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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
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![Peter Hapak for TIME](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/02a_hapak_oscars1.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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