10 Underrated Comedy Performances In Film

In what should surely have been his Kevin Kline moment, Goodman received only one Satellite Award nomination for his peerless turn as the jaded and eternally livid Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak.

Often acting as a devil-on-the-shoulder of stoner protagonist The Dude (Jeff Bridges), Walter is a joy to behold in every scene he appears. Belligerent, proud, haughty, and more than a little bigoted, he bullies and cajoles his way into The Dude’s predicament, managing only to make the situation even stickier. “Let’s go bowling,” is his solution to most problems, despite him being the architect of said problems.

Despite his unbalanced nature Walter’s relationship with The Dude borders on, but never transitions to, touching. He is fiercely protective of his bowling buddy. The same can’t be said, though, for the third in their triumvirate, Steve Buscemi’s Donny. Just how many different deliveries of the line “shut the f**k up, Donny” do you think you’d be able to achieve? Because Goodman can do loads. And each one is as priceless as the eulogy he delivers at Donny’s funeral, scattering his ashes into his buddy’s face.

Goodman is a solid presence in every film he makes, but none make you laugh out loud anywhere near as much as Walter. Let’s go bowling.

Stand-Out Moment: The handoff scene, in which Walter rolls out of the moving vehicle and takes matters into his own hands. “Ok Dude, you’re wheel. Fifteen MPH. I roll out of here, double back and beat it out of them…TAKE THAT HILL!”