When obsession leads to a hidden treasure.

Ever since Gladiator first captivated me eleven years ago and introduced me to the wonderful world of cinema, I have obsessed with seven actors who all fall into the handsome, talented, intense performers category.

My addictive personality ensures that when I develop an interest in an actor, I have to know everything about them and their body of work. I will track down any magazine article, surf the web for interviews and attempt to watch and collect everything in their back catalogue of work.

Recently I realised that these back catalogue collections  have led me to discover some underrated film treasures that would normally have gone unnoticed had it not been for my obsession.

Often it is easy to get stuck in a rut of movie watching. Influenced by cinema listings, movie magazines, sequels, remakes and our favourite genres it is easy to stay within your comfort zone of film viewing. However, the discovery of an actor or actress can lead you to some fascinating little gems.

So over the next few weeks, I plan on delving into these actors' back catalogues and picking out for you, what I believe is their stand out performance and an underrated gem, which I feel you should check out.  My chosen actors are Joaquin Phoenix, Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr, Gary Oldman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Tom Hardy.

In the meantime, I would love to know which actors/actresses are your favourites and which of their films you believe is a hidden gem.

All photos courtesy of IMDB.