Actors Worthy of Praise

Christina Ricci is one of most promising actresses of her generation. Her performances in The Addams Family made her a prominent "child star." But her more recent films like The Opposite of Love and The Ice Storm show her ability as real and growing. [Frames]
Alan Rickman is best known for his brilliantly stylish villain in movies like Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. But other films such as Sense and Sensibility and An Awfully Big Adventure show his more dramatic side. Personally, I was lucky enough to see him on Broadway in Les Liasons Dangereuses.
Alicia Witt made her film debut in Dune. Her next prominence came with the sitcom Cybill. But those are hardly her only roles, as those who've seen Mr. Holland's Opus, the hilarious (to me) Four Rooms or simply the disturbing Fun can testify.[Frames]
Chritopher Walken has a probably deserved reputation as a very strange actor. Performances such as those in Prophecy and Communion back it up. Yet his talent is real, and the skill with which he breathes life to these odd roles is a fine testimony.
Kenneth Branagh hails from Northern Ireland. Following his Henry V film (as actor & director) he started being touted as the next Olivier. He was hardly the first, but the very real quality of this and other performances makes that acolade perhaps deserved.
Gary Cole is a student of one of my favorite Directors. His range has included The Brady Bunch movie as well as the Devil in American Gothic. That range won him the lead in the new Science Fiction series Crusade.