Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime. The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since. So, given those guidelines, and thanks to a corona virus inspired uptick to my movie watching this year, it is time to look at the 100 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.
Today, we continue with the 6 actors that has starred in 19 movies that I have seen, two additional from what was seen 3 years ago.
Jennifer Aniston
The former Friends star first burst through onto my movie screen in 1997, with a double feature of She’s The One and Leprechaun. In years since, she has been a pretty steady contributor until 2014, with multiple films in 1997, 1998, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013, with a high water mark in 1998, when I saw her in 3 starring roles. Her most recent entry came in 2014, when I saw 2013’s We’re The Millers.
John Cusack
Local boy done good John Cusack entered my movie-watching consciousness in 1988 when he portrayed disgraced White Sox third baseman Buck Weaver in Eight Men Out. After a 9 year dry spell, Cusack came back with a vengeance with 3 films in 1997 which started a run of 8 films in 4 years. After 97, he notched multiple films in 2000, 2004, and 2010. His most recent film that I’ve seen was 2012’s The Factory, which I watched in 2015.
Matt Damon
In 1994, Matt Damon made his first appearance on my personal movie screen with his role in 1992’s School Ties. He disappeared for a while until reappearing in 1999 with 3 different films. From that point on, he has been a pretty regular entrant in my watched films, including a four year run from 2005-2008. The last film of his I’ve seen was in 2019, when I saw 2017’s Downsizing.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton burst on to my movie going radar with 1983’s Mr. Mom. He had 2 different years, 1995 and 2000, where I saw 3 of his films. After a 9 year absence from my screen, he returned in 2015 to increase his total once again. The last time I saw him in a starring role was last year in Spotlight, from 2015.
Sylvester Stallone
My first exposure to Sylvester Stallone was through the Rocky franchise, whose 8 films make up over 42% of this total. Add in the Rambo franchise and that number jumps over 50%. My biggest Stallone years were 1991 and 2007, when I took in a grand total of 2 films each. I am on an active 3 year streak, with my most recent experience with his films coming earlier this year in 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington first appeared in my life in a starring role as Tom Hanks’ homophobic attorney in Philadelphia. There have been four years, starting in 2000, where I have seen 2 of his films. 2002 started a 5 year run where I saw 7 of his films. After a 6 year absence, he returned to my screen earlier this year in Ricochet, released in 1991.
