Top 10 Canadian Actors

Kicking off our list is one of Canada’s brightest young stars. The Vancouver native began his screen career in Judd Apatow’s 1990s cult hit series “Freaks and Geeks”, and would soon be part of the producer’s “frat pack” with other up-and-coming stars like Paul Rudd and Steve Carell. Even though he seemingly plays the same character in every movie, Seth Rogen’s deadpan humor and dry wit have earned him critical acclaim, while his silly stoner antics have further popularized the Vancouver stoner stereotype.

From one of Canada’s younger film stars to one of its oldest, William Shatner is one of the most famous Canadians in Hollywood. He is best known for playing Captain Kirk on the “Star Trek” television series and films, which made him a cultural icon. He is notorious for speaking slowly and making strong emphasis on certain words and following those up with short silences, which has become known as the “Shatner Pause”. In true Canadian fashion, Shatner is never afraid to make fun of himself though, and has spoofed his distinctive speech pattern on several different occasions.

This Scarborough, Ontario native has been a “Saturday Night Live” star, an international spy, and a talking ogre. But even before that, Mike Myers appeared on SNL back in the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s, where his stage presence, witty humor and hilarious impersonations made him a fan favorite. He would later gain recognition on the big screen thanks to “Wayne’s World”, and even inserted a scene into the comedy that every kid from his home country could relate to – a game of street hockey.

One of the most lovable Canadians of all-time, John Candy won fans over with his hilarious characters on “SCTV”, a Canadian sketch comedy show. Not afraid to poke fun at himself or his country, his final film, “Canadian Bacon”, parodied numerous Canadian stereotypes, such as their polite nature and French culture. Candy starred in multiple successful comedy films, but never forgot his Canadian background. He was even part owner of the Canadian Football League team the Toronto Argonauts with Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky in the 1990s.

The cool and stoic action hero, Keanu Reeves was born in Lebanon and the family moved around until his mother and stepfather relocated them to Toronto when he was around seven years old. Like most young Canadians, Reeves excelled in hockey, and was an extremely successful goalie in high school. This may have helped him land a part in “Youngblood” as a Quebecois goalie, his first studio movie. While an injury ended his hockey career, he has since moved on to become one of the most successful Canadian actors, best known for playing Officer Jack Traven in “Speed” and as Neo in “The Matrix”.

While Kiefer Sutherland may mostly be known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer, it is such an iconic role that it is good enough to earn him the #5 spot on our list. The son of Canadian actors Shirley Douglas and Donald Sutherland (more on him later), he first appeared in “24” in 2001, and would star as Jack Bauer for all 192 episodes as well as TV film and 2014 limited series. Kiefer is also the grandson of Tommy Douglas, the former Premier of Saskatchewan who is credited for bringing universal health care to Canada.

Another rising Canadian star, Ryan Gosling gained his first real taste of international recognition at just 24 when he starred in “The Notebook”. The London, Ontario native is considered to be one of the most handsome actors in the world and is truly a home-grown Canadian talent, appearing on several popular Canadian television series as a child and teen. He developed his unique accent because he didn’t feel the Canadian accent was tough enough, but Canadians give him a pass for that because he is just that charming.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Michael J. Fox started gaining fame in the sitcom landscape and has revisited it several times, however he is best known for his movie exploits, the most famous of which was his iconic part as Marty McFly in the “Back to the Future” trilogy. Sadly, he was forced to semi-retire from acting after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but has since become a leading advocate for research for the disease and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000. His perseverance and commitment to charity and Parkinson’s research have made him one of the most famous and important Canadians not just in Hollywood, but in the entire world.

The patriarch of the Sutherland acting clan, Donald has been acting for over 50 years. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the University of Toronto alum is an incredibly diverse actor, having appeared as Mr. Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”, convict-turned-soldier Vernon Pinkley in “The Dirty Dozen”, and the autocratic ruler of Panem, President Coriolanus Snow in “The Hunger Games”. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978, the second highest honor for merit behind the Order of Merit, and has a home in Quebec.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Leslie Nielsen
- Nathan Fillion
- Christopher Plummer
- Martin Short
- Michael Cera
- Dan Aykroyd

Was there any doubt who number one on our list would be? The highly energetic man with the rubber face is one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. While his stand-up routines tend to poke fun at Canada, it was a reviewer from the Toronto Star that raved about the unknown Carrey, which helped launch his comedic career. His slapstick, over the top comedic style and hilarious on-screen antics have made him one of the most successful comedic actors of all time, and earned him a well-deserved spot on the Canadian Walk of Fame as well as in cinema history.

Do you agree with our list? Who is your favorite Canadian actor? For more terrific Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.