Tom Cruise is my favorite actor. It’s been that way since I got a boxed set of the original Mission: Impossible trilogy when I was a kid (which sparked a collection of physical movies that now sits at over 500 total), and it’s likely going to be that way for the rest of my life. He is rivaled by pretty much no one, always going above and beyond to deliver the best possible performance.

And while I’m pretty much into any and all actors (there are so many that I will watch in literally anything), there are a few that do stand out. When these are involved in a project, I don’t generally need to know even a single other thing about the film to know I want to watch. I don’t need to know the plot, the director, or anything else. If these stars are in, so am I.

5 Actors I’ll Watch Do Anything

Honorable Mentions: Alexander Skarsgard, Ralph Fiennes, Michael B. Jordan, Stellan Skarsgard, Daniel Craig, Glen Powell, Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Comer, Matthew Lillard, and Toni Collette.

5. Timothee Chalamet

A recent addition to this list, I find myself enthralled by Timothee Chalamet. His open desire for greatness and his confidence in his own performance might rub people the wrong way, but not me. It’s a blending of athlete mentality with art, which is both rare and endlessly interesting. It helps that he’s probably the best actor of the last couple of generations and is still so young. There are probably a few more classic performances in him over the next few years.

4. Tom Hiddleston

Whatever Tom Hiddleston does, I will watch. It all started with his portrayal of Loki in the MCU. I believe Loki is easily one of the best characters in that franchise, and Hiddleston’s performance is a big reason why. Off-screen, he seems kind and intelligent, and on-screen, he’s able to portray both evil and good so well. He was also the star of the criminally underrated The Life of Chuck.

3. Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson has everything going for her in terms of my interest. She was a fantastic side character in three Mission: Impossible movies, and (SPOILER) her death in Dead Reckoning hurt my soul. She’s also in Dune: Part Two, which is possibly the best movie ever, and the adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time, Wool (the Silo series, which is a solid but imperfect adaptation).

2. Jesse Plemons

My first exposure to Jesse Plemons was in Breaking Bad, where he was the most despicable character. Somehow, my young mind didn’t merge the two, which could have led to a hatred of Plemons. He is spectacular. His best outing might be Bugonia, but don’t sleep on Game Night. “How can that be profitable for Frito-Lay?” is one of the best line deliveries ever.

1. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise gets the number one spot here, which is no surprise. His track record is unmatched. He’s worked with auteurs on prestige dramas and delivered Oscar-worthy performances. He’s dropped into movies and delivered hilarious outings that border on cameo. Cruise also, as is well-known, defies death in his action movies. They just don’t make them like him anymore.

Conclusion

While actors are just one part of a movie, I find them to be the most interesting part. Cinematography, writing, direction, and more can only do so much if there aren’t talented actors in the movie delivering good performances. Sometimes, you can get by without that, but it puts a huge strain on the film, and bad acting is generally pretty noticeable. Thankfully, the above thespians do a great job every time.