10 Greatest Film Characters Who Never Say A Word

6. Hattie - Sweet And Lowdown

Sweet and Lowdown is one of Woody Allen's lesser known works, about Emmet Ray, a jazz guitarist (who believes himself to be the second best in the world) played by Sean Penn, and Hattie, a mute laundress played by Samantha Morton. While both were nominated for an Academy Award and Sean Penn turns in a predictably high caliber performance, Morton seems to be the one who has the more difficult role. Her performance is a throwback to the silent film era, where she isn't so much acting as she is radiating a specific character. Although she can fully hear and understand the world around her (and as such is privy to both Ray's genius and his painfully inept social graces), she is incapable of communicating with it. While it's troubling to consider the idea that Woody Allen's idea of a dream girl is a childlike woman who can't talk back, Morton's performance is nonetheless first rate.