In the world of movies, the lead actors get the majority of the spotlight, but you know that moment when you’re watching a film and someone else (supporting actors) grabs your attention and you can’t shake them? Maybe it’s the villain like Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight or the hysterical friend like Melissa McCarthy’s role in Bridesmaids! Sometimes, the best part of a movie isn’t who is always front and center on the poster, or who is supposed to be the focal point, it’s the supporting actors who surprise you!
In this list, we’re highlighting ten unforgettable supporting actors and their performances that not only outshone the leads but also made it clear that supporting does not mean secondary. Here are 10 times supporting actors didn’t just play backup; they ran away with the whole movie!
Movies Where Supporting Actors Carried The Film
The Dark Knight – Heath Ledger as The Joker
Heath Ledger’s Joker in the 2008 film The Dark Knight was raw, chaotic, and completely unpredictable, which made him the most terrifying villain grounded in psychological realism. Even with Christian Bale’s great work as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the film, it was Ledger’s supporting actors performance in this film that fans remember the most. Any scene he was a part of gripped you, and his ability to improvise certain mannerisms in his scenes was just the icing on the cake! Ledger received BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG wins for the role, as well as won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor posthumously for the way he was able to redefine such an already iconic comic-book villain!
Goodfellas – Joe Pesci as Tommy Devito
While Goodfellas might have starred Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro, it was Joe Pesci as Tommy Devito who brought such an unpredictable energy that allowed him to steal the show! The gangster archetype that he was able to create in the film is still as legendary as ever. Pesci won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role, while unfortunately, De Niro and Liotta were not even nominated.
Suicide Squad – Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
While Suicide Squad was comprised of an incredible ensemble cast of Will Smith, Viola Davis, David Harbour, and Jared Leto, the star of the movie was easily Margot Robbie in her role as Harley Quinn. The manic charisma she had throughout the film might not have led to any awards, but it did lead to her own spinoff movie, Birds of Prey, and helped to vamp up DC’s extended universe. It made one of the best Supports Actors in the film.
The Fugitive – Tommy Lee Jones as U.S Marshal Gerard
The intensity that Tommy Lee Jones played Gerard with, along with his dry wit, helped to earn him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Fugitive, which starred the one and only Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble. While their back and forth created some spectacular tension throughout the film, what leaves the biggest impression is Jones’s one-liners! One of the best Supporting Actors performance.
The Help – Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson
Although The Help was led by Emma Stone as Skeeter Phelan, it was Spencer’s delivery of Minny’s sass and strength that added some incredible emotion to the film! She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the role, and it helped to catapult her into Hollywood A-list status, where she’d go on to give us more incredible performances! Octavia was one of the best Supporting Actors to ever display acting on screen for this film.
Bridesmaids- Melissa McCarthy as Megan Price
Melissa McCarthy‘s role in the 2011 film Bridesmaids, for which she earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards (with the award going to the aforementioned Octavia Spencer for The Help), is one that no one was expecting! She added unpredictability and comedic genius through her performance, and her offbeat delivery elevated every single scene she was in. It’s no surprise that this is the film commonly credited for helping to break her into the mainstream movie world!
Dreamgirls – Jennifer Hudson as Effie White
The 2006 film Dreamgirls starred none other than Beyonce and Jamie Foxx, and yet it was newcomer Jennifer Hudson, fresh off of American Idol, who stole the show. The vulnerability, raw emotion, and powerful vocals she brought to the movie made this one of the most impactful breakout roles in any modern film, and on top of that? She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress!
Les Misérables Anne Hathaway as Fantine
It took Anne Hathaway less than 20 minutes of screen time to steal the show in the 2012 film Les Misérables, which starred Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Eddie Redmayne! The actress’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” in the first act was so deeply human that you could feel the emotional weight she took on during the performance, and she took home an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role! One of the Best Supporting Actors to date.
No Country for Old Men – Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh
In the film No Country for Old Men, which starred Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones, it was Javier Bardem who stole the show. As the silent, sociopathic killer, Anton Chigurh, he ended up becoming one of cinema’s most terrifying villains with the randomness of his violence in the film, making his role truly unforgettable. Bardem won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this film as well! His performance put him in the list of best Supporting Actors for sure.
Schindler’s List – Ralph Fiennes as Amon Göth
The 1993 film, Schindler’s List, was led by Liam Neeson playing the role of Oskar Schindler, but it was Ralph Fiennes‘ role as Amon Göth that became the most memorable. Fienne’s portrayal of the sadistic camp commandant brought mind-blowing cruelty and complexity to a real-life monster, where viewers could feel the evil! It is not surprising that he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, and if Tommy Lee Jones hadn’t been up for the same award, the same year, for his role in The Fugitive, it’s been said that Fiennes would have taken the award home.
Honorable Mentions
- Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. Nyong’o was only in the film for 10 minutes and easily put her mark on the movie as well a helped to humanize the suffering that was at the core of the film. It was definitely one of the rare-great performances coming from one of the supporting actors. Plus, this role was her first appearance in a Hollywood movie.
- Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs had about 16 minutes of screen time, and yet his performance is described as having redefined what a supporting character could achieve! Considered a supporting role to many because of his limited screen time, he won the award for Best Actor, not Supporting Actor, which is what places him here instead of the main list.
- Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny deserves a mention because this role could have just been another comedic girlfriend role, but she turns into a fierce and hilarious character that won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy! Easily one of the best Supporting Actors performance.
- Denzel Washington’s portrayal as Alonzo Harris in Training Day won him the award for Best Actor, not Supporting Actor, making him more of the centerpiece of the film compared to co-star Ethan Hawke. Since they’re both co-billed as leads in the film, his role was not placed in the main list, but could not be ignored!
Wrap up!
These supporting actors performances are not just great; in some cases, they’re the reason the movies are still so widely loved today! Some of them altered the course of an actor’s career or helped to redefine a genre, but they all prove that true greatness can shine from anywhere!
So the next time you’re watching a movie, don’t forget to pay attention to the roles that the film was not supposed to be about, because you might be missing out on some unforgettable performances by the supporting actors in the film!
