Today, we're celebrating the 41st birthday of actor Ewan McGregor. His acting career began in the early 1990s with a series of television performances, but it wasn't until 1994 that he made his feature film debut in Shallow Grave. He garnered acclaim for his performance in 1996's Trainspotting, but McGregor burst onto the worldwide movie scene in 1999 when he first portrayed the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first of the Star Wars prequels, The Phantom Menace; he would go on to reprise the role in both of the film's subsequent sequels. Ewan has continued to have consistent work throughout the 2000s, appearing in such big-time films as 2001's Moulin Rouge and Black Hawk Down, 2003's Big Fish and 2010's The Ghost Writer. Most recently, McGregor appeared in the 2012 film Haywire, and he will next appear in the 2012 film The Impossible opposite Naomi Watts. And so, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my five favorite of McGregor's performances and have found videos offering clips from those films. Once again, happy birthday, Ewan!
Today we're celebrating the 54th birthday of actor Steve Buscemi. He landed his first role in a feature film in the 1985 film The Way It Is. He worked steadily through the rest of the 1980s, but he really started to gain legitimate attention in the early 1990s. In 1990, he appeared in the films King of New York and Miller's Crossing, and he followed those films with 1991's Barton Fink and Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut, Reservoir Dogs. He also made appearances in films like 1993's Rising Sun, 1994's Pulp Fiction and 1996's Fargo. He has maintained continued partnerships with Tarantino and the Coen brothers over the years, but it was most prevalent during the 1990s. And while he hasn't had the same kind of success since the new millennium that he had during the 1990s, he's still an instantly recognizable actor who consistently brings fantastic characters to the screen. Most recently, he's starred in the television show "Boardwalk Empire," but his most recent feature film was 2010's Pete Smalls Is Dead. You'll next be able to see him in the 2012 film, Rampart opposite Woody Harrelson. So, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my five favorite Buscemi performances. I hope you enjoy the list. Once again, happy birthday, Steve!
It's birthday time, kids! Today we're celebrating the 53rd birthday of director/producer Tim Burton. Burton has spent his career crafting his own niche in Hollywood, consistently bringing forth some of the strangest and most innovative films to hit the silver screen. He's taken hold of the 0ff-beat humor in the darkest of situations and has gone full steam ahead with it. Because of this, he's developed quite a cult following, and although I don't think he's my favorite director, I'm still thoroughly intrigued by all of his work. Adding to his mystique is his marriage to the equally-quirky Helena Bonham Carter, with whom he has teamed on a number of occasions. So, as I usually do, I'm counting down my five favorite directorial efforts from Mr. Burton as a tribute to his career on his birthday. I know there could be a bit of debate with my choices, but I still hope you like this list. Once again, happy birthday Tim Burton!
