10 Intense Movie Performances NO ONE Was Ready For
1. Robin Williams - One Hour Photo
Robin Williams was a very specific and very rare kind of actor, in that he could literally play any role. Whether it was the charmer, the comedy relief, the wise father figure or the hapless goof in an adventure.
2002 saw Robin come out in two films that really flaunted his acting capabilities: Insomnia and One Hour Photo. In Insomnia he played a more directly villainous character, but it's his performance in One Hour Photo that astounded viewers more.
The therapist from Good Will Hunting had twisted his persona into a very passive, but very haunting and dangerous figure that changed our perceptions of Robin Williams. Audiences who grew up on Aladdin, Jumanji, Jack or Mrs. Doubtfire had seen the delightful performances from before morph into the traumatized, unsettled and obsessive character of Seymour Parrish.
It's definitely a great turn that really demonstrated his talents (even after winning an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting), but it's still just eerie to see him play such a disturbing character.