The American
While man young girls are swooning over the latest hot new acting talent from Orlando Bloom to Ben Barnes, Shia LaBeouf and Zac Efron it might be worth pointing out that a handful of actors have got better with age, a bit like a fine wine.
Since stars like Johnny Depp, George Clooney, who is back on the big screen this week, and Brad Pitt have hit the big 40 they have all taken on more challenging roles that have highlighted that they are not happy with just their pretty boy status.
Throughout the nineties Johnny Depp was the Hollywood hellraiser more famous for his tabloid antics and famous girlfriends than for his acting roles.
Bucking the pretty boy trend Depp took on obscure parts, such as Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood, and low budget movies instead of taking on blockbuster pictures that would trade on his very obvious good looks.
However the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003, yes it really was that long ago, changed the course of Depp's career as three Best Actor Oscar nominations in just five years followed, placing him back at the top of the Hollywood tree.
Critical acclaim in Finding Neverland and, more recently, musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has led him to become one of the most versatile and busiest actors.
He has already enjoyed huge success this year with Alice In Wonderland, in which he took on the road of the Mad Hatter, the movie was a massive hit and grossed in excess of $1 billion at the global box office.
He team up with Angelina Jolie this winter in The Tourist and will return as Pirates of the Caribbean 4 next year.
Similarly for George Clooney the pretty boy tag has followed him for his entire career, his role as dishy Dr Doug Ross with women swooning over him week in week out certainly has not helped the situation, but is now finally being taken as a serious actor and filmmaker.
While Clooney's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was highly praised by the critics, both for his acting and directing skills, it didn't fair well at the box office. It did however highlight his interest in moving behind the camera.
But it wasn't until Good Night and Good luck in 2005 that he really staked a claim as a serious filmmaker. The film notched up a string of Oscar nominations including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay fro Clooney.
That same year he also starred in Syriana, a politically fuelled movie, that earnt him a Best Supporting actor Oscar, although that gong did come as a bit of a surprise.
And despite the flop of Leatherheads it was Michael Clayton cemented Clooney as a serious leading man as he was once again recognised by the Academy securing a Best Actor nomination, but he lost out to Daniel Day Lewis for There Will Be Blood.
And Clooney is back on the big screen this week with his new movie Th American, could another Oscar nomination be coming his way?
Seeing that his old pal Clooney was having success with this serious acting lark Brad Pitt who, let's face it, grabbed everyone's attention as the rather attractive thief in Thelma and Louise as he starred in Babel in 2006.
Babel invents multiple stories taking place in Morocco, Japan, Mexico and the United States and Pitt took on the role of Richard Jones whose wife is shot while on holiday.
The film was a critical and commercial hit and went on to be nominated for Best Picture. Last year he followed this up with the role of Jesse James in Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford which, despite massive critical acclaim, failed to light up the box office of impress the Academy.
He picked up a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008 before teaming up with Quentin Tarantino in Inglorious Basterds last year.
He has lent his voice to Mageamind, due out next month, and will star in Terrance Malick with Sean Penn.
When Leonardo DiCaprio boarded the Titanic he melted the hearts of every young girl and became Hollywood's latest heart-throb and pin-up, following in the footsteps of so many that had gone before him.
And while he hasn't hit forty no one can deny that as he has got older his acting career has flourished as he shook off the pretty boy image. But it was his partnership with director Marin Scorsese that propelled him to the status as a Hollywood heavyweight and serious Oscar contender.
Gangs of New York made us look differently at the actor but it was The Aviator two years later that cemented him as a bona fide leading man landing him a Best Actor nomination.
Since then he has starred in The Departed and Blood Diamond, the latter securing him another Oscar nomination.
And 2010 has been a huge success for him as he reunited with Martin Scorsese for psychological thriller Shutter Island before blowing away the box office this summer with Inception.
The film, which teamed him up with filmmaker Christopher Nolan, was a critical and commerical success and one of the best movies of the year.
He will next team up with Clint Eastwood for Hoover, in which he takes on the role of J.Edgar Hoover.
Other actors that have seen their career flourish as they have reached a certain age include Daniel Day Lewis who, after coming out of retirement to star in Gangs of New York, won an Oscar this year for There Will Be blood, Morgan Freeman remains once of the industry's most popular actor winning an Oscar for his role in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby.
And lets face it seventy eight year old Clint is enjoying a whole host of success now behind the camera with the likes of Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby all finding critical and Academy success.
The American is released 26th November.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
While man young girls are swooning over the latest hot new acting talent from Orlando Bloom to Ben Barnes, Shia LaBeouf and Zac Efron it might be worth pointing out that a handful of actors have got better with age, a bit like a fine wine.
Since stars like Johnny Depp, George Clooney, who is back on the big screen this week, and Brad Pitt have hit the big 40 they have all taken on more challenging roles that have highlighted that they are not happy with just their pretty boy status.
Throughout the nineties Johnny Depp was the Hollywood hellraiser more famous for his tabloid antics and famous girlfriends than for his acting roles.
Bucking the pretty boy trend Depp took on obscure parts, such as Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood, and low budget movies instead of taking on blockbuster pictures that would trade on his very obvious good looks.
However the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003, yes it really was that long ago, changed the course of Depp's career as three Best Actor Oscar nominations in just five years followed, placing him back at the top of the Hollywood tree.
Critical acclaim in Finding Neverland and, more recently, musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has led him to become one of the most versatile and busiest actors.
He has already enjoyed huge success this year with Alice In Wonderland, in which he took on the road of the Mad Hatter, the movie was a massive hit and grossed in excess of $1 billion at the global box office.
He team up with Angelina Jolie this winter in The Tourist and will return as Pirates of the Caribbean 4 next year.
Similarly for George Clooney the pretty boy tag has followed him for his entire career, his role as dishy Dr Doug Ross with women swooning over him week in week out certainly has not helped the situation, but is now finally being taken as a serious actor and filmmaker.
While Clooney's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was highly praised by the critics, both for his acting and directing skills, it didn't fair well at the box office. It did however highlight his interest in moving behind the camera.
But it wasn't until Good Night and Good luck in 2005 that he really staked a claim as a serious filmmaker. The film notched up a string of Oscar nominations including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay fro Clooney.
That same year he also starred in Syriana, a politically fuelled movie, that earnt him a Best Supporting actor Oscar, although that gong did come as a bit of a surprise.
And despite the flop of Leatherheads it was Michael Clayton cemented Clooney as a serious leading man as he was once again recognised by the Academy securing a Best Actor nomination, but he lost out to Daniel Day Lewis for There Will Be Blood.
And Clooney is back on the big screen this week with his new movie Th American, could another Oscar nomination be coming his way?
Seeing that his old pal Clooney was having success with this serious acting lark Brad Pitt who, let's face it, grabbed everyone's attention as the rather attractive thief in Thelma and Louise as he starred in Babel in 2006.
Babel invents multiple stories taking place in Morocco, Japan, Mexico and the United States and Pitt took on the role of Richard Jones whose wife is shot while on holiday.
The film was a critical and commercial hit and went on to be nominated for Best Picture. Last year he followed this up with the role of Jesse James in Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford which, despite massive critical acclaim, failed to light up the box office of impress the Academy.
He picked up a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008 before teaming up with Quentin Tarantino in Inglorious Basterds last year.
He has lent his voice to Mageamind, due out next month, and will star in Terrance Malick with Sean Penn.
When Leonardo DiCaprio boarded the Titanic he melted the hearts of every young girl and became Hollywood's latest heart-throb and pin-up, following in the footsteps of so many that had gone before him.
And while he hasn't hit forty no one can deny that as he has got older his acting career has flourished as he shook off the pretty boy image. But it was his partnership with director Marin Scorsese that propelled him to the status as a Hollywood heavyweight and serious Oscar contender.
Tagged in George Clooney