The Top 10 Best Fictional Actors from Movies
5. Kirk Lazarus- Tropic Thunder
Hollywood is no stranger to actors taking on problematic movie roles (>cough< Scarlett Johansson>cough<). However, Kirk Lazarus takes things past the point of no return when he has skin pigment alteration surgery in order to play a black soldier in the ill-fated Vietnam War flick, Tropic Thunder. Kirk is a method actor who doesn’t step out of character until “after the DVD commentary is done.” He’s also an insufferable @$$hole who thinks he’s God’s gift to acting. Then again, his numerous awards and accolades imply that he might not be that far off from the truth. As terrible a person as he might be deep down, Kirk is a guy you can count on when the chips are down and he fights right alongside his co-stars when the stuff hits the fan.
4. Riggan Thomson- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
One might argue that Michael Keaton is simply calling Michael Keaton in Birdman. After all, his character is an actor who faded into obscurity after playing a big-screen superhero and that’s all people seem to remember him for. Desperate to prove himself an actor who should be taken seriously, he mounts an all-out last attempt at redemption by directing and starring in a play set to premiere off-broadway. The stress starts to build as everything slowly goes wrong and soon he finds himself being tormented by his winged alter-ego as he stumbles closer and closer to a nervous breakdown. It’s an incredible look at the pressure that actors put on themselves to succeed and I doubt anyone could have played this role as well as Keaton did.
3. George Valentin- The Artist
The invention of movies with audio meant the demise of a lot of silent film stars back in the day. Charlie Chaplin, for example, faced his demise thanks to his incredibly thick accent that made it difficult for audiences to understand him. George Valentin finds himself in similar circumstances in The Artist. He was once the star of the silent screen, but as movies with sound became more and more popular, he found himself out of work with little hope of returning to the silver screen. Luckily, things managed to work out for him thanks to his impressive tap dancing skills which worked perfectly in “talkies.” Of course, it didn’t hurt that he had an incredibly charming accent as well when he finally does speak at the end of the film.
2. Rick Dalton- Once Upon a Time in Holywood
It was tough to add Rick Dalton to this list of the best fictional actors from movies, mostly because I simply can’t stand Quentin Tarantino. However, I do love Leonardo DiCaprio and consider him one of the best (real) actors working in Hollywood these days. So, I decided to put my prejudices aside and give Rick the respect that he deserves. A former big-shot TV star that went on to get a few movies under his belt. Rick’s time in the spotlight has long since past and now he makes cameo’s on other TV shows for a living. His fall from grace has left him a complete mess as far as his self-esteem goes and lead to him becoming an alcoholic. Still, that doesn’t stop him from taking his job very seriously and he puts everything he has into his performances.
1. Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels- Tootsie
I get that Tootsie might not have aged well in recent years now that the world is seeking better diversity when it comes to actors in movies. Still, when I sat down to write this list of fictional actors, there was one clear cut number one contender from the get-go. Michael is a struggling actor who can’t get a role to save his life. So, when a Soap Opera is seeking a new star, he decides to go to any lengths to get the part. Unfortunately, the role is written for a woman, but Michael takes that as the challenge of a lifetime and creates the persona of Dorthy Michaels. He learns early on that the television industry treats women like garbage and soon decides not to stand for it. His efforts make him a feminist icon, which isn’t a bad thing since we need more men to stand up and join the fight for feminism. As problematic as it is, Michael still earns the number one spot on this list of fictional actors.
Honorable Mention: Trevor Slattery- Iron Man 3
I have to give a shout out to a fictional actor that took his performance a little too far. Trevor was a British actor who had a bit of a substance abuse problem that led to him not being able to land any serious gigs. That is until a group approached him about his problem and offered to help fix it. Of course, you’re probably thinking that they got him into rehab and helped him to get sober. In actuality, they gave him all the drugs he could want as long as he would play the role of a notorious terrorist known as The Mandarin. Trevor turned in a hell of a performance and managed to fool the entire world until Tony Stark came knocking at his door. I have to say, he’s the best actor to appear in an MCU movie, but I’m also a fan of the thespians that played Loki and Odin in Thor: Ragnarok.
For my money, those are the best fictional actors to ever grace the silver screen. There are tons of other ones though and I wholeheartedly invite you to let me know if there were any great ones I might have missed. I’d also love to hear what you thought of the list in general. So, be sure to leave a comment below. I’ll be updating this list as more movies with fictional actors hit the silver screen and you can check back to see how the rankings change in the future.