5 Best Movie Stars Born In The 1940s
The five best movie stars born in the 1940s have all won an Oscar, been nominated multiple times for Golden Globe Awards and have managed to keep an active popular movie career throughout the years. Three of the five movie stars were in the cult classic "The Godfather" series and two won an Oscar for their roles in the saga. They are all leading actors and actresses in multiple classic timeless movies, which is another reason these five movie stars are the best.
- Meryl Streep. A record breaking sixteen Academy Award nominations and 25 Golden Globe nominations is the reason Meryl Streep is considered the best movie star born in the 1940s. Born June 22, 1949 in Summit, New Jersey, Meryl Streep's film career began in the 1977 movie "Julia" and quickly took off with the 1978 movie "The Deer Hunter," in which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Excelling at lead characters in comedies and dramas, Meryl Streep was recently nominated for an Academy Award portraying Julia Child in "Julia & Julia."
- Al Pacino. Born April 25, 1940 in East Harlem, Manhattan Al Pacino is the best movie star born in the 1940s whose career broke out after his supporting role in the 1972 cult classic "The Godfather." The film become a trilogy with, "The Godfather: Part II" following in 1974 and "The Godfather: Part III" in 1990. Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award for each of the three movies for his portrayal of Michael Corleone. Pacino later won a Best Actor Academy Award and Golden Globe for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in the 1992 movie "Scent of a Woman."
- Robert De Niro. Born August 17, 1943 in New York, Robert De Niro is one of the best movie stars born in the 1940s because of awards won, longevity of career and powerful characters he chooses to portray. Starting his film career in 1965 with an uncredited role in "Three Rooms in Manhattan," De Niro became a movie star with his portrayal of Vito Corleone in "The Godfather: Part II," which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. His second Academy Award was for Best Actor in the 1980 movie directed by Martin Scorsese titled "Raging Bull." Known primarily for series roles, Robert De Niro also shines in the comedies "Meet the Parents" and "Analyze This" which earned him Best Actor Golden Globe nominations. Six Academy Award nominations and eight Golden Globe nominations proves Robert De Niro is one of the best movie stars born in the 1940s.
Diane Keaton. Born January 5, 1946 in California, Diane Keaton's first film was the 1970 romantic comedy "Lovers and Other Strangers." But it was her role in "The Godfather" trilogy as Kay Adams-Corleone that made her a movie star. Winning Best Actress Academy Award for playing the title character in "Annie Hall" solidified Keaton's status as a movie star in dramas and comedies. Diane Keaton has won an Emmy, been nominated for nine Golden Globes winning two, and four Academy Awards, having won the Oscar once.
- Michael Douglas. Son to actor Kirk Douglas and actress Diana Dill, Michael Douglas was born September 25, 1944 in New Jersey and went on to become one of the best movie stars born in the 1940s. Michael Douglas has two Academy Awards, one for producing the 1975 film, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and another for his leading role in the 1987 film "Wall Street." He has two Oscar nominations, four Emmy nominations, seven Golden Globe nominations and in 2010 Michael Douglas will reprise his award winning role as Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps."