9. Andy Serkis
The actor most associated with motion capture technology, Andy Serkis has become one of the most underrated actors of this generation, consistently turning out performances few other performers could approach. Serkis got started in acting in Shakespeare productions before earning roles in several BBC series. His breakthrough of course came in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he played the character of Gollum as well as a variety of background creatures. Arguably worthy of an Oscar nomination, Serkis went home empty handed but was one of the breakout stars of the trilogy. Serkis followed up the series with another motion capture performance in King Kong as well as two traditional performances that received considerable levels of acclaim, the first being Longford, which garnered him a BAFTA nomination and the second was as Mr. Alley in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige. In 2011, Serkis again gained Oscar buzz with his motion capture performance as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and more recently he reprised his role of Gollum in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. His ability to make motion capture seem completely convincing, as well as his strong conventional roles, firmly establish Serkis as one of the most versatile actors of our generation and one of the most unique movie performers in history.