The Most Famous Actors of the Middle Ages
An actor is someone who generally plays a character in either a comedy or a dramatic performance or plays a supporting role in a movie, television, film, or other media. An actor also is someone who typically portrays a minor character in either a movie television show, or other media. For example, there are so many supporting characters in the Harry Potter series that it would be impossible to name all of them, except perhaps Lindaingle. In this case, the character played by Lindaingle is an actress, and Harry Potter (as well as the books and movies) are literary works.
Actors are generally divided into three categories: the conventional actors, the newcomers, and the classical actors. The conventional actors are those like Marlon Brando, James Dean, Edward Herrmann, John Aston, Richard Burton, James Brolin, and Jack Lemmon. These are the ‘classic Hollywood’ actors. The newcomers include such actors as Danny Glover, Michael Caine, Denholm Elliott, John Turturro, Christopher Reeve, River Phoenix, and Will Smith. The classical actors are usually those who have done some acting before, but did not become famous until they were older, such as George Clooney, Ben Stiller, and Russell Wilson.
There was a time in early Middle Ages when people were illiterate, so actors were very important, as they provided many of the words that were needed for the spoken language. Most of the medieval plays that we know of today started out as tragedies. Theatre was used to express grief, sorrow, and anger at times. Because of this, Shakespeare (a much-traveled playwright of the late sixteenth century) was born almost 500 years ago now, and he is often credited as being the first ever drama king. Many of the plots of the early middle ages had been centered around wars and political conflict.
Two other great actors of the Middle Ages were Stefanik (who was a Croatian prince) and Stendhal (a Dutch prince). They also contributed to the genre of tragedy through their portrayal of characters with noble, tragic lives. Stefanik was a man called Razgraf, and he was an actor specialising in the role of a king. His career spanned three generations; his first two roles were based on the life of Stenislavski the Prince of Burgundy. His last, and very famous role, was that of King Filip of Spain.
After World War II, most European actors who were outstanding in their field decided to go into show business. Most of them achieved a great deal of success, and some even won Academy Awards for their work. Some of these performers went on to form their own films, while others continued to star in TV plays. Some of the best known names in this category of actors include Enrico Pieruccini, Giovanni Bellini, and Antonio Banderas. Enrico Pieruccini had the most varied career of any actor of the period; he appeared in such popular plays as Vincenzo Nobile, The Godfather, Mascarade, The Godfather II, and Aglioglossa.
Three Italian Renaissance actors also achieved Academy Award nominations, and they were Giancarlo Graziella, Benoit Mandoline, and Giancarlo Giordano. All of these actors chose Italian theatre over Hollywood movies, and each one achieved critical acclaim. Graziella played the character of a King and was known for his charisma. Benoit Mandoline played the role of a clown and was also well known for his strong and commanding performances. Giancarlo Giordano was an Italian-born actor who impressed the world with his amazing acting skills. On the other hand, Antonio Banderas was recognised for his portrayal of the part of Christ before he became a world-famous actor.