I never understand most of the so called 'A-List' of Hollywood. With the exception of a few it seems all our entertainment news focuses on the latest thing that we can watch so we feel better about ourselves...if you disagree with that statement please supply me with a reason as to why every American knows the name Snooki. How about the people that are just really good at the job they do, those actors who's name we may not recall so quickly but seeing them assures us that we are watching something worthwhile. The other night I popped in Gone Baby Gone and realized how much I love seeing Ed Harris on screen. Going back to look at his filmography I realize just how amazing this guy has managed to be while remaining just outside the blinding Hollywood spotlight.
First coming to our attention in the '80s semi-classic The Abyss, while the CGI innovations of the film got the cred there, his role as Bud Brigman held the film together...much more then mimicky gelatinous globs of water. From there it was '90s movie landmarks like Glengary Glenn Ross and The Firm followed by great roles in two of my favorite Stephen King adaptations, Needful Things and The Stand. With his most memorable role still to come Harris took a major supporting role in the movie that made saying, "Houston, we have a problem", the go to phrase for any bad situation from '95 on, in Apollo 13. In 1996 he cemented his legacy, in my mind, as the villian with good reason Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel in the action staple, The Rock. There aren't many actors that can play a bad guy that remains noble throughout. He simply oozes a genuineness (that might be a made up word, but you know what I mean) that makes you believe in whatever his role calls for you to believe. Some can make the argument that he doesn't often go out of his range of playing an authority figure with a good heart, or at least a palpable level of integrity. That may be somewhat true, but I say if you are truly good at something why disappoint your fans. More importantly he manages to keep those similarities unnoticeable to the viewer through the subtle nuances he adds to make each character different from the last.
To date Ed Harris has 81 film roles to his name, including A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, National Treasure 2, and Radio. It may have been in that last mentioned role that he became a hero of mine, the scene(s) of him finding Radio locked by the team in a shed, and initially calling Radio to the field both had me a little misty in the ocular area.
Honestly maybe not being in the spotlight is a lucky thing for actors like Harris who seem more interesed in entertaining than making the headlines on TMZ. So...with that in mind, I suppose that's the reward we give actors that we actually respect...a little privacy.
Ed Harris will return to theaters Friday, January 27th in the thriller Man on Ledge. Make sure to check out the reviews right here at punchdrunkcritics.com.
