Great Performances

1 minute read

A king and a terrorist. A tattooed hacker and a crazy mama. They may lose an arm or a spouse, become a billionaire or a vigilante, but the actors we celebrate here are all sorcerers who, by pouring self into story, create indelible characters worth admiring or reviling — which is always worth treasuring. —Richard Corliss and Mary Pols

Portraits of Hollywood’s top stars, photographed by Peter Hapak for TIME

Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth King George VI The King's Speech
Peter Hapak for TIME
Colin Firth King George VI The King's Speech
Geoffrey Rush Lionel Logue The King's SpeechPeter Hapak for TIME
Annette Bening Nic The Kids Are All Right Peter Hapak for TIME
James Franco Aron Ralston 127 HoursPeter Hapak for TIME
Hailee Steinfeld Mattie Ross True GritPeter Hapak for TIME
Jesse Eisenberg Mark Zuckerberg The Social NetworkPeter Hapak for TIME
Michelle Williams Cindy Blue ValentinePeter Hapak for TIME
Edgar Ramírez Carlos the Jackal CarlosPeter Hapak for TIME
Noomi Rapace Lisbeth Salander The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Peter Hapak for TIME
Tilda Swinton Emma Recchi I Am LovePeter Hapak for TIME
Jacki Weaver Smurf Animal KingdomPeter Hapak for TIME

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