Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for actors who walked away with a movie despite not playing the most important character.
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for actors who walked away
00:08 with a movie despite not playing the most important character.
00:12 Heads up, this list does not include movie villains, as they tend to have more screen
00:16 time than the average supporting character.
00:24 Ryan Gosling is Ken Barbie.
00:30 This 2023 hit gave us memes, discourse and the joy of combining the name "Ken" with
00:35 other words.
00:36 And that's just the start of its cultural impact.
00:38 Canadian actor Ryan Gosling is extremely lovable as Ken, whose cartoonish masculinity and blonde
00:44 fragility provided many of the movie's most memorable laughs.
00:49 It's a spirited and kenegetic performance made up almost exclusively of big swings,
00:57 and every single one "Kenects".
00:59 Okay, Ken off with the puns.
01:01 Sure, some naysayers may say that Ken unleashed the patriarchy onto Barbie World, but Gosling
01:06 plays him as a confused and ultimately good-hearted guy suddenly challenged to have a purpose
01:11 in the world.
01:19 Let's face it, comedy performances don't get a lot come awards season.
01:27 So when Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny", it was proof of just how
01:31 unforgettable she actually was.
01:41 Tomei plays Mona Lisa Vito, the formidable fiancé of novice lawyer Vinny Gambini.
01:47 She devours the character's vulgar monologues, and has a knack for making every single line
01:51 of dialogue feel completely spontaneous.
01:54 Someone else might have turned her into a sketch comedy caricature, but the way she
01:58 makes us believe she truly loves Joe Pesci's bumbling lawyer is what grounds even her wildest
02:03 moments in total reality.
02:11 Viola Davis as Mrs Miller, "Doubt"
02:17 When you're sharing a ten-minute scene with a screen legend like Meryl Streep, you better
02:21 bring your A-game.
02:22 And it's safe to say that Viola Davis rose to the challenge.
02:30 In "Doubt", she plays Mrs Miller, the deeply conflicted mother of a boy caught up
02:34 in a complicated web of rumours and alleged abuse.
02:37 The actress plays several notes at once, and they're all pitch perfect.
02:41 She sells this woman's pain for her son's experience.
02:44 She even sells the hardest and most difficult part of the scene, where she rationalises
02:48 a priest's possible inappropriate relationship with her son.
02:52 It's not nice, but it is achingly real.
03:03 Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard, "The Fugitive"
03:08 There's a particular kind of disgruntled, callous and morally upright character that
03:14 Tommy Lee Jones knows like the back of his hand.
03:16 As Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard, he's not concerned with Harrison Ford's innocence.
03:21 His job is simple - catch the fugitive fleeing from the law.
03:29 Gerard isn't a cardboard cut-out of a person.
03:31 He's eerily competent and devoted to catching the bad guys by any means necessary.
03:37 A less capable performer wouldn't be able to make such a streamlined character seem
03:41 human.
03:42 Jones' ability to infuse him with a sense of menace and determination is ultimately
03:46 what won him an Oscar for the role.
03:52 Octavia Spencer as Minnie Jackson, "The Help" Look, it's safe to say that after
04:05 this movie, we never looked at a chocolate pie the same way again.
04:08 And for that scene alone, Octavia Spencer is the "Help" shining star.
04:12 But even more than the humour she brings, her Oscar-winning, breakthrough performance
04:15 as maid Minnie Jackson is a beautifully rendered portrait of a profound strength in the face
04:21 of inequity.
04:26 Minnie may be given some of the movie's funniest lines, but it's her compassion
04:29 and patience that make even the broadest moments work.
04:33 While many reviews of the movie agreed it was a simplistic portrayal of the racism faced
04:36 by domestic workers, Spencer's work was consistently highlighted.
04:47 Arlie Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, "Full Metal Jacket"
04:53 In Stanley Kubrick's deeply unsettling war film, a group of US Marines experience extreme
04:58 degradation and abuse.
05:01 And that's before they even get to the battlefield.
05:03 Their horrors start at home, under the brutal supervision of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman.
05:08 If actor Arlie Ermey's authority in the role feels a little too authentic, it might
05:12 be because he was an actual drill instructor.
05:20 Hartman's twisted yet innovative insults for his cadets were actually devised by Ermey
05:27 himself.
05:28 The performance is disturbing because he doesn't read like an actor.
05:31 There's an unhinged viciousness to his approach.
05:34 This guy feels all too real, and that thought is terrifying.
05:51 This old-fashioned western from the early 90s features Kurt Russell, Bill Paxton and
05:56 several of the biggest stars of the era.
05:58 But as Doc Holliday, the western gunfighter whose life was mythologised in stories of
06:03 the old west, Val Kilmer leaves a lasting impression.
06:11 As a gunslinger and drunkard with a lot of old-fashioned southern charm, the actor infused
06:16 the mythologised Holliday with modern vulnerability.
06:19 As a result, Kilmer's performance received consistent praise.
06:23 Even critics who weren't too keen on the movie, singled him out as the movie's MVP.
06:28 More than 30 years on, fans are still outraged he didn't even get an Oscar nomination for
06:32 "The Great White Shark".
06:50 Police Chief Brody needs help catching the Great White Shark that's terrorising the
06:53 seaside community of Amity.
06:56 He turns to the eccentric, gruff and altogether terrifying fisherman, Quint.
07:00 English actor Robert Shaw was a last-minute addition to the cast, but he turned out to
07:04 be so natural that things he said off-screen would often be incorporated into the character's
07:09 dialogue.
07:10 Shaw's best moment in the role is easily his haunting monologue about surviving a massive
07:22 shipwreck and night-time shark attack.
07:25 Quint's story is based on the real-life sinking of the USS Indianapolis, and the thousand
07:30 yard stare he takes on, as he tells it, is as powerful as any of the shark attacks we
07:34 actually see.
07:49 A case of mistaken identity, kidnapping, ransom and a soiled rug, leads Geoffrey "The Dude"
07:54 Lebowski on an odyssey of crime and corruption beyond his own comprehension.
07:58 But the star of the show has to be his bowling buddy, Walter Sobchack, played by "Dependable
08:03 Cow" director John Goodman.
08:08 If "The Dude" is the good cop, his Walter is the insane, gun-waving cop who thinks everyone
08:15 else needs to calm down.
08:16 Goodman sells every bit of his cognitive dissonance, from his genuine desire to help his friend,
08:21 to his unchecked passion for official bowling league regulations.
08:37 Ralph Macchio may have been the title character, but it was Japanese-American actor Pat Morita
08:42 who gave the "Karate Kid" its soul.
08:44 It's the classic story about a young kid who learns the art of karate to stand up to
08:48 bullies.
08:49 Surprisingly, Morita wasn't supposed to get the role of the bonsai-tending, karate-teaching
08:53 handyman.
08:54 He was a character actor primarily known for his comedy, having played Arnold on the sitcom
08:59 "Happy Days", and producers were hesitant to cast him in a role that required such gravitas.
09:07 But Morita proved to be the missing ingredient.
09:13 He earned incredible notices for playing Miyagi, and his "wax on, wax off" became a cultural
09:18 touchstone.
09:19 The role netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
09:40 You'd think it'd be hard to stand out among a movie cast that includes Tom Hanks, James
09:44 Cromwell and Sam Rockwell, but that's exactly what Michael Clarke Duncan does as John Coffey
09:48 in this fantasy crime drama.
09:51 The film adaptation of the Stephen King novel sees the actor playing a convicted rapist
09:55 who slowly but surely reveals himself to be more than meets the eye.
10:03 In fact, the death row inmate is more gentle giant than dangerous killer, and one with
10:07 a magical secret to boot.
10:09 Duncan's portrayal was so touching and effective it earned him an Oscar nod for Best Performance
10:14 by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
10:33 Bridesmaids follows Kristen Wiig's Annie as she attempts to be the best bridesmaid
10:37 for her friend Lillian.
10:38 While they give pretty good performances, it's Melissa McCarthy's Megan who proved
10:42 to be the scene-stealer and gave the movie its biggest belly laughs.
10:53 Most of the movie's signature raunchy humour comes from McCarthy, and she pulls it off
10:57 with confidence.
10:58 While she was a regular on "Gilmore Girls", it was "Bridesmaids" that shot McCarthy
11:02 into Hollywood superstardom, as everyone realised what a magnificent and hilarious actor she
11:07 really is.
11:21 Mark Wahlberg dominated the ring in this drama about a boxer who is trained by his troubled
11:25 brother.
11:26 However, it was Christian Bale who dominated the silver screen with his exceptional performance.
11:30 Bale plays Dickie Eklund, a former boxing hero fallen on hard times.
11:41 The method actor transformed himself to fit the role, losing a significant amount of weight
11:45 and completely changing his traits and accent.
11:49 He effectively captures the heartbreaking and tragic character that is Dickie, and won
11:53 the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his troubles.
12:13 Before Pitt became a massive worldwide star, he was just a kid from Oklahoma.
12:17 After starring in "Bit Parts", 1995 proved to be the breakout year for Pitt, as he starred
12:22 in "Se7en" and completely stole 12 Monkeys from Bruce Willis, playing the rather strange
12:27 Jeffrey Goins.
12:35 Pitt realistically portrays a hyperactive mental patient, and his energy is infectious,
12:40 as audiences immediately fell in love with him and his exemplary commitment to the role.
12:45 He is both lovable and a little freaky.
13:06 Hudson was a contestant on the third season of "American Idol", before appearing in
13:10 this movie, based on the Broadway musical of the same name.
13:13 While Eddie Murphy's performance is also exceptional, there's no denying that Hudson
13:17 is the true show-stealer.
13:22 Her success is entirely deserved, as her performance as Effie White was a revelation.
13:34 The winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Hudson commendably draws attention
13:38 not only through her unbelievable singing talent, but also from her realistic, temperamental
13:43 attitude, which she plays with respect and appreciation.
14:05 While we can't include Waltz's role as Lander in "Inglorious Bastards", due to
14:09 his antagonist status, the Austrian-German actor absolutely deserves a place on this
14:13 list.
14:14 Supporting Jamie Foxx as Django, Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, a bounty hunter who helps
14:19 the title character free his wife from a slave owner.
14:30 Waltz oozes with certainty, and his speeches are both intelligent and a delight to listen
14:34 to.
14:35 He plays the mild-mannered Schultz perfectly, but his brief bursts of violence and anger
14:40 are made even more powerful through Waltz's hypnotic delivery.
14:56 While Robin Williams proved long before this movie was released that he could be an unbelievably
15:00 good dramatic actor, his role here as Sean McGuire cemented him as one of the all-time
15:05 greats.
15:06 Complete with a wonderfully bushy beard, Williams is in full dramatic mode for this movie.
15:19 He delivers with rousing speeches about love and introspective observations about life
15:24 itself, all with his typically calm and alluring voice.
15:28 While he was definitely helped by the movie's great writing, Williams knocked his performance
15:32 out of the park, and won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
15:51 Even as a teenager, DiCaprio knew how to command the scene, and stole the movie from the likes
15:55 of Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis.
15:57 In "Grapes" developed mentally-challenged brother Arnie, Leo's quest for that coveted
16:01 Oscar began over 20 years ago.
16:12 His performance can be difficult to watch, due to his troubling mannerisms and jerks,
16:16 but through that hardship, he makes the movie that much more compelling and important.
16:21 DiCaprio spent a few days with real mentally-challenged individuals, and it's safe to say that it
16:25 was time well spent, as he beautifully and respectfully acquires all the touching nuances
16:30 of Arnie Grape.
16:48 Even though Joe Pesci's a little guy, he's proved to everyone that he could be just as
16:52 tough as anyone else through his mesmerising performance as Tommy DeVito.
16:56 As the wild card of the gangster group, Tommy is often prone to significant bouts of brutal
17:01 violence, and his temper is easily sparked.
17:12 Pesci occupies Tommy's unfriendly character with intensity, and we legitimately fear for
17:17 everyone when he's around.
17:19 And if Pesci is the nicest guy in the world, we can't help but be scared of him after
17:23 watching the brutality that he gives off in this movie.
17:45 Harrison Ford as Han Solo, "Star Wars" trilogy
17:52 The "Star Wars" films are some of the most beloved movies of all time, and Harrison
17:56 Ford's iconic performance as Han Solo has earned him respect and admiration from generations
18:01 of movie lovers.
18:07 Ford easily outshines the other actors and becomes the true star of the trilogy.
18:11 He's equal parts hilarious and badass in the role, and Ford lends Han a sarcastic attitude
18:17 that no other actor could have possibly matched.
18:19 While the special effects were groundbreaking, we all know what the real draw of these movies
18:23 is.
18:24 And that's our list.
18:27 What's a supporting performance you'll never forget?
18:32 Let us know in the comments below.
18:47 Thanks for watching.