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The Great Performances

Acting is an art form, and behind every iconic character is an artist expressing themselves. The Great Performances is a recurring column in which Jacob Trussell explores the art behind some of cinema’s best roles.

If you are new to reading this column, we suggest starting with these entries:

Browse the archive for The Great Performances below

Just Another Girl On The Irt

‘Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.’ Still Demands Our Attention, 30 Years Later

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Leslie Harris’ debut film, featuring a knock-out performance by Ariyan A. Johnson, hasn’t lost a hint of its revolutionary spirit since it was first released in 1993.

Serial Mom

Kathleen Turner is Criminally Underrated in ‘Serial Mom’

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As Beverly Sutphin, Turner surfaces the seedier side of the picture-perfect suburban housewife in John Waters’ cult classic.

Super Mario Bros 1993 - The Great Performances

Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo Were Brothers in Bond on ‘Super Mario Bros.’

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The actors may have been a little inebriated while filming the most infamous disasterpiece of 1993, but their off-screen bonding only helped make their on-screen relationship feel real.

Hugh Grant Paddington 2

What’s Not to Love About Hugh Grant in ‘Paddington 2’?

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He was the floppy-haired heartthrob of the 90s, but by 2018, Grant found ways to poke fun at the very fabric of actorly charm as Phoenix Buchanan.

Male Friendships Banshees Of Inisherin

Examining the Tragic Male Friendships in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ and ‘In Bruges’

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Why can’t we tear our eyes away from the emotionally devastating interplay between Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell across Martin McDonagh’s films?

Penn Badgley You

It’s a Good Thing Penn Badgley Hates His Character in ‘You’

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The actor may hate Joe Goldberg, but we still can’t get enough of the psychosexy sociopath Badgley brings to life in the stalker-centric rom-dram.

Jeffrey Combs Edgar Allan Poe

Remember When Jeffrey Combs Played Edgar Allan Poe?

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We look back at one of Combs’ most underrated performances bringing the master of the macabre to life.

Mia Goth In Pearl

How Mia Goth’s Pearl Stole the (Horror) Show in 2022

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Between X and Pearl, Goth delivered some of the best performances we’ve ever seen in a single year of horror.

Best Ebenezer Scrooge Performance

Who Gave the Best Ebenezer Scrooge Performance?

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We sketch out what goes into an effective Scrooge performance and which actors best conveyed the spirit of Charles Dickens infamous miser.