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.

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Browse the archive for The Great Performances below

Macaulay Culkin Home Alone

Macaulay Culkin is Someone We Can All Relate to in ‘Home Alone’

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Who among us hasn’t craved a prolonged staycation of eating pizza, watching movies, and never getting out of your favorite pair of sweats?

Candyman

Tony Todd Gave Candyman His Soul

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Clive Barker may have created the titular villain, but it was actor Tony Todd who infused historical and social significance into the movie maniac’s origin story.

Patricia Tallman Night Of The Living Dead

The ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Remake Gives Barbara the Depth She Deserves

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Resurrected by stuntwoman Patricia Tallman, Barbara gained three dimensions in the 1990 zombie movie.

Will Smith Fresh Prince Acting

‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Was Will Smith’s Acting School

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The future superstar cut his teeth with the sitcom’s most famous “very special” episodes.

Jennifer Carpenter Emily Rose

‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ Reinvented the Possession Performance

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For its 15th anniversary, we look at how Jennifer Carpenter’s factual take on demonic possession subverted every expectation we had from the exorcism subgenre.

Michael Shannon Take Shelter

An Ode to Michael Shannon in ‘Take Shelter’

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Sometimes a great performance is made in the quietest moments.

Jeon Do Yeon in Secret Sunshine

The Power of Jeon Do-yeon’s Silence in ‘Secret Sunshine’

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Jeon delivers a jaw-dropping performance as a grieving mother.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie Miles Talented Mr Ripley

The Talented Mr. Hoffman: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie Miles

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Stealing every scene he appears in, Hoffman’s performance in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ is an early career triumph.

Anthony Perkins Psycho

Anthony Perkins Will Always Frighten Us in ‘Psycho’

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60 years ago, ‘Psycho’ set the gold standard for handsome homicidal maniacs. In this column, Jacob Trussell explores Anthony Perkins’ performance as Norman Bates.