Just getting cast in one scene may be a lot of work. Not only do these roles have to compete with the protagonist's development, but the one-scene wonder is usually meant to advance the plot and provide some dazzling spectacle. If it weren't done right, viewers might forget they were in the film. However, these moments can become project highlights or historical adds if executed properly.
The criteria for inclusion on the list are straightforward: a performer must steal the show in just one scene and disappear forever. In this way, great performances from films like Almost Famous (2000) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) starring Matthew McConaughey, in which each actor only had a few moments, can not survive the chopping block. Even so, plenty of short films may make us cry, laugh, or scratch our heads in astonishment after just a single viewing.
This protracted cameo couldn't have been delivered better by anybody else, yet he was reportedly brought on after a long list of A-listers (including Patrick Swayze) declined. The scene's humor centers on Murray's deadpan delivery, and he shines in part he was born to portray.
The performances of Corey Stoll as Hemingway, Tom Hiddleston as Fitzgerald, and Marcial Di Fonzo Bo as Picasso are all highlights of Midnight. Still, Adrien Brody's Dal is the most intriguing character. Dal's encounter with modern man Gil Pender allows him to officially join the list, even though he was technically spotted at a party earlier in the film.
The criteria for inclusion on the list are straightforward: a performer must steal the show in just one scene and disappear forever. In this way, great performances from films like Almost Famous (2000) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) starring Matthew McConaughey, in which each actor only had a few moments, can not survive the chopping block. Even so, plenty of short films may make us cry, laugh, or scratch our heads in astonishment after just a single viewing.
1. Bill Murray - Zombieland (2009)
Source: Zombieland
This protracted cameo couldn't have been delivered better by anybody else, yet he was reportedly brought on after a long list of A-listers (including Patrick Swayze) declined. The scene's humor centers on Murray's deadpan delivery, and he shines in part he was born to portray.
2. Adrien Brody - Midnight in Paris (2011)
Source: Midnight in Paris
The performances of Corey Stoll as Hemingway, Tom Hiddleston as Fitzgerald, and Marcial Di Fonzo Bo as Picasso are all highlights of Midnight. Still, Adrien Brody's Dal is the most intriguing character. Dal's encounter with modern man Gil Pender allows him to officially join the list, even though he was technically spotted at a party earlier in the film.
3. Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement (2007)
Source: Atonement
4. James Badge Dale - Flight (2010)
Source: Flight
5. Christopher Walken - Pulp Fiction (1994)
Source: Pulp Fiction
6. Viola Davis - Doubt (2008)
Source: Doubt
7. Alec Baldwin - Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Source: Glengarry Glen Ross