I think the very first thing I ever saw Harrison Ford star in was Star Wars. His rebel spirit, snappy comebacks, and good-looks as Hans Solo made us all cheer for him in the theater, but it was the clever, treasure seeker Indiana Jones that stole the hearts of many.

I loved Ford in these playful kinds of personalities, but I think I preferred his roles in the Jack Ryan flicks, The Fugitive, Air Force I, What Lies Beneath, and other similar featured movies spotlighting his strengths as the resourceful silent type. Maybe, I’m just a sucker for the strong hero over the flashier persona of his earlier films.

Did you know they filmed The Fugitive Train Crash Scene (check out my link of my WW pictures) in Dillsboro, North Carolina? That’s a short drive from Knoxville.

In all honesty, funny man Jim Carrey didn’t pop up on my radar until the early 90s with his role in The Mask.  He was fabulous playing two personalities in this movie!   However, my all-time favorite movie of his, which totally surprised me, is Dumb & Dumber. My first thoughts were, “Looks like another stupid movie”. It was only after I saw pieces of the movie on broadcast TV peaking my interest enough to give it a shot and found Carrey does a goofy idiot very well

If you want to see more of his signature humor, check out Ace Ventura: The Pet Detective. It’s sure to make you laugh.

Although, I haven’t seen in its entirety Mad Max I think this was the turning point in my next favorite actor, Mel Gibson’s career.

The movies that I came to appreciate Gibson’s talents in is the Lethal Weapon series as Martin Riggs; a boozing, slightly deranged police detective grieving  the loss of his wife. I saw the action/adventure side (great Marital arts work), as well as the hilarious lines and stunts by Gibson’s character. He’s been in many other good movies, like The Conspiracy Theory, The Edge of Darkness, and The Expendables 3 to name just a few, but if someone says name a movie starring Mel Gibson? You’ll hear not a pause or sight, only my quick response, Lethal Weapon.

I said it once, I’ll say it again the 80s totally rocked when it came to the best movies and most talented actors to hit the big screen. When I say, Risky Business (1983) who comes to mind?

If you said anyone other than Tom Cruise, then shame on you!  That wasn’t one of his best films, but it surely launched his career in a big way and I began an instant fan. He was great in Top Gun (’86) and although he was busy year after year making movies not much captured our attention until 1994 with The Firm; a suspense/drama about  a corrupt law office. It was this movie that I thought, “Wow, this guy is going to be big in Hollywood!” He’s a born natural in the box office hit series Mission Impossible flicks; I’m dying to see the newest one! Let’s not forget his outstanding performance in Knight and Day; this hilarious, action flick is so much fun that you gotta see!

Hollywood introduced a new face to me in the mid to late 90s with the release of George of the Jungle (1997) and Dudley Do-Right (1999), Brendon Fraser.

His ability to play such innocents made these comedies stand up. It was The 1999 series The Mummy is where his talent beamed that clinched his place on my favorite actors list. However there’s one flick from ’99 that I stumbled upon years later which is totally hilarious where Fraser displays that his naïve boy charm in Blast From the Past.

Which of these male actors do you love and why?

Next Tuesday or Thursday, depending on what my schedule holds, I will share Part 3: My 25 Favorite Male Actors. Anywho, I’m linking up with the amazing blog prompter, Rorybore from Ink Interrupted and the Queen of Random, Stacy Uncorked. Thanks for stopping by and I come back tomorrow for some a funtastic Friday!