The Great Acting Blog: “An Actor Of Integrity”
“What would I have done if I wasn’t an actor? Probably rob banks.”
What comes from the heart goes to the heart. And that has never been more true than with Bob Hoskins.
He was the embodiment of truth and honesty and generosity, and that’s why we loved him. His wit and vulnerability warmed us.
And he never embellished his work, he never put his hand on his heart in order to try and sell us something. He never added in a bit of business in order to self-promote or to control what people thought of him. He was always serving the needs of the film, the needs of the scene, and the needs of the audience. His work is an object lesson in how the audience appreciates integrity, especially in our current era where it’s in short supply. Bob Hoskins is one of those rare actors who causes us to question ourselves, our work and our trajectory.
My favourite performances of his, were as the gangster Harold Shand in The Long Good Friday, and as Joe Hilditch in Atom Egoyan’s Felicia’s Journey – Shand was forceful, cocky and bravura, while Hilditch was complex, austere and intense. The range Hoskins shows over these two roles is the mark of a great actor, the ability to shift through several gears rather than being limited to just one or two.
RIP Bob Hoskins. You will be missed.
Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.