Top Ten List: Best Actors of the Decade

10. Michael Shannon in Bug (2007) - Shannon's work as a possibly mentally ill ex-soldier is so intense that it just sticks so firmly in my mind. This performance could be outlandish but he makes it real. His performance is fearless and his chemistry with Ashley Judd is out of this world.

09. Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild (2007) - Hirsch is funny, charming and a little cocky in this film as he builds his supertramp character who doesn't think he needs human contact for happiness. Still, it's his moments with other characters that are truly divine. Plus, his final few moments on screen are guaranteed to break your heart.

08. Bill Murray in Lost in Translation (2003) - This is Murray at his best. This is a completely different side to him which is impressive in itself. He captures this role with such precision that you believe it was tailer made just for him. His chemistry with Scarlett Johansson is surprisingly realistic and complex. And he has a good singing voice!

07. Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008) - Everyone says he made a hell of a comeback, but for people who are real Rourke fans, they know he never really went anywhere (see also: Spun). The film is about a wrestler struggling with the fact that his career is just about done. He has burned every bridge in his personal life, his looks are fading, he's damaged himself pysically and emotionally for years and years. Rourke probably didn't have to look far for inspiration and it shows with this knock-out performance.

06. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005) - The Dark Knight was a showier role, sure, but at the end of the day, I truly believe Ledger will be remembered for his role as a cowboy in love in Brokeback Mountain. His performance was so simple and so understated that it just seemed so much more realistic. His Joker may be a hell of a lot more fun but it's so much harder to do a quiet, understated performance like he did in Brokeback Mountain.

05. Tom Wilkinson in In the Bedroom (2001) - The movie excellent but mostly it just reminds me of the astounding talents of Tom Wilkinson. He is so perfect as a grieving father and when he sets out to exact his revenge, he acts with intelligence and compassion.

04. Sean Penn in Mystic River (2003) - Penn never misses a beat as a man dealing with the worst possible thing a parent can face - the death of a child. Penn is left playing a complicated character - a grieving father but also a cold-blooded ex-con. He manages to make his performance so intense, so passionate, so realistic and so damn good.

03. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed (2006) - DiCaprio is an actor who keeps getting better. In The Departed, he manages to wear his emotions on his sleeve, playing such a vulnerable, terrified, yet tough character. The crazy paradoxes to his character are impressive and DiCaprio simply nails it. He embodies this modern day tragic hero with such grace and ease.

02. Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007) - Make no mistake, There Will Be Blood is a movie made for Day-Lewis to do whatever the hell he wants. This is HIS show. His performance is such a powerhouse that it puts most other actors to shame. Then there's that final scene when director Paul Thomas Anderson really lets Day-Lewis off his leash, so to speak. Because, let's face it, he was a sweet little kitten up until that point.

01. Sean Penn in Milk (2008) - Sean Penn is known for his moody, intense work (see number 4) so it's refreshing to see him play someone like Harvey Milk, so carefree and emotionally open. He embodies Harvey Milk and literally becomes him. Penn even inhabits and exudes a sweetness (yes, sweetness... yes, Sean Penn). He plays Harvey to perfection and definitely deserved that second Oscar.