When it comes to movies, the lead character gets top billing. Their face will be plastered all over the posters and showcased heavily in the trailers, but that doesn’t mean they’re always the most entertaining parts of a movie. The story might be centered around them, which demands the most screen time, but there have been plenty of times when a supporting character has ended up stealing the show instead.
Ben Stiller as White Goodman in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Ben Stiller is a naturally charismatic actor, which is why he’s had such a promising career. But that led to him stealing the show in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, despite the fact he’s not playing the lead role. His performance as White Goodman brings countless one-liners that capture everyone’s attention, with his over-the-top mannerisms working perfectly for this egotistical role.
Eddie Murphy as Donkey in Shrek
Shrek might be the titular character in this animated classic, but Eddie Murphy’s performance as Donkey steals the show. Murphy brings all his energy to this voice-acting role, with Donkey being the perfect sidekick. He’s loyal, kind, and full of quotable lines, leading to him becoming one of the most iconic animated characters ever.
Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia in The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street featured an excellent cast, but Margot Robbie had everyone talking. Stealing the scenes when Leonardo DiCaprio is the lead actor is no easy feat, but that’s what she did. This was a breakout role for the famous actress as she brought the charisma in scenes that are still discussed today.
Taika Waititi as Korg in Thor: Ragnarok
Taika Waititi might have directed Thor: Ragnarok, but he also lent his voice to the role of Korg. The supporting character joined the franchise for this movie and produced some of the funniest lines in the history of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Waititi’s dry and sarcastic delivery led to some brilliant quotes that helped to breathe new life into Thor’s story.
Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained
Django Unchained has plenty of characters with big personalities, but Christoph Waltz’s more subtle approach allows him to be a scene stealer. He’s a charismatic actor, and it’s clear that this role was written with him in mind. The sparkle that can light up in his eye, followed by some fast talking, instantly commands attention and helps bring his complex character to life.
J.K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher in Whiplash
J.K. Simmons provides an intense performance throughout Whiplash that doesn’t let up. As the music conductor, he pushes his students to extremes most people would think unimaginable. Yet, due to the delicate way he acts, people are left questioning whether or not the methods are warranted due to the results. The fact that Simmons won an Oscar for the role showcases just how brilliant of a job he did, genuinely stealing the limelight.
Amandla Stenberg as Rue in The Hunger Games
As compelling as Jennifer Lawrence is in the original Hunger Games movie, Amandla Stenberg steals the film. In the supporting role of Rue, she turns up once the actual Hunger Games section begins. As the youngest competitor, it’s easy to find sympathy for her character, and the heart and kindness that she showcases only help people gravitate toward her.
Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito in The Goodfellas
Joe Pesci truly comes to life in this particular role, adding passion and fire to every scene he’s involved in. Because his character is so unhinged, Pesci can let loose completely, creating scene-stealing performances when he’s around.
Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in The Fighter
The Fighter is a gripping movie with some stellar performances. But Christian Bale gets all the attention, and rightfully so. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor due to his acting here, with the manic nature of his character being something that he brought brilliantly.
Ray Park as Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace
Darth Maul isn’t in The Phantom Menace too much, but the audience is left thinking about him in every scene he’s in. A big reason for that is how cool the character looks; from the face paint and the double-ended lightsaber, it was hard for any other character to come close to this one.
Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy in Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass engages comedy, action, and emotions, bringing the comic book feel. Nobody does that in the movie better than Nicolas Cage. His character has strong parental instincts while being utterly unhinged by his quest for vengeance. Cage is eccentric throughout this, which works perfectly, mainly due to how good his action scenes are.
Pierre-Louis Padang Coffin as The Minions in Despicable Me
Despicable Me is a colorful animation with many prominent personalities, and Steve Carell as Gru is a great example. However, considering how eccentric they are, the Minions steal the movie. There are tons of Minions, and while they need to speak proper English, the excitement and humor they bring help to make them such iconic characters.
Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men
Supporting roles often take over a movie because their personalities are over the top and in your face, but Javier Bardem is the complete opposite in this one. His performance is chilling, as he remains calm and relentless throughout the movie. It captures the audience’s attention completely differently but equally as compelling.
Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher in Scream
For most of the movie, Stu Macher is the comedic relief, a role Matthew Lillard plays brilliantly. But the late twist and reveal sees him take things up a gear. His performance is memorable due to how much energy goes into it, taking on a different villain style due to his performance.
Alyson Hannigan as Michelle Flaherty in American Pie
American Pie focuses on four friends in a classic coming-of-age movie jam-packed with hilarious jokes. Despite that, it is the character of Michelle Flaherty that everyone ends up talking about. Alyson Hannigan blends a level of innocence and complete naughtiness uniquely, leading to plenty of fantastic one-liners.
Brad Pitt as Jeffrey Goines in 12 Monkeys
Brad Pitt earned himself an Oscar nomination for his role in 12 Monkeys, showcasing how highly the critics felt about his performance. There’s no surprise in that either because Pitt displays tremendous acting throughout. He’s got a lot to play with due to his character’s unpredictable nature, which he commits entirely to.
Mark Wahlberg as Sean Dignam in The Departed
Mark Wahlberg knows how to have a commanding presence, which he brings in The Departed. Getting to work as a classic cop who brings tons of foul language, he provides an unforgettable performance by being such a force of nature, which was needed to make this role work.
Melissa McCarthy as Megan Price in Bridesmaids (2011)
Melissa McCarthy became the talk of Hollywood due to her performance in this role. She takes the focus every time she appears on screen with fantastic one-liners and equally memorable physical acting. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, and that’s the reason it works so well, with McCarthy ensuring she provides tons of humor.
Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Many people forget that Jack Sparrow was the supporting character in the original movie, as the entire story is based around Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner. Johnny Depp’s performance is so iconic that everyone presumes he was the lead role. His popularity led to even more screentime in future movies in this franchise, with Depp providing tons of energy with this very physical performance. His body language makes Jack Sparrow charismatic and helps him create a performance few people will forget.
Robin Williams as Genie in Aladdin
One of the most memorable voice-acting performances of all time was by Robin Williams in Disney’s Aladdin. His passion and energy radiate throughout the movie as Genie provides moments of comedy and tons of heart that help the entire story. Williams improvised constantly while in the recording booth, and his creative ability led him to steal the movie.
Heath Ledger as The Joker in Batman: The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger produced one of the most outstanding acting performances of all time in The Dark Knight, which led to him stealing the entire movie. Ledger completely bought into the character through method acting, leading to breathtaking results. This version of The Joker is one of the best movie villains ever because of how captivating Ledger is. Audiences hang on every word or slight mannerism, and the entire film is stronger because of it.
