I Want Candy

I haven’t been posting much lately.  With all the chaos of packing and getting things ready for the big migration, it’s sort of fallen by the wayside.  So I thought that I’d offer a little post with a little eye candy for the readers who might appreciate a nice actor or three.  I thought I’d hunt down some super sexy shots of some of my favourite actors to show my appreciation.  This isn’t the kind of thing I normally do anymore.  When I was in high school I used to gawk over guys in bands – music has always been my thing.  But now, I’m a married woman.  I shouldn’t be drooling over pictures of actors, dang it!  So, that’s why I’m inviting all of you to do it with me.  Help share in my shame!

Paul Bettany – I first discovered Paul in his A Knight’s Tale and Gangster No. 1 days.  This guy just has a look to him that says “I’m intense because I care”.  I very much enjoyed his work in The Reckoning, and even sat through movies like A Beautiful Mind and Legion to watch his work.  I have yet to see Creation where Paul plays Charles Darwin, but I’ve heard it is phenomenal and am looking forward to checking it out.  Whether he plays the hero or the villain, I love his work.  He’s a phenomenal actor, and is definitely some sweet eye candy.

Tony Leung Chiu Wai – I admit.  It’s difficult to track down some of this man’s work.  He primarily works in Asia, but has been doing some work in recent years that has been very well received in North America.  I’m speaking, of course, of Infernal Affairs and Hero.  If you haven’t yet seen Infernal Affairs, I highly recommend it – it’s the basis for the North American remake, The Departed.  I was most recently able to catch Ashes of Time in the redux version that was re-released in 2009.  It’s a beautiful movie and Tony plays a blind swordsman in a tortured performance.  This guy is a fantastic actor and is so easy to look at.

Tom Hardy – While I’d have seen Tom in both Blackhawk Down and Star Trek:  Nemesis before it, he really caught my eye when he acted with Paul Bettany in The Reckoning.  He really impressed me in both RocknRolla and Inception, and there’s been rumours that he may actually join Christopher Nolan’s cast list for the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.  Yummy in my tummy, Mr. Hardy.  Here’s hoping!

Ken Watanabe – Ken’s a little bit older than most on this list, but that doesn’t make him any less sexy.  Similar to Tony Leung Chiu Wai, I have not seen most of Ken’s work from Asia, so my exposure is limited.  However, what I have seen is impressive.  He first came across my vision in The Last Samurai where he easily outshined Tom Cruise.  A small but memorable role in Batman Begins, Letters from Iwo Jima, Cirque du Freak:  The Vampire’s Assistant, and most recently Inception certainly provide a well-rounded view of Ken’s acting ability.  You might find he’s a bit hard to understand at times due to a heavy Japanese accent when he speaks English, but it doesn’t bother me a bit.

Common – So perhaps his acting resume isn’t as extensive as some others, I happen to think that Common is coming into his own as an actor.  He’s chosen some roles that have allowed him to show a bit of diversity, rather than being typecast as the smooth pimp he really is.  One of my favourite rappers alive, I probably find him a wee bit sexy because of his musical background.  But he’s put forth some really good performances in American Gangster and Wanted, and was also quite good in Terminator Salvation and Date Night.  The man certainly has a great sense of style and I sure hope he chooses some more roles in the future that allow him to become more of a character actor than he is right now.  Until then, I’ll just keep enjoying that deep voice of his, as he purrs through both lyrics and movie lines.

Gerard Butler – I probably first saw Gerard in Tomorrow Never Dies – but it wasn’t a lead, or even a supporting role really, so not very memorable.  What I do remember is his role in Reign of Fire and that is where I first noticed this Scottish rogue.  Gerard also showed up in Lara Croft Tomb Raider:  The Cradle of Life, Phantom of the Opera, Beowulf & Grendel and of course 300 – all of which showed off different aspects of his talent.  I enjoy the fact that he’s not afraid to choose roles in all kinds of film genres – action, drama, comedy – he seems to be able to switch gears for any of these roles.  I was most recently impressed by Gerard in RocknRolla and Law Abiding Citizen.  Heck, I even watched Gamer because he was in it.  But I’m sorry Gerard…no matter how hot you are, you will not be able to get me to watch a Jennifer Aniston movie.

Denzel Washington – It’s Denzel.  I don’t really need to even give a reason for this man being on my list.  But since you asked, I never watched St. Elsewhere, so I’d have to say that I probably first saw Denzel back in the days of Cry Freedom or Glory.  He has played some of the most righteous characters in Hollywood history, and won an Oscar for spinning that on its ear and playing a complete and utter bastard.  Some of my Denzel faves include Fallen, The Bone Collector, Training Day, John Q, Man on Fire, and most recently The Book of Eli.  What a fantastic body (of work, you naughty folks) this man has.  I always look forward to the future when Denzel’s involved.

Ewan McGregor – What can I say about Mr. McGregor that hasn’t already been said?  This man is one of the originals on my manly eye candy list.  I fell in love with him his work back in the mid-90s when I saw Shallow Grave.  The films that followed – including Trainspotting, Brassed Off, Nightwatch, A Life Less Ordinary and Velvet Goldmine – more than sealed the deal.  I’ve enjoyed his forays into the world of Hollywood musicals in Moulin Rouge! and Down With Love.  In the past few years, Ewan worked with Charley Boorman on Long Way Round and Long Way Down, documenting their voyage from Scotland to New York, and Scotland to South Africa respectively.  Both offer some fantastic insight into Ewan’s personality – this guy is too great not to love.

Christian Bale – It is no secret that Christian is far and away my favourite actor.  Despite the fact that he’s been acting since the mid-80s, I didn’t really discover him until the late 90s.  I didn’t see Empire of the Sun, Newsies, or Swing Kids when they came out.  In fact, the first movie that I vividly recall him in was American Psycho.  And I hated him.  Then came Shaft.  And I hated him more.  How could such an attractive guy be such a jerk on camera?  It’s obvious now…he’s just a fantastic actor.  He throws his all into the roles he chooses, and when a man as beautiful as Christian chooses to destroy his body and looks for a role such as The Machinist or Rescue Dawn, I take notice.  I think it must have been seeing him in Velvet Goldmine, Reign of Fire and finally, Equilibrium that made me appreciate him as a pretty face and an actor.  You see, once I was able to distinguish the actor for the arsehole characters he was portraying, I realized that this was a man I could stand behind.  His choice of roles has been impeccable.  Deciding to portray Batman in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as picking up the John Connor torch in Terminator Salvation contrasted with some lower-key roles such as those in Harsh Times, The Prestige and I’m Not There.  I could probably gush continuously about how much I appreciate Christian as an actor, and as an all-around hot guy, but rather than do that…here’s some more pics…

Who causes your heart to race a little on the big screen?