Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a four-part series in which a Pucks and Rec writer will select the top contemporary entertainment citizen of every city in a select NHL division. The eight markets comprising the NHL Metropolitan Division are this week’s focus. All filmography and award information is courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.
Carolina (Raleigh): Michael C. Hall
The 46-year-old Raleigh-born Hall has one major contemporary role, namely the title part in the TV series Dexter. This won him a Golden Globe and accounts for nearly all of his other 13 award wins and 56 nominations.
These nominations happened for the same role nearly every year he played it, getting on the Golden Globe ballot for five consecutive years (2007-2011), winning the award for best dramatic TV actor in 2010. He was also a five-time nominee for the equivalent at the Emmys for the same role, adding to a prior nomination from his time on Six Feet Under.
The critically acclaimed series became even more popular when it hit Netflix, and was always hovering on the popular page.
Columbus: Maggie Grace
Grace first made her major breakthrough as an actress on ABC’s hit, Lost. While there, she was a part of the cast that won a few awards for best ensemble.
Buffered on by this success, Grace landed the role of Kim in what would become the trilogy of Taken, and later as Faith on Californication.
New Jersey (Newark): Ray Liotta
Liotta boasts an impressive filmography. Much like Al Pacino, Liotta plays a mobster well, as evidenced in Goodfellas. He also had a major role in the 2001 film, Hannibal. More often then not, Liotta has appeared in movies where he plays a character with very serious mannerisms.
While he does not have a long list of awards like a few of the other actors on this list, he has won eight and been nominated for nine others. His three most recent all came in 2005 for his guest spot on ER.
NY Islanders (Brooklyn): Anne Hathaway
Hathaway’s first major success was in the Princess Diaries series. And if rumblings coming out this week of a potential Princess Diaries 3 come to fruition, she would surely continue her role.
Her biggest success so far, however, was as Fantine, in the 2012 musical, Les Miserables. Her performance won her an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best supporting actress. This added onto an already full trophy cabinet with 63 other awards and 102 nominations.
Jeff Goldblum (second from left) and Will Smith (fourth from left), co-stars in Independence Day, hail from opposing sides of Pennsylvania’s NHL Metropolitan Division rivalry. (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)
NY Rangers (Manhattan): Al Pacino
Pacino was one of the key actors in the Academy Award Best Picture-winning film, The Godfather. He would prove to play the role of a mobster well, becoming Tony Montana in the major motion picture, Scarface. He would later win an Oscar for Best Actor in Scent of a Woman.
Over his five-decade career, Pacino has amassed 44 award victories, along with 68 nominations. And he was recently in the news again, as HBO has resumed its plans for him to portray Joe Paterno in the controversial upcoming film, Happy Valley.
Philadelphia: Will Smith
Almost every movie or TV show Smith has appeared on has become a major success. First establishing himself as an actor on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Smith has had almost nothing but hit movies since then. The short list of the most notable: Independence Day, Men in Black, I am Legend, I Robot and Suicide Squad.
Before acting, Smith was more commonly known as The Fresh Prince, who was a rapper. Smith is one of the few celebrities who have won major awards as both an actor and a musician. He has been nominated for two Oscars, and has also won four Grammy Awards.
Pittsburgh: Jeff Goldblum
Goldblum is probably best known for his roles in the Jurassic Park movies, and with the aforementioned Smith in Independence Day. But he has had a prolific acting life in the 21st century as well, with or without the recent follow-ups on his ’90s hits.
Goldblum has been credited as an actor 117 times in his 43 year career. During that time, he has logged one Oscar nomination for his role in Little Surprises to go along with nine award wins and 25 nominations.
Washington: Samuel L. Jackson
Jackson has one of the most prolific careers in Hollywood, appearing in 175 roles. Perhaps his most well known role was that of Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, which some movie critics consider to be among the best films ever made.
For his role in Pulp Fiction, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. This is the mainstream highlight in a trophy case that boasts 35 total wins and 82 nominations.
Recently, Jackson has made a comeback to the national stage via Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, which last year earned him a slew of nominations to go with his 2016 BET lifetime achievement prize.
Leave a Reply