Probably the least heralded out of all the performances in Mud was Ray McKinnon's turn as Ellis's father, known in the credits as only Senior. While he doesn't receive very much screen time, McKinnon is very impressive as one of the central figures in the film, and the one who arguably has the most influence on Ellis. His impending separation from his wife and the mixed feelings it causes for his family mirrors much of what Ellis encounters elsewhere in the film with the other characters. Of course, Ray McKinnon is not nearly well-known enough to earn an Oscar nomination for anything less than a spectacular turn in a significant movie. McKinnon isn't quite as impressive as that, but he still turns in a fine performance in one of the year's best movies, and he deserves some kind of recognition for it, which sadly he's unlikely to see from the Academy.