The 10 Most Iconic Movie Actors Of The 2000s

The 2000s marked a significant departure from the 90s cinematic landscape. Franchises and major tentpoles became the order of the day, the musical made a successful return, and the modern blockbuster consolidated, taking over the box office and leaving no survivors.

A few actors became synonymous with the decade thanks to their many starring roles in some of the biggest money-makers. Some were veterans still going strong, others were newcomers who achieved massive success, but all of them defined the 2000s, carving a spot among some of cinema’s best and brightest.

Orlando Bloom

With Legolas and Will Turner, Orlando Bloom became the king of the franchises in the 2000s. His roles in two of the most successful film series in Hollywood history, The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, cemented him as a global superstar and one of the most iconic actors of the new millennium.

Bloom diversified his resumé working with prestigious directors, including Cameron Crowe in Elizabethtown and Ridley Scott in Kingdom of Heaven. His career waned after the release of the third Pirates movie in 2007, and while he’s still a household name, he no longer commands the same attention he did in the first half of the 2000s.

Daniel Radcliffe

And speaking of franchises that defined the new millennium and the actors that starred in them, Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliffe are now synonymous with 21st-century cinema. The young actor grew before the audience’s eyes, spending the entire decade as the protagonist of the magical saga.

Radcliffe did few movies outside the Potter franchise, but he didn’t really need to. The series cemented his legacy, turning him into the ultimate role model for every pre-teen who grew alongside him since 2001 when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premiered. Since Potter ended, Radcliffe has taken on increasingly daring and challenging roles, but audiences will always remember him as the Boy Who Lived.

Heath Ledger

With 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You, Heath Ledger rose to prominence, instantly becoming a teen heartthrob. The actor played leading roles in several early 2000s movies, most notably A Knight’s Tale and The Four Feathers. However, his career took a turn in 2005, when he starred in the critically acclaimed drama Brokeback Mountain, for which he earned his first Oscar nomination.

However, Ledger’s greatest success would come in 2008, playing the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, The Dark Knight. Although initially skeptical at his casting, fans ended up loving Ledger’s take on the iconic villain. Following his tragic passing in early 2008, the performance earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman became an instant sensation by playing Wolverine, one of the most iconic Marvel characters ever. Fox’s X-Men franchise arguably marks the beginning of the superhero frenzy that permeates to this day, and Jackman’s hardened performance was at its center.

Besides his tenure as Wolverine, which went well into the mid-2010s, Jackman branched out of the superhero genre. He worked with some of the best directors around, including Darren Aronofsky in The Fountain, Christopher Nolan in The Prestige, and Baz Luhrmann in Australia.

Will Smith

Already one of the most iconic movie actors of the 1990s, Will Smith continued his dominance in the new millennium. He began the decade by earning an Oscar nomination for playing Muhammad Ali in 2001’s Ali and would receive another one for 2006’s The Pursuit of Happiness.

Smith kept his reputation as an action star and major box office draw thanks to the sequels to two of his greatest 90s hits, Men in Black II and Bad Boys 2. He also starred in several other commercial successes, including I, Robot, I Am Legend, and Hancock.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson achieved major acclaim in the 90s thanks to his roles in Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown. However, the 2000s turned him into a true pop culture icon, holding a privileged place in the audience’s consciousness.

Films like Shaft, the Star Wars prequels, and The Incredibles cemented him as a cinematic icon with a screen presence that elevated every kind of material. On the other hand, projects like Snakes on a Plane and the XXX franchise established him as an unexpected king of camp. In 2008, he began playing Nick Fury in the then-blossoming Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Brad Pitt

The 2000s saw Brad Pitt becoming a “serious” actor. The actor had several major successes under his belt, including Seven and Fight Club, but the new millennium saw him take on increasingly challenging and diverse roles. He took on supporting roles in Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, the Ocean‘s franchise, and the Coen brothers’ ensemble piece, Burn After Reading.

Pitt earned an Oscar nomination for his role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and starred in Babel, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Inglorious Basterds, adding further prestige to his resume. However, the actor didn’t forget his leading man status and also starred in the box office hits Troy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Following his starring role in the highest-grossing film at the time, Leonardo DiCaprio had every door in Hollywood wide open. DiCaprio’s career in the 2000s is full of acclaimed movies helmed by prestigious directors, many of which were also considerable box office successes.

DiCaprio received two Oscar nominations during the decade for his roles in 2004’s The Aviator and 2006’s Blood Diamond. Further films like Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and Revolutionary Road consolidated him as one of the most acclaimed actors of the 21st century.

George Clooney

After becoming the ultimate television heartthrob during the 90s, thanks to the hit drama series ER, George Clooney made the jump to the big screen. Batman & Robin nearly derailed his blossoming movie career, but the 2000s welcomed him with open arms.

Clooney acted in two Coen Brother films, O Brother, Where Art Though? and Intolerable Cruelty, in 2001 and 2003. Major critical acclaim followed in 2005, thanks to his directorial efforts in Good Night, and Good Luck and acting in Syriana. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the latter and earned two additional nominations for 2007’s Michael Clayton and 2009’s Up in the Air.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp rose to prominence in the late 80s and became a bonafide A-lister in the 90s. He gained a reputation as a daring and experimental actor thanks mainly to his quirky collaborations with Tim Burton, including Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood. However, Depp’s career peaked in the 2000s, both critically and commercially.

Starting in 2003, the actor played the hilarious and iconic Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, earning acclaim and his first-ever Oscar nomination for the role. Further Oscar nominations came for Finding Neverland and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Depp also had other major box office successes, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Public Enemies, but it was Jack Sparrow that cemented his place as the undeniable king of the 2000s.

About The Author

David Caballero
(798 Articles Published)

David is a twenty-eight-year-old Mexican writer and reader. Having studied Marketing in school, he spent three years working a nine-to-five desk job before deciding to pursue a writing career. He now works as a Senior Writer in ScreenRant and does some more freelancing job, talking about the entertainment business he so loves. Currently, he’s also writing his second novel while actively working to get his first one published.

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