I’ve seen him on the new Twilight Zone, Battlefield Earth and (IIRC) in Species, and in none of these was he particularly impressive. In point of fact he seems pretty much like an everyday schlub. Is there some masterwork of his that I need to see that could show me what a masterful actor he is?
Two words:
Ghost Dog
Well, there was Bird…no, wait, he was pretty awful in that. Ummmm…The Crying Game? No, he sucked in that.
That pretty much covers my experience with his oeuvre. Goes without saying that I don’t rush right out for tickets when he opens in a new flick.
He’s appealing because he’s an ordinary shlub. There should be more movies without Mel Gibson or Josh Hartnett in them.
Maybe it’s that funny-looking eye. Turns him from an ordinary schlub into a schlub with a face that you just want to keep staring at.
I second this.
If you haven’t seen Ghost Dog, go see it. Now.
Ghost Dog is great. And I liked him in Bird. Ditto The Panic Room. I agree that it really is easy to identify with his ordinary schlub persona.
Also, he’s smart and it shows through in his characters. Check out his bit part in The Color of Money where he steals the scene (and the money) right out from under Paul Newman. Best scene in the whole movie, AFAIC.
The guy has range, with another nod to Ghost Dog. He’s great in A Rage in Harlem, The Panic Room.
Hmm…He was great in Good Morning Vietnam…He’s directed as well. Some girly movie. He’ll be around for a long time.
After Ghost Dog, the man can coast for years if he wants to.
I thought he was great in The Crying Game. He’s a good actor - I mean, what do you want him to do differently?
I haven’t seen Ghost Dog, but he was amazing in The Crying Game, and he was the only redeeming feature of the otherwise appallingly bad Phenomenon.
He has photos of various Hollywood executives in compromising positions with aroused dobermans.
He fulfills the dep-seated need in the American public for unnattractive middle-aged men in leading film roles.
Hey, I’m not going to star him a huge spectacle picture, but I thought he was great in Panic Room and Phone Booth. He did a good job with the character types of “antagonist, but not really” and “stay cool while stuff around you is going to shit”.
And the eye thing–seriously, what is that? I noticed it a lot on Stu Scott during “I Love the 80s”. He should get that checked out, it led to major surgery for me.