8. Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke might not have been thought of as a method actor through his most prosperous period in the mid-1980s and 1990s, but he proved beyond doubt the benefits of that technique with his superb, Oscar-nominated turn in 2008's The Wrestler. The irony was, as so many critics noted, that Rourke was essentially playing a role not too dissimilar to himself; a run-down guy past his prime who was trying for one more shot at the big time, with Rourke's own professional lows reflecting that of Randy 'The Ram' Robinson's. Given how method actors often draw upon real emotion from their lives to fuel a performance, it's no surprise that Rourke was able to channel something very visceral indeed, something accentuated by the fact that Aronofsky would aid Rourke by holding up pictures of his recently-deceased dog on set to stir him up even more. As far as interplay between player and part go, few films are as accomplished or astonishingly effective as this.