Birthday Special: Fantastic actors born in February whose movies you just can’t afford to miss

It’s time to welcome February, the month of love, with some of cinema’s most loved movies starring actors that were born this month. We have grown to adore and admire these powerhouses of talent and their movies—rom-coms, thrillers, and all of it. Let’s celebrate the spectacular six—Tom Hiddleston, Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta, Millie Bobby Brown, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Drew Barrymore and their movies we’ve forever cherished. 

Tom Hiddleston - Feb 9

Thor - 2011

We can’t not talk about Hiddleston and not talk about the movie that’s made him one of the most recognisable villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (a bad guy who we actually love). His sharp face never gave away what he was thinking. If there was one thing you knew for certain about the character, it was the fact that he was always going to be a trouble. That said, one of the major reasons why we love him is that he was never just a villain. Despite finding himself forever in his brother’s shadow and his anger leading him to make bad decisions, you simply knew you had to forgive him. The god of mischief and trickery got his own Disney+Hotstar show Loki.

Only Lovers Left Alive - 2013

Hiddleston is more than just Loki. And among the many characters that he played, we will never forget Adam, a vampire in Jim Jarmusch’s dramedy vampire flick. The movie follows vampire soulmates Adam (Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) as they reunite after some time apart. He’s tragic at one point and hilarious the other, making you believe that here are two people who are made for each other. It’s a performance that I absolutely love because there are so many layers to his character, and he plays the role brilliantly. 

Jennifer Aniston - February 11

The Good Girl - 2002

Aniston is much more than that sweet, girl we loved as Rachel in Friends. If you’re wondering which of her performances in films do we love the most, it’s this dark comedy where she portrays Justine Last. Aniston plays a depressed Texas woman, who is unsatisfied with her life. She works at a discount retail store and lives with her husband, Phil. As the story progresses, we see her falling for her young co-worker, Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), and has an affair with him. Thanks to Aniston, who perfected a wide range of emotions in this movie, you get to see a movie that’s as hilarious as it is sweet. 

Cake – 2014

Cake is by far the most acclaimed role of Aniston’s career, with the actor earning a nomination at that year’s Golden Globe and SAG Awards. In this power-packed performance that hit the spot, Aniston plays Clarie, a woman who is suffering from chronic pain. Her character showcases a wide range of emotions while she deals with her son’s death in an accident that she survived and the suicide of a woman from her chronic pain support group (Nina, played by Anna Kendrick). Aniston plays the role with utmost sincerity, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else play Clarie. 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - February 17

Snowden - 2016

Playing the central character in a biopic is never easy. But Gordon-Levitt is excellent as the whistleblower who sought asylum in Russia. You will marvel at the range of the actor as he portrays several stages of Snowden’s life over the course of the movie—from the time Snowden spent in the army, to his stint at the CIA followed by the NSA. It’s a performance that’s mature and one that will leave you in awe.

500 Days of Summer – 2009

This is a performance that sees Gordon-Levitt shine and stand out. He plays Tom Hansen, a greeting card writer and hopeless romantic, who meets Zooey Deschanel's character, Summer Finn, at work. It’s a movie where Tom, who projects rather than listens and is either in a state of bliss or depression, shows the audience know who they shouldn’t be like. Despite that, it’s his character, an innocent heartbroken guy, who we won’t stop rooting for. 

John Travolta - February 18

Saturday Night Live – 1977

Over a career spanning five decades, Travolta has given cinephiles like me a host of iconic performances. But if I have to talk about just two, I’d have to go first with Saturday Night Live. The actor brings the house down dancing to the tunes of The Bee Gees as Tony Manero, a hardware store worker who finds his true passion in disco music. Performing with utmost zest, gusto and depth, Travolta shows audiences that he has the moves as well as the flair. 

Pulp Fiction – 1994

Here is a performance that changed Travolta’s life and career. He plays the heroine-addicted hitman Vincent Vega, and makes a commanding presence on screen that will keep you gripped, scene after scene. The one scene that especially stands out is at the diner with Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace where they speak about $5 milkshakes. The performance launched him back into pop-culture—he was everywhere, from comedy sketches and pop art, to countless memes alongside his on-screen partner Jules, played by Samuel L Jackson. 

Drew Barrymore - Feb 22

Never Been Kissed – 1999

It is one of the perfect Drew Barrymore movies that will tickle your funny bone from start till the end. The actor plays Josie Geller, a 22-year-old copy editor for the Chicago Sun-Times who has never been kissed. Feeling like she’s missed out on some of life’s greatest experiences, her brother Rob (David Arquette) and his best friend, Chris (Leelee Sobieski), decide to help her gain the experience of being “cool”. She goes undercover in a local high school and reports back on her findings. As she battles through being a geek and facing mean girls who dominate her in school, she finds her first love in an English teacher who won’t date her. 

50 First Dates (2004)

If you’re looking for a rom-com that’s touching and funny, you won’t find many better than this film that made each one of us fall in love with the adorable chemistry between Barrymore and Adam Sandler. Drew Barrymore plays Lucy, a young woman with short-term memory loss caused by an accident. Every day is her first day when she wakes up until she meets Henry (Adam Sandler), who falls for her despite the obstacles posed by her condition. Watching him woo her every single day, as if it were the first time she was meeting him will certainly make you feel all warm and fuzzy.