Saturday, July 13, 2013

In Character: J.K. Simmons

J.K. Simmons, the authority figure. J.K. Simmons, the understanding father. The wiseass government agent. The sadistic prick. Because of J.K. Simmons’ trademark look (slim build, angular face, white, bald), his identifiable voice (low, gravely), and the age in which he “made it” (42, give or take) it would be easy for him to be typecast. And, in a way, he is. In fact, I’d stretch as much as to say that J.K. Simmons is one of the best typecast actors working today. He plays familiar characters, but he always makes them his own. And when he plays unfamiliar characters, well then watch out. Storm’s a comin’.

(Note: While I am a casual viewer of Law & Order and its spin offs, I am no authority on the acting talent of the show. So Simmons’ Dr. Emil Skoda is not listed below. Likewise, I have never seen The Closer, so his Will Pope isn’t here either.)

Five Essential Roles
Spider-Man 1-3 (2002-2007)
J. Jonah Jameson
I’m fairly certain J. Jonah Jameson will remain J.K. Simmons’ most well known role. He was given the opportunity to flex out the cankerous Daily Bulge editor-in-chief for three films and, in my opinion, stole each movie single handedly. Frankly, I’m not the biggest fan of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. But whenever Simmons is on screen in these movies (which isn’t nearly enough), the movie becomes alive. There’s a humor, a wit, an energy to his Jameson that I find endlessly compelling and, of course, hysterical. A star-making and career-defining role.

The Ladykillers (2004)
Garth Pancake
“Easiest thing in the world.”

In their comedy films, the Coen brothers are all about repetition. Repetition of locations, shots, character mannerisms, and most notably, lines of dialogue. And Garth Pancake’s ceaseless use of everything being the “easiest thing in the world” in The Ladykillers never fails to make me laugh. Garth is a good guy, but, like most of the characters in this film, a complete dipshit. Watching him call things “easy,” only to flub his task seconds later, is nearly as amusing as his ongoing and misguided battle with Marlon Wayans’ character. The Ladykillers is far from a perfect film, but Simmons earns every laugh. He makes it look, you know… easy.

Juno (2007)
Mac MacGuff
I didn’t do this on purpose, but I’m glad I listed these three films first, because their respective directors are the reason we know the name J.K. Simmons. Really, Simmons can credit his film career to Sam Raimi, the Coen brothers and Jason Reitman. They all cast him repeatedly in their films, and they always give him something worthy to do.

Choosing a best Simmons performance from a Reitman film was a tough call. He’s perfect as the boss in Thank You for Smoking, and kills his one scene in Up in the Air. But for any number of reasons, I’m drawn to the compassion of his Juno character most.

Mac MacGuff is a tough character to play. On paper, he’s the ridiculously perfect dad. The frank appreciator, the quite enforcer – the dad who says and does all the right things. But through a very careful blend of humor and earnestness, Simmons makes Mac MacGuff Juno’s best character. He makes the film worth it, and he does it with effortless charm.

Burn After Reading (2008)
CIA Superior
Simmons has built his entire career on playing authority figures who steal the scene. I haven’t calculated the figures, but I’d assume more then 70 percent of his film and television roles are people of authority. No complaints here. I particularly love his anonymous CIA Superior in the Coen brothers’ Burn After Reading. With just two brief scenes totaling less than five minutes of screentime, Simmons’ task in this film is to make sense of the plot’s purposeful absurdity.

Think about it for a second: have you ever actually tried to relay the plot of a Coen brothers film to someone? It’s difficult as shit. That’s because their writing is so involved and intricate and layered. But watching Simmons (and his scene partner, David Rasche) uncurl the cluster fuck of Burn After Reading is simply brilliant. With confusion, sarcasm, and perfect nonchalance, Simmons does the impossible: he spells a movie out point by point, without making it seemed phoned in or anything less than necessary.

The Music Never Stopped (2011)
Henry Sawyer
J.K. Simmons has been acting in film and television for 19 years, and on stage for a bit longer, and the very first time his name has been first on the call sheet is in the tiny but memorable independent film, The Music Never Stopped.

The film is based on an Oliver Sacks essay in which a man is stricken with a brain tumor, and as a result, cannot form new memories. Gabriel Sawyer (Lou Taylor Pucci) has been estranged from his parents for decades, and when Henry (Simmons) and his wife Helen (Cara Seymour) are reunited with him, they have no way to connect. Gabriel appears to be a living vegetable, but then something happens. Gabriel hears a familiar song from his youth, and he remembers. He remembers his life, his struggle, his domestic pain. He remembers when the music is played, so play it Henry does.

Gabriel left home because he didn’t get along with his father. And watching them reconnect years later through rock classics of the ‘60s and ‘70s is uniquely inspiring. This isn’t Henry’s preferred music, but he sticks with it. He plays, and his son listens. And it’s as if they become father and son all over again. Had The Music Never Stopped garnered a wider release, an Oscar nomination for J.K. Simmons wouldn’t have been out of the question.

The Best of the Best
Oz (1997-2003)
Vern Schillinger
If I were to ever make a list of the vilest, grotesque, non-redemptive characters in the history of film and/or television (and maybe I will…), Simmons’ Vern Schillinger would definitely be near the top.

Vern Schillinger is a bad man. A disgusting man. As a notoriously feared inmate of Oswald State Correctional Facility, Vern Schillinger has made a name for himself as the head of the prison’s neo-Nazi gang, The Aryan Brotherhood. And seriously, if you’ve ever seen this miraculous HBO series, then you know I’m not being hyperbolic: Vern Schillinger truly is a repulsive creature. So how can I declare that such great acting is achieved from such a revolting character? Easy, because Simmons plays him So. Damn. Well.

I often have reservations about listing a television character as an actor’s best role in this column. It doesn’t seem fair to compare the 56 hours Simmons had to flesh out his Oz character, than, say, the five minutes he had to work his Burn After Reading role. So take any one episode of Oz and measure Simmons’ work in that against any film he’s ever done. Hell, take the very first episode of the series, and tell me Simmons’ has been better. But be warned, by the time that episode is done, you’ll never view J.K. Simmons the same again.

Other Notable Roles
In Sam Raimi's For Love of the Game
Homicide: Life on the Street (1996)
The Jackal (1997)
Law & Order (1997-2004)
The Cider House Rules (1999)
For Love of the Game (1999)
The Gift (2000)
The Mexican (2001)
Off the Map (2003)
Nip/Tuck (2004)
Arrested Development (2005)
Harsh Times (2005)
The Closer (2005-2012)
First Snow (2006)
Thank You for Smoking (2006)
Rendition (2007)
Up in the Air (2009)
I Love You, Man (2009)
Extract (2009)


36 comments:

  1. There is never a performance in that film that I can't help but love. The guy is a true actor at its finest. BTW, have you seen that deleted scene from Spider-Man 2 where he wears the Spider-Man suit? Honestly, they should've kept that in the film. It's so hilarious.

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    1. No doubt man, JK rocks. I think that deleted scene is his best scene of the entire series. I have no idea why they didn't include that. It's fucking hysterical.

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  2. Damn I love this guy! There has not been a movie that I have seen with him in it that has not gotten better because he's in it. I'm not sure I could have even narrowed down a list of films. I haven't seen The Music Never Stopped but based on what you say it's definitely worth looking into, an entire movie with this guy in it is something that I need to see. More guys should put him as a lead.

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    1. He really does deserve more lead roles, and I'm stunned The Music Never Stopped is his first. Either way, he is fantastic in it. A really sweet little film.

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  3. Hey, Alex - not sure if you partake in this awards business, but I've nominated you for the Sunshine and Family Awards! Details here: http://ccpopculture.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/awards-roundup-family-liebster-sunshine-awards/#more-1448

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    1. Wow - thanks man! I really do appreciate it. I'm so busy with "life" stuff right now, I'll try to do my post soon!

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    2. Cheers - I'm a bit leery of the whole awards business (as it's a little chain-letter-ish) but I love your work and I've really appreciated your comments over at my blog, so I couldn't help but nominate you :)

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  4. I particularly liked his lone scene in Up in the Air.

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    1. I love that scene. One of my favorite moments from the movie.

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  5. he was tremendous in up in the air.

    anyway, alex, can I ask you a question about Argo?

    You know, when you wrote its review, a dude commented saying he bet 100$ on Argo's best picture oscar, and you replied with a "Nice man! It really is a very well made film. But with that in mind, you're going to lose that $100. No way will this win Best Picture. Trust me!", saying that it was too heavy-handed for the oscars.

    i'm not trying to piss of ya, i just want to ask, why? why, according to you, argo won best picture? i can't understand it, my opinion about argo and the academy was exactly like yours one.

    great job for the blog by the way!

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    1. Hey there, definitely not pissing me off, no worries! I really appreciate your comment. The blogger I told that too - Alex of Time For a Film - is a great guy, and when I knew Argo was going to win, I was happy to admit how wrong I was!

      So, why did Argo win? Honestly, I think it was because Affleck wasn't nominated for director. I don't know if buzz from NOT being nominated for something has ever lent itself to WINNING something else, but I think that's what happened there. But hell man, who knows.

      Amour - too bleak
      Beasts of the Southern Wild - too indie
      Django Unchained - too controversial
      Les Mis - too polarizing
      Lincoln - too familiar
      Zero Dark Thirty - (way) too controversial

      That leaves Silver Linings Playbook (which may have been too cute) and Life of Pi (which may have not been... "enough"). But like I said, who the hell knows.

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    2. this years edition just needed a great movie, a great fucking drama, like rust and bone, not just thrillers like argo or zero dark, or things like amour and silver linings...beasts of the southern wild? best movie? wallis best actress? really?

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    3. Rust and Bone was my favorite film from last year. By far. I so wish it would've gotten nominated for something, anything.

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    4. me too, man, me too

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  6. Love J.K Simmons. I'm glad you talked about The Music Never Stopped. That was such a sweet little film, and the ending made me so sad. I can't remember the last time I even watched a film that was rated PG that wasn't a cartoon. I loved his character in Juno as well. One of the things that movie did right was to have the parents be relatively supportive and not raging mad that their 16 year old got knocked up.

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    1. I'm so glad you've seen that film. I only watched it because I was researching this post, but damn am I glad I did. An earnest, kind, PG-rated gem. Simmons was perfect.

      As for Juno - that's definitely what attracts me most about that movie. We've all seen raging mad ten times over.

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  7. J.K. Simmons is the best! I'll even watch him in random commercials. I haven't seen Oz, though I'm a big fan of Tom Fontana because of Homicide. I feel like Simmons can steal a movie with just a few scenes. Even a so-so film like Extract includes some great work from Simmons. It's great to see him doing so well thanks to some recent strong roles.

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    1. So glad you're a fan! He is amusing in those little Farmers commercials. But man, if you are a fan of Simmons AND Fontana, then Oz is a must. I know TV shows are a big undertaking, but that one is killer.

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  8. Yay you did J.K. Simmons! I'm glad you highlighted his work in the Spiderman movies because if you ever read the comics he really nails the character. I guess I have to put in my next suggestion which would be Ian Holm.
    -Dan

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    1. Hell yeah man, thanks for the reco. Really glad you're such a fan of his work.

      Ian Holm is great. I love his work. Solid choice.

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  9. Thank you so much for this post; like many others, it has brought attention to actors I know but never thought to look up. Recently rewatched The Ladykillers, a guilty pleasure of mine, and he was one of the best things about it. A fantastic guy.

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    1. Thank YOU for reading, my friend. So glad to help shed some light on these very talented actors. I rewacthed The Ladykillers for this post (I hadn't seen it in years) and Simmons is definitely my favorite performer in it. Such a knucklehead.

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  10. Oz is another show I need to watch, but I dig the performances I've seen. For me, it's hard to top Mac MacGuff and J. Jonah Jameson. He's flawless in those thankless roles.

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    1. They really are kind of thankless roles, aren't they? That's a shame, but really speaks to Simmons' talent that he's able to be so memorable. Still though, once you've seen Oz, you'll never view him the same.

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  11. Huh. Now I *really* need to check out Oz, if it's on DVD or streaming. My "must see" list keeps getting longer.

    I love J.K. Simmons in everything he does, even if it's a small, lightweight role (like the "honorary homo" dad in "I Love You, Man"). He's one of those guys who, for me, always kind of steals the show.

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    1. Oz is heavy shit, but really solid TV. Simmons is a ruthless force of nature in it, you'll never look at him the same again. Glad to hear you're a fan!

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    2. 'kay ... I'm heading to Netflix to look for it now. ;-)

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  12. Simmons is so great, and he looks badass in that Tigers cap.

    I have been meaning to watch Oz for ages. I might have to make that my next TV show I catch up with.

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    1. He really does look like a badass in that cap. Dude, Oz is crazy good. Highly recommend it.

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  13. Awesome to see Burn After Reading here, he was so funny in that movie! I really need to check out Oz some time, I usually adore HBO shows.

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    1. I love him in BAR. He's such a wise ass. Oz is rough stuff, but I do think you'd like it. A little uneven in its later seasons, but still great.

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  14. I love J.K. Simmons so, so much. I even have to watch the Farmers Insurance ads every time they come on, just to see him. Looking through this list, there's still a lot I have yet to see! I didn't even realize he was in Oz - not sure I want to hate him, though!

    He's even made his mark in the world of video games; his voiceover in Portal 2 was absolutely incredible. The game is great anyway, but he managed to take it up another notch.

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    1. So cool to hear you're such a fan! As for Oz... well, if you admire Simmons' work, then you'll really appreciate that performance. Will you like Vern Schillinger? No, you certainly will not. But I think you'll love J.K. Simmons AS Vern Schillinger.

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  15. Just started working my way through 'Oz' and completely agree that its the best work he has ever done. So very vile. Loving the show too :)

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    1. And he only gets WORSE. The character is such a monster, but Simmons plays it so well.

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