4. Eli Wallach
The inimitable and recently-deceased Eli Wallach, probably best known for his roles in westerns like The Magnificent Seven and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly in addition to Marilyn Monroes final movie, The Misfits, was born in an Italian-American neighbourhood in Brooklyn to Jewish parents, was known throughout the acting world for being an exceptional chameleon, first starting out on the stage as a theatre actor but soon expanding out into film roles. Wallach played Shahs, Mexicans (Tuco from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly), Okinawans, Presidents, Italian-Americans (in The Godfather Part III) and even occasionally French emperors (he was Napoleon in The Adventures of Gerard). However, his most famous role during his heyday and the one for which he, by his own admission, got the most fan mail was Mr. Freeze in the 1960s Batman TV show. All of this diversity, instead of making it difficult for him to establish his own identity, was loved by Wallach, who excelled when given a challenge and it allowed him to stretch the acting muscles hed developed during his years treading the boards.