2nd 30 Day Writing Challenge: Day 20 - 3 Celebrity Crushes

We're inching toward the finish line with Day 20: "Post about three celebrity crushes".

Oh, my goodness.  Where do I start with this challenge. Do I mention the ones from my childhood? Or should I strictly focus on the ones that I currently have crushes on? Or perhaps my longest lasting crushes? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Celebrities that I crushed on when I was young (18 and younger): Donny Osmond (which I mentioned the other day), Parker Stevenson, Paul Michael Glaser, Harrison Ford, Mickey Dolenz. As I aged, I became enamored with Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth, Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Princess Diana, Mandy Patinkin, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Some of the ones that I currently am fond of (in addition to the previous list): Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, Matthew Macfadyen. (I'm certain I'm missing a few.) How do I narrow this list down to a mere 3 celebs?

Okay, I'm going to go with the three celebrities that if I were to meet before I die, I would die a happy gal. I mentioned all three in my post, What I Won't and Will Miss (Plus My Regrets), as one of my regrets:

Kenneth Branagh

In my humble opinion, I think Kenneth is one of the most talented performers to ever grace the screen. Born in Northern Ireland, Ken has performed Shakespeare, dramas, comedies, musicals, voice overs. He's played the good guy, the romantic lead, the bad guy, and everything in between and always brilliantly. He is certainly the best Shakespearean actor that has ever lived. The first time I saw Ken in Dead Again (1991), I thought "who is this amazing actor?" I made it my business to watch everything he ever did. My all-time favorite movie is probably Much Ado About Nothing (1993), but I could watch/listen to Ken read the phone book and I'd be enthralled. He's been nominated for numerous awards, but has not won nearly enough in my opinion. Other favorite Branagh works: Othello (1995), Hamlet (1996), Conspiracy (2001 (Emmy award)), Shackleton (2002), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) portraying Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, and the television series, Wallander (2008-2012).

Colin Firth

Ahhhhh, Mr. Darcy! Okay, it certainly helped that Colin played my favorite literary character and played him perfectly, but that's not the only reason that Colin is in my top 3 of celeb crushes. This distinguished English man is another incredibly talented actor who has performed in a wide variety of projects: comedies, dramas, musicals - portraying romantic leads, villains, and comedic relief. While Pride and Prejudice (1995) will always be my favorite Colin Firth movie, he was brilliant in so many others: Shakespeare in Love (1998), Conspiracy (2001 (Emmy nom)), Nanny McPhee (2005), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), and so many more! Of course, his most brilliant performance was portraying Prince Albert, Duke of York/King George VI in The King's Speech (2010), which earned him much acclaim and awards (Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG awards). Okay, if Ken is reading the phone book, I'll allow Colin to read the encyclopedia to me.

Ralph Fiennes

Quelle surprise - another handsome British actor!  Yeah, okay, I have a certain "type" that I find attractive. Ralph is also another actor that is quite versatile in his portrayals. Evil to romantic to campy nostalgia, Ralph has done it all. While I love his Oscar nominated performance in The English Patient (1996), I will say it is not my favorite of his movies. Not that he wasn't brilliant in the film, he certainly was, but there are other movies that I love better. His performance as the amoral Nazi concentration commandant in Schindler's List (1993) was frightening but brilliant. But perhaps my favorite Ralph Fiennes film is Quiz Show (1994). In 2006, I was fortunate enough to be able to see Mr. Fiennes perform on the New York stage in Brian Friel's play, Faith Healer and it was a riveting performance. Some other favorite Ralph Fiennes movies: The End of the Affair (1999), In Bruges (2008), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), plus all the Harry Potter movies where he portrayed the über-evil villain, Lord Voldemort. Okay, Ken is reading the phone book and Colin is reading the encyclopedia, so Ralph can read the dictionary to me.

There you have it - 3 of my celebrity crushes. Anyone know them?

Tomorrow, Day 21: 3 lesson my children (?) should learn from me (erm...hmmm...)