When approached to compile a list of my "favorite" actors, I was in a quandary as to what criteria to use to distinguish 10 such individuals from a rich history of theatrical, film and television performances. I finally decided that I am most impressed with those actors who not only consistently deliver exemplary performances but who also have a dedication to the craft of acting as a whole. The following (in no particular order) are individuals (currently living and working actors) whom I believe have notably contributed to the field.

1. As an actress, Holly Hunter has exhibited significant range and versatility. Her stage work has included regular appearances in works by playwright Beth Henley. On screen, she has appeared in films ranging from the romantic comedy Always to the quirky Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona to the more somber The Piano. Turning her distinctive Southern drawl into an asset rather than a liability, Hunter has shown her staying power as an actress who excels in creating compelling characters who run the gamut from the introspective to the outrageous.

2. Alan Rickman, while a regular performer on the London stage, is better known to American audiences for his film roles, which have ranged from the chillingly brutal criminal in Die Hard to the slick campaign manager in Bob Roberts. Rickman is a master of understatement who can achieve devastating effects with the simplest gestures. As the romantic lead in Truly, Madly, Deeply, Rickman defies stereotypical standards of attractiveness for a leading role.

3. Robert Redford, whose career became closely associated with Paul Newman's thanks to films such as The Sting and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, has since become more familiar as a film director, with such credits as A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer. Redford founded and runs the Sundance Institute in Utah, which offers aspiring playwrights and film directors opportunities to develop and showcase their work.

4. Sam Shepard is most familiar to American audiences as an actor. Probably best known as Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff, Shepard also has appeared in Steel Magnolias, Baby Boom, Country, Thunderheart and other films -- some good, some not so good. Though his film work has been extensive, it is as a playwright that Shepard has made his most important contributions. Buried Child, for which Shepard won a Pulitzer in 1979, recently was butchered and restaged at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. Other significant works include Curse of the Starving Class, True West and Fool For Love, which was made into a film by Robert Altman.

5. Kenneth Branagh has become such a commanding presence on the London stage that some have suggested that he may emerge as the next Laurence Olivier. Branagh is especially well known for his work with Shakespearean plays, both on stage and screen. He directed and starred in film versions of Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing and most recently Hamlet. Other films have included Peter's Friends and Dead Again.

6. Steve Martin, who started his career in the late '70s as an off-the-wall stand-up comedian, since has proved himself to be a remarkably multi-talented artist. In All of Me, Martin displayed an exuberant, though highly controlled, physicality. He has shown himself equally adept in more subdued roles, for instance in Parenthood and L.A. Story (which he also wrote). His stage work has included a well-received performance in Waiting for Godot with Robin Williams at Lincoln Center, and his first full-length work as a playwright, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, has received numerous productions.

7. Jane Alexander's place on this list is not only due to her magnificent career as an actress in productions such as The Great White Hope with James Earl Jones, First Monday in October, The Visit and The Sisters Rosensweig (a career that has earned her four Academy Award nominations, five Emmy nominations and a Tony award) but for her amazing contributions to the world of arts advocacy. As the (now retired) chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, she battled with congressional leaders to preserve federal funding and prevent the elimination of this incredibly important agency.

8. The work of Sidney Poitier certainly exceeds the criteria for that of an outstanding actor. From his work on Broadway originating the character of Walter Lee in Lorraine Hansberry's seminal work A Raisin in the Sun, Poitier has enjoyed a long career spanning more than 50 years in a variety of media. He won the Academy Award for his performance in Lilies of the Field, and some of his most notable film performances include To Sir With Love, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and Blackboard Jungle. As one of the first African-American actors to become a leading man whose popularity crossed all color lines, his significance in our cultural attitudes as reflected on the stage and screen is inestimable.

9. Kevin Kline once was quoted as saying, "I want to do it all," and as an actor he has certainly explored a panoply of professional roles. This St. Louis native not only received classical training at the Julliard School, he also was a founding member of the Acting Company and, as an actor and producer, has worked extensively with the New York Shakespeare Festival. Frank Rich (critic for the New York Times) said that Kevin Kline has "all the ingredients for conventional leading man stardom -- big voice, dashing good looks, infinite charm and ... the grace and timing of a silent movie clown." This certainly has been witnessed in such standout film performances as Sophie's Choice, The Big Chill and A Fish Called Wanda, all of which differ in both style and content, exhibiting his enormous talent as an actor.

10. Susan Sarandon, another veteran of the theater, is an actress who has enjoyed a highly successful career in films, gaining instant acclaim in Louis Malle's Atlantic City (written by award-winning playwright John Guare). In the two decades since, Sarandon has been sought after by producers as she has moved from youth to middle age. Many of her roles continually have become film icons of the last 20 years, including Annie in Bull Durham, Louise in Thelma and Louise, Sr. Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking and, of course, Janet in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Christina Markham is an assistant professor of fine and performing arts. She has a background in acting, directing and dancing.

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