10 Greatest Sam Rockwell Movies, Ranked for Their Standout Performances
A role shaped by redemption
In The Best of Enemies, Rockwell portrays C.P. Ellis, the Ku Klux Klan president in 1970s Durham, North Carolina. After a fire destroys the local Black school, Ellis and community organizer Ann Atwater, played by Taraji P. Henson, must work together on a peaceful transition to desegregation.
The two initially struggle to work together, but their relationship changes and Ellis begins to question his values. Based on Osha Gray Davidson’s book about race and redemption in the New South, the film draws on a lesser-known true story. Rockwell and Henson’s performances give the familiar subject fresh energy.
Political figures on screen
Rockwell plays President George W. Bush in Adam McKay’s Vice, a dark comedy about Dick Cheney’s rise to power. Christian Bale portrays Cheney, whose path to the White House is helped by Bush inviting him to run as his vice-presidential candidate.
Though the film centers on Cheney, Rockwell drew critical attention for his affable portrayal of Bush. He transformed into the former president with the help of makeup, and received a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for the role.
A fierce supporting performance
In Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon, Michael Sheen plays British journalist David Frost and Frank Langella portrays Richard Nixon. The film adapts Peter Morgan’s stage play and follows the pair’s series of recorded, one-on-one interviews.
Rockwell plays Jim Reston Jr., an investigator who helps Frost prepare. His performance brings intensity to a character angered by Nixon’s administration and by what he sees as the former president’s lack of accountability.
Comedy amid a collapsing regime
Jojo Rabbit follows 10-year-old Johannes “Jojo” Betzler, played by Roman Griffin Davis, as Nazi forces collapse. Jojo belongs to the Hitler Youth, imagines Hitler as a friend, and discovers that his mother, Rosie, played by Scarlett Johansson, is hiding Elsa, a young woman portrayed by Thomasin McKenzie.
Rockwell plays Captain Klenzendorf, an apathetic leader of the Nazi youth. The character is disillusioned with the war and the side he serves, allowing Rockwell to mix comedy with sorrow. Though Klenzendorf has limited screen time, the article highlights the impact of Rockwell’s performance.
Key points
- Rockwell’s career spans more than 30 years, with roles across drama and comedy.
- In The Best of Enemies, he plays C.P. Ellis opposite Taraji P. Henson’s Ann Atwater.
- Rockwell received a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for playing George W. Bush in Vice.
- His supporting roles in Frost/Nixon and Jojo Rabbit bring intensity and humor to politically charged stories.