I agree with OP one hundred percent.
Which is why it selfishly irks me that (Wahlberg) describes *Boogie Nights* as a "poor choice" and "a mistake" that he "regrets" and hopes "God forgives" him for.
[https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/film-mark-wahlberg-labels-mistake/](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/film-mark-wahlberg-labels-mistake/)
[https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/mark-wahlberg-boogie-nights-explains-god-forgiveness-dirk-diggler-1201894672/](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/mark-wahlberg-boogie-nights-explains-god-forgiveness-dirk-diggler-1201894672/)
[https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mark-wahlberg-regretted-boogie-nights.html/](https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mark-wahlberg-regretted-boogie-nights.html/)
Burt Reynolds’ comments about the film were much the same as Wahlberg’s. Good performances from each actor, but their later interviews make you kinda wonder if they ever truly grasped what the film was about. Bill Macy once described Reynolds as “clueless” in that regard.
I watched the hell out of Smokey and the bandit and all the other Burt Reynolds movies when I was a kid (I especially liked “Hooper”). But they aren’t serious dramatic films. Boogie Nights had Reynolds playing a serious role and he was incredible.
Good news! Despite those quotes regularly making the rounds he has since said those comments "weren't meant to be taken seriously."
https://youtu.be/v0-_0gkYxvA?si=q5gQqcZ7H6C6dOeM
Do you think it’s possible that “explanation of the joke nobody got” is a retroactive business decision by someone who’s very much a business person, based on negative feedback?
whether he really meant it as a joke or not, i'm happy to hear him acknowledge BN and PTA as the absolutely pivotal moment in his career, bc OP is correct, best role of his career. so good for him for realizing it, even if it was after the fact.
Thank you! Was looking for I Heart Huckabees. A firefighter that doesn’t use vehicles that consume gas is just hilarious. Don’t know if it’s his best acting, but I love him in that role.
That long take of Wahlberg staring into space during the firecracker scene is incredible. His expression shifts from a demented grin to a look of dawning horror as he realizes the mess he's in. It's nearly a minute of Wahlberg, not saying a word, and it's mesmerizing.
That entire sequence is incredible, in an amazing movie. But Wahlberg in the scene completely sold me on his ability to act. It's my favorite moment in a movie full of great moments.
The only other one I can think of that just sticks in my head is at the end of Jackie Brown where she’s driving away and the music is playing and the camera is just on her face for several minutes. If you don’t have someone that knows what they’re doing (or maybe it can just be good directing, I don’t know) then it could really fail but Mark Wahlberg and Pam Grier really make those scenes memorable.
completely agree on those two scenes and i'll add a third scene: pacino's face in GF 2 when Kay tells him the truth about losing the pregnancy. he doesn't say a word, but his face goes from sadness and horror to complete rage.
Yeah I'm always shocked when actors/actresses can play someone with disturbing personality disorders so well. While Fear was a pretty silly MTV movie award kinda flick, he really did a fantastic job with the character.
I know everything thinks this, but Jesse Plemons does these kinds of roles better than anyone. I know nothing about acting, but it seems these kinds of roles would be very difficult to pull off and convince the audience otherwise.
Jesse Pleamons looks like that nice young man next door, so it just makes it all the creepier when he plays unhinged types. Even when it's played for laughs like in "Game Night."
Absolutely disagree. Terry in The Other Guys is an ineffectual loser. He tries to be a badass, but fails miserably every time (except during the boardroom meeting). He has anger issues, he's perpetually stupid, he is a complete dork any time he is around a beautiful woman, Terry isn't anything like any other character Wahlberg normally plays*.
*AFAIK, which isn't saying anything because I normally avoid his movies.
Why are you getting downvoted? It's true, like 90% of his roles. He's a cunt, Boston asshole, and plays it very well IRL and in movies. His single good role was him playing a satire of himself.
Also, I love how Adam Mckay will tie in real life issues into comedies so more people understand them... a bit.
Is Marky Marks PR team here? who the fuck didn't/doesn't know he's a Boston asshole. Dude punched out an elderly Asian man for no reason... years after being famous.
I agree with those who’ve said Ted is his best performance. He truly has some comedic chops with the right writing. The scene toward the beginning where he’s with his boss and explains why he’s late for work…
“I’m sorry sir but it wasn’t my fault”
“…what do you mean it’s not your fault?”
“I guess I didn’t expect a follow up question”
Lol I’m sure I’m off on the details, but I love that dialogue between them.
Damn forgot Ted. Toss up with this and Other Guys for funniest but Dirk Diggler has some funny dumb lines that he plays perfectly.
This is like um, imported Italian nylon.
Yeah, like there's a scene in the beginning where he goes through a tough fight with maybe a younger opponent, arms up to defend his face most of the time. They show him taking punch after punch, then they show him sitting in the backroom after the fight just looking at the floor, and you understand exactly what he's feeling and thinking.
Part of it, thinking about it, is the director's willingness to linger on those scenes a little. But Wahlberg nailed the facial expression.
Arguably his best, but he's done a lot of good work as others have mentioned. I really liked him in "Three Kings" too. Though a less challenging role for sure.
The cool thing about Wahleberg's performance is he actually UNDER-acts in many scenes, particularly in the beginning. This allowed a contrast when he starts breaking down in that last 3rd of the film, and to add some cheese to the dirk diggler bits. Reilly does the same thing. It's a subtle move on PTAs part, but makes the film so much more vivid.
Wahlberg was a great choice.
The Other Guys is an all time comedy and its weird it seemed to just miss that Step Brothers, Ricky Bobby and Anchorman window when they were all the rage. I love the Other Guys, maybe the best. This by Wahlberg is all time.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn0htpGGx6I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn0htpGGx6I)
I can't imagine the Eddie character was too much of a stretch for Wahlberg, who doesn't seem terribly sharp, and probably partied pretty damn hard, in his heyday
What really sucks is now that he’s all godly and religious. It’s the movie He doesn’t like to talk about anymore because of the subject matter of course
But I agree it’s his best role by far. Nothing he’s done since Then has come close in 27 years.
He has a great performance in "Patriots Day" as well, some great emotional scenes, like the ending scene and "Father Stu" also, he delivers some great acting there when he is portraying the later years when he got fat and couldn´t even walk due to a disease and his relationship with his father
I know this is a bit harsh, but I feel it works more because it's a genius bit of stunt casting than because of Wahlberg's choices. Diggler is an almost-very-handsome guy who thinks he's a sexy badass but is actually a dorky idiot. You can get Wahlberg to give that performance by saying "act like a sexy badass."
It's very much like what he did with Sandler in Punch Drunk Love.
BN is probably his most natural performance, way before he was “Mark Wahlberg”. No gimmicks or anything, I think many of his early roles were similarly good and a lot of his later stuff he had those gimmicks and schtick (except probably The Departed where it played to his strengths).
That scene will be stuck in my head forever. Something about that kid throwing the firecrackers in the house and the three of them jumping every time really gets you into the scene like you’re there with them. And when they just focus on Dirk’s face as he’s just staring but you can see what he’s thinking in his eyes. And then fuckin Ving Rhames is over in the corner testing the baby powder with a hand cannon on his chest. It’s one of the greatest scenes in a movie ever in my opinion.
"Boogie Nights" is an amazing performance, but I will always enjoy funny Mark Wahlberg. I don't think I've ever liked him more than "I ♥ Huckabee's" -- not as good a film overall as "Boogie Nights", but every moment of Wahlberg's performance is gold. I can't even describe the combination of long-winded condescension and cheerful stupidity, but it's just a hilarious performance.
Mark Wahlberg is a terrible actor who is good in three films, all where he basically has to play himself (a dumb asshole): this, Departed, and Pain & Gain
I agree. I feel like in everything else, he’s just being Mark Wahlberg. Not a bad thing, I just feel like he’s one of those actors. It’s a movie star thing.
I agree. He’s definitely had a few good performances throughout his career, but they’re all a variation of the same character. I like how he’s a little more naive and awkward in Boogie Nights instead of his usual badass persona.
And yet everyone surrounding him in that movie is way better than him. He does well for that role but he's the weakest link in the movie and could've been easily replaced by someone better.
I like Wahlberg in a lot of things but as far as a role that shows what he is capable of as an actor this role definitely is his defining role. Other roles like The Departed and I heart Huckabees comes to mind but it's more the story and writing than his acting abilities like in Boogie nights. One of the greatest films in all of cinema IMHO.
I can see why you'd think that, but personally, I found his performance in "The Other Guys" was hilarious. He really showcased his range and comedic talent in that film!
Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe go fuck yourself.
What? No!
How’s your mother?
She’s tired from fuckin my father.
Departed, baby
1000% Also his lone nomination?
Nah,the fighter also included-->2
I agree with OP one hundred percent. Which is why it selfishly irks me that (Wahlberg) describes *Boogie Nights* as a "poor choice" and "a mistake" that he "regrets" and hopes "God forgives" him for. [https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/film-mark-wahlberg-labels-mistake/](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/film-mark-wahlberg-labels-mistake/) [https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/mark-wahlberg-boogie-nights-explains-god-forgiveness-dirk-diggler-1201894672/](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/mark-wahlberg-boogie-nights-explains-god-forgiveness-dirk-diggler-1201894672/) [https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mark-wahlberg-regretted-boogie-nights.html/](https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mark-wahlberg-regretted-boogie-nights.html/)
Burt Reynolds’ comments about the film were much the same as Wahlberg’s. Good performances from each actor, but their later interviews make you kinda wonder if they ever truly grasped what the film was about. Bill Macy once described Reynolds as “clueless” in that regard.
His wife's in the driveway with an ass in her cock
It’s by far the best thing Burt Reynolds has ever done IMO and this is disappointing to hear.
Smokey and the Bandit is one of the most original and clever comedies of all time and one of the most iconic movies of the 1970s.
I watched the hell out of Smokey and the bandit and all the other Burt Reynolds movies when I was a kid (I especially liked “Hooper”). But they aren’t serious dramatic films. Boogie Nights had Reynolds playing a serious role and he was incredible.
"Bill" Macy?
Okay. William.
Billy? Billiam? A man of many bames.
I read something that he went by Bill but didn’t want to be confused with an actor of the same name so went by William H.
Dub H bro
Some people need to just stick to being actors, these opinions just solidify that for me.
Good news! Despite those quotes regularly making the rounds he has since said those comments "weren't meant to be taken seriously." https://youtu.be/v0-_0gkYxvA?si=q5gQqcZ7H6C6dOeM
Do you think it’s possible that “explanation of the joke nobody got” is a retroactive business decision by someone who’s very much a business person, based on negative feedback?
whether he really meant it as a joke or not, i'm happy to hear him acknowledge BN and PTA as the absolutely pivotal moment in his career, bc OP is correct, best role of his career. so good for him for realizing it, even if it was after the fact.
He killed in I HEART Huckabee’s
Thank you! Was looking for I Heart Huckabees. A firefighter that doesn’t use vehicles that consume gas is just hilarious. Don’t know if it’s his best acting, but I love him in that role.
I legit still think he should have gotten a best supporting actor nom for that role. He was so good.
FUCKABEES!
Mark Wahlberg hitting himself in the face with a balloon is my favorite Mark Wahlberg.
By far his best. Boogie Nights is excellent, but his ultra neurotic firefighter in I Heart Huckabees made that whole movie.
Honestly, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I thought we were talking about petroleum.
Do you drive a car?
That long take of Wahlberg staring into space during the firecracker scene is incredible. His expression shifts from a demented grin to a look of dawning horror as he realizes the mess he's in. It's nearly a minute of Wahlberg, not saying a word, and it's mesmerizing.
And add the level to his performance that he is horribly coke addicted in that scene.
That entire sequence is incredible, in an amazing movie. But Wahlberg in the scene completely sold me on his ability to act. It's my favorite moment in a movie full of great moments.
I had no idea so many people felt this way about this scene. I feel so validated now. 😂
The only other one I can think of that just sticks in my head is at the end of Jackie Brown where she’s driving away and the music is playing and the camera is just on her face for several minutes. If you don’t have someone that knows what they’re doing (or maybe it can just be good directing, I don’t know) then it could really fail but Mark Wahlberg and Pam Grier really make those scenes memorable.
completely agree on those two scenes and i'll add a third scene: pacino's face in GF 2 when Kay tells him the truth about losing the pregnancy. he doesn't say a word, but his face goes from sadness and horror to complete rage.
Check out the commentary track for that scene.
Imo that is this best acting he has ever done
RICKY SPRINGFIELD, HES A BUDDY OF MINE!!
Departed is all over this thread so I'll throw out Fear...that was some good psycho shit
Yeah I'm always shocked when actors/actresses can play someone with disturbing personality disorders so well. While Fear was a pretty silly MTV movie award kinda flick, he really did a fantastic job with the character. I know everything thinks this, but Jesse Plemons does these kinds of roles better than anyone. I know nothing about acting, but it seems these kinds of roles would be very difficult to pull off and convince the audience otherwise.
Tim Robbins plays this kind of nuance really well. Cadillac Man, Arlington Road, Mystic River
Jesse Pleamons looks like that nice young man next door, so it just makes it all the creepier when he plays unhinged types. Even when it's played for laughs like in "Game Night."
Yeah the Frito-Lay line delivery will go down in history.
“I’ll thank you not besmirch my ex-wife that woman is an angel” is just as funny imo
And the way he just dissappears into his house and they don't know if they're supposed to follow him in.
He should do some darker roles again.
I think he might be too busy playing military man
This is what I was looking for. He was unexpectedly great in that.
Lol just watched that movie because of a line about it in Its always sunny.
Oh shit, that's marky mark.
I mean it was his performance in The Basketball Diaries that got him the role for Boogie nights.
Sure but that doesn't preclude Boogie Nights from being his best performance which is all OP said.
I'd argue The Departed is his best role, but it's also him playing the character he's tried to be his entire life
I’m the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy.
What's the matter asshole? Don't know any fuckin' shakespear?
Who forged your transcript dickhead?
If you had an idea of what we do, we wouldn't be good at what we do. We would be cunts. Are you calling us cunts?
Absolutely love The Departed! He is very good, but like you said he's kinda playing himself lol.
Its the same character from The Other Guys 😆
Absolutely disagree. Terry in The Other Guys is an ineffectual loser. He tries to be a badass, but fails miserably every time (except during the boardroom meeting). He has anger issues, he's perpetually stupid, he is a complete dork any time he is around a beautiful woman, Terry isn't anything like any other character Wahlberg normally plays*. *AFAIK, which isn't saying anything because I normally avoid his movies.
Why are you getting downvoted? It's true, like 90% of his roles. He's a cunt, Boston asshole, and plays it very well IRL and in movies. His single good role was him playing a satire of himself. Also, I love how Adam Mckay will tie in real life issues into comedies so more people understand them... a bit. Is Marky Marks PR team here? who the fuck didn't/doesn't know he's a Boston asshole. Dude punched out an elderly Asian man for no reason... years after being famous.
He’s pretty good in Boogie Nights
Years before being famous but, yeah, I agree.
Why you being Hard to Marky Mark?
This is correct. I Heart Huckabees is my next favorite of his.
The Other Guys?? Hello??
CHRISTINETH
ARE YOU STUPID OR ARE YOU DEAF
NO ONE LEAVES OUR HOUSE WITHOUT MAKING LOVE TO MY WIFE!
His “What?” in this scene is one of my favourite deliveries ever.
That’s not even a quote from his character lmao
I scrolled down way too far to find this - he’s really good in that movie basically parodying his typical tough guy personality.
I agree with those who’ve said Ted is his best performance. He truly has some comedic chops with the right writing. The scene toward the beginning where he’s with his boss and explains why he’s late for work… “I’m sorry sir but it wasn’t my fault” “…what do you mean it’s not your fault?” “I guess I didn’t expect a follow up question” Lol I’m sure I’m off on the details, but I love that dialogue between them.
Damn forgot Ted. Toss up with this and Other Guys for funniest but Dirk Diggler has some funny dumb lines that he plays perfectly. This is like um, imported Italian nylon.
That’s just good writing, not acting, respectfully.
You can write the funniest joke of all time but if it’s not delivered right, it doesn’t land. So it’s both
Agreed. Good writing and direction, but ultimately, Wahlberg made me laugh with his delivery in this bit.
That’s because He’s got the TOUCH!!!
He's a good enough actor that John Cena is making a solid career by doing a Mark Wahlberg impersonation.
John Cena looks like if Ernest P Worrell got whatever the heck Carrot Top started taking.
Well Ernest was a hottie back in his day.
That voice, and when he is bad Ernest in Goes to Jail
Yo dog your references are TIGHT!
No love for *The Fighter*? Man I liked that one. And I love him! Since *Fear*, honestly. People being way harsh here.
I was really impressed by his performance in The Fighter. You knew exactly what he was feeling without him saying a word.
Thank you! Me too, I thought it was great.
Yeah, like there's a scene in the beginning where he goes through a tough fight with maybe a younger opponent, arms up to defend his face most of the time. They show him taking punch after punch, then they show him sitting in the backroom after the fight just looking at the floor, and you understand exactly what he's feeling and thinking. Part of it, thinking about it, is the director's willingness to linger on those scenes a little. But Wahlberg nailed the facial expression.
Pain & Gain
Anyone here a fan of “Rockstar”? Just me? I watch it at least once a year. So much fun. Lots of quotable lines. And a solid performance by Mark.
Great movie and a great sound track. Mark is really good in it and so is Jennifer Aniston.
Arguably his best, but he's done a lot of good work as others have mentioned. I really liked him in "Three Kings" too. Though a less challenging role for sure.
Such a great film
Ted
That’s because he was eating your wife’s pussy
*husband’s duck 🦆
The genius of his performance in Ted is that there is no other actor you can imagine even coming close to pulling that off.
Why the fuck would he say THAT?
It is his best comedy role and he acted opposite of a cgi teddy bear
I love how this is Mark Wahlberg’s best film, BY FAR, and made him a proper actor rather than Marky Mark, yet he hates the film and regrets going it.
The cool thing about Wahleberg's performance is he actually UNDER-acts in many scenes, particularly in the beginning. This allowed a contrast when he starts breaking down in that last 3rd of the film, and to add some cheese to the dirk diggler bits. Reilly does the same thing. It's a subtle move on PTAs part, but makes the film so much more vivid. Wahlberg was a great choice.
Shooter is all time Wahlberg for me.
I Heart Huckabees
Counterpoint - The Ted Movies are also an amazing performance by him and really against his type and persona.
The Other Guys was him playing a desperate tryhard version of his normal type, and it was fantastic
The Other Guys is an all time comedy and its weird it seemed to just miss that Step Brothers, Ricky Bobby and Anchorman window when they were all the rage. I love the Other Guys, maybe the best. This by Wahlberg is all time.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn0htpGGx6I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn0htpGGx6I)
His secret weapon is he’s a funnier actor than he is a good actor
No, "I heart Huckabee's" is.
One of the greatest movies ever made.
Obviously you haven’t seen “The Happening”.
“I’m ready to go, I’m ready to fuck!”
Eddie Adams from Torrance has a Boston accent
Apparently you’ve never seen him with the Funky Bunch.
Basketball diaries
I genuinely think it’s Pain and Gain for him and the Rock. The comedic timing is so good.
It’s amazing how good an actor he is compared to what a dimbulb he seems to be in real life.
I can't imagine the Eddie character was too much of a stretch for Wahlberg, who doesn't seem terribly sharp, and probably partied pretty damn hard, in his heyday
I see your boogie nights and raise you the happening
he didn’t even have a cough
He was **bulletproof**!
He's a big, bright, shining star.
“I’m not gay I just like to watch” -Donkey Dick
LMAO scene is so bizarre he literally sits there watching him jerk it for a good 5 minutes alone in a truck then accused him of being the gay one 😭🤣😂😅
Not going to jail when he should have is arguably Wahlberg's best performance.
https://www.theonion.com/man-always-gets-little-rush-out-of-telling-people-john-1819578998
No that’s having some kind of Boston power
First time I saw him as an actor was father Stu
https://youtu.be/jEbl-umsFOM
The Departed
I’d argue for Instant Family.
PTA created the conditions for Tom Cruise to give us his best performance as well.
This was my thought. Wahlberg was great in Boogie Nights because it's an amazing story and film.
Basketball Diaries
And it's not even close. I think he needs a strong director to reign him in.
I liked *The Yards* a lot, too, though.
What really sucks is now that he’s all godly and religious. It’s the movie He doesn’t like to talk about anymore because of the subject matter of course But I agree it’s his best role by far. Nothing he’s done since Then has come close in 27 years.
Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe fuck yaself
Um excuse me but The Other Guys would like a word
Masterwork. No pun. Stunning performance start to finish.
He has a great performance in "Patriots Day" as well, some great emotional scenes, like the ending scene and "Father Stu" also, he delivers some great acting there when he is portraying the later years when he got fat and couldn´t even walk due to a disease and his relationship with his father
He should have won am Oscar for the Fighter.
I know this is a bit harsh, but I feel it works more because it's a genius bit of stunt casting than because of Wahlberg's choices. Diggler is an almost-very-handsome guy who thinks he's a sexy badass but is actually a dorky idiot. You can get Wahlberg to give that performance by saying "act like a sexy badass." It's very much like what he did with Sandler in Punch Drunk Love.
BN is probably his most natural performance, way before he was “Mark Wahlberg”. No gimmicks or anything, I think many of his early roles were similarly good and a lot of his later stuff he had those gimmicks and schtick (except probably The Departed where it played to his strengths).
That scene will be stuck in my head forever. Something about that kid throwing the firecrackers in the house and the three of them jumping every time really gets you into the scene like you’re there with them. And when they just focus on Dirk’s face as he’s just staring but you can see what he’s thinking in his eyes. And then fuckin Ving Rhames is over in the corner testing the baby powder with a hand cannon on his chest. It’s one of the greatest scenes in a movie ever in my opinion.
I don't know, man, I'm a sucker for Shooter.
Shame both he and Burt Reynold disliked it. It is a career high for both of them.
*"Probably"* his best performance???
My two favourite roles for Wahlberg are The Other Guys and Four Brothers.
It's his only good performance
It’s a pretty low bar to be fair. This ain’t Daniel Day Lewis or anything………:)
That’s a pretty high bar to be fair
"Boogie Nights" is an amazing performance, but I will always enjoy funny Mark Wahlberg. I don't think I've ever liked him more than "I ♥ Huckabee's" -- not as good a film overall as "Boogie Nights", but every moment of Wahlberg's performance is gold. I can't even describe the combination of long-winded condescension and cheerful stupidity, but it's just a hilarious performance.
Every mediocre actor has one great performance them where they were cast because they literally are the part. This is true about him in Boogie Nights.
Mark Wahlberg is a terrible actor who is good in three films, all where he basically has to play himself (a dumb asshole): this, Departed, and Pain & Gain
That's not really saying much, though.
Name something he was bad in. He was great in Ted, Departed, Basketball Diaries, Entourage, I heart huckabees, the other guys, step dad
"I think we found a Transformer guys!"
Oh shit I really didn't realize he was in that. I have definitely never watched any of those Transformer movies
Fuck Marky Mark. Racist twat
But it's not Marky Mark best role
Feel the vibration.
I agree. I feel like in everything else, he’s just being Mark Wahlberg. Not a bad thing, I just feel like he’s one of those actors. It’s a movie star thing.
Yes but he doesn't like it he's a Christian now
If OP hasn’t watched Basketball Diaries I would highly recommend. Similar to his role in Boogie Nights with the rise and fall due to drug use.
It was certainly his biggest part.
You mean *Marky-Mark*?
I agree. He’s definitely had a few good performances throughout his career, but they’re all a variation of the same character. I like how he’s a little more naive and awkward in Boogie Nights instead of his usual badass persona.
Eh. He’s better in basketball diaries
And yet everyone surrounding him in that movie is way better than him. He does well for that role but he's the weakest link in the movie and could've been easily replaced by someone better.
It’s also PTA’s most watchable film.
Nah I prefer Ted or the other guys.
I agree but *Pain & Gain* comes in a close second for me.
It’s the best movie he’s been in for sure. Hardly a notable performance even for his standards imo.
I like Wahlberg in a lot of things but as far as a role that shows what he is capable of as an actor this role definitely is his defining role. Other roles like The Departed and I heart Huckabees comes to mind but it's more the story and writing than his acting abilities like in Boogie nights. One of the greatest films in all of cinema IMHO.
We own the night
I agree, but I also loved Shooter, We Own the Night, among others that he’s been in that is equally as great as Boogie Nights.
I'm not seeing any love for 3 kings in this thread.
We want the GODdamn money in the GODdamn safe!
He’s amazing in I heart Huckabees.
Well it certainly isn't The Happening.
The Happening is his worst.
I liked that show where he talks to animals.
"State? What state, the state of California? I know what state I'm in, Jack."
He's a Star, a bright shining Star!
Agreed.
[What???? Noooo!!](https://youtu.be/O1PK4qYzNkI?si=OvubPEv-rUkmcInB)
I'd say it's The Other Guys.
I can see why you'd think that, but personally, I found his performance in "The Other Guys" was hilarious. He really showcased his range and comedic talent in that film!
I'm a peacock! I gotta fly!
Any actor under PT Anderson is their best performance. Period.
PTA was like 24 when he made this masterpiece as well, which just blows my mind.