*Colin Firth. He appears to have such a gentleness in his performances. He stole Love Actually for me. He can say so much by saying very little. I once saw him (in real life) in the Palace Theatre bar in the interval of Spamalot in 2007. I just caught a glimpse of him over my, now, husband's shoulder. I tried so hard not to look but it's so difficult isn't it. Anyway as he went to leave my husband wanted to know what I was grinning at. I whispered, "it's Mark Darcy." He said "who?" I whispered again, "Mark Darcy." In his very broad and very loud Lancashire accent my husband said "Who's Mark Darcy?" I notice Colin pause for a moment as he left. I imagined him to be taking a deep breath and thinking, "give me a night off love". He then continued to leave. I spent Act 2 scouring the audience for the man I had loved since 1985. I caught a glimpse of him as we left the foyer at the end and continued to watch as his head of curly hair faded in to the London crowd. My husband still didn't know who he was and was most put out that he was clearly cramping my style with some geezer in the bar. As we headed for a Chinese restaurant we then passed celebrity chef Brian Turner in the street. Not quite the same, but I commented just the same. He'd never heard of him either.
*Ray Winstone. (Obviously)
*Lesley Sharp. This actress never seems to age! I love her and she can do no wrong in my book. If she's in it then I want to watch it. Whatever role she takes she has me hooked.
*Michelle Holmes. Another lady who never seems to age. Wonderful comedy timing and equally great at drama.
*Alison Steadman. Abigail's Party, Nuts in May, Shirley Valentine, A Private Function, Fat Friends, Gavin & Stacey, The Missing Postman, Clockwise. Need I say more.
*Mark Benton. A master of pathos in my mind. Brilliant actor, he can break your heart.
*Timothy Spall. For similar reasons, heartbreaking with the pathos. He's a right proper actor.
*Sheridan Smith. Another who I love in everything she's in. I never tire of seeing her. She has such a range of characters on her extensive c.v and is brilliant at all of it. I would like to demand she does a UK tour of some play or another so I can see her on stage up North, but don't know quite who to 'demand' this to as yet.
