Some movies are dominated by a particular actor - they might be in nearly every scene, even. Some movies have large, sprawling casts where each performer gets a bunch of small scenes to shine. And in some movies, like the ten I'm highlighting here, an actor is only given one scene to make an impression. These ten actors definitely made a lasting impression on me.
1. Alfred Molina in Boogie Nights
Molina's Rahad Jackson is a lot of things - he's a drug dealer and user, an obsessive paranoid, and a HUGE "Sister Christian" fan - but most of all he's memorable. In a film like Boogie Nights, which is over 2.5 hours long and features an enormous cast of talented actors playing wonderful characters, it'd be very easy for a one scene character to get lost in the shuffle. But that doesn't happen here. Not only is Jackson a vibrant, volatile, and interesting character, but Molina portrays him with the perfect mix of sleaze, comedy, and terrifying intensity. For about ten minutes of screen time, Molina holds our attention, going from fun loving and joking to outbursts of insane violence. He was the catalyst for me wanting to do this list in the first place and my clear #1 choice. Boogie Nights is one of my favorite films and has some of my favorite character actors - pretty much the whole cast, except for Mark Wahlberg, is marvelous - but Molina's scene as Jackson is usually the first thing I think of when I think of Boogie Nights. And that's quite an achievement.
2. Donald Sutherland in JFK
During last year's series of lists, Sutherland and JFK appeared in three entries - My Favorite Movie Speeches, My Favorites of the Decade - the 1990's, and My Favorite Movie Casts - and Sutherland, his performance, and his character of Mr. X are big reasons why. The character delivers pretty much one long monologue and provides a lot of important information about the Kennedy assassination and it's subsequent cover up. Mr. X's facts - or personal beliefs, depending on your point of view - come at a feverish pace, only outdone by Oliver Stone's frantic editing. Sutherland has had a 50 plus year career, but his brief performance here has got to be among his best. He imparts such a level of dignity, class, and heightened obsession in such a small amount of time.
3. Mickey Rourke in The Pledge
The Pledge is a fantastic, depressing, and complex film filled with great supporting performances who all compliment Jack Nicholson's sterling turn as Jerry Black, a retired cop searching for an elusive child murderer. With such an impressive cast, it'd be easy to get overlooked, but Mickey Rourke - years before his "revival" thanks to The Wrestler - manages to stand out, going toe to toe with Nicholson in one heartbreaking and mesmerizing scene. Rourke plays Jim, a father who's daughter was murdered and Black questions him, thinking the cases may be related. Jim blames himself for what happened and is a shell of his former self. While attempting to answer Black's questions, Jim breaks down sobbing. Rourke doesn't overplay the emotion, but just lets it flow naturally. The performance resembles documentary footage of real grieving parents. You forget you're watching a Hollywood star and get lost in his anguish. The Pledge is full of dark, tense moments and gut-wrenching emotion, but few are as impacting as Rourke's few minutes on screen.
4. Bill Murray in Zombieland
Bill Murray is, in my opinion, a national treasure. He's a joy to watch in just about anything - with one notable exception being the 2016 Ghostbusters remake - but he's especially fun in Zombieland, where he plays himself as a man coping exceptionally well with the recent zombie outbreak. He's charming, funny, and lovable and is the highlight of a pretty damn funny movie. One of my all-time favorite movie moments is when Woody Harrelson's character asks a dying Murray if he has any regrets. "No," replies Murray with his trademark deadpan delivery, "well, maybe Garfield". It's the type of scene and character that elevates a movie from really good to fantastically memorable.
5. Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction
Christopher Walken is one of the most unique and captivating actors working today. Even in bad movies with poor material, he's infinitely watchable. So what happens when you put him in one of the best movies of all-time with Quentin Tarantino's remarkable material? You get a scene that is - at different times - powerful, funny, and bewildering. Walken plays Captain Koons, who arrives unannounced and unexpected to the childhood home of Butch (later played by Bruce Willis) to give him Butch's birthright - a gold watch that had been passed down through the generations. For four minutes, Koons monologues on the history of the watch, how important it was to Butch's father, and how it had to be hidden to keep it from the Viet Cong. There's just something magical about hearing Walken say "ass" several times in such a short time frame. Pulp Fiction has too many great moments to definitely proclaim any one scene as the greatest, but I'm sure this scene would be high on a lot of people's lists.
6. Viola Davis in Doubt
Imagine being a parent who's so scared for their son's welfare that - upon learning that he may be being sexually assaulted by the local priest - your initial reaction is gratitude? Gratitude that at least someone besides you seems to care for the boy, even if it's in a highly inappropriate fashion. That's the circumstance that Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis) finds herself in when confronted by Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) about the possibility of abuse. Mrs. Davis's 12 year old son (who is seemingly gay, though it's never outright said) transferred to the Catholic school because the kids at the public school were going to kill him. His father hates him and will kill him if his sexuality is confirmed. All Mrs. Davis wants is for her son to get through the end of the school year and then move onto high school and (hopefully) college, taking him away from all the trouble. Davis is heartbreaking in the scene and goes toe-to-toe with Streep. She starts reserved and quiet, but quickly builds to a fierce performance that is literally awe inspiring. Davis captures a parent's unconditional love and desire to see them through whatever challenges come to face them. It's hard to imagine being in her place, but Davis manages to put you right there.
7. Ned Beatty in Network
In a film filled with shouting, cursing, and explosive speeches, you'd think a character with only one scene would get lost in the shuffle. But that's not the case. Ned Beatty has always been a reliable actor, but I wouldn't consider him great by any stretch. In Network, though, he's phenomenal. Beatty plays Arthur Jensen, a bigwig from the network headquarters, who appears in one scene to try and reign in the unhinged Howard Beale (Peter Finch) and get him back in the corporate way of thinking. Jensen is a supremely confident and verbose person who quickly puts Beale in his place with his booming voice and verbal threats. Each time I watch Network, I like it a little bit more and I always look forward to Beatty's performance, for which he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. He didn't win that year, but definitely deserved all the recognition he got.
8. Gene Jones in No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men has an impressive cast filled with Oscar winners, huge stars, and cherished character actors, so it's easy to skip right past Gene Jones's name in the credits. But once you've seen the movie and Jones's lone scene, it's unlikely you'll ever forget him. Jones plays the gas station clerk who is antagonized by the menacing Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Chigurh keeps pestering the clerk about a coin flip and slowly the clerk realizes what terrible danger he's in. Jones plays the part perfectly, capturing the easy-go-lucky nature of a man who never expected to come in contact with someone of pure evil like Chigurh. His relaxed demeanor slowly fades and gives way to confusion, hesitation, and then fear. While looking up Jones on IMDb, I was just shocked to learn that No Country was his first feature film role. What a way to start!
9. Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross
Alec Baldwin is an actor I always look forward to seeing in things - whether they're dramas or comedies, TV or movies, interviews or hosting - and he rarely disappoints. His work in Glengarry Glen Ross is legendary, and I don't think that's overselling it. Even if you haven't seen the movie (and if you haven't, I strongly recommend you remedy that soon), you probably know his character and the scene in question. Baldwin plays Blake, a "motivator" from the corporate office sent to whip the lowly salesmen into shape, by any means necessary. Blake verbally abuses the men, talking down to them and questioning their abilities not only as salesmen, but as men in general. If someone speaks up to him, Blake doesn't hesitate to put them in their place immediately. It's a fun, intimidating, and powerful performance and it's been parodied dozens of times since it came out, nearly 30 years ago. This isn't the first list of mine where it's appeared, either. Back in 2017, this scene ranked as #9 on My Favorite Movie Speeches list.
10. James Badge Dale in Flight
By the time Flight came out, I had seen James Badge Dale in a couple of different movies (most notably in The Departed), but he had never made an impression like he does in Flight. As an unnamed patient dying from cancer, Dale is a revelation. The scene takes place in a hospital stairwell where he, Denzel Washington, and Kelly Reilly commiserate for about five minutes while clandestinely smoking away from the hospital staff's prying eyes. Dale shaved his head and lost about 20 pounds to play the sickly man, which shows just how dedicated he was to the role. I can't imagine many actors would go to such lengths for such a small role, but the scene is better because of it. Dale's character waxes somewhat philosophically about life and death, all while taking long drags off his cigarette. He's just as comfortable making jokes as he is discussing his fast approaching end. Reilly and Washington are very good in the scene, but it's hard to take your eyes off of Dale. I expected to see him in a lot more after Flight, but his career hasn't gone like I would have guessed. I don't know why he's not getting more, larger roles, but he definitely has the acting chops to justify them.
Well, there's my list! Did I forgot any of your favorites? Do you love or hate any of my choices here? Comment below and thanks for reading!
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