Film Feature: The Best Supporting Performances of 2012

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The Best Supporting Actors of 2012

Five Runner-ups (in alphabetical order): Jason Clarke (“Zero Dark Thirty”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Django Unchained”), Dwight Henry (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”), Samuel L. Jackson (“Django Unchained”), and Christopher Walken (“Seven Psychopaths”).

Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

In the first minute of his first scene, when he realizes his son has returned from a mental hospital earlier than expected, I said to myself, “Oh my God, that’s Robert De Niro. Where has he been?” To be frank, the actor, who deservedly merited comparison with the best of all time in the ’70s and ’80s, had recently disappeared into easy roles in junk like “Little Fockers” and “Righteous Kill.” But, in those first moments of “Silver Linings Playbook”, it was like seeing an old friend again as I witnessed not only the passion for acting that De Niro seemed to be missing recently but also the beginnings of a truly well-rounded character. De Niro perfectly captures a man on his own verge of a nervous breakdown, an OCD gambler/bookie who seems perpetually bottled up in anticipation of something going wrong - the Eagles miss the field goal, an envelope goes missing, his son has a breakdown. He finds the truth in this man, one of many who wakes up every day worried about their finances, family, and favorite team.

Michael Fassbender in Prometheus
Photo credit: Fox

Even the sharpest detractors of Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” had nothing negative to say about Michael Fassbender’s mesmerizing performance as David, the android fascinated by the history of mankind. From his very first scenes wandering the ship alone, mimicking human behavior and watching his shipmate’s dreams, Fassbender finds something very unique in David. He’s not merely a robot and yet he’s not your typical “I wanna be a real boy” android either. He’s something in between, fascinated and fueled by the idea that mankind was created by more powerful beings just as he was. Fassbender balances humor, malevolence, and intellectualism into one of 2012’s most interesting characters. The movie (arguably) didn’t work, but that doesn’t make Fassbender’s work any less worthy of merit.

Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
Photo credit: DreamWorks

Tommy Lee Jones, like De Niro, is one of those actors who can sometimes phone it in. And so, when we see him in a part that seems to captivate him enough to use all of his acting tools, it can be a reminder that he’s one of our best living actors. Here, Jones uses his gruff persona to maximum effect as he turns what we expect from his character on its head. When we see an angry-looking man like Jones in a period piece, the assumption is that this old codger will be the villain, but Jones reveals layer after layer underneath the scowl, until his arc becomes nearly as important to the history of America as Lincoln’s. Most importantly, as much as anyone in “Lincoln,” Tommy Lee Jones feels like he’s simply in the moment. The stakes feel real when he eloquently defines them and one only wishes Jones would find parts that challenged him as completely as this one more often.

Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

2012 was arguably the year of Matthew McConaughey (even if Channing Tatum may argue with that title). Finally clawing his way out of the pit of romantic comedies that sucked away his ability for years, McConaughey delivered in a series of films, including “Bernie,” “Killer Joe,” and “Magic Mike.” It helps to work with directors like Richard Linklater, William Friedkin, and Steven Soderbergh — ones who know what this charismatic actor is capable of delivering. Let’s hope 2012 was not a fluke but rather the start of another chapter. As for Dallas, there’s not a single scene that McConaughey is in that he does not steal, and his dramatic moments near the end are the highlights of the entire film. In many ways, Dallas’ story is more interesting than Mike’s. He’s a man who has seen a hundred Mikes rise and fall, but he’s still here. McConaughey channels a little bit of his own career into this character. We may have thought his time for acting glory had come and gone, but he’s still here. And better than ever.

Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Quite simply one of the most captivating performances of all time came this year from Philip Seymour Hoffman, working with regular collaborator P.T. Anderson yet again to portray an unforgettable character. Who is Lancaster Dodd? Is he a powerful religious leader? A charlatan? A family man? A spiritual guide? A scumbag? He’s all of the above in Hoffman’s hands. So many actors would have narrowly defined Lancaster Dodd, playing up the snake-oil salesman part of his persona in easy ways. But Hoffman delivered one of the most multi-faceted performances in years. And is there any actor who feels more truly in the moment than Hoffman? You never see the artifice. His line readings and actions feel instinctual and spontaneous even though they’re merely the blocked actions and memorized dialogue of an actor. Hoffman finds truth in everything he touches. And “The Master” may be his most truthful performance to date.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com