BEST OF 2015 – The Supporting Guys

Continuing my look at the best performances of 2015, let’s look at the best performances by an actor in a supporting role.  I could have made a list of almost fifteen actors who deserved a spot on this list.  This year was loaded wth surprising and great performances.  Let’s start the list of the top five performances by an actor in a supporting role.

5 – JACOB TREMBLAY in “ROOM”

Jacob Tremblay gives an impressive and moving performance in this powerful indie movie.  He is the emotional epicenter of “Room”.  The whole movie is seen through the eyes of Jack and it would not succeed without a great performance.  Tremblay and Brie Larson, who plays his mother, are a perfect team and really convey the maternal bond between mother and son.  We feel all the emotions Jack feels, and that is all because of the great work from Tremblay.  It is one of the best performance from a child actor I have ever seen.

4 – CHRISTIAN BALE in “THE BIG SHORT”

Christian Bale is the definition of a chameleon actor.  He becomes every person that he plays, whether a superhero, a con-man, or insomniac.  His performance in “The Big Short” is no exception.  His portrayal of the socially inept, but incredibly smart Dr. Michael Baum is spot on.  We are rooting for Baum and hoping his prediction of breaking the banks comes true, even though it is morally wrong.  Bale is the heart of this movie and adds another notch to his belt of great performances.

3 – O’SHEA JACKSON JR. in “STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON”

“Straight Outta Compton” was one of the biggest surprises of the year and much of that has to do with its spectacular cast.  Everyone in the movie is great, with special shout out to Jason Mitchell as the doomed Eazy-E.  But for me, the performance that stuck out the most was O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube.  Jackson, the son of Ice Cube, had the toughest job of the year in portraying his father and boy does me make daddy proud.  He IS Ice Cube, the angry, lyrically brilliant rap legend who dealt with everything from racist cops to the death of his friend.  I loved watching Jackson on-screen and hopefully this is the start of something great.

2 – MICHAEL KEATON in “SPOTLIGHT”

“Spotlight” is one of the best ensembles of the year and the two standouts in the film were Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton.  Now, while Ruffalo has the showier performance, it is Keaton’s subtlety and tough performance that stays with you long after the viewing.  His performance as lead editor of the Boston Globes ‘Spotlight’ team Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson is, much like the movie, understated but powerful in every scene.  As the findings of his team get more and more disturbing, Robby has to stay level headed and strong and not jump to dramatic actions and Keaton portrays the determination and focus as good as anyone.  Reminiscent of Jason Robard’s performance in “All the Presidents Men”, this is one of Keaton’s all-time best.

1 – SYLVESTER STALLONE in “CREED”

How do you make an iconic character better?  It almost seems like an impossible task, but that’s exactly what Sylvester Stallone did in “Creed”.  Reprising his role as the legendary Rocky Balboa, Stallone showed us a side of Rocky we had never seen.  He’s a man who’s lost everyone he loves and in on his last leg until he meets Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) and his live begins to have new meaning.  Stallone brings in typical Rocky traits, but shows us the sad, broken-down Rocky that truly crushes your heart, as this was a man who could beat anyone or anything, and now he can’t.  This is the best I’ve ever seen Stallone and might be my favorite performance of 2015.

What do you guys think of this list?  What were your favorite supporting actor performances?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook at Kevflix.

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