The 2000s marked a significant departure from the 90s cinematic landscape. Franchises and major tentpoles became the order of the day, the musical made a successful return, and the modern blockbuster consolidated, taking over the box office and leaving no survivors.
A few actors became synonymous with the decade thanks to their many starring roles in some of the biggest money-makers. Some were veterans still going strong, others were newcomers who achieved massive success, but all of them defined the 2000s, carving a spot among some of cinema's best and brightest.
Orlando Bloom
With Legolas and Will Turner, The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, cemented him as a global superstar and one of the most iconic actors of the new millennium.
Bloom diversified his resumé working with prestigious directors, including Cameron Crowe in Elizabethtown and Ridley Scott in Kingdom of Heaven. His career waned after the release of the third Pirates movie in 2007, and while he's still a household name, he no longer commands the same attention he did in the first half of the 2000s.
Daniel Radcliffe
And speaking of franchises that defined the new millennium and the actors that starred in them, Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliffe are now synonymous with 21st-century cinema. The young actor grew before the audience's eyes, spending the entire decade as the protagonist of the magical saga.
Radcliffe did few movies outside the Potter franchise, but he didn't really need to. The series cemented his legacy, turning him into the ultimate role model for every pre-teen who grew alongside him since 2001 when Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone premiered. Since Potter ended, Radcliffe has taken on increasingly daring and challenging roles, but audiences will always him as the Boy Who Lived.
Heath Ledger
With 1999's Brokeback Mountain, for which he earned his first Oscar nomination.
However, Ledger's greatest success would come in 2008, playing the Joker in Christopher Nolan's masterpiece, initially skeptical at his casting, fans ended up loving Ledger's take on the iconic villain. Following his tragic ing in early 2008, the performance earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best ing Actor.
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman became an instant sensation by playing Wolverine, one of the most iconic Marvel characters ever. Fox's X-Men franchise arguably marks the beginning of the superhero frenzy that permeates to this day, and Jackman's hardened performance was at its center.
Besides his tenure as Wolverine, which went well into the mid-2010s, Jackman branched out of the superhero genre. He worked with some of the best directors around, including Darren Aronofsky in The Fountain, Christopher Nolan in The Prestige, and Baz Luhrmann in Australia.
Will Smith
Already The Pursuit of Happiness.
Smith kept his reputation as an action star and major box office draw thanks to the sequels to two of his greatest 90s hits, Men in Black II and Bad Boys 2. He also starred in several other commercial successes, including Hancock.
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson achieved major acclaim in the 90s thanks to his roles in Jackie Brown. However, the 2000s turned him into a true pop culture icon, holding a privileged place in the audience's consciousness.
Films like Shaft, the Star Wars prequels, and XXX franchise established him as an unexpected king of camp. In 2008, he began playing Nick Fury in the then-blossoming Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Brad Pitt
The 2000s saw Brad Pitt becoming a "serious" actor. The actor had several major successes under his belt, including Burn After Reading.
Pitt earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Following his starring role in the highest-grossing film at the time, Leonardo DiCaprio had every door in Hollywood wide open. DiCaprio's career in the 2000s is full of acclaimed movies helmed by prestigious directors, many of which were also considerable box office successes.
DiCaprio received two Oscar nominations during the decade for his roles in 2004's Revolutionary Road consolidated him as one of the most acclaimed actors of the 21st century.
George Clooney
After becoming the ultimate television heartthrob during the 90s, thanks to the hit drama series Batman & Robin nearly derailed his blossoming movie career, but the 2000s welcomed him with open arms.
Clooney acted in two Coen Brother films, O Brother, Where Art Though? and Intolerable Cruelty, in 2001 and 2003. Major critical acclaim followed in 2005, thanks to his directorial efforts in Good Night, and Good Luck and acting in Syriana. He won the Oscar for Best ing Actor for the latter and earned two additional nominations for 2007's Michael Clayton and 2009's Up in the Air.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp rose to prominence in the late 80s and became a bonafide A-lister in the 90s. He gained a reputation as a daring and experimental actor thanks mainly to his quirky collaborations with Tim Burton, including Ed Wood. However, Depp's career peaked in the 2000s, both critically and commercially.
Starting in 2003, the actor played Public Enemies, but it was Jack Sparrow that cemented his place as the undeniable king of the 2000s.
