15 Small Role Actors Who Stole The Show Despite Having Just A Few Minutes Of Screen Time

We all have our favorite side characters who we think are even better than the main ones, and we are not wrong. There are a lot of times when it’s the small role actors who steal the whole show, not the main characters. Some even won the Oscars for their supporting roles, such as Judi Dench and her eight-minute role in Shakespeare in Love, or Anne Hathaway and her 15 minutes of onscreen time in Les Misérables.
So let’s see some really great examples of small role actors who steal the spotlight with their short appearances on the silver screen. Do you think they’re better than the main roles? Which one is your favorite?

1. Lil Rel Howery as Rod Williams in Get Out

Source: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Rod Williams’s appearance in the ending scene of Get Out is just iconic. He just makes us feel so relieved. The moment the TSA friend got out of the car, we knew we had a happy ending and everybody cheered.

2. Tom Cruise as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder

Source: Paramount Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Les Grossman is a cool character in Tropic Thunder, but he gets 10 times cooler when you realize it’s Tom Cruise who plays him. Seriously, who would have thought it was Tom Cruise under all that makeup and prosthetics!? It makes his dancing scenes much funnier. Besides, who would ever think Tom Cruise could be one of the best small role actors ever? We certainly didn't see that coming.

3. Ana de Armas as Paloma in No Time to Die

Source: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Ana de Armas was the best part of No Time to Die. For how stunning and badass her character is, it’s a sin for Armas to have such a short screen time. She should be onscreen a lot more! Without Paloma, the film is dull as heck.

4. Evan Peters as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Evan Peters as Quicksilver saved the whole movie from becoming a boring mess. His kitchen scene is iconic. He does everything perfectly in Quicksilver’s style, saving everybody while still having fun. No need for big punches or massive lifts, the scene is still impressive and mindblowing AF.

5. Harish Patel as Karun Patel in Eternals

Source: Marvel Studios/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Karun Patel is the most adorable character in Eternals and honestly, he steals the spotlight every time he appears. He is one of the best MCU sidekicks ver!

6. Drew Barrymore as Casey Becker in Scream

Source: Dimension Films/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

We can all agree that it’s the opening sequence of Casey Becker that makes Scream as iconic as it is today. Drew Barrymore only had about 15 minutes of screen time, but she nailed those 15 minutes. It’s her amazing performance at the beginning that sets the tension for the whole film.

7. Peter Stormare as Lucifer in Constantine

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Peter Stormare as Lucifer in the 2005 movie Constantine must be one of the most badass portrayals of the king of Hell on the silver screen. His white suit, his demeanor, his feet, and the whole dripping oil/acid thing are just so metal. He only had a few minutes in the movie, but his character was the most mesmerizing one. He is one of the best small role actors ever.

8. Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette in Legally Blonde

Source: 20th Century Fox/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Every side character in Legally Blonde is pretty great, but Paulette is truly a treasure. She is the personification of the rainbow, just pure wholesome and fun!

9. Bill Murray as himself in Zombieland

Source: Sony Pictures Releasing/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Bill Murray playing himself in the middle of a Zombie apocalypse is just hilarious. His scenes might be short, but they were the highlight of the movie. It makes Zombieland stand out from all the other undead-theme films at that time.

10. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Draco Malfoy was so iconic that we felt like he played a big role in the Harry Potter franchise and had a lot of onscreen time. Well, he was certainly an important character, but he only had 31 minutes of screen time throughout all eight films. All eight films! It should be a crime.

11. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs

Source: Orion Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

There is no doubt that Anthony Hopkins’s Hannibal Lecter is one of the most iconic villains in movie history. Thanks to his amazing performance, the movie won several Oscars and Sir Hopkins took home the Academy Award for Best Actor. However, he only had 16 minutes of screen time in the movie.

12. Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Speaking of iconic villains, Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight is legendary. He defines what a good villain should be with that role, and he only has 33 minutes of screen time in the film!

13. Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Despite being the main villain of the movie and one of the most popular monsters on the screen, Freddy Kruger only had about seven minutes of screen time in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

14. Kimberly Adair Clark as Honey in The Incredibles

Source: Disney/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

We don’t even get to see her face in the movie, yet somehow Kimberly Adair Clark still becomes one of the best parts of The Incredibles. We will never forget the "Where is my super suit?" scene. And let’s not forget her iconic line "I am the greatest good you're ever gonna get!" What a queen.

15. Brad Bird as Edna Mode in The Incredibles

Source: Disney/ Courtesy of Everett Collection

Another side character who steals the whole show in The Incredibles must be none other than the legendary designer Edna Mode. She is sassy, she is fashionable, and she only has about five minutes of screen time in the first Incredibles movie. But five minutes is all Edna Mode needs to become an icon.
These small role actors give us great performances and make the show much better with just a few minutes of their screen time. On the other hand, we have some main characters who are the worst parts of their shows. Seriously, they ruined the whole thing!