been B.A., heck he was even a Bad A. in a children's movie! In which he broke down doors, dodged traps, and fought ninjas, let's see the Rock do that in his Disney movie.

Brad Pitt

(The Ocean's Trilogy, Troy, Fight Club, Se7en, Spy Game, Snatch, Mr. & Mrs. Smith)

I've been told by too many girls that Brad Pitt is what every girl dreams of: he's suave (Ocean's), he's strong (Troy), and he can take a punch and not look like a puss (Fight Club). Granted he's had some roles that are not so manly especially his upcoming movie with him aging backwards, looks like a heart warming tale of crap, but like Gerald Butler further down the list his B.A. movies and general style more than make up for it.

Mark Wahlberg

(Max Payne (coming out soon), Four Brothers, Shooter, We Own The Night, The Departed, Invincible, The Italian Job)

Now here's a guy who might not always get a coo from the lady folk, but whenever a guy hears that name they know it's gonna be an action packed movie. Forget The Happening, we'll act like it never happened (corny joke), but take a look at his resume and tell me he isn't B.A. He is starring in the upcoming Max Payne movie which is based on a video made by Rockstar Games, in this movie he portrays the main character who is gritty and B.A. to the core. It could end up being the most B.A. movie to come out for a long time (unless it's running against Babylon A.D. Vin Diesel's movie).

Clint Eastwood

(Dirty Harry Movies, and countless westerns)

One of the first B.A. actors, he made everyone's day as the unforgettable Dirty Harry who shot first and asked questions later (which is the way I like it). His famous western roles as Josie Whales and the Stranger With No Name, are the epitome of don't care attitude mixed with the strength and ruthless to exact revenge.

Gerard Butler

(300, Beowulf & Grendel, Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, Dracula 2000)

Even though he almost ruined any chances of being considered B.A. by starring in P.S. I Love You, he managed to be so amazing in 300 that the testosterone eminated from that movie wiped away all the estrogen that came out of other movies he was in. He will forever go down in history as King Leonidas, ripped, furious, and savage with so many B.A. quotable lines that I could write a whole other article focused on that.

Jason Statham

( Death Race (coming soon), Transporter Series (#3 coming soon), Crank (#2 coming soon), The Bank Job, War, Chaos, Dungeon Siege, The One, Snatch)

Though he has an English accent that most love to hate, no one can hate his balls to the wall demeanor or I'll just punch my way through tactics. A few years ago most people had never heard of him, but now his name is synonymous with B.A. and action, and his B.A. rating is only increasing with 3 extremely B.A. looking movies coming out in the near future to only solidify the fact.

Karl Urban

(Doom, Path Finder, The Chronicles of Riddick, The LOTOR Trilogy)

His codename from Doom says it all: Reaper. I can't really think of a better B.A. name then the very name that personifies death incarnate. He takes on Vikings single handedly, and battles thousands of orcs while barely breaking a sweat. Plus he is the only person I've ever seen get in a fight with Vin Diesel and not end up dead (The Chronicles of Riddick).

George Clooney

(The Ocean's Trilogy, From Dusk Till Dawn, Batman & Robin)

He's a super smooth criminal with just the right right things to say (Ocean's) or he's a super smooth crminal who'll shoot you in the head (Dusk) or he's a super smooth ninja crime fighter (Batman & Robin), need I say more?

Denzel Washington

(American Gangster, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, Inside Man, Remember The Titans)

The first minute in American Gangster made my jaw drop, heartless, cold, and violent, and he bucks the traditional thought pattern, and defines a realistic B.A. Or he can be absolutely a monster in Man on Fire, doing whatever it takes to get the job done. And a bonus is that he's only ever been in one bad movie, Out of Time, don't see it, it's a waste of time.

Hugh Jackman

(X-Men movies (X-Men Origins: Wolverine coming soon), Van Helsing, Swordfish)

Everyone who has even remotely heard of X-Men is excited about Hugh returning to the silver screen to to play as Wolverine, the cigar chomping, claw slashing, sarcastic B.A. comic book character. And in Van Helsing he took on werewolves, a giant Mr.Hyde, and Dracula himself, let's see someone else do that.

Honorable Mentions: Bruce Willis, Daniel Craig, Mel Gibson, Matt Damon, Sean Patrick Flanery, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, and Sean Connery.

It is the second week now and theaters are just full not only at peak hours but all day long.

And how couldn't they be? Omar Sharif has returned to Egyptian cinema after years of absence.

Not only he returned to perform in an Egyptian movie but another major Egyptian actor is co-starring in the same movie, Mr. Adel Emam.

Adel Emam is known for his black comedy movies that state dramatic realities in comedy molds.

The movie is written by Yusuf Meaty, a famous writer and journalist.

“Hassan & Morkos” states the reality of the Coptic - Muslim relationship in Egypt.

It shows the different points of view about that relationship according to different layers of the Egyptian community.

The movie genre is of course comedy. Most writers in Egypt tend to write their scripts to be a comedy because they believe that it is the most appealing genre for the majority of the Egyptian people.

I really wished that it weren't a comedy though. The issue discussed in that movie should have been more realistic and intense to describe the real deal not just stating a vague situation.

Actually I wasn't satisfied. I expected a lot more concerning the script and the making.

The thing that really made me like this movie overall is Omar Sharif's performance.

What an outstanding performance by the icon.

Honestly I didn't think he would perform in such a perfect way but even though I am in fact a huge fan, he did surprise me.

The movie plot is about two religious men, one is a Muslim sheikh “Omar Sharif” and the other is a Christian preacher “Adel Emam” and their families.

They were both threatened by the fanatics in both religions and in order to protect them, the government decided to give them fake identities of opposite religions and relocate them.

They accidently meet and a love relationship is formed between the two families as each one thought that the other has the same religion.

Another love story is formed between the Christian family son and the Muslim family daughter.

The whole movie is a pure comedy until every family knows the truth. The whole thing then turns into a drama and here comes the end which for sure wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Another scene that I didn't get is when the truth is discovered the sheikh's wife wore “nekab” which is the strictest form of Islamic outfits.

She wasn't wearing this outfit in the beginning of the movie. She was wearing a normal “hijab” which is the simplest form of the Islamic outfit.

So all of a sudden she decided to wear this when she discovered the truth about the other family!!!

In the end I'd like to say that the movie has tried to state a truth untold which is something all writers should be doing.

Enjoy the joyful performance.

Keanu Reeves (Played by Quinn Buniel in Constantine)

They seem to have nailed the nose, but the eyebrows are way off.

Likeness rating: 7/10

Leonardo DiCaprio (Played by Jacob Davich in The Aviator)

The stupid look is all there, but the hair colour is way off. Maybe young Leonardo was bleaching?

Likeness rating: 5/10

Bruce Willis (Played by Chandler Lindauer in Pulp Fiction)

The age difference here has something to do with it as Bruce is a teen in this picture, but you can tell that doesn't save the difference in head shape. Also notice how skinny Bruce was back in the day, it has nothing to do with Chandler, but he got jacked!

Likeness rating: 4/10

Tom Hanks (Played by Michael Conner Humphreys in Forest Gump)

Again Tom is much older than Michael in these pictures, but the resemblance still is a long way off.

Likeness rating: 4/10

Kurt Russel (Played by Jimmy Baker in Soldier)

This one has a chance, both boys have Prince Charles ears, but that's where the comparison stops. A hair cut would boost the resemblance.

Likeness Rating: 5/10

Kevin Bacon is seen without his clothes in Wild Things, which is a 1998 erotic crime film. He stars as police sergeant Ray Duquette . Matt Dillon and Naeve Campbell also star.

Alan Bates

Alan Bates removes his kit for the camera in "Women in Love". This is the film adaptation of the D.H.Lawrence novel. Bates was the actor, along with Oliver Reed, to do full frontal nude acting in a major cinema film.

Simon Callow

Simon Callow as Reverend Beebe bared all in the film adaptation of the E.M.Forster novel, Room With A View.

Richard Gere

Richard Gere left nothing to the imagination in "Yanks". He quickly became a Hollywood sex symbol in his own right.

Harvey Keitel

In 1993 "The Piano" Harvey removed his clothes in a story set in 19th Century New Zealand.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor bared all as Mark Renton, in "Trainspotting", the 1996 cult classic based on the book by Irvine Welsh.

Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot. He played Josephine to Jack Lemon's Geraldine, which later turns to Daphne. Confused? Everybody in this fill seems to be. Everybody seems to be playing someone else. A great old fashioned comedy.

In 1949 Alec Guinness got to die eight times in this film when he played generations of the same family.

Dustin Hoffman played Tootsie in the film of the same name. A very convincing performance and sometimes very funny too.

Eddie Murphy as Ms. Klump, in The Nutty Professor. Convincing but also funny.

In To Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar, Patrick Swayze really looks the part as Vida Boheme the dancing queen.

Robin Williams plays Nanny McFee in Mrs Doubtfire. He seems to really enough the comedy of the role and plays a very convincing part.

1. The actor should come to an audition with a head shot and resume even if that has been sent via email because there is always the likelihood that his material was not printed out prior to the interview
2. The actor should always have a monologue prepared in case he is asked to audition for a theater role. He should have looked at his sides if he has to audition for a film part. The English system in Canada does not require the actor to know his lines off by heart but it is common for French directors to expect actors to know their lines.
3. The actor should be polite and not inquisitive. He is not there to interview the director or producer who has a list of people to test.
4. The actor should not expect a call back just because he has come to the audition and a no call means that the actor has not been selected. If the actor represents himself he could call the production company and try to get some feedback within a reasonable amount of time.
5. The actor should be as relaxed as possible and adapt to the situation at hand. If asked to give a range of emotions then he should try to make then as distinct as possible one from the next.
6. The director will know whether the actor is inexperienced by looking into the camera lens, so the resume should reflect what the actor knows
7. Some roles may continue on indefinitely when a film is cast. It is up to the actor to keep in touch with the director to find when the next shooting date is, in order to be informed. The world would be to good a place to live if all directors informed actors spontaneously.
8. Actors might have to run after production companies for a video clip of their role. They should allow the company time for the product to be marketed and should supply an address where their demo can be mailed.
9. An actor who is versatile is more likely to get work. If he can sing and dance as well as act those are pluses and the director might value that. This information and other information, which would set him apart from the next, should be on the resume.
10. The resume should be updated at least once a year, the head shot can go unchanged for a little longer but the actor should keep in mind that a change of look should be a signal for him to have a new photo shoot or for him to have new pictures

I was at home preparing breakfast one Saturday morning when the telephone rang. I picked up the receiver and the voice on the other end of the line said, “This is Tony Hopkins, you wrote to me…”

I should explain that my husband is a talent agent and he had made a few discreet calls, trying to contact Anthony Hopkins "at home". Obviously it had paid off. I must have sounded puzzled. “Who?” I asked, “I don't know a Tony…” The voice on the other end cut in, “I'm Anthony Hopkins, the actor.”

And that was my first conversation with the great man himself. We arranged to meet a week later at the elegantly restored Langham Hilton Hotel in London where we would record the interview.

It was a bright slightly crisp sunny day when my husband Robert and I met the two camera men, lighting man, and the sound engineer on the pavement outside the hotel. We introduced ourselves at reception and the hotel manager escorted us to the Royal Suite on the third floor. When the hotel was built in 1865 it faced directly onto Regent's Park. The development of London has taken its toll over the years and now the park can just be seen in the distance.

The Royal Suite is a good-sized room with large windows that faced directly onto Portland Place. It was stylishly decorated with large comfy armchairs.

The film crew were still in the preparation stage when Anthony Hopkins walked in. He told us he had had a very pleasant walk through Regent's Park, chatting occasionally with passers-by and with gardeners who were busy with their unending work maintaining the park, one of London's premier attractions.

 

Pots of tea were ordered and after sound and lighting checks, we were ready to begin. Sir Anthony had already familiarised himself with the names of the crew, insisting that they call him Tony and asking the make-up artist for tips on keeping his weight in check.

A few minutes later the recording had started and we were talking about his childhood. He told me that he suffered during his school years as he was dyslexic (though the term was not in use then) so to cover the problems he became the class clown. He was a natural mimic and he said he often imitated the teachers' voices so he could make the other kids laugh.

His father was the one who got him started as an actor. Anthony explained that as a child he was very shy and used to play dirges on the piano at home after school, he played the piano well and was a good artist. One day his father suggested he get out of the house.

“Do something with your life. Join the YMCA and meet people.”

So at seventeen he joined a local acting group run by Cyril James in Port Talbot near to his home in Wales. Richard Burton was from the same town and young Anthony was very impressed with what the actor had accomplished. When he was fifteen he went and knocked on Richard Burton's door to ask for his autograph, Richard was home from Hollywood with his wife Sybil.

Q: Were you impressed with Richard Burton?

A: After giving me the autograph, Richard was going to the big rugby match in Cardiff with Sybil and his brother. As I was walking back home down the hill, I watched him drive by in his Jaguar, thinking, I've got to get out of this life of mine. I've got to get out of this environment of my own mind. I've got to do something with my life.

Q: How did you get into acting?

A: I joined this little acting group and then I got a scholarship to the Cardiff College of Music and Drama. Then I went into the military service, National Service, and when I came out I made a decision to follow an acting career.”

Q: How did you feel when you discovered that this was something you were good at?

A: I look back on my life and I still see myself as a lucky amateur who just got away with it. I don't really feel that comfortable in ensemble companies. This business has given me a very good living.

Q: How do you prepare for a role?

A: I simply learn the lines and show up. I get the script, and I read it over and over again, going over the part until I let the character play me.

Q: Do you believe in destiny?

A: I'm a fatalist. I believe that if we relax and let go, then extraordinary things begin to happen. You can't really control your destiny.

Q: I was really interested in the story you told me about meeting Katherine Hepburn, during the filming of "The Lion in Winter".

A: It was my first film. There were three young actors in it, John Castle, Timothy Dalton (who went on to do the Bond Films), Nigel Terry and myself. Hepburn used to help us, she'd say to me,

“Don't act so much. Don't use so much voice. Let the camera do all the work. Watch Spencer Tracey, he was the best.”

She was tough and she was generous. I remember one day she said “What a wonderful life. Here we are in the South of France in February in a castle, being paid for what we do, never forget that.”

“And I never have. That's why I love making films. I travel all over the world, do what I want to do, and at the end of the day I'm surprised they pay me for it.”

Q: What about directors you have worked with?

A: I've had a bit of a stormy reputation in the past with directors. Now I've come to peace with myself and directors. Actually, I did something for George Martin, in "Under Milk Wood" and I was directing a lot of actors and I suddenly realised the enormous pressure directors are under. And sometimes I know why they get bad tempered and dictatorial, because of fear. The best directors I've worked with are James Ivory and Jonathan Demme in "Silence of the Lambs". Director David Hare and of course Francis Ford Coppola, not the easiest person to work with, he's a creative giant, a very kind and generous man. I thing those directors are terrific they are the ones who are easy to work with.”

Anthony's advice to young people wanting to be actors was,

“Don't just talk about it, go out and do it. Opportunities are there, so find them.”

He seemed ready to converse on any topic. He expressed his surprise at getting an Oscar for "Silence of the Lambs", he forgot to thank the usual people and thanked his mother!

The time had rushed by and I needed to close the interview. I asked how he would like to be remembered.

He replied “Mr Nice Guy!”

And he is.

Of the actors that have passed away, I would even go back to some of silent film stars. Shame on anyone who would not even consider that at a time of silent movies, there were no great performances and those actors were mediocre. Lillian Gish is one of those actresses who lived through that period and yet put on challenging performances in speaking roles too.

If I widen my scope to theater as well as film I might include other female greats such as Helen Hayes who made a successful transition from a child to adult star. Natalie Wood was also quite gifted when she was very young and also when she became mature. This is a quality not underestimate in actors.

Gloria Swanson did some challenging roles, a very convincing come back role in Sunset Boulevard to a good range of silent film roles that were forgotten when talkies got around.

I can never forget Bettie Davis from “Of Human Bondage” to “Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte” where she plays a convincing role as a distraught and disturbed sister. Clearly here was an actress who could perform well in unsympathetic roles and was able to sustain her come back, even though she went through a court case over her earnings and other actresses like Crawford campaigned against her.

I haven't even begun to think of male actors yet. That said there was Cary Grant who played the debonair and smooth talker but he knew how to play some very convincing ambiguous roles as well like the agent in Charade. This would have made an excellent Hitchcock film had the master of suspense got hold of it before.

There were so many other great male actors who are no longer around like Humphrey Bogart, Steve McQueen, James Dean, Lawrence Harvey, Gregory Peck and many others.

Many will probably leave out European and other actors that are worth mentioning as greats of all time like Alberto Sordi, an Italian actor who had a wide acting range. One can also mention Ugo Tognazzi and Vittorio Gassman who also performed well in comic and serious roles. There were remarkable French actors as well like Phillippe Noiret and Simone Signoret. Current great European actors that are cutting edge are Hannah Schygulla and Klaus Maria Brandauer.

So I have mostly mentioned those actors who have passed away and encourage readers to return later to this column to discover what actors that are alive today, are worthy of being called great.

Girl meets boy. Girl takes boy home for the night. Girl finds out that boy is a loser. Girl finds out she's pregnant with said loser's baby. This simple premise is the plot for the new movie by Judd Apatow, “Knocked Up.” The question is, would anyone really want to see some slacker go through the drama of becoming a father? If the slacker was played by Seth Rogen, there's a pretty good chance that the answer is “yes”.

“Knocked Up” already comes with positive referrals. Judd Apatow's last movie, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” was popular enough to give this one a big boost. Katherine Heigl in the leading role certainly didn't hurt matters either. But it's Rogen who really shines through as Ben Stone, a 23 year old who spends his days working on a website with his friends, getting high, and watching films with nude scenes as part of his work research.

Seth Rogen is a Canadian born comedian who's been in the business since the age of 11 when he took comedy classes and starting acting in commercials. His career working alongside Apatow started in 1999 when he took on the role of Ken Miller in the one season long series “Freaks and Geeks.” When Apatow made another attempt with “Undeclared,” Rogen was a part of that as well, though disappointed in another run of just one season.

Before Apatow asked him to take the lead in “Knocked Up,” Seth Rogen made his mark as a writer for “Undeclared” and “Da Ali G Show.” He also made several small appearances in such films as “You, Me, and Dupree,” “Donnie Darko,” and “The 40-Year Old Virgin.” His improvisational skills and dead pan comedy have earned him the right to work with those he considers the greats, like Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell.

There is something endearing about Seth Rogen. Maybe it's his babyface. Or maybe it's just that deprecating sense of humor which seems to flow onto the screen from real life. In a recent CBS interview, Rogen talked of his advice to co-star Heigl to sleep underneath a bear for a week to prepare for their intimate scenes. If anyone can relate to Rogen, it's the everyday type of guy who's not known for looks, but rather his personality (for better or for worse) and his room to grow.

Besides “Knocked Up”, Rogen also had a voice bit on “Shrek the Third.” His nearest upcoming project is “Superbad,” a movie he co-wrote with Evan Goldberg and stars in. Future projects include four releases in 2008, including a voice in “Horton Hears a Who.”

As a member of the USA Today coined group “the frat pack,” Rogen's mix of slacker image and comedic talent is a hopeful indicator that he'll be entertaining for awhile longer.

It was only months later, when I ran into him by chance in Amsterdam, that we actually had a conversation. There, in a bar deep among the red-curtained booths of the Red Light District, I realized that I had to interview this man. JC watched me with disdain while I took notes on his words, smoking constantly and drinking absinthe as if it was water.

“Do what you want, English,” he told me. “Jesus doesn't care. You think I am so fascinating, but you know nothing of my life; you know nothing of the pain and the shit that I endure even to speak with you.”

When I asked about his acting career, he snorted in disgust.

“I spit on it; it is all rubbish. I am an artist and what I do is only art; I will have no money for it. This is why I work with Mestor Dansac and people like him, people who have no money, no bullshit. Jesus will not be paid; I know only my art.”

This strange statement led me to ask how he survived; I assumed he had an income of some sort, if only to pay the tab at the bar.

“I have nothing but myself,” he replied. “Jesus needs nothing else; money and all that go with it are lies, and Jesus cannot stand the filth of dishonesty. I live by my art, but I will make no profit.”

His art turned out to be threefold; the next day, JC phoned me while I was still in bed, recovering from a night of over-indulgence. I have no idea where he got my number, but the voice that awoke me could be no one else.

“Wake up, English. Jesus will show you his art today and then you will bother me no more.”

I met him in a run-down gym later that morning, where I was bullied into boxing gloves and forced to climb into the ring. There, JC demonstrated his complete mastery of Savate, a French style of kick boxing. As a long-time martial artist, I was not best pleased to be shown the floor six times in the space of five minutes. Looking down at me while I lay stunned on the canvas, JC lit another cigarette; he had smoked all through our brief duel.

“This is art, English; do you see how Jesus kicks your derrière and it is beautiful?”

It was true; the most fearsome beating of my life had been a joy to watch, even at the receiving end. Afterwards, JC helped me to a bar and bought a round of drinks; beer for me, absinthe for himself. We drank and talked for over an hour, mostly about the state of the world.

“It is all shit,” JC lamented, around the stub of his twentieth cigarette. “Jesus doesn't care; let them have their shit and their society; only art matters to Jesus.”

I said JC's art was threefold; I had seen him act and I had seen him fight; following our breakfast of booze and tobacco beside the canals of Amsterdam, JC took me to a dingy studio deep in the Red Light District and revealed the final element of his art. His paintings were incredible, but he refused to countenance, on pain of another beating, any photographs.

“Art cannot be copied,” he informed me. “It cannot be whored to reproduction; you must look and remember. This is art, like the perfect kick; perfect only because it is passing, never to be repeated or seen again. Soon Jesus will burn his paintings and start from the beginning, where only nothing exists.”

I was horrified, but JC LeSinge is not a man to be argued with. As good as his word, he took a blowtorch to the painting I had that minute admired. The smoke and flames brought his girlfriend in from the tiny kitchen, swearing in Russian and brandishing a fire extinguisher. JC only smiled at me, a rare occurrence.

“There is your photograph, English; in death, my art is more beautiful than before, but only for a moment.”

I was sorry to leave Amsterdam the next day, but JC showed up unannounced to see me on the train at Centraal Station. I had not told him the time of my departure, but somehow he knew.

“Soon we will meet again, English. Jesus is coming to your shit country to make another film. Mestor Dansac has asked Jesus to return; you will be there, non ?”

I had no idea that MD was planning another film, but JC only slapped me on the arm and lit another cigarette. “You will see; Jesus cannot be wrong. There will be another film and Jesus will perform. You must write the script, English, so that Jesus may ignore it completely. Au revoir.”

He walked away as the train pulled into the station, leaving me to board alone. I was barely through customs in London when Mestor Dansac phoned and told me about his next film. I mention what JC had said and Mestor agreed that only the enigmatic Frenchman could possibly play the lead role. I dutifully scripted Sifu Dansac, and filming went ahead six weeks later. Within moment's of arriving on set, JC used the burning remnants of the script to light a cigarette. Look out on-line for the return of JC LeSinge to the Independent scene as Secret Sensei, master of martial arts.