Supporting Actors Who Stole The Show

by Helen Earnshaw | 17 February 2011

In recent weeks we have been treated to movies where the supporting actors have turned in just as powerful performances as the lead actors.

The two that really stand out are Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech and Christian Bale in The Fighter - both of which will be battling it out for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in just over a week.

So we take a look at some of the supporting stars who stole the show.

- Mark Wahlberg - The Departed

The Departed, which finally won Martin Scorsese a Best Director Oscar, was loaded with an all star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson but it was Mark Wahlberg who stole the show.

He took on the role of Staff Sgt. Dignam and his foul mouthed no shit attitude to his work saw him steal every scene that he was in.

For his laugh out loud performance Wahlberg picked up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination - over Damon and Nicholson.

- Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

The role of Col. Hans Landa proved to be the breakthrough role of Christoph Waltz in the fabulous Glourious Basterds.

It was also the performance that everyone was raving about as Waltz would every award going - including the Oscar.

It was a dynamic performance from the actor as he managed to charismatic and repulsive at the same time.

The movie may well have been stuffed full of great acting talent, as well as some good cameos, but it was Waltz's performance that stayed with you after the credits rolled.

- Alan Rickman - Robin Hood

Alan Rickman may have had a career that has spanned over thirty year but he will forever be remembered as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - which it twenty years old this year.

His performance is totally priceless as the evil, scheming Sheriff and he totally eclipses Kevin Costner.

- Kate Hudson - Almost Famous

The role of Penny Lane remains Kate Hudson' best big screen performance as she teamed up with filmmaker Cameron Crowe back in 2000.

Hudson played a groupie to seventies rock back Stillwater as she befriends teenager William - an aspiring journalist.

For her performance she picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination - losing out to Marcia Gay Harden for Pollock.

- Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

One of the greatest ever supporting actor performances came in the summer of 2008 when Heath Ledger took on the role of The Joker, made infamous by Jack Nicholson, in The Dark Knight.

You have to applaud every scene that Ledger was in as he took the audiences concept of the Joker and smashed it to pieces.

Gone was Nicholson’s comic interpretation of the character replaced instead by a real menace and madness as the Joker lived with no rules robbing and killing simply because he could.

- Joe Pesci - Goodfellas

The role of the slightly unhinged Tommy in Goodfellas is the performance that the actor will forever be remembered for.

It was the third time that he had worked with Both Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and he went on to pick up the Oscar for his performance.

- Cuba Gooding Jr - Jerry Maguire

'Show me the money!' Is the line that Cuba Gooding Jr will forever be synonymous with as he screamed it at Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire.

Cruise may have be the star of the movie but was it was Gooding Jr as Rod Tidwell and the energy that he brought to the part that will forever be remembered.

And he went on to collect a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his infectious performance.