Mark Strong has carved out a fine niche for himself in the last half-decade or so as a reliably silky-voiced, imposing actor, prime for playing villains in just about any genre, be it an adventure epic, a comic book movie or even sci-fi. Though the actor does generally find himself playing the villainous types, he's not beyond playing a few more complex, ambiguous characters, too, and though he's perhaps not the first or even tenth choice for a hero in a movie, he's perfect for characters who have a little more under the surface, who adhere neither to stringently good or bad. With no movies of note released in the UK this weekend because of that little event known as the World Cup, we've decided to choose Mark Strong as the latest subject of an actor's five 5 best performances...and those that didn't quite connect with audiences.
5 Awesome Performances...
5. Sir Godfrey - Robin Hood
In a role seemingly tailor-made for Mark Strong's talents, he plays Sir Godfrey, the right-hand man of King John and the main antagonist of Robin Hood. Much like most of Strong's best characters, he's portrayed as savagely violent and also exceedingly clever, aligning himself with the King though ultimately aiming to side with the French and then take the crown for himself as civil war breaks out in England. Strong does a fantastic job conveying both the literal, physical power of the character - specifically as he slays Sir Walter Loxley in cold blood - and the machinations of his political mind, in helping the French to ambush and kill King Richard at the start of the movie. In the end, though, like any good villain, he gets an epic death befitting his villainy. As Godfrey attempts to flee, Robin fires a well-aimed arrow right through his neck. Lovely.
