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Two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern He is not late with his performance. Dern may have started his career with an uncredited appearance in Elia Kazan Wild River (1960), but since then, the actor has built up a sizable portfolio, even winning Best Actor at Cannes for his role in Nebraska (2019). Over the years, Dern has dipped his toes in a variety of shows, from amazing supporting roles to memorable performances as the lead. Here are some of Bruce Dern’s best performances:
10 The Hate Eight (2015)
What happens when eight strangers, with questionable backgrounds, are forced to seek refuge in a remote cabin due to a blizzard? Well, Quentin Tarantino The Hateful Eight gives an insight into this matter. This Western mystery thriller brings together an ex-slave now a bounty hunter (Samuel L. Jackson), another bounty hunter (Kurt Russell), his imprisoned (Jennifer Jason Lee), a sheriff (Walton Goggins), and a mysterious stranger (Damian Bashir), a former Confederate general ( Bruce Dern), a British executioner (Tim Roth), and a gunslinger (Michael Madsen) meet at the end of winter for a violent and unexpected confrontation. General Dern Sandy might be sitting in a corner and watching the ensuing violence among others. However, it becomes clear that the old general knows more than he lets on.
9 The Beast (2003)
It’s hard to forget Charley Theron’s Oscar-winning performance of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in this biographical drama. Monster. The film follows Elaine, a street prostitute who murders seven of her male clients and is later arrested in 2002. Thomas Bruce Dern is one of the memorable characters from the film. He portrays a Vietnam War veteran, who is Elaine’s only friend. Thomas’ relationship with Aileen is very different from her relationship with other men, most of whom lead her down a dark and terrifying path.
8 Silent Run (1972)
The first science fiction film by Douglas Trumbull, Silent running, in the future, where life on Earth no longer exists. It stars Bruce Dern as botanist Freeman Lowell, who is responsible for tending to a variety of plants in a space station greenhouse. However, things start to get complicated when Lowell is ordered to destroy some factories to make room for some merchandise to come. Lowell goes against these orders to protect the last remnants of Mother Nature. Despite being one of the few humans on screen, Dern does an amazing job, carrying the entire movie on his shoulders.
7 The Burbs (1989)
Joe Dante’s Black Comedy The ‘Burbs It may have been dismissed when it was first released, but the movie has amassed a cult following ever since. The film stars Tom Hanks as Ray Peterson, who returns home for a week’s vacation. However, all plans for a peaceful, stress-free vacation are thrown away when Ray hears strange noises from the new and reclusive neighbors, the Klopex, downstairs. Ray, along with his other neighbors, suspects that the Klopeks may be demon slayers. It’s Dern’s character, Mark Rumsfeld, who really steals the spotlight, with his overzealous attitude and hyperactive imagination. The military veteran really makes the audience laugh thanks to his over-the-top personality.
6 Smile (1975)
Film directed by Michael Ritchie smiling It hits all the right notes when it comes to satirical comedy. Set in Santa Rosa, California, the movie revolves around a beauty pageant that takes place in the small town. It highlights the hypocrisy and deception involved in the contest. Dern portrays Big Bob Freelander, a sleazy, yet cheerful car salesman, who serves as one of the main judges on the pageant panel. One cannot help but laugh and grumble at the same time at the antics of the people on screen. Dern in particular brings the audience to tears with the way he acts and judges the contestants.
5 The Great Gatsby (1974)
Jack Clayton adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald The great Gatsby It may not live up to its source material, but it comes pretty close, all thanks to the performances of the cast. The film follows Robert Redford’s Jay Gatsby, a millionaire, who is obsessed with his lost love Daisy, portrayed by Mia Farrow, now married to Tom Buchanan’s cold and ruthless Bruce Dern. Dern’s Tom gets quite close to Tom Fitzgerald, with his cold demeanor. His brilliant performance scored him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
4 The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
Bob Rafelson King of Marvin Gardens It follows two brothers who become embroiled in a get-rich-quick scheme that ultimately leads them to tragedy. Dern portrays the extravagant and hot-headed Jason Stabler, while Jack Nicholson portrays his moody and depressed brother, David Stabler. It’s interesting to see Dern move from the grotesque grotesque to more somber and more serious as the tragedies.
3 Black Sunday (1977)
Based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name, Black Sunday It is an action thriller based on the real Munich massacre. Dern’s performance in the film is hard to forget as Michael Lander, a war veteran who was also a prisoner of war. Deep in his depression, Lander desperately seeks suicide and teams up with the leader of a terrorist group to blow up a Goodyear airship, which could fly over 800,000 people, including the US President. One can’t help but feel sympathy for Lander, however, still worrying about the lives he might take if his suicide attempt succeeds.
2 Coming Home (1978)
Go home It is the film that earned Dern his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Role. Dern portrays Captain Bob Hyde, a US Marine, who is deployed to Vietnam and must leave his wife, Sally, behind. In the beginning, the film follows Sally as she tries to navigate through her growing feelings for a crippled Vietnam War veteran. But once Dern’s Hyde also returns, it becomes clear that the movie wants to focus less on romance and more on the aftermath of war. It is very painful to see Hyde criticize the world for what he did during the war. Dern does an amazing job of portraying the wounded captain, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
1 Nebraska (2013)
Dern really comes front and center in Alexander Payne Nebraska. The film follows Dern as Woody Grant, an aging alcoholic who travels to Nebraska with his estranged son, portrayed by Will Forte, to collect the $1 million Mega Sweepstakes. Although it seems like a fool’s errand, a trip to Nebraska brings the two closer together. Dern did such a great job portraying Grant that he earned several Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs. He also won the Best Actor award at the famous Cannes Film Festival.
