Great Underrated Actor: Brion James

[BisexualMMA]

People seemed to enjoy talking a little bit about Joe Spinell. I figured why not bring up another darn good and dearly departed much too soon actor who might not be known by name...in Brion James.

People will probably recognize him most from Blade Runner.

Like Joe Spinell, he was probably never going to be confused with a matinee idol, but he made his look work to his advantage, quite often as a villain or wicked henchman.

One of his best roles was in Tango & Cash, where he put on a British accent to very believable effect.



And evil as all hell in Enemy Mine.

He got to really develop a character arc over the two 48 Hours films...

So if anyone feels like doing what sometimes gets done for the big names like Arnold and Eastwood and Brando and doing a Brion James marathon...

I would suggest...

Tango & Cash
Southern Comfort
Enemy Mine
48 Hours
Another 48 Hours
Blade Runner
Red Scorpion
Armed and Dangerous
Steel Dawn
The Fifth Element

These are the ones where I think he had a sizable role and it's worth watching to see Brion James in action, at least if I remember right. He was also in...

Roots
DOA
Cherry 2000
Red Heat
Striking Distance
The Player
The Postman Always Rings Twice

...all of which are worth a watch at least once at some point. Pretty small role in some of those.

Plus an episode of Miami Vice and Cagney & Lacey which are always worth it.

He died over 20 years ago now. Doesn't feel that long ago.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

Again another name that doesn't stand out at first, but once I saw that face the memories come back with a vengeance. lol Very good actor indeed.

 

[syct23]

These RIP threads are starting to get ridiculous...

 

[revoltub]

Time to die!

Recently watched the player and tango and cash. Good movies. Need to get back and rewatch enemy mine. Its been a while

 

[GoodBadHBK]

This only further convinces me Gran Torino is prolly a 7.1 when I really think about it

 

[revoltub]

This only further convinces me Gran Torino is prolly a 7.1 when I really think about it

Idk I have it close to a 10 now

 

[GoodBadHBK]

Idk I have it close to a 10 now

The Godfather is getting besmirched daily on solids discord. People don't know Great films

 

[revoltub]

The Godfather is getting besmirched daily on solids discord. People don't know Great films

Godfather: basically a musical

 

[BisexualMMA]

This only further convinces me Gran Torino is prolly a 7.1 when I really think about it

Brion James would have been about 75 now. Maybe one of those old man leading roles would have come his way. It's been interesting seeing Jonathan Banks, Mark Margolis etc. become reasonably big stars all of a sudden late in their careers.

 

[revoltub]

Brion James would have been about 75 now. Maybe one of those old man leading roles would have come his way. It's been interesting seeing Jonathan Banks, Mark Margolis etc. become reasonably big stars all of a sudden late in their careers.

Will Patton killed it in yellowstone

 

[BigSexy444]

 

[BisexualMMA]

Will Patton killed it in yellowstone

Great actor. He's always been a guy who at least made it into the billing block for the movie poster though. Banks and Margolis generally less so, at least if the movie made it to theaters.

Patton...excellent in The Punisher, No Way Out, a number of other movies.

 

[revoltub]

Great actor. He's always been a guy who at least made it into the billing block for the movie poster though. Banks and Margolis generally less so, at least if the movie made it to theaters.

Patton...excellent in The Punisher, No Way Out, a number of other movies.

No way out was great. He was also the best part of mothman prophecies I'd say

 

[Goon Dog]

Brion James would have been about 75 now. Maybe one of those old man leading roles would have come his way. It's been interesting seeing Jonathan Banks, Mark Margolis etc. become reasonably big stars all of a sudden late in their careers.

I'm a big Banks fan. He did a who's-who of TV back in the day and he was really good in Beverly Hills Cop. It was great when he popped up on BB.

 

[Goon Dog]

Will Patton killed it in yellowstone

Yes he did.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I'm a big Banks fan. He did a who's-who of TV back in the day and he was really good in Beverly Hills Cop. It was great when he popped up on BB.

Yeah Breaking Bad really showed what he could do all along if he got something to sink his teeth into.

I think he and Mark Margolis and Luis Guzman all had no lines in the prison movie Short Eyes from the 70s. Then all made names for themselves after being extras in that no budget project which was basically just a vehicle for Curtis Mayfield songs.

Banks was great in Beverly Hills Cop. Left a big impression as the #2 villain. Pretty good in Freejack...pretty good in everything really. What he started doing in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul...I knew he was good before but I didn't know he was that good.

If he hadn't made such a name for himself as of late, he'd have been a great candidate for one of these threads.

 

[Goon Dog]

No way out was great. He was also the best part of mothman prophecies I'd say

Jesus I forgot he was Scott. Loved the film and he stole half the scenes he was in. The basketball court scene was fucking raw as hell.

 

[revoltub]

Jesus I forgot he was Scott. Loved the film and he stole half the scenes he was in. The basketball court scene was fucking raw as hell.

Yeah and when he tells the story to RG, just a raw vibe.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

 

[HUGHPHUG]

I was watching him in Nightmare At Noon with Wings Hauser earlier