Bill Murray
Audiences and informed movie critics have adored Bill Murray in movies, even in bad movies, for going on three decades now. His cinematic persona is so real and yet so decidedly inscrutable that in every performance, one wonders just what Bill Murray is really thinking. And though he might play a supposed "loser" in a movie like "Stripes," you still get the feeling that he's a good deal smarter than most people, and he's just cynical enough to know being a "winner" doesn't mean much. This all adds to Murray's mystery, something that's intriguing, magnetic and disarmingly attractive -- all requirements for a legendary leading man. So why did it take so long? His first stab at being taken seriously as a dramatic actor came with 1984's "The Razor's Edge" -- an adaptation of the famous W. Somerset Maugham novel that had previously starred Tyrone Power in the lead role. No one bought it (unfairly so), and the gamble kept him away from truly exploring his more serious self. So when Wes Anderson cast Murray as the melancholic, bitter -- though, in the end, life-affirming -- Herman Blume in "Rushmore," a collective "it's about time" was issued by Murray fans everywhere. After that brilliantly touching performance, Murray was seen as the object of Scarlett Johansson's affection in "Lost in Translation," in which you never once doubt why she would be attracted to him; and soon after, in Jim Jarmusch's "Broken Flowers," in which you never once doubt why all the women were attracted to him. He's, in a word, poetic. That's a fact ... Jack.

Vince Vaughn
Some of you probably think tall-glass-of-water Vaughn isn't so unexpected, but stay with me on this one. Though he's certainly a good-looking guy and made an unforgettable splash as the ultimate Lothario Trent in "Swingers," the motor-mouthed, quick-witted comedic talent is often, well, just plain weird. But don't misunderstand; he's refreshingly, scene-stealing-ly, Hollywood-finally-took-notice-after-far-too-long, weird. He's always been a hard one to pin down since he's not simply a character actor, comedian or leading man, which has made for some curious casting decisions throughout his career. After "Swingers," and before Hollywood truly understood his value in the comic genius department, there was his turn as Norman Bates in the much-hated "Psycho" (something I've always defended but won't go into here); his dead freaking serious performance in the Malaysian prison movie "Return to Paradise"; and then, his crazy, murderous stepdad role in "Domestic Disturbance" -- all great performances because they were, again, weird. If you gander at Vaughn, he's a weird-looking fellow, too -- tall (6'5"), with slightly buggy eyes and just enough unconcealed contempt to give him that edge. Vaughn is never comfortably cuddly -- you always sense something amiss in there. "The Break-Up," his supremely underrated romantic comedy (or rather, un-romantic comedy) with Jennifer Aniston, beautifully showcases all of Vaughn's idiosyncratic strengths, which is probably why critics and audiences found it so off-putting. Vaughn (who also co-wrote the movie) made you think a bit beyond his humor and into the squirm-inducing pain of a doomed relationship. And that often feels, yep, weird.

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