News | Entertainment
1 Jul 2025 16:55
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Denzel Washington has been named the Greatest Actor of the 21st Century (So Far)

    The 'Training Day' actor topped the New York Times' prestigious countdown, with critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott, who compiled the list, admitting filling the number one slot was the easiest part of putting the piece together


    Scott wrote: "We wrangled and argued about every other slot on the list, but there was no hesitation or debate about this one.

    "Denzel Washington is beyond category: a screen titan who is also a subtle and sensitive craftsman, with serious old-school stage training and blazing movie-star presence. He can do Shakespeare and August Wilson, villainy or action heroism. He’s also one of the supreme regular-guy actors."

    Dargis added: "He makes the job — by which I mean acting — look like breathing."

    Second on the list was actress Isabelle Huppert for her "fearless and mesmerising" performances, while third place went to Daniel Day-Lewis.

    Keanu Reeves placed fourth, one spot ahead of Nicole Kidman.

    Director Bong Joon Ho wrote a piece in honour of the star who placed sixth on the list, Song Kang Ho, explaining why he frequently casts the Korean actor in his films.

    The 'Parasite' director wrote: "[Whether in 'Memories of a Murder', 'The Host', 'Snowpiercer' Parasite'] it always feels like there will be a new layer to uncover. He’s like a canvas that grows and grows. No matter how many brush strokes I apply, there’s always more space to paint.

    "I’m still eager to see what he will bring to a role. To me, he’s like an inexhaustible diamond mine. Whether I’ve done four movies with him or 40, I know I will unearth a new character."

    Rounding out the top ten were Italian actor Toni Servillo in seventh place, Chinese actress Zhao Tao in eighth, Viola Davis in ninth spot and Saoirse Ronan in tenth place.

    To mark Viola's position on the list, Denzel paid tribute to his frequent collaborator.

    He wrote: "She’s a once-in-a-generation talent. You don’t always know that right away, but we’ve all experienced it now over time. When I was with her in the play [“Fences”] even in rehearsal it was like, 'Oh, OK, she’s a powerhouse.' She has a big scene when she finally unloads on Troy; about the third week of rehearsal she showed where she was going. And I was like, 'I better catch up with her. I’ve got to concentrate.'...

    "I trust her completely. Why does someone want to play in a band with Miles Davis? Because he’s a great collaborator, innovator, artist. She’s the same thing. She can do whatever she wants. She’s got that much ability. She’s one of the best interpreters of material that I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with."

    Other names to feature in the full list of 25 stars included Michael B. Jordan, Mahershala Ali, Melissa McCarthy, Julianne Moore and Joaquin Phoenix.

    New York Times' Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (So Far) list - top 10

    1. Denzel Washington

    2. Isabelle Huppert

    3. Daniel Day-Lewis

    4. Keanu Reeves

    5. Nicole Kidman

    6. Song Kang Ho

    7. Toni Servillo

    8. Zhao Tao

    9. Viola Davis

    10. Saoirse Ronan

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     01 Jul: Keke Palmer "would love" to have another child
     01 Jul: Sharon Stone is teaming up with Mugler for a new capsule collection
     29 Jun: Kneecap play Glastonbury set amid terrorism charge as police investigate crowd chants
     28 Jun: Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Harvey Weinstein cases test the limits and legacy of #MeToo movement
     27 Jun: Charlize Theron's daughter was reduced to tears by her mullet
     27 Jun: Demi Lovato is releasing her first cookbook
     27 Jun: Sharon Osbourne believes that Ozzy Osbourne's fans will "carry him" through Black Sabbath's farewell gig
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Two more Wallabies have been pulled out of the test squad to join their Super Rugby sides ahead of matches against the touring British and Irish Lions More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The economy's inching closer to recovery - but hurdles persist More...



     Today's News

    Law and Order:
    A 32-year-old man's been charged with murder - over an inmate's death at Mt Eden Corrections Facility on Friday 16:47

    Entertainment:
    Keke Palmer "would love" to have another child 16:36

    Law and Order:
    A 26-year-old Melbourne childcare worker's facing 70 charges - relating to eight preschoolers aged between five months and two years 16:17

    Business:
    The economy's inching closer to recovery - but hurdles persist 16:17

    National:
    The rising rate of type 2 diabetes in young New Zealanders is becoming a health crisis 16:07

    International:
    Are you experiencing decision paralysis? Here's how to move forward 16:07

    Entertainment:
    Sharon Stone is teaming up with Mugler for a new capsule collection 16:06

    Accident and Emergency:
    A scene guard's at a Foxton Beach home where a six-month-old baby was found critically injured on Sunday morning 15:17

    Business:
    Businesses still see hope on the horizon, but recovery still remains slower than expected 14:57

    National:
    Back to the Future at 40: the trilogy has never been remade – let’s hope that doesn’t change 14:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd