Happy Birthday, Daniel Day-Lewis!

On this April 29th, I would like to send some hearty birthday wishes to Daniel Day-Lewis, who turns 55 today. The English actor has easily cemented himself as one of the top actors of today's Hollywood generation by turning in brilliant performance after brilliant performance. He's a four-time Oscar nominee and two-time Oscar winner, nabbing those illustrious statuettes for his leading roles in 1989's My Left Foot and 2007's There Will Be Blood. Day-Lewis is rather selective of his roles (for example, his next scheduled role won't come until 2013), so he doesn't have the massive quantity of films in his repertoire as some other actors; however, it really comes down to quality, and there are few - if any - of Day-Lewis's peers who come close to matching his level. As usual, I've broken down my five favorite roles for the birthday boy or girl, so here's a look at the five characters that Day-Lewis has brought to the screen that I've enjoyed the most. Once again, happy birthday Daniel Day-Lewis.

#5. Guido Contini
Nine (2009)


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#4. Hawkeye
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)


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#3. Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting
Gangs of New York (2002)


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#2. Daniel Plainview
There Will Be Blood (2007)


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#1. Gerry Conlon
In the Name of the Father (1993)

In Memoriam: Pete Postlethwaite

Today we're celebrating the birthday of the late Academy Award-nominated actor Pete Postlethwaite, who would have turned 66 today. He passed away in January 2011 after a long battle with multiple cases of cancer, leaving a bit of a void in the acting world. Although he never truly achieved leading man status, Postlethwaite's presence in his films was always immediately noticeable. He brought a very unique character to the screen in each of his film appearances, starting with his bit role in the 1977 film The Duellists. From there, he appeared in a number of made-for-television films and television series, and he didn't make his return to the big screen until 1984 in A Private Function. It wasn't until 1990, however, that he made his first major film splash in 1990's Hamlet, and just three years later, Postlethwaite nabbed his first - and only - Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in 1993's In the Name of the Father. He worked consistently throughout the mid-1990s, starring in high-profile films like 1995's The Usual Suspects, 1996's Romeo + Juliet and 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park. After the turn of the millennium, Postlethwaite's acting consistency started to drop, but he managed to score a few roles here and there. In 2010, he appeared in three films - Clash of the Titans, Inception and The Town - giving his fans one last glance at his fantastic ability. Pete Postlethwaite has been one of my favorite actors since I saw him in The Lost World, and the loss of this fantastic actor was truly a tragedy to the Hollywood scene. He has been and will continue to be sorely missed, but his life will love on through his film appearances. So, to celebrate his life and his acting career, I've listed my five favorite of Pete Postlethwaite's performances. I've managed to find a few videos for the list, so I hope you'll enjoy those. Once again, I'd like us all to remember the life of a fantastic actor, and I will always cherish the acting brilliance that Pete Postlethwaite was so dedicated to bringing to the screen.

5. Fergus 'Fergi' Colm
The Town (2010)


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4. Father Laurence
Romeo + Juliet (1996)


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3. Kobayashi
The Usual Suspects (1995)

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2. Roland Tembo
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)


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1. Giuseppe Conlon
In the Name of the Father (1993)