Forest Whitaker received widespread attention during the late ’80s when he appeared in the famous Vietnam War films “Platoon” and “Good Morning, Vietnam.” However, it was when he starred in the Oscar-winning biopic about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin that he truly became a household name.
His role as Amin in “The Last King of Scotland earned him an Academy Award for best actor. In addition to that, his film “The Butler” also earned him acclaim. Whitaker also wowed movie-goers in box-office hits such as “Arrival,” “Rogue One” and “Black Panther.”
Steve Martin
The George Clooney of the comedy world, Steve Martin is a top contender for our list of Hollywood greats. His standup albums have reached platinum status and he has a Grammy for the best comedy album. Martin also made a smooth transition from standup to film.
With films like "The Jerk," "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Parenthood," Martin is comedy king. He blew us away as the sadistic dentist in "The Little Shop of Horrors" and on top of that, the man is also an accomplished touring banjo player.
Danny DeVito
In 1978 Danny DeVito landed on our radar as Louie De Palma with the classic sitcom "Taxi." His mischievous antics and dark humor quickly threw him in the ranks of some of America's greatest comedic actors. Devito continued to roll out the hits with films like "Terms of Endearment" and "Romancing the Stone."
While "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" killed, audiences will never forget the dynamite duo that was Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Twins" and "Junior."
Eddie Murphy
Another SNL legend turned movie star here. In 1980 Comedian Eddie Murphy rose to fame when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live." Just two years later he starred along with Nick Nolte in the classic buddy cop "48 Hrs." The comedian went on to star in a series of massively successful films such as "Beverly Hills Cop" and "The Nutty Professor" (1 and 2.)
And can we ever forget him as the voice of Donkey in "Shrek"? Murphy took a step back from acting for quite a few years but made a comeback quite recently, with the Netflix film "Dolemite Is My Name." Our favorite Eddie Murphy Film? "Coming to America." In 2015 he also got the well-deserved Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Bill Murray
Bill Murray went from sketch comedy to big-time Hollywood. In his early days, he was a notable feature player on "Saturday Night Live." His success on the NBC show launched his movie star status with films like "Caddyshack," "Ghostbusters" and probably his most famous "Groundhog Day."
In his later years Murray took on a new form of comedy with his now long-term collaborator Wes Anderson frequently collaborates with director Wes Anderson, appearing in such films as "Rushmore" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." His signature dry wit and deadpan delivery make him one of the most unique comedic actors of our time, it's no surprise that in 2016, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.