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Having just rewatched The Grand Budapest Hotel and having admired the exquisite performance of Ralph Fiennes—a performance some say was robbed of an Oscar nomination and others say is the finest performances in any Wes Anderson film—I got to thinking about another thing people say: How curious it is that a director so famed for reusing actors over and over has never again tapped the Fiennes well.
I almost wonder if some of these one-off performances are somehow sacrosanct to Anderson, and thus he cannot use the actor again? Some, of course, are unavailable absolutely (Gene Hackman, Bruce Willis), but I do think some of these actor-role combos are so perfect they have already reached the apotheosis of what can be done in a Wes Anderson film and thus—they should not be used again.
Who knows. Maybe.
Anyway, that set me to thinking about all the terrific performances by actors Wes Anderson has only used once.
The internet loves a good ranking, so that’s what I’m doing now. Ranking the best performances by actors who have appeared in only one Wes Anderson film. (If someone on this list appears in another Wes Anderson film later, you’ll be able to accurately judge the date of this post even if you recover it amongst our postapocalyptic wreckage.)
To make the options more manageable, I have determined to ignore all kids (whether the actor or the role), even when they are terrific. Which is often.
Also, someone must make a “leading”-enough appearance to qualify. I admit this is a fuzzy line. For instance, I am including Margot Robbie even though she appears in only one scene because a) she’s great in that scene b) that’s a vital scene c) she is the unquestioned star of the scene and d) reading an article about her excellence in that scene the same day I rewatched Grand Budapest is why I am writing this post.
I also decided to ignore people whose one appearance was not in a feature. In part because, although I’m up for watching “Hotel Chevalier” again someday, it feels like rewatching it without rewatching The Darjeeling Limited is a mistake; and I don’t remember Natalie Portman’s performance well enough judge without rewatching. Plus, I think she’s naked the whole time? Let’s give the woman some privacy.
Incidentally, I don’t plan to rewatch anything for purposes of this post. Which means performances from, for instance, Darjeeling or Steve Zissou, may get overlooked. I mean. The idea that I’m making a list for which Cate Blanchett is eligible and not included seems insane. Go watch Black Bag and I promise to finally revisit Steve Zissou, deal?
Still. I certainly hope you will insist on drawing my attention to vital work I have overlooked. Or, in my foolishness, thought was subtwenty. (However, if the person you recommend appeared in two movies and you just forgot like I forgot [prelistmaking] that Saorsie Ronan’s in The French Dispatch, that’s on you.)
1. George Clooney in Fantastic Mr. Fox
It can be difficult to compare voice work with “regular” acting but I think we can make a strong argument that Clooney’s effortless cool and capacity for heartbreak makes this the single strongest performance in the Wes canon. It takes all of Clooney’s best skills and distills them to their essence. And here they are. In a movie with some of the best voicework ever and a could-be overwhelming visual aesthetic, George Clooney carries the entire thing. Amazing.
2. Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums
Often credited as Hackman’s final great performance, we also have to consider that it just might be his greatest performance. It kinda sounds like he didn’t understand what Wes was all about, but he inhabits this world like the sun in the solar system. And like the sun, it doesn’t matter if he understands what’s going on. The planets have to understand him.
3. Ben Stiller in The Royal Tenenbaums
Maybe the single greatest line delivery in a Wes Anderson film is “I’ve had a rough year, Dad.” The line work not because of Ben Stiller alone, but he’s so good and this movie was almost a quarter century ago and that this is his only appearance might be more amazing than for anyone else on the list.
4. Danny Glover in The Royal Tenenbaums
The other old guy in The Royal Tenenbaums is vital to the movies success. Where Royal is wild and crazy and seeking mercy, Henry is stolid and calm and capable of being the embodiment of justice. I’m not sure Danny Glover gets the props he deserves for providing the foil Hackman needed to reach his heights.
5. Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel
With the exception of George Clooney as Mr. Fox, I’m not sure any other character in any other film has as much responsibility for their film as Fiennes does here. M. Gustave possesses unflappable veneer which makes his occasional cracks all the more significant—which in turn make his triumphs and catastrophes all the more deeply felt. Plus, does anyone has as much insane dialogue to deliver (outside the Dahl shorts, naturally)??
6. Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme
Cera is the first person on the list whom I expect to drop off it sooner rather than later. He was supposed to be in Asteroid City (I’m guessing in Steve Carell’s role [see below] but it’s fun to imagine him in any of them) and consensus is he fits into Wes’s world as well or better than anyone (Wes himself has said this), but it doesn’t change the fact that as of today, it’s his only Wes Anderson role, and he killed it.
7. Olivia Williams in Rushmore
If The Royal Tenenbaums represents full immersion into Anderoniana, the Rushmore is the last chance to see regular film interact with it. And Williams offers us a performance filled to the brim with realized humanity as she deals with purely Andersonian creations (by which I mean the two male leads). Although their performances are topnotch, it’s her eyes brimming with tears that will last forever.
8. Meryl Streep in Fantastic Mr. Fox
Streep : Clooney :: Glover : Hackman. Plus, she has a couple line deliveries that pierce the heart and make the stakes of her character’s silly fairytale world truly life or death
9. Mia Threapleton in The Phoenician Scheme
It’s easy to note that Wes likes to hire the children of famous people, but the thousands of auditions landed on Threapleton and she turned in a pure Anderson performance. She is the emotional heart of this movie and she does it through nearly unbroken stoicism. As such, she’s like the less-fun version of M. Gustave.
10. Margot Robbie in Asteroid City
I already discussed her above and linked to an entire article expounding her virtues, so let’s leave it at that.
11. Bruce Willis in Moonrise Kingdom
How many Bruce Willises are there? The man who was miscast in Die Hard only to make the film a bonafide classic was miscast again in Moonrise Kingdom only to let his weary sadness permeate this joyful picture so every spoonful has a depth of flavor only experience and failure can provide. I’m referring to the character of course and not to Mr. Willis.
12. Maya Hawke in Asteroid City
Another nepobaby who slays. Her face work is so good here. And in combination with her out-of-her-league voice makes her among the most memorable characters in a film filled with them. The brief moment we see her as the actor is an entirely different person. I’m not sure I even realized it was her on first viewing.
13. Alec Baldwin in The Royal Tenenbaums
The movie predates 30 Rock so I was unable to recognize what was, for most Americans, a recognizable voice. I was fine not knowing. Wes Anderson’s not above a literate narrator and there are excellent ones in Grand Budapest and Isle of Dogs, but in his solo turn in a Wes movie, Baldwin gives the definitive example.
14. Gwyneth Paltrow in The Royal Tenenbaums
Of all the Tenenbaum children, Margot might be the most iconic visually. They’re all sad, but her sadness is ineffably cool such that we’d almost be willing to trade places with her if only we looked so good. We want all three of them to come out of this better than they went in, but Margo, if she hasn’t fallen the furthest, has certainly fallen the largest number of ways.
15. James Caan in Bottle Rocket
Caan wasn’t the Wes choice; he was demanded by the producers. And he clearly had no idea what kind of movie this was going to be. How could he? It’s the first one there was. But he brought energy and madness all his own and it works. It often feels like he’s in a different movie, but maybe that’s why petty crooks under him can’t grasp the lessons he’s teaching.
Jude Law in The Grand Budapest Hotel
Tom Wilkinson as the elder version of the character just missed the list, which is a shame as they two together are part of their success. Regardless, Law’s role is largely to set off F. Murray Abraham’s performance and he does this admirably. He keeps the story rolling without requiring more for himself. An excellent straightman.
17. Matt Dillon in Asteroid City
A small role but deadpan funny. Imagine if Michael Cera had been given this one.
18. Steve Carell in Asteroid City
Another small role, but I’m not sure the joke of his schemes would work so well without his patented blend of brash confidence and absurdity.
19. TimothΓ©e Chalamet in The French Dispatch
Who knew he could do beautiful idiot so well?
20. Henry Winkler in The French Dispatch
It was hard to rank these final spots—who’s in, wh'o’s out—but Winkler’s brief turn as a dopish art collector was great. We hope to see him back in Andersonville, don’t we?
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