#11: The Mt. Rushmore Series

Which four actors would be on your Mt. Rushmore? All my choices are still alive, close in age, white and more the leading type than character actors. Listed in alphabetical order, my Mt. Rushmore has:

1.) Jeff Bridges: If he'd never starred in any movie except "Fearless", Bridges would be here. But he was also "The Big Lebowski". In addition, he's the actor who most convincingly portrays musicians; a cynical jazz pianist in "The Fabulous Baker Boys" and a dissolute country singer and guitarist in "Crazy Heart".

2.) Gene Hackman: An actor who can redeem nearly any film. Although I'm partial to his early roles in movies like "I Never Sang For My Father" and "Once In A Lifetime", my favorite Hackman performance was a small part he played in a little seen Woody Allen gem called "Another Woman".

3.) Laura Linney: Want to see a range that will dazzle you? Watch "The Truman Show", "Mystic River", "You Can Count On Me", & "The Squid and The Whale" back-to-back. Try not to be amazed.

4.) Meryl Streep: No explanation required.

As with musicians, it was difficult for me to pick just four for this iteration of Mt. Rushmore. And though my baby boomer bias is clear here, even fitting ten or twelve actors on my mountain wouldn't change that.