Did you know that The Prisoner's Number Six isn't just a number? He actually has a name, and that name is Jim Caviezel. Not only that, he's one of the strongest actors of his generation, consistently crossing genres and breaking taboos, delivering deep, haunting performances in some of the best movies of the past twenty years. So let's give thanks that Caviezel continues to create such great movies by taking a look back through the best of his work.

1. The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008)
Caviezel is no stranger to controversy, as shown by this true-to-life drama, which deals with the duality of sexual politics in Iran. Playing French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, Caveziel anchors the harrowing tale of Soraya M., who was stoned to death after being falsely accused of adultery so that her husband could marry a 14-year-old girl. The movie was virtually ignored by American audiences, and banned in Iran, but it's riveting stuff for anyone who cares about human rights. (That's you, right?)

2. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Did we mention something about Caviezel and controversy? Mel Gibson's blockbuster torture-porn passion play cast Caviezel as the latest in a long line of cinematic Jesuses, and nearly doomed his career. Which is surprising when you think of the global gross of the movie, but not when you think of Caviezel's amazing performance: He so inhabited Jesus, its almost hard to see him as anyone else!

3. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Caviezel has starred in movies that have action, but none so purely action-based -- or so purely fun -- as The Count of Monte Cristo. In Alexandre Dumas' classic swashbuckler, Caviezel plays the vengeful Edmund Dantes, who is masquerading as the titular count in order to enact his vengeance. Fun, fast, and in the best swashbuckling tradition, this movie is a nice palate cleanser after some of Caviezel's more serious work.

4. Frequency (2000)
Any man who says they didn't cry and then immediately call their dad after watching this movie is lying. Caviezel stars as a homicide detective who manages to talk to his murdered fireman father (Dennis Quaid) through the magic of a time-traveling radio signal. It'd be easy to write volumes about how touching this scifi fantasy is, how it's the perfect guy movie, and how Caviezel and Quaid turn in pitch perfect performances... You'll just have to see for yourself.

5. The Thin Red Line (1998)
The movie that rocketed Caviezel to fame, Terrence Malick's long-in-development project was edited and re-edited, until it finally ended up focusing almost entirely on Caviezel's character, U.S. Army Private Witt. Anchoring an all-star ensemble including Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woddy Harrelson, and many more, Caviezel showed he could more than hold his weight against the big boys.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Déjà Vu (2006) - Sometimes it's nice to watch Caviezel have fun, even in a somewhat serious movie like Tony Scott's scifi thriller. Playing a Timothy McVeigh-esque bomber, Caviezel stretches his acting muscles, playing the villain for a change.

2. The Final Cut (2004) - Speaking of which, he also plays the villain in this futuristic Robin Williams scifi drama, playing a man railing against a society where people are secretly observed and recorded 24 hours a day.

3. Highwaymen (2004) - A pulpy, sweaty action thriller in the vein of Steven Spielberg's Duel, Caviezel brings a gritty reality to the role of a man avenging the murder of his wife perpetrated by an El Dorado-driving serial killer.

4. I Am David (2003) - Caviezel, as usual, presents a grounded, sad performance as a prisoner in a Stalinist concentration camp. Not for the faint of heart.

5. My Own Private Idaho (1991) - Sure, he's in a blink-and-you-miss-it role as an airline clerk, but Gus Van Sant's movie is good enough to watch anyway. And as a bonus, you get to check out Caviezel's first role on film.