Those reader polls tend to not address classic films or vetarn actors IMHO...a recent poll on greatest foreign films at a local theatre was a revelation: the top choice was Run Lola Run which came out the year of the poll! Others in the top 20 were films that were made and that people had obviously seen *recently*, and many greats from Italy, Germany, France etc. from the last twent years, even, were in ridiculously low positions...

anyway my favorite actors:

(in no way an exhaustive list; trying to focus on Brits though in keeping with the thread)

Ian Holm
Helen Mirren!!!
Ewan MacGregor
Clive Owen
Jane Horrocks
Daniel Day-Lewis
Judi Dench
Meryl Streep
Raul Julia (the two of them did an amazing Taming of the Shrew!)
Jeremy Northam
Hugo Weaving
Johnny Depp
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Colin Firth
Nicole Kidman
Jeremy Irons
Julianne Moore
Toni Collette
Kerry Fox
Mark Rylance!!!!!
Denzel Washington (amazing in Training Day)
Martin Sheen
Sissy Spacek
Cloris Leachman
Rowan Atkinson (comedy!)
Dianne Wiest
Maggie Smith
Kevin McKidd
Jennifer Ehle
Simon Callow
Harriet Walter
Tom Hollander!!!
Helena Bonham-Carter