The 
may have this one with their selection of Tom Cruise, as he has a formidable record and amazing on-screen presence. They didn't highlight one of my favourite roles of Tommy boy in Eyes Wide Shut which was a great performance by Tom and his (ex)-wife Nicole.
Anyhow, we aren't here to talk about Tom as the stickupboys have covered it well. Another big contender for me would be Mel Gibson as he has had many well played and impactful roles. I have fond memories of my teenage years humming along to Tina Turner singing "We don't need another hero" while a nuclear apocalypse is going on around us.
I would often wake up in the night with heart palpitations and a dead arm as though I had dreamed we had been hit by a nuke. Thanks for putting those thoughts into my head Mel! I later realised these were just some side effects of medicine from Big Pharma.
However, my favourite actor and I think the best actor (sorry Tom) is Leonard Dicaprio. Or as he was affectionately known by an ex-girlfriend of mine as Bighead. I don't think that's his real nickname or if he has actually a particularly big head, but the name sort of stuck for me.
The beginnings
Leo was and always has been an actor and he fits into and takes the life of every role he has ever played. He is one of those Hollywood child actors that didn't actually go off the rails crazy and stuck the course to deliver hit film after hit film. Moreover what makes him my favourite actor is that he really brought life to those films and made them a hit, when they could have easily been a flop.
If you search youtube, you will find Leo starred in Lassie and Roseanne. Yes, they are terrible, but what's a desperate child actor to do? I can forgive him for those roles. It gets worse, he played this Jack fella in Titanic which turned out to be a huge hit for women everywhere and propelled him to stardom.
This film had probably one of the worst storylines you have ever heard and a soundtrack to die for (literally). It would take at least a decade before the radio stopped playing it. Here even, the power of a young Leo shone threw with his powerful performance and memorable cliches like "I'm on top of the world" or something similar.
But this wasn't when Leo came to my attention, they weren't playing Titanic down at the pub. Usually, it was Man Utd vs. Chelsea on the box whilst playing pool and downing pints.
The Beach
Leo came to my attention in his role in The Beach as Richard. Being a wage slave and bored out of my head working in an office as a freshly minted 20 something, I was obsessed with travelling and escaping civilisation. And when I saw this film with Leo in, like most of my age group, I was hooked. I wanted to live on a beach and chill with hot chicks like Richard did.
I wanted a totally crazy friend like Daffy. Even though Leo was clearly American and not English like in the book, Leo pulled it off. He had a whole generation sucked in! Damn you big head!!
I would love to swim to an island where the weed grows freely and you live away from civilisation with just a clear blue sea and pristine beaches. I could build myself a hut too! What a way to live.
Fast forward a few years and I went to Thailand to chill out on the islands. I took just myself and my backpack and flew over. First I went to the Kho San Road like on The Beach. I drank the buckets laced with drugs and stayed up all night! It was awesome! I met some fellow travellers, but none as crazy as Daffy.
I headed to the islands and it was just a huge tourist resort, not like in the film! What's going on here!?! It seemed everyone was trying to live like Leo on The Beach.
Later Films
Since then, I've still followed Leo's films. Even though this was the biggest impact on me and made the most impression, he still went on to impress me in further roles. He managed to not get stereotyped into just that one role. He has a huge catalogue of films worth watching but for me, just a few really stand out.
I thought he was amazing in Catch Me If You Can. He was so impressive in this role as a counterfeiter, I was really cheering for him in the end. I guess what really appealed to me was his portrayal of someone disregarding all of the social systems we have in place but with tragic consequences in his personal life.
It is worth a short mention, but I really loved his hilarious African accent in Blood Diamond. How adaptable is this guy! Similarly his loveable rogue portrayal of Jordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street. I think he really brought what should have been a very dull film to life.
Another film in which I think he was also particularly good and really gets you thinking about our reality is in Inception. I think his crisp, clean screen presence, really brought you into the film and the possibility of questioning if our current reality is real!?
In parting, I could mention how great Leo was in The Revenant, but I'm sure everyone knows. But I want to say that even in one of his most recent pieces which is as boring as watching paint dry, Leo was the only bright spark in Don't Look Up.
Leo nabs it
Leo has been so good in the roles he plays that they have been able to leave such a strong impression on us. The films have also been quite varied and targeted different audiences and he still manages to bring a presence to us that shines through. Just watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood if you have any doubts.
Therefore, Leo has beaten Tom and Mel to the top spot. I'm sorry Brad Pitt, I know you are an awesome actor too. That Irish accent was hilarious.
But Leo is number 1.
Please let me know if you are a big Leo fan or not in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
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