Happy Birthday, Paul Bettany!

Today, we're celebrating the 41st birthday of actor Paul Bettany. The London native got his acting start in the mid-1990s with a few television appearances, but it wasn't until 1997's Bent that he nabbed his first feature film role. In 2001, Bettany became a bit of an overnight sensation with his performances in A Knight's Tale opposite Heath Ledger and in A Beautiful Mind opposite Russell Crowe. He would rekindle his on-screen partnership with Crowe two years later in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Since then, he's worked relatively consistently, appearing in such films as 2006's The Da Vinci Code and 2008's Iron Man in a vocal performance that he has reprised in both Iron Man 2 and the recent release, The Avengers. Audiences will next see Bettany in the 2013 film, Blood. And so, to celebrate his birthday, I've created a list of my five favorite of Bettany's performances, and I've found a few video clips for your viewing pleasure. Once again, happy birthday, Paul!

5. Silas

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

*****

4. Charles Darwin

Creation (2010)

*****

3. Charles

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

*****

2. Dr. Stephen Maturin

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

*****

1. Geoffrey Chaucer

A Knight's Tale (2001)

In Memoriam: Heath Ledger

On what would have been his 33rd birthday, we're celebrating the life of the late Academy Award-winning actor Heath Ledger. Heath got his acting start with an uncredited role in 1992's Clowning Around. He spent most of the 1990s working on television, but he managed to secure a few film appearances here and there, including a somewhat star-making role in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You. Ledger increased his star power by appearing in big-time films like 2000's The Patriot and 2001's Monster's Ball and by starring in 2001's A Knight's Tale. In 2005, he starred in the controversial film Brokeback Mountain, which ultimately earned him his first Oscar nomination. Then, in 2008, Heath Ledger passed away only months before the release of 2008's The Dark Knight, where he would portray the villainous Joker in a role that would earn him a posthumous Oscar win. Ledger only appeared in one film beyond that - 2009's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. And so, to celebrate his life and his career, I've created a list of my five favorite of Ledger's acting performances. I hope we can all remember the man who was just coming into his own as an actor at the time he was taken from us. Rest in peace, Heath Ledger. You will always be missed.

5. Gabriel Martin
The Patriot (2000)


*****

4. William Thatcher
A Knight's Tale (2001)


*****

3. Sonny Grotowski
Monster's Ball (2001)


*****

2. The Joker
The Dark Knight (2008)


*****

1. Ennis Del Mar
Brokeback Mountain (2005)