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. Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 111 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of August 1.
We continue today with the eleven actors that have starred in exactly fifteen movies that I have seen, a decrease of one from three years ago.
Jason Bateman
Jason Bateman first appeared on my radar with 1987’s Teen Wolf Too. After another film in 1992, he took the rest of the century off and didn’t reappear on my screen until 2010, when he started a streak of five films in three years, followed by another streak of seven films in five years ending in 2018. He returned to my screen again in 2024, thanks to Carry On.
Will Ferrell
The SNL alum first streaked on to the list of film actors I’ve seen in 2003 with Old School. Since then, his appearances have been pretty consistent, with 2012-2013 being the longest streak of him not appearing on my screen. The most recent film of his I’ve seen was 2013’s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which I finally saw in 2022.
Jennifer Lawrence
The delightful Jennifer Lawrence first appeared on my screen in 2011, thanks to 2010’s Winter’s Bone. Since then, I have seen her in at least one movie every year through 2023, tripling up in 2013, for an active streak of thirteen straight years that ended with 2023’s No Hard Feelings.
Steve Martin
The last starring role of his that I saw remains 2005’s Shopgirl, which I saw in 2009.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds first appeared on my movie radar in 2006, when I saw him in both The Amityville Horror and Just Friends, which started a streak of five films in four years. He had double shots in 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2019. He returned as Deadpool in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which was the last I saw of him.
Winona Ryder
I first became aware of Winona Ryder in the hit film Beetlejuice, but her first starring role that I saw came in 1990, when I saw the dark comedy Heathers. My biggest Ryder year was 2000, when I saw two of her films. After a thirteen-year absence, she returned to my screen in 2024, thanks to the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Julia Stiles
1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You was my first exposure to Julia Stiles. She had been a steady presence since, picking up ten films between 1999 and 2008. She managed to score multiple films in both 2001 and 2006. Things have been spotty since, with only five films over the past fifteen years, with the latest being 2022’s Orphan: First Kill, which I saw in 2023.
Charlize Theron
2000 brought Charlize Theron’s starring roles into my life in a big way, when she debuted with three films in one year. She has been pretty consistent since, with mini-streaks in 2004-2005, 2007-2008, 2012-2013, and 2015-2016. Her last appearances were a double shot in 2020, with 2019’s Long Shot followed by 2003’s Monster.
Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn splashed on to the scene in 1996’s Swingers, which I saw in 1998. Since then, he has been fairly consistent, with me seeing a film of his either every year or every other year through the early 2010s. Things slowed down after 2011, when I saw both Psycho and The Dilemma. After a five-year absence, he returned to my screen in 2021, when I saw the previous year’s breakout horror hit Freaky.
Mark Wahlberg
The former leader of the Funky Bunch first moved over to movies with 1996’s Fear. There have been four years since where I have seen multiple Wahlberg flicks, most recently in 2018. The last film of his that I saw was the second of those 2018 flicks, 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight.
Robin Williams
Seeing as he is no longer walking the Earth, 2008 is still both my biggest Williams year and my last time seeing his films, thanks to Jack, License To Wed, and The Night Listener.