Top 20 Supporting Actors Who Stole the Show

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Published 2024-05-01
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for actors who walked away with a movie despite not playing the most important character. This list takes a look at impressive performances from actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Octavia Spencer, Robin Williams and Jennifer Hudson. Who is your favorite supporting actor? Let us know in the comments!

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#BestActors
#Movieheroes
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#RobinWilliams
#DramaticActing
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All Comments (21)
  • @trinaq
    Michael Clarke Duncan should have won the Oscar for his work as John Coffey, he delivered an emotionally heartbreaking performance.
  • Michael Clarke Duncan absolutely killed that role. I can't ever watch that movie again. His performance was incredibly moving.
  • Mr. Miyagi’s wisdom, even if his English wasn’t the best, speaks volumes about how great he was.
  • I saw What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and I thought both Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio did SUCH a good job. Both of them were pretty young (especially Leonardo DiCaprio) but managed to convey the intensity and heaviness of their characters lives so well
  • R. Lee Ermey didn’t have to act in Full Metal Jacket because he was a real life drill sergeant.
  • @hollysdad49
    You did a big swing and a miss by omitting Rupert Everett in My Best Friend's Wedding.
  • @jp3813
    1993 was the greatest year for supporting actor (male) performances in general: The Fugitive = Tommy Lee Jones (Samuel Gerard) Schindler's List = Ralph Fiennes (Amon Göth), Ben Kingsley (Itzhak Stern) In the Line of Fire = John Malkovich (Mitch Leary) What's Eating Gilbert Grape = Leonardo DiCaprio (Arnie Grape) In the Name of the Father = Pete Postlethwaite (Giuseppe Conlon) Tombstone = Val Kilmer (Doc Holliday) Carlito's Way = Sean Penn (David Kleinfeld) True Romance = Gary Oldman (Drexl Spivey), Christopher Walken (Vincenzo Coccotti), Dennis Hopper (Clifford Worley)
  • Stanley Tucci in almost everything. Also Alfred Molina. Two of my favorite character/supporting actors.
  • @myredenvelopes
    Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own remains my favorite performance of his. I rarely speak of Oscar snubs, but he should have received a nomination with this film.
  • Williams, Goodman and Pesci steal the show in everything they're in. Pure legends!
  • @gorettiish
    Catherine Zeta Jones-Chicago, Benicio Del Toro-Traffic, Willem Dafoe-Platoon, Whoopi Goldberg-Ghost so many but I love this list
  • @rorynolan3187
    John Malkovich was the best part of the Red movies in my opinion..
  • @hopper8794
    Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction were unforgettable
  • @vinceely2906
    Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now. It's supposed to be all about Brando with a bit of Dennis Hopper. But it's Colonel Kilgore that everyone remembers.
  • @Acidrain82
    -John Malkovich as Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom in con air -Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean