10 ACTORS WHO STOLE THE SHOW WITH VERY LIMITED SCREEN TIME
Landing a leading role in a feature film is a great moment for any actor. However, a smaller role can often carry huge significance within a movie as well, and a memorable performance with very limited screen time can completely steal the show under the right circumstances. In fact, some actors have won impressive accolades, such as the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor/Actress despite appearing in a movie for less than thirty minutes.
Recently, Zendaya's brief appearance in Dune: Part One demonstrated how much impact an actor can make on a film in a relatively short period of time. In the 2010s, Matthew McConaughey only needed three short scenes during The Wolf of Wall Street to completely change the landscape of the award-winning film. These actors, as well as many that came before them, proved that sometimes the best performances in a film come from its most unexpected roles.
Zendaya Makes An Immediate Splash As Chani
Dune: Part One
Chani is seen for approximately seven minutes in Dune: Part One. Although she eventually becomes a main character in Dune: Part Two, her brief appearance in the first installment already hints at her importance in the story. With the changes that director Dennis Villeneuve is making to the Frank Herbert novels, Chani is set to have an even bigger role in Dune Messiah.
Zendaya is only 27 years old and is already known as one of the best performers of her generation. In the few scenes she's featured in Dune, Zendaya is able to convey an impressive range of emotions. Most notably, Zendaya perfectly transitioned from a passionate kiss to an angry look of betrayal in Paul's vision of Chani after being in contact with spice in Arrakis.
Dune
Original title: Dune: Part One.
A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.
Matthew McConaughey Brings Mark Hanna To Life
The Wolf of Wall Street
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2024 has already seen multiple high-profile adaptations of famous novels, and several more are planned for the rest of the year.Mark Hanna is only in three scenes of The Wolf of Wall Street, having a total screen time of ten minutes. The character's role as an unhinged mentor to Jordan Belfort could have been a forgettable one, but Matthew McConaughey's performance is so good that Hanna is one of the most memorable characters of the movie. The scene where Hanna meets Belfort at a restaurant to share his wisdom over martinis and cocaine at 10 in the morning is the moment McConaughey's talent shines the most.
The chest beating and humming were improvised by the actor based on a warm-up exercise that he usually does to get in character before a scene. Leonardo DiCaprio suggested Martin Scorsese should include that in the movie, but Matthew McConaughey improvised the majority of that scene — from the way he's beating his chest to many of his lines, to encouraging Belfort to join in on the chest-beating and humming by the end. This inspired the director to include the motif of beating one's chest in other scenes of the movie.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Bill Murray Does His Best to Survive The Zombie Apocalypse
Zombieland
As the four heroes of Zombieland travel looking for the supposedly zombie-free zone in Los Angeles, they end up at Bill Murray's house. They are enjoying the various amenities around the house when a seemingly zombified Bill Murray wakes up and starts following the noise. But after Wichita hits him with a golf club, they find out the actor is just pretending to be a zombie because "zombies don't mess with other zombies."
Bill Murray's acting is impeccable in this sequence, as evidenced when he demonstrates appreciation for Tallahassee's kind words and his child-like reenactment of Ghostbusters. He becomes the center of the plot for the duration of it, until he acts as a zombie fools Columbus, who then shoots and kills Bill Murray. Still, the actor continues to show his impressive talent for comedy as he says his hilarious final words before dying.
Zombieland
A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.
John Turturro Gives The Dude A Run For His Money As Jesus Quintana
The Big Lebowski
Jesus Quintana is a minor character in The Big Lebowski who is an opponent of The Dude's bowling team. The campy bowler with a thick accent refers to himself as "The Jesus" and all of his movements while playing are hilarious. He has around four to five minutes of screen time altogether, but that was enough to make him one of the most beloved characters in the cult movie.
John Turturro's hypnotizing body movements and obnoxious delivery of ridiculous lines are what ultimately made Jesus so appealing. The actor reportedly felt a little uneasy about the character at first, but after his initial hesitancy, he decided to explore the character further. Turturro starred in, wrote and directed the movie Going Places, which is a Big Lebowski spinoff that stars Jesus as the main character.
The Big Lebowski
Queen Latifah And Spike Lee Teamed Up To Create The Memorable Waitress LaShawn
Jungle Fever
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LaShawn is a sassy waitress who refuses to bow down to what she calls a "fake brother." Her defiance towards Flipper as he brings Angie to the restaurant that's frequented by black people is a minor detail in theory, but Queen Latifah perfectly embodied the simultaneous anger within LaShawn and the vulnerability of her character's job. From the way she rolls her eyes to how she emphasizes words like "stringing" during the scene, Queen Latifah shows raw, show-stopping talent at only 21 years old. Her performance is what made this scene in particular become one of the most memorable in the movie.
Drew Barrymore Changed The Horror Genre As Casey Becker
Scream (1996)
The opening sequence of the Wes Craven horror classic Scream is among the most famous of all time. One of the reasons why it's so good is Drew Barrymore's performance as Casey Becker, the high school student alone at home. Casey's naivety and vulnerability set the tone for the entire film and Barrymore's outstanding depiction of Casey's fear establishes the intensity of the horror that follows.
Drew Barrymore was a very well-known face and name at the time of Scream's release, which was intentionally used to subvert expectations as Casey is the first character to die. Still, this effect is not the only benefit the movie receives from her participation. With horror movies being generally known for having poor performances that exist to only serve the plot, Scream subverted that concept by immediately showing the power of horror when matched with a great performance.
Scream
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Emma Watson Has No Problems Surviving The Apocalypse
This is the End
Emma Watson is best known for her role as the young witch Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies. But the actress has taken on many contrasting roles after leaving the fantasy franchise, and they show she has range. One of them is her comic portrayal of herself in the post-apocalyptic world of This is the End.
Despite her limited screen time, Watson demonstrates solid timing in every delivery of dialogue and a talent for physical comedy. Her unexpected appearance is a fan-favorite cameo in the movie because of its importance within the plot and the pleasant surprise audiences had when finding out Emma Watson can also do absurdist comedies. She pokes fun at herself while giving an impressive performance as a strong young woman trapped in a house full of questionable men.
This is the End
Six Los Angeles celebrities are stuck in James Franco's house after a series of devastating events just destroyed the city. Inside, the group not only have to face the apocalypse, but themselves.
Michael Cera Takes On A Much Different Role Than Normal In Trent
Dream Scenario
Dream Scenario stars Nicolas Cage as an average college professor named Paul who gains overnight fame when people all over the world start seeing him in their dreams. Trying to capitalize on the phenomenon and get his book published, Paul attends a meeting with a pretentious marketing firm whose team leader is Micheal Cera's Trent. Trent is overly positive to the point where he comes across as fake, but he also ultimately seems to be great at his job.
Michael Cera is a well-established comedy star, but Dream Scenario puts him in a role that feels very fresh in the actor's filmography. The role has no similarity to his famously dorky roles like Scott Pilgrim and Juno's Paulie Bleeker, being one of his most interesting characters. Cera perfectly mastered the "indie marketing guy" persona and developed amazing mannerisms that make Trent stand out, like playing with the pen in his hands or tilting his head forward when talking to his client Paul.
Dream Scenario
A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.
Frances McDormand Captures The Nuance Marge Gunderson In Less Than 30 Minutes
Fargo
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McDormand masterfully conveys a range of emotions throughout the film, from compassion to righteous indignation. Marge's Minnesota accent is also a key aspect of the character, and McDormand's ability to embody this regional phonetics with authenticity adds an extra layer of realism to her performance. Her cadence and inflection enhance the character's charm, making Marge unforgettable.
Fargo
Anne Hathaway Showcases Her Vocal Talent As Fantine
Les Misérables
Another winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress who had limited screen time is Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables. Fantine undergoes a dramatic arc throughout the film, from a hopeful young woman to a broken and desperate person. The character only appears in about 15 minutes of the movie, but instantly touches the audience's heart with Hathaway's deeply emotional performance and vocal power.
Hathaway underwent a significant physical transformation for the role, including cutting her hair and losing weight. This commitment to a 15-minute part proves the actress' professionalism. She's able to convey the depths of Fantine's suffering, particularly in her interpretation of the song "I Dreamed a Dream." This performance is a perfect example of a "tour de force."
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