Films where the 'supporting' actor steals the show from the main lead?

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  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    mialicious wrote: »
    samuel l jackson - pulp fiction
    mark wahlberg - the departed
    tommy lee jones - the fugitive
    christian bale - the fighter
    hugo weaving - the matrix
    gene hackman - the unforgiven
    christoph waltz - inglorious basterds
    JK simmons - spiderman

    He certainly 'stole the show' of the whole film, but was he part of an ensemble cast?
  • ImOnlyWeeImOnlyWee Posts: 11,554
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    Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises?
    Anne Hathaway in Les Mis definitely.

    I do love that lady.
  • k0213818k0213818 Posts: 5,916
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    Donald Sutherland in JFK, the guy is part of an all star cast and only gets 10 minutes of airtime yet absolutely steals the film for me.
  • kippehkippeh Posts: 6,655
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    Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • woot_whoowoot_whoo Posts: 18,030
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    The chap who played "Bub" the zombie in the original Day of the Dead!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 201
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    Sean Penn in Carlito's Way.
  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    Robert De Niro in 'Brazil'
  • BarbraBarbra Posts: 15,581
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    Madeline Kahn in

    What's Up Doc
    Blazing Saddles
    Young Frankenstein
    At Long Last Love
    High Anxiety
  • JamieHTJamieHT Posts: 12,183
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    I'd say Maggie Smith in Gosford Park and in Tea With Mussolini, not that there were any particular leads in those films.
  • homer2012homer2012 Posts: 5,216
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    Hold on a minute, no one has mentioned

    Whoopie goldberg in Ghost.
  • mialiciousmialicious Posts: 4,686
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    rfonzo wrote: »
    He certainly 'stole the show' of the whole film, but was he part of an ensemble cast?

    He got nominated at the oscars for best supporting actor, Martin Landau won it.
  • TadpoleTadpole Posts: 1,646
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    Stockard Channing (Rizzo) in "Grease" ?
  • Ella NutElla Nut Posts: 8,845
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    woot_whoo wrote: »
    In the original Stepford Wives, Paula Prentiss (as the extrovert best friend) totally stole the show from Katharine Ross.

    In Mary, Queen of Scots, Glenda Jackson's turn as Elizabeth I was a tour de force in comparison to the more natural (but boring, in terms of the larger than life style of a historical epic) Vanessa Redgrave.

    Rex Harrison was far more interesting as Caesar than Elizabeth Taylor or Richard Burton as Cleopatra and Antony. The film died with Caesar.

    I would say that Anthony Hopkins stole the show as Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, but Jodie Foster was so great in the role of Clarice that she actually held her own and they were neck-a-neck in terms of dominating the movie.

    Marlon Brando pretty much made himself the most memorable character in the first Godfather movie.

    Hers was a great character, she played the in-your-face extrovert superbly, I do agree with that, but Katharine Ross played a blinder in this film - more fragile, but still "together" and her realisation and desperate attempt to escape at the end made the film as haunting as it is.
  • Ella NutElla Nut Posts: 8,845
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    homer2012 wrote: »
    Hold on a minute, no one has mentioned

    Whoopie goldberg in Ghost.

    Can be no doubt about that.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 876
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    Dianne Wiest - Hannah and her Sisters
    Patricia Clarkson - Pieces of April
    Martha Plimpton - The River Rat
  • ImOnlyWeeImOnlyWee Posts: 11,554
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    YES! Whoopi in Ghost and Stockard Channing in Grease! Of course!
  • MrMarpleMrMarple Posts: 3,417
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    I've thought of another,

    Kathy Burke in 'Elizabeth'.
    As good as Cate Blanchet was, and she was brilliant, Kathy Burke was outstanding in her (very small) role.
    Why they didn't do a prequel featuring her character is a mystery to me.
  • mgvsmithmgvsmith Posts: 16,452
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    I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the ultimate upstaging: Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man (1949). Although that is mainly about screen time rather than star quality!
  • Finny SkeletaFinny Skeleta Posts: 2,638
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    Eli Wallach in The Misfits. Up against three Hollywood heavyweights (albeit dying ones) and IMO comes out on top.

    Then there's the only memorable thing about the very average True Crime where James Woods turns up for one scene and nicks the whole film off Clint Eastwood.

    Also, every film Timothy Carey ever appeared in.
  • degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    John Goodman in a lot of roles.


    Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit (2010)
  • Grabid RanniesGrabid Rannies Posts: 4,588
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    Pretty much any film featuring Margaret Rutherford or Alistair Sim where they are not the lead actor/actress! :)
  • MrfentyMrfenty Posts: 717
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    Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
    Emily Blunt - The Devil Wears Prada
  • TakaeTakae Posts: 13,555
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    Mrfenty wrote: »
    Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
    Emily Blunt - The Devil Wears Prada

    Eddie Murphy, surely?
  • IWasBoredIWasBored Posts: 3,418
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    How about Sean Penn stealing it from Al Pacino in Carleto's Way?
    Angelina Jolie in Girl Interupted
  • rfonzorfonzo Posts: 11,771
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    RebelScum wrote: »
    Joe Pesci in Goodfellas
    Harrison Ford in Star Wars
    Also, the most obvious one; Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight.
    I was observing to see how many posts we could go before Heath got mentioned :D.

    You could also say Jack Nicholson in the original Batman film. But then you have to consider that the role of the Joker is a perfect platform for an actor to 'steal the show' because he is an extrovert, which is a contrast to the darker character of Batman himself.
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