Diane Lane - Sexiest Film Star of Modern Era

My Favorite Current Actress

If you have looked at my previous Hubs you know that I am old school. I love Irene Dunne, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Ida Lupino, Ann Sheridan and Joan Leslie among others. But in this century give me Diane Lane.

Diane isn't just a terrific actress. She is also a beautiful and very sexy woman that transcends her age. Yes, she is 47 at this writing, but please do not transform her just yet into those older woman roles. Okay, she did one recently in Secretariat and was brilliant in the role, but believe me this gal has plenty of sexy roles left in her and still has the looks and figure to fullfil those parts.

Diane Lane has been around a very long time. Her first film was A Little Romance in 1979 and won her Best Juvenile Actress in a Motion Picture, but she made her stage debut at the age of six. Born to acting coach dad and singer-Playboy Centerfold mom, Colleen Farrington in 1965, Diane learned the arts at an early age.

I was not aware of Diane until the movie Cotton Club with Richard Gere in 1984. At the time, I thought, "a very cute girl and nothing more". Her big breakthrough was in the tv series Lonesome Dove in 1989 where she received an Emmy nomination.

Diane made a lot of movies, some of which I saw and found her really sexy and remembered her only for that part of her persona. It wasn't until she made Unfaithful in 2002 with Richard Gere that I really noticed what a terrific actress she was. Wow! Those facial expressions are beyond brilliant! Remember on the bus ride home after leaving the young man's apartment fresh from their first affair? She told me more with her eyes and movement of the mouth and even her peculiar little twists of the head than anything other actresses are capable of showing today. That one scene in my opinion gave her the Oscar nomination.

She played a mature housewife that had a moment of weakness. She showed her vulnerabilities and her strengths. She showed her sensitivity and her passion. And at 37 years young she displayed a sexuality that I have never witnessed before. It was sweet and sexy rather than just sexy as was Kathleen Turner's performance in Body Heat in 1981 which I watch over and over again, but never get the same reaction to it as I do Unfaithful. I love this woman's passion for her craft and her total expressive ability to bring you into the moment alongside her. There is no other today like her and very few ever!

She followed that performance with a totally different one in Under the Tuscan Sun in 2003 in which she showed us a more tender and soft side along with her need for love and sustenance in her life. For this role, she earned her second Golden Globe nomination.

There were several films to follow which I enjoyed such as Untraceable, Nights in Rodanthe and her great performance in Secretariat which should have earned her another Oscar nomination for her out of character performance.

Still, I am waiting for another sensuous role. If you are watching, Diane....you are still youthful enough for this viewer to take on another sexy role. I never tire of your brilliance and looks that separate you from others.