Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe has been the object of many a young girl's desire for several years now, but did you know he can act...really well? Starting with his turn as one of the students aboard a sailboat in White Squall, casting directors began to take notice of Phillippe. He played the "runt" of the boat, the little brother role. He had to be pushed to do everything. He played a lovable weakling, made that way by a traumatic childhood. Phillippe plays the ingenue with an innocence that few actors could have brought to the role. In Way of the Gun, perhaps his best role, Phillippe plays Mr. Parker, a nomadic hood trying to make the big bucks by kidnapping the surrogate mother of a rich man with his partner Mr. Longbaugh (Benicio Del Toro). He plays the soul of the outfit, always questioning their actions. He sympathizes and wants to make amends for the wrongs he has done. He has a monologue during which he tells the story about how he killed a pedophile for a defense attorney. The actions of the story can be seen behind his eyes. The intensity of the moment alters the confidence in his voice. For the first time, you can see the scars he bears that made him the man he is. It's a great scene delivered in a great way by Phillippe. In Igby Goes Down, Phillippe plays the over achieving older brother of Igby (Kieran Culkin). He's everything that Igby despises, but the audience gets the idea that maybe he isn't as evil as Igby paints him to be. He can be hurtful at times, but he is the strength in the madcap family. He plays the character as a sarcastic wall street businessman, a picture of generation Y's ultimate goals. It's a great supporting performance in a great movie. Ryan Phillippe is more than just a "pretty face." He's an actor, too.