Kirk Lazarus: Our Generation's Greatest Actor

It takes a lot for me to be "blown away" by a movie and/or actor. But I was simply blown away by Kirk Lazarus' performance in last year's "Tropic Thunder." Here is a clip of Lazarus on the set of Thunder:



For those who haven't seen "Tropic Thunder," Robert Downey Jr. plays Lazarus - an acclaimed Australian actor who undergoes a controversial skin colorization procedure to play a black soldier. I have a friend who came in midway through "Tropic Thunder" and did not realize that Downey was the actor.

Downey was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the role and lost to the posthumous Heath Ledger. I loved Downey, 44, so much in this film that I think I can say this: He is my favorite actor under 45. Other top actors I like, including Johnny Depp (46) and Sean Penn (49) are too old to get that distinction.

By the way, Robert Downey Jr. is not related to Morton Downey Jr., the deceased talk-show host.