Since making his debut in the 1980s, John Goodman has become a byword for consistency on screens both big and small, with the actor rarely giving a performance that’s anything less than watchable.
Whether he’s required to lend his talents to a boisterous comedy, a serious drama, or an effects-heavy blockbuster, Goodman is one of those character actors who can always be leaned upon to make the most of whatever material they’re handed, regardless of how solid or flimsy it is.
He’s also a hugely versatile talent that’s won the majority of his awards for starring on sitcom Roseanne, but has displayed a knack for being every bit as terrifying as he is easy-going. Versatility is key to longevity in such a ruthless profession, but Goodman is hardly going to anoint himself as a performer with a penchant for ripping up the rulebook and taking it in brand new directions.
However, he knows exactly who deserves that reputation, and he’s hardly alone in carrying that mindset. There are now several generations of actors who effectively worship the ground that Marlon Brando used to walk on, which is fair enough when the industry’s most famous method man completely revolutionised the art of acting when he first burst onto the scene with his achingly authentic, real, and nuances approach.
Walk into any Hollywood event where the stars are gathered in their numbers, and nobody would be able to turn around without bumping into at least a handful of thespians who worship at Brando’s altar. Goodman is very much and very firmly among that number, having never cast any doubts on who his biggest influence is.
At the end of the day, actors are hardly out there saving lives and dragging old ladies and household pets from burning buildings, but Goodman nonetheless maintained that Brando’s impact on the planet stretched much further than a string of remarkable performances and the status of being perhaps the single most influential purveyor of the profession the moving image has ever seen.
Goodman isn’t known for being one of Tinseltown’s most famous method practitioners, but as he explained to The Guardian, he sought to emulate the best. “Brando was different, he changed the world,” he said. “He was the beginning and end of his own revolution.”
Regardless of whether or not anyone chooses to accept Goodman’s world-changing opinion at face value, the latter half of his statement can’t be argued with. There was screen acting before Brando, and there was screen acting after Brando. The lines between the two periods are stark and there for all to see, but none of the pretenders to his throne have come close to making anywhere near the same impact as the iconic star.
