12 Actors Who Boast Flawless Filmographies, and No, Keanu Reeves Didn’t Make the Cut

Some of the actors we’re going to tell you about in this article, like Jake Gyllenhaal, were born surrounded by film-makers and started appearing on the big screen early in their childhoods. But some people got into the cinema world thanks to an accident, like Cate Blanchett, who in her youth went on a trip to Egypt and happened to get onto a list of extras for a movie. But despite the way these actors came into the industry, they all have amazing talent and never get any bad roles. Of course, some of them have done less successful projects here and there, but they’re overshadowed by other amazing roles they’ve gotten.

We at Bright Side absolutely love good films and we have made our own ratings of 12 actors who don’t have any bad roles and never seem to star in bad films — or at least, rarely do.

12. Carey Mulligan



Carey Mulligan received both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her role in An Education. But the true breakthrough in this young British actress’s career was her role in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. A lot of people learned who Carey was thanks to this film. The actress is really careful about the projects she chooses which is why her filmography is not very big at the moment. But all the films she’s performed in have been great and they definitely deserve your attention.

Best films with Carey Mulligan:

• Pride & Prejudice (2005), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Drive (2011), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), IMDb rating: 7.5
• Mudbound (2017), IMDb rating: 7.4.
• The Great Gatsby (2013), IMDb rating: 7.3
• An Education (2009), IMDb rating: 7.3
• Shame (2011), IMDb rating: 7.2
• Never Let Me Go (2010), IMDb rating: 7.1

11. Jake Gyllenhaal



Jake Gyllenhaal started acting at the age of 11. At the age of 16, he got his first lead role in October Sky. Viewers and critics alike loved this film so much that the young actor was offered a lot of other roles in different projects thereafter. Jake Gyllenhaal does all sorts of different projects, from dramas to comedies. And it looks like he has a talent at choosing good, solid films as well.

Best films with Jake Gyllenhaal:

• Prisoners (2013), IMDb rating: 8.1
• Donnie Darko (2001), IMDb rating: 8.0
• Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), IMDb rating: 7.9
• Nightcrawler (2014), IMDb rating: 7.9
• October Sky (1999), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Brokeback Mountain (2005), IMDb rating: 7.7
• Nocturnal Animals (2016), IMDb rating: 7.5
• Everest (2015), IMDb rating: 7.1

10. Gael García Bernal



If we want to discuss big names in film of the 21st century, we can’t forget actor Gael García Bernal. The breakthrough role of his career was definitely in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros. After the film was released on the big screen, the 22-year-old actor instantly became a superstar.

Best films with Gael García Bernal:

• Amores Perros (2000), IMDb rating: 8.1
• Diarios de motocicleta (2004), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Y Tu Mamá También (2001), IMDb rating: 7.6
• Babel (2006), IMDb rating: 7.4
• La mala educación (2004), IMDb rating: 7.4
• It Must Be Heaven (2019), IMDb rating: 7.4
• También la lluvia (2010), IMDb rating: 7.4
• La science des rêves (2006), IMDb rating: 7.3

9. Penélope Cruz



Not only is this actress very beautiful, but she’s also incredibly talented. 45-year-old Penélope Cruz has done more than 60 films in her career. She wanted to be an actress ever since she was a child, specifically after she saw Pedro Almodóvar’s ¡Átame! Later, it was Almodóvar who helped her get the world of A-list movies and Penélope became his muse, playing some of her biggest roles under his direction.

• Best films with Penélope Cruz:
• The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, IMDb rating: 8.5
• Todo sobre mi madre (1999), IMDb rating: 7.9
• Dolor y gloria (2019), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Abre los ojos (1997), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Volver (2006), IMDb rating: 7.6
• Venuto al mondo (2012), IMDb rating: 7.4
• Los abrazos rotos (2009), IMDb rating: 7.2
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), IMDb rating: 7.1

8. Tilda Swinton



Thanks to her unusual appearance and amazing talent, Tilda Swinton is one of the most diverse actresses. In some films, she’s portrayed not just one character but several at once. For example, in Orlando, during the first half of the film, the actress played a man and in the second half, a woman. And in Suspiria, she played 3 roles.

Best films with Tilda Swinton:

• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), IMDb rating: 8.8
• We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), IMDb rating: 7.5
• Okja (2017), IMDb rating: 7.3
• Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), IMDb rating: 7.3
• The War Zone (1999), IMDb rating: 7.3
• Michael Clayton (2007), IMDb rating: 7.2
• Orlando (1992), IMDb rating: 7.2
• Snowpiercer (2013), IMDb rating: 7.1

7. Leonardo DiCaprio



There are not a lot of people who would argue with the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most significant actors of his generation. He chooses very different roles from comedies to dramas. And every new film that has DiCaprio in it is always long-awaited and widely discussed. The actor has won an Oscar and Golden Globe awards for “Best Actor” in The Revenant. In total, he has acquired 5 Oscar and 11 Golden Globe nominations.

Best films with Leonardo DiCaprio:

• Inception (2010), IMDb rating: 8.8
• The Departed (2006), IMDb rating: 8.5
• Django Unchained (2012), IMDb rating: 8.4
• Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019), IMDb rating: 8.3
• he Wolf of Wall Street (2013), IMDb rating: 8.2
• Shutter Island (2010), IMDb rating: 8.1
• The Revenant (2015), IMDb rating: 8.0
• What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), IMDb rating: 7.8

6. Cate Blanchett



One of today’s most talented actresses got into the film industry by accident. In her youth, when she barely had any money, Cate Blanchett went on a trip to Egypt where she met a man who suggested she take part in an Egyptian film about boxing as an extra. She needed money, so she agreed. Blanchett was so interested in the filming process that when she returned to Australia, she entered the National Institute of Dramatic Art. At the moment, Cate Blanchett is a 2-time Oscar winner and her acting talent allows her to portray very different characters from fairytale creatures to women in historical dramas.

Best films with Cate Blanchett:

• The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), IMDb rating: 8.9 — 8.7
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Elizabeth (1998), IMDb rating: 7.5
• The Aviator (2004), IMDb rating: 7.5
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), IMDb rating: 7.4
• Babel (2006), IMDb rating: 7.4
• Notes on a Scandal (2006), IMDb rating: 7.4
• Blue Jasmine (2013), IMDb rating: 7.3

5. Kevin Spacey



The 2-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey is a true master of acting. His outstanding filmography just doesn’t have any bad movies in it. However, in 2017, Spacey’s movie career went south as he was accused of sexual harassment. But in July 2019, prosecutors dropped the assault case against Kevin Spacey because there was no proof. And who knows, maybe we’ll see more of his acting work soon.

Best films with Kevin Spacey:

• House of Cards (2013–2018), IMDb rating: 9.6 — 7.9
• Seven (1995), IMDb rating: 8.6
• American Beauty (1999), IMDb rating: 8.3
• L.A. Confidential (1997), IMDb rating: 8.2
• Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), IMDb rating: 7.8
• The Life of David Gale (2003), IMDb rating: 7.6
• K-PAX (2001), IMDb rating: 7.4
• The Negotiator (1998), IMDb rating: 7.3

4. Meryl Streep



Meryl Streep is an absolute record holder when it comes to the number of Oscar nominations (21) and Golden Globe nominations (31) she’s received. And on top of that, she’s won 3 Oscars and 9 Golden Globes. Of course, Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses of our time. Today, she may be 70 years old but she’s still in demand — her most recent work can be seen in the second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies.

Best films with Meryl Streep:

• Big Little Lies (2019), IMDb rating: 9.0 — 8.3
• Holocaust (1978), IMDb rating: 8.1
• Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Adaptation (2002), IMDb rating: 7.7
• The Bridges of Madison County (1995), IMDb rating: 7.6
• Sophie’s Choice (1982), IMDb rating: 7.6
• The Hours (2002), IMDb rating: 7.5
• Doubt (2008), IMDb rating: 7.5

3. Tom Hanks



There’s probably not a single person who has never seen a movie starring Tom Hanks. His career is almost perfect — it doesn’t include any bad or insignificant roles and his filmography looks like a list of the best films in history. Thanks to his unbelievable talent, Tom Hanks manages to show completely different people on screen from a mentally challenged man, a gay man suffering from AIDS, the Robinson Crusoe of today, a single father who finds new love, and more.

Best films with Tom Hanks:

• Forrest Gump (1994), IMDb rating: 8.8
• The Green Mile (1999), IMDb rating: 8.6
• Saving Private Ryan (1998). IMDb rating: 8.6
• Catch Me If You Can (2002), IMDb rating: 8.1
• Cast Away (2000), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Captain Phillips (2013), IMDb rating: 7.8
• Road to Perdition (2002), IMDb rating: 7.7
• Sully (2016), IMDb rating: 7.4

2. Daniel Day-Lewis



This British-Irish actor doesn’t even have 30 roles under his career belt but that doesn’t matter: the press still refers to Daniel Day-Lewis as one of the greatest actors in history. The actor only works on movies once every 3-5 years and is always very careful about the projects he takes part in. An interesting fact: in order to really dive into his role in Martin Scorsese’s Gang’s of New York, he worked as a butcher in a shop in London for quite some time. In 2017, the actor (who was 60 years old at the time) announced the end of his movie career.

Best films with Daniel Day-Lewis:

• There Will Be Blood (2007), IMDb rating: 8.1
• In the Name of the Father (1993), IMDb rating: 8.1
• My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989), IMDb rating: 7.9
• The Last of the Mohicans (1992), IMDb rating: 7.7
• Gangs of New York (2002), IMDb rating: 7.5
• Phantom Thread (2017), IMDb rating: 7.5
• Lincoln (2012), IMDb rating: 7.3
• A Room with a View (1985), IMDb rating: 7.3
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), IMDb rating: 7.3

1. Al Pacino



Genius actor Al Pacino doesn’t have any bad roles — every character he portrays on screen is absolutely unforgettable. At the moment, the actor is 79 years old but is still in the business: there’s at least one film with him in it released every year. For example, in the latest Quentin Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, he plays a movie producer. And Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is going to be released very soon. Al Pacino plays the main role in it alongside Robert De Niro.

Best films with Al Pacino:

• The Godfather (1972), IMDb rating: 9.2
• The Godfather Part II (1974), IMDb rating: 9.0
• Scarface (1983), IMDb rating: 8.3
• Heat (1995), IMDb rating: 8.2
• Scent of a Woman (1992), IMDb rating: 8.0
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975), IMDb rating: 8.0
• You Don’t Know Jack (2010), IMDb rating: 7.6
• ...And Justice for All (1979), IMDb rating: 7.4

Bonus: Keanu Reeves



Keanu Reeves has been an idol for many people for several decades now. He’s an amazing actor whose work is nothing like anybody else’s. Young people love him and there are millions of memes featuring him. Point Break, The Matrix, and The Devil’s Advocate were all films that helped the actor to become a world-famous star. It’s easy to assume that any movie starring Keanu Reeves will be successful. However, this isn’t always true as the actor has done both really successful and really bad films.

3 best films with Keanu Reeves:

• The Matrix (1999), IMDb rating: 8.7
• John Wick 3 (2019), IMDb rating: 7.8
• The Devil’s Advocate (1997), IMDb rating: 7.5

3 bad movies with Keanu Reeves:

• Generation Um... (2012), IMDb rating: 4.0
• Siberia (2018), IMDb rating: 4.3
• Exposed (2016), IMDb rating: 4.3

Who is on your list of the best actors of today?

Preview photo credit Vicky Cristina Barcelona / The Mediapro Studio, You Don't Know Jack / HBO Films

SOURCE: BRIGHTSIDE