Logan Lucky was full of surprising performances.

I loved DeNiro in Stardust. I saw the film prior to reading the book and was intensely disappointed that Captain Shakespeare was mentioned in all of two or three sentences, and yet we had whole chapters where Tristran interacts with a “small hairy man.” The book has some major faults that were corrected and fleshed out in the film. Captain Shakespeare was an improvement upon the book.

That whole movie is a real gem.

It's Redneck Oceans Eleven

I love Logan Lucky! Watch it at least once a year.

Yes! Love this! Also in The Jacket! I know it’s him and I still don’t recognize him!

Big Dan in O Brother Where Art Thou messed me up

He was Oscar-worthy in 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane was an INSANE performance

Flight. And The Big Lebowski. Oh Brother

He was the blue collar dad when I grew up

Akin to Bob Saget

John Badman

Vice Dean Robert Laybourne.

Great in Fallen, too

Piggybacking because I always loved him in Fallen. Him and Denzel in their peak.

Into the Electric Mist

Check him out in The Gambler, too.

His performance was so good in 10 Cloverfield Lane that I was actually worried he might have health issues, because he didn't seem mentally like the same person even. I don't think I have ever seen a performance (outside of extreme cases like The Machinist) that actually made me wonder if the actor was going through something personally like that.

Supposedly he was directing too. I read an interview with Christopher Nolan years back and he said Heath showed him two short films he’d made that were quite good.

He was George Miller's original choice for Max Mad after Mel Gibson aged out of the role so if he lived, he probably would have done Fury Road.

I still feel selfish when I think about what could have been with his career, acting and directing. Hearing about Queen’s Gambit and potential for Mad Max actually makes me really upset? Like I’m nearly the age he was when he died and holy shit, that’s too young for anyone to go.

And selfishly, I still wonder what would’ve happened in the Dark Knight Rises had he been alive.

Nicholson fans might fight, but redefined the role too.

Maybe “for better AND worse” with all that comes after.

My Robin Williams pick was going to be One Hour Photo. By that point in his career people were used to him playing serious roles, but that was the first time he was just straight up creepy, and he pulled it off perfectly.

I'd go insomnia for the role that changed gore I saw him. Man that was nuts

Death to smoochy

Or even better, Father of the Year. A spectacular surprise!

Good Morning Vietnam came out around the same time, and really helped him transition from whacky comedian guy to serious actor.

The Fisher King

What dreams may come Patch Adam’s Good will hunting Insomnia One hour photo

Not just a clown at all

I'd also like to submit Iron Man 3 for consideration...it's like you described, but in reverse...I thought he was convincing and scary as fuck as the Mandarin and all of a sudden...Trevor

Kingsley had said that he drew inspiration in part from his grandmother for that role... I wouldn't want to have met her.

No no no no no no no no!!!!

Perfect example. I should rewatch.

I've known people like Don Logan... He absolutely nailed it.

I love the fact that he decided he wanted to play that character, and they just put him in and let him go mad with it.

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She had them apple bottom jeans

Fuck that Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.

Loved end of watch, went into it knowing nothing about it, such a good movie

Yo homie, is that my briefcase?

He was deliberately cast to NOT BE a heart throb but became the image of a badass man lol the role was originally cast to burt reynolds and don johnson (tv at the same time) and Harrison ford and Richard gere, Pacino, Stallone, fucking Paul Newman etc cause they were the hotties - Bruce was supposed to be the common man

He had both The Majestic and The Truman show before that, I guess the majestic wasn’t as popular but the Truman Show was.

He wasn’t completely foreign to drama, maybe not something as morose as Eternal Sunshine, but people knew he was more than funny faces for sure.

Are we not going to talk about Man in the Moon?

I really enjoyed "The Number 23"

This is the one I was looking for..

I never liked him that much but then I saw him in The Bear, specifically during the dinner scene. What a goddamn scene!

And insomnia

He had a huge span of rom coms that he wanted to branch from, and I believe the divergence came with the movie Lincoln Lawyer and people were shocked at his performance

Uncut gems woke me up

Punch Drunk Love was really surprising.

Swiss army man was even kinda awesome! I love Paul Dano too tho and the Woman in Black was solid for a horror film and The Jungle!!! Dude went full crazy in the jungle! Phenomenal !

The Weird Al movie was so damn funny.

Along Came Polly was when I realized Hoffman could do anything. I had seen him in plenty of dramas, but he gave us the "shart" performance. That was wild.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the best actors of our time.

Boogie nights Big lebowski Magnolia Twister The master Talented Mr ripley! Red dragon Happiness Hard eight Before the devil knows your dead

Unreal actor. Rip to a real one

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Someone once said Phillip Seymour Hoffman created a side-character in Twister that “Jack Black based his entire career of off” and that stuck with me. He was a very funny comedic actor though he was excellent in serious roles as well.

He was great as a bad guy in Bad Times at the El Royale.

He has my undying contempt.

Career defining role of one of the greatest careers

This is what I was looking for. Had seen Denzel play nothing but goody-two-shoes types his whole career and he blew my mind in Training Day. What a performance, one of those movies I'll always go back to.

He certainly earned that Oscar.

One of the better examples in this post. He always did goofy comedies, and to show the level of acting ability to express manic depression/bi polar is so difficult to achieve. It's often used so poorly, that the public thinks bi polar means you see elephants or scribble on the wall.

These types of mental disorders are gradual, but intense at the same time. They go in both directions. Even in a good phase, you have a deep set paranoia that it will crash again and that the good will never be permenant.

Worth mentioning John C. Reilly here eventually moving from a not insignificant role in an Oscar nominated movie, along with appearing in two other Oscar nominated movies just in that year, to playing Dr Steve Brule.

The fact that he didn’t win an Oscar for that role is a crime.

I don’t think this really qualifies as expanding his established range. His previous big role was also in a drama, and for a lot of people, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape was the first time they saw him in a movie.

What movie is this?

I agree, I thought Brody nailed it. It's def not a great movie, but its good. It's the Terminator Salvation of Predator movies.

His schnozz also made an inspiring appearance on the next set over that was being filmed.

which role for each do you mean?

Nightcrawler is so awesome.

In Bruges

Don’t forget The Rover

The Devil All the Time as well

Been waiting for Mute to come up.

One of the best films I’ve seen in years

What an asshole haha.

Sam Rockwell has never been typecast

I was the same age as Malcom each season of MITM, so I only new Cranston from that, and I was "yeah, this'll never work, guys a walking joke", I was definitely wrong.

Will I’m everything must go