When you die and potentially go wherever it is that people go when they’re dead — be it in the ground or some type of heaven or whatever — chances are you won’t be pleased with everyone that has been given a pass. Some people just rub folks the wrong way; it’s a fact of life. There is one bright side to this, however: If you’re going to this theorized place, it’s safe to assume that people similar to you are going to be going there as well. That means that all those geeky actors will be chatting it up in the geek afterlife, hopefully. But where do they draw the line?
Clearly, some are more worthy than others. Some actors have been in multiple works that were seminal in their own right. So, here it is, finally, a list of the actors that are most worthy of being admitted to the geek equivalent of heaven.
1. Hugo Weaving
Over the last decade or so, Hugo Weaving has really made a name for himself in the various nerd circles. From comics to book adaptations and beyond, his presence has made films that much more badass for a long time. The man can seemingly do no wrong. All of this traces back to his role as Agent Smith in The Matrix. His creepy, no-nonsense demeanor combined with the ability to always look both angry and serious no matter the situation made his performance unforgettable. The amount of vitriol and contempt he managed to squeeze into the words “Mr. Anderson” at any given moment is truly magical.
After Agent Smith, he was Elrond in The Lord of the Rings. So, from 1999 to 2003, Weaving starred in two different incredibly geeky trilogies. From there he went to V for Vendetta, where he changed things up and was both whimsical and serious. Next came Transformers, with Weaving lending all the contempt he could muster to the voice of Megatron. But he’s not done yet. Guess who is reprising his role as Elrond for The Hobbit? Oh yes. Also, he’s Red Skull in the new Captain America movie. Just throwing that out there.
2. Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg’s geek heritage dates back to the same year as Weaving’s: 1999. That’s when he starred in the first show that launched Pegg on the trajectory of becoming what he is today, Spaced. That’s not what most Americans will likely associate with his name, however, though they really should. That illustrious honor goes to 2004’s Shaun of the Dead. These days, that’s probably not what most people think of in general when they see his name. His role in Star Trek as Scotty has solidified his name in the subconscious of geeks at large. There are conversations out there that go something like this:
“Simon Pegg’s in that.”
“Who?”
“You know, Scotty from Star Trek.”
Not to be outdone by other actors who have appeared in book adaptations, Pegg has also been lending his voice to Chronicle of Narnia’s Reepicheep. Basically, he fills the role of large, talking mouse with honor and determination. Also, a rapier. He even collaborated with esteem comic writer Garth Ennis and allowed Ennis to use his likeness for the main character of the currently ongoing anti-superpower series, The Boys.
3. Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell always seems to be “that guy” that people enjoy watching act, but can never remember his name. His geek credentials include stints in Choke, based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel, Moon and Iron Man 2. The man also brought his own particular charm to the already zany character of Zaphod Beeblebrox in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. As stated before, though, Rockwell is still sort of an understated force in the world of movies. His impact is great, but his profile continues to remain small. In fact, Iron Man 2 is probably one of the first major blockbuster movies that he has been in, though whether that’s good or bad is up for debate. Regardless, the man is a supreme talent and certainly worthy of being included here. Besides, he has the prerequisites of being in both a comic and book adaptation down. He just rocks… well. I’m truly very sorry for that joke.
Representing the old guard is Harrison Ford. It would be just plain wrong for a list of this kind not to include someone from the original Star Wars films. It helps that Ford then went on to be Indiana Jones and, later, Rick Deckard in Blade Runner. But really, it’s his role as Han Solo that firmly cements him here. There’s possibly no better an example of the rascally-scoundrel-done-good than Ford’s Solo. In fact, had he not contributed to any true exemplars of geekery since, he would still likely have made the list just because of it. Sometimes, one might think it’s too bad he won’t live forever. But then he wouldn’t be in geek heaven to hang out with you, right?
5. Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson rounds out this assorted mix of oddballs and goofs by being possibly the most lovable pretend father imaginable. Like, seriously. The man is definitely typecast is a horrendously good way. He’s a father figure to Anakin as Qui-Gon Jin in Star Wars, another father figure to Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins and yet another father figure as Aslan in Chronicles of Narnia. In fact, he’s even the father of the protagonist in Fallout 3! That man is, essentially, a dad with a streak of badass. Especially when you take his daughter.
This man kind of sums up the list because he’s been in at least one of the movies mentioned herein with many of those listed above. Hugo Weaving? Martin Freeman is starring as Bilbo Baggins. Simon Pegg? Both were in Hot Fuzz. Sam Rockwell? Arthur Dent was an almost airtight fit for Freeman.
Essentially, if there were an actual hierarchy to this list instead of some kind of assorted order, Freeman would be on top. It probably helps that he shares a name with Half-Life’s wayward protagonist as well. In addition, though he may be lacking in a comic adaptation, he more than makes up for it with multiple book adaptations. His qualifications are unquestionable. The only way he could further his geek cred here is to have played a father figure to one of the others on this list. One can dream.
