Super British

A while back I was talking with a group of friends and we decided to list off actors we like that were Americans and not British, Australian or Canadian. We didn't get too far.

If you're a fan of BBC shows like Doctor Who, Wallander or Sherlock, then you probably are already following all things super. Superhero movies are pretty cool, and the domination of actors from the UK is also apparent in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre. Here's some examples, some which should have already been apparent to you:

Martin Freeman, the very endearing and relatably fastidious (in the company of his particular flatmate) Dr. Watson from BBC's Sherlock is also, as most everyone knows, Bilbo, the hobbit of The Hobbit. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance in both and look forward to the continuation of both productions.
The Hobbit is more epic fantasy than superhero escapade, but I think there's some sort of similar element to the fantastic style and subject. Certainly Tolkien is the founding father and reigning king of fantasy, and superhero's stories are more a science fantasy than science fiction, a genre well defined by stories like Star Wars. Here's hoping we continue to see more of Mr. Freeman in the years to come beyond his two roles mentioned above.

Benedict Cumberbatch is also a star in Sherlock, his part being the title character. Besides having a such a delicious name, Mr. Cumberbatch also has a good amount of talent in exploring and conveying characters on screen. There is a lot of talk and excitement surrounding his role as a new villain (or maybe an old one?) in JJ Abrams' Star Trek: Into Darkness due out this May.
Star Trek does science fiction well, and I'm really excited to see Mr. Cumberbatch added to the ranks of Trek stars.
Oh, and Mr. Cumberbatch is also appearing (sort of) in the next two installments of The Hobbit as both Smaug the dragon and the mysterious Necromancer.



And as long as we're talking British stars in Star Trek, it should be noted that Simon Pegg also appears in the new movie, reprising his roll as the Enterprise's chief engineer Scotty. He, of course, is the funny man behind movies like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul and the TV show Spaced, all of which he did with his friend Nick Frost. He's a ton of fun to watch in almost anything he does, and I thought he brought a lot to his role in Star Trek. 

Tom Hiddleston (right) rocketed into American stardom following his role as the Norse god of mischief 'Loki' both in Thor and Marvel's: The Avengers. I first saw him in the BBC series Wallander, the adaptation of the Swedish detective novels. He did a very good job playing a supporting role to Kenneth Branagh (left) in the title role. Incidentally, Mr. Branagh was Mr. Hiddleston's director in Thor. 
Out this November is Thor's sequel is set to be released, and much excitement followed the preliminary UK trailer that was released earlier this week.

And finally, we have Christopher Eccleston. Whovians should be thrilled to learn that he's going to play opposite Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth in the new Thor movie as the villain 'Malekith the Accursed.' The trailer looks promising, and I think he should add something intriguing as a Marvel villain.

So there you go, there's some UK stars you'll be seeing in American cinema for probably a while. I should probably also say that both the current Spider-Man and Superman are from the UK as well: Henry Cavill and Andrew Garfield both get to wear spandex in future films.