Saw that guy first in American Beauty and was struck by his talent, and I have been impressed with everything else I have seen him in. I remember Kevin Spacey saying that his own performance was boosted after he experienced Cooper's acting talent in "the hug" scene in the garage, because he saw that he had to step up and really try for a knockout performance to compete with Cooper's.

edit: I remember that I watched that movie again after a few years and realized that Cooper's wife in that movie, that living Norman Bates' mother on the couch, went on to become CJ from West Wing!

Cooper is, as far as I'm concerned, one of contemporary America's finest actors. He takes even bit roles and makes 'em huge. Very versatile and something of an "everyman." Because he doesn't have leading man looks it actually frees him up to do all sorts of things. Really enjoyed him in Peter Berg's explosive "The Kingdom." Great casting in that flick in general.

And yeah, Allison Janney rocks, too. Great comic timing with that one. Solid instincts.

For example, President Obama is homophobic, then all of a sudden he's not... BP badly need a pump at Deepwater Horizon, then they don't... even whether to face the music here at the forum - one day you're here, next day you run away, then you come back again, then you run away again... then you come back - holy smoke, can't you see how cotton-pickin' indecisive you are?

km

Bubelah, the only cotton that needs pickin' is the fuzz btwn your ears. It's causing a major short circuit in them thar synapses, and wreaking havoc with your logic path and grip on reality.

Oh wait... you live in that big wide world where you get to concoct your own reality — like that people here actually take you seriously. What was I thinking?

Nah, let's talk more about Chris Cooper. Last thing I saw him in was Adaptation with Cage and Streep. He blew me away again with the character he played. It was also the first movie I have liked Cage in in a while. Looked it up, it's from 2002! Man, I can get out of date over here.

Also great in The Horse Whisperer and the Bourne series.

I also like Philip Seymour Hoffman for the same thing... not having leading man looks.. yet able to rise to the top in Hollywood through his actual talent.

Keymaker is a putz in the first degree. Welcome back steve

I guess you are more perfect than Jesus.Never wrong

Hoffman - agreed definitely. Let's go back further - Gene Hackman - not bad looking but no looker, but definitely a great actor. And even further back, Karl Malden - he blew me away in Streetcar Named Desire - though all the other beautiful people in it did also. The list for actors who have really gotten a lot of recognition is too short though. It really does help to be talented AND beautiful.

william macy [the cooler, door 2 door, a civil action ~ long list

bill paxton [streets of fire, tombstone, frailty ~ ditto list]


if jim dumps me over my broken arm, i'll get even and date both bills. they are both ver hot in my book. oh, and they're top notch actors, too.