Thursday, March 12, 2015

In Character: John Doman

If you’ve immersed yourself in pop culture over the past 15 years (particularly in television), then you’re undoubtedly aware of John Doman and his effortless command. Seriously, few modern performers possess an overall demeanor more intimidating than John Doman. This guy has the tough-as-balls, perpetual hardass persona down pat. When John Doman shows up, you know trouble is close by, and I have yet to grow tired of it.

Five Essential Roles
Mystic River (2003)
Driver
John Doman appears in the first few moments of Mystic River, occupying just a little more than two minutes of screen time. But despite the size of the role, his character haunts the rest of the film. As childhood friends Jimmy, Sean and Dave write their names in a slab of freshly-concreated sidewalk, they’re interrupted by a large, imposing man pretending to be a cop. Watching the scene as an objective, adult viewer, we know that this “cop” isn’t a cop at all. But the way Doman berates and intimidates young Dave into getting into the car is so horrifyingly accurate. You can just picture this happening on any number of street corners all over the world. Doman often uses his commanding presence to help his characters get his way. A skill that’s never been more terrifying than it is here.

Damages (2009)
Walter Kendrick
That screenshot certainly isn’t indicative of Doman’s full arc on FX’s Damages, but I couldn’t resist including it. The real Walter Kendrick is a ruthless CEO who has waged war on Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the fiercest lawyer in New York. Throughout Season 2 of the show, Kendrick stops at nothing to protect his dangerous company. He ruins lives and orders deaths, all in the name of spineless capitalism. It’s a meaty role, one that Doman dives into with his unique brand of relaxed intimidation. And his scenes with Marcia Gay Harden (as Kendrick’s equally ruthless lawyer) are simply ace.

Blue Valentine (2010)
Jerry
Similar to Mystic River, Doman isn’t in Blue Valentine for very long, but mere seconds after he’s introduced, we are frightened of him. The first time we see young Cindy (Michelle Williams) in her home, she’s sitting down to dinner with her aging grandmother, kind mother and perpetually grumpy father, Jerry. Jerry doesn’t care for his wife’s meal too much, so he picks it up and slams it down on the table. That, to me, is fear. Suburban and somewhat common fear, maybe, but few things are worse than sharing a physical space with someone who could erupt at any moment. I mean holy hell, can you imagine living with this guy? And, akin to Blue Valentine’s brilliance, how poetic is it to see Jerry in the later scenes of the film, sitting on his stoop, confined to his oxygen mask? What goes around comes around.

The Affair (2014)
Bruce Butler
Bruce Butler is a welcome deviation from the typical John Doman character. Sure, ol’ Bruce is a raging hardass who rarely has anything nice to say to anyone else, but what separates him from Doman’s other characters is class. Bruce Butler is a famous author who has penned nearly 20 books. His hobbies include sipping expensive wine, throwing parties at his Long Island mansion, and, most notably, humiliating his son-in-law, Noah (Dominic West). So essentially, Bruce is John Doman doing what he does best, but now with the security and arrogance of limitless wealth behind him. And my god, how much fun it is to see Doman bitching out West again on screen?  

Gotham (2014-2015)
Carmine Falcone
I haven’t watched all of Gotham’s first season yet, and in all honestly, it isn’t a show that’s very suited to my personal tastes. The main reason I decided to check it out (and ultimately stick with it) is Doman’s foreboding portrayal of mob boss Carmine Falcone. It’s such a delight to watch Doman slowly ease his way into the scene and chew lines like, “I never lose sleep over my enemies. It’s my friends that keep me awake.” Doman has been running in the game for a steady 15 years, and I absolutely love that at age 70, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

The Best of the Best
The Wire (2002-2008)
William A. Rawls
If you’ve seen just one episode of The Wire, there is absolutely no way you’ll forget Major William A. Rawls of the Baltimore Police Department. Rawls isn’t a hardass, he’s the hardass. His hyper-articulate, insanely profane method of berating is epic. Doman’s first big scene in The Wire took place early in episode one, sitting across from Det. McNulty (Dominic West), both his middle fingers raised in warning. “These are for you,” Rawls bellows. “These are for you for as long as it takes me to get even.” And from there, The Wire’s most entertaining rivalry was born.

But there’s more. On occasion, The Wire would grant us insight into who Rawls was as a human being. The best example of this is him consoling McNulty after a fellow officer is gunned down late in Season 1. The way he literally picks McNulty up off the floor and harshly explains that this cop’s injuries are not on him. It’s one of the most oddly moving things I’ve ever seen, mostly because it’s impossible to see coming. So while Rawls will always been known as The Wire’s chief asshole, I loved that the show explored his humanity, if ever so briefly.

Other Notable Roles
in HBO's Oz
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)
Mercury Rising (1998)
ER (1999-2003)
The Opponent (2000)
Oz (2001)
City by the Sea (2002)
Lonely Hearts (2006)
Gracie (2007)
The Company Men (2010)
Burn Notice (2010)
Rizzoli & Isles (2010-2014)
The Good Wife (2011)
Borgia (2011-2014)
Person of Interest (2014-2015)
House of Cards (2015)

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28 comments:

  1. Love that you highlight him. His work in TV is far more varied that his film work, but he never fails to make a serious impact, no matter how short the run time. I hope he gets a juicy film role soon...he deserves it!

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    1. Totally deserves it! I rarely cover predominately TV actors for In Character, but after plowing my way through Damages and House of Cards, I couldn't resist. Really glad to hear you're a fan.

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  2. "You McNulty are a gaping asshole." The Wire is my all time favorite show and to see you do a piece on Doman is great. One of the countless things that makes this show so good is that they show the briefest scene of Rawls in season 3 that comments on what he does outside of work. They never allude to it again. The only other wink to that scene is all the way in season 5. It's something so small but it adds a whole new level to his character.

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    1. That scene from season 3 is one of my all time favorite moments from the show (I wrote about it in that Top 11 Scenes from The Wire post above, if you're interested). And I fucking LOVE that they never mention it again. It takes such balls to completely change the dynamic of a character then never talk about it again.

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  3. OK, I haven't heard much of this guy but now I realize he's one of those character actors. A damn good one too. I remember him in Blue Valentine and in Mystic River. Character actors will never die because at least they get roles and keep on working.

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    1. Yes sir, that's damn right. Have you braved through The Wire?

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    2. I've never seen that show actually. I really should as it's one of those shows that I haven't seen that I need to rectify.

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    3. Definitely lives up to the hype.

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  4. When I saw his picture at the top of your post, I couldn't place him. By the end I was saying, "Oh ... right ... Rawls!" Great post. :-)

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    1. Thanks! Gotta love ol' Rawls. The hardass to end all hardasses.

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  5. Oh, he was so great in The Wire. Rawls is one of my favourite characters from the show. And it is really great to see him and West together again. I went into The Affair cold and I was really shocked by how much I enjoyed it. I'm guessing you liked it a lot as well?

    I guess I should really start Damages soon haha. Great post!

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    1. I loved The Affair. People warned me that it took some lame turns late in the season, but I dug all of it. Loved how each episode was split based on their perspectives. Damn fine show.

      Damages is a lot of fun. I'm on season 4 now and am still digging it. The cast is insane.

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  6. Major fucking Rawls. Love this guy. Had no idea Doman's in The Affair. I just got access to Showtime Anytime so I'll have to check that out. Great post!

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    1. Thanks man! This dude rocks. He isn't in The Affair very much, but every one of his scenes is priceless.

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  7. It's hard for me to think of John Dorman as anyone but Rawls. He stands out in a cast filled with amazing characters. I've caught him in a lot of small parts but barely remember them. You're right to point out that it isn't a one-note character. He's a jerk but shows an understanding that's usually missing frmo that type of guy.

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    1. Yep, exactly. Love that they gave ol' Rawls some depth from time to time.

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  8. He has also that blink and you'll miss it scene in The Wire that completely makes you see him in a new light. It works well enough on its own as a shocking visual, but it also informs you of why he is just the way he is.

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    1. One of my all-time favorite scenes from the show. I actually wrote about it in greater detail here, if you're interested: http://www.andsoitbeginsfilms.com/2012/09/my-top-11-scenes-from-wire.html

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  9. How could you forget his role in Borgia Faith and Fear?
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1736341/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_9
    John is the best Rodrigo Borgia EVER!

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    1. I didn't forget. Listed it under Other Notable Roles. I'm sure he's great on the show.

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  10. Another great and underrated character actor. His appearance in Mystic River still haunts me to this date and i haven't watched that movie since it came out. I need to give it a re-watch because i remember really liking it. I also really like him on Gotham even if the show is pretty bad. If it wasn't for him and the guy that plays The Penguin (i feel like he is one to keep an eye out for in the future) i wouldn't have bothered keeping up with it.

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    1. Sorry I missed this comment! What you said about Gotham speaks so well to Doman's work as an actor. He literally makes TV shows worth it. A rare gift to possess.

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  11. Nice choice. I haven't seen his TV work, but he was great in Mystic River and Blue Valentine. I have the first few seasons of The Wire. I really need to watch it!

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    1. Ohhh man, you gotta do it. It is so, so smart and so well done. The best TV show ever.

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  12. He's definitely got one of those faces, though at times he reminds me of Ray Winstone! I'm hoping to catch up on BORGIA (2011-2014) and from the first episode, Mr Doman definitely is the highlight!

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    1. I love that he's the highlight of Borgia. I haven't seen it yet, but it's great to know he's so good in it!

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  13. Hmmm that's odd, I thought I left a comment on this post. Well, great highlight once again Alex! I'm starting to watch BORGIA and naturally Doman is the best thing about it, as well as the actor who plays Juan Borgia.

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    1. Thanks Ruth! Love hearing that he's so good on Borgia. Sorry your first comment didn't go through!

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