T w e n t y S i d e d

I’m far from a true film nerd but I am adjacent to the space enough that I see one overused phase thrown around frequently that I rarely actually agree with: “Nobody but _____ could have made this role work.” Wrong. Lies.

There are many amazing actors that could make a role just as fantastic with minor adjustments. Daniel Day Lewis is one of the best actors of our time but there aren’t many of his roles that I could say only he was capable of bringing to life. He just does an exceptional job in most of his roles. If you think an actor did an incredible job, just say so. That’s not discounting his work, by the way. He’s one of my favorites.

Once and a while it’s true, though. Especially when it comes to comedy since delivery can be everything. I truly believe that a huge amount of Jim Carrey roles really only work because it’s him. My best evidence for this is “The Grinch.” I’m sure other actors could have made it work but I don’t think anyone else could have done the role such justice that it became an actually beloved movie. The best evidence for this is Mike Myers in “The Cat in the Hat.” Carrey has a way of making humor that can easily be cringey or awkward into something actually enjoyable. He also has a darkness to him that brought menace to the Grinch under the surface.

J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson. It’s like someone bioengineered a man to play JJJ. He looks like him for one, but he’s also effortlessly able to convey all of the arrogant demanding nature of Jameson while maintaining a charisma and warmth that is incredibly compelling. There’s a reason why almost all voice acting jobs since the first Raimi Spiderman sounds like a J.K. Simmons impression.

Another direction to take this is in the direction of the marvel that is Nicholas Cage . Nobody could replace him in almost any of the movies that he’s in with a few exceptions like “Ghost Rider” and the “National Treasure” movies. He is Unique with a capital “U.”  He puts every ounce of his being into his performances whether they need it or not. I could give examples but you all have many popping into your head immediately. My favorites are “Face/Off,” “Vampire’s Kiss,” and “Longlegs.” You get the full Cage in movies that are genuinely enjoyable. At least to me.

There’s plenty of other examples like the ones above but it’s the movie equivalent of “This game is Dark Souls hard.” No it isn’t. You’re just being intellectually lazy. I am curious, though, what you folks think. What is an example of a role that nobody else could have brought to life except for the actor cast for that role? If you think I’m wrong about my examples, tell me who you think would be a suitable replacement. I genuinely enjoy being proven wrong if it’s done with tact.

Face/Off is the perfect movie, by the way.

Ethan Rodgers