8 Recent Incredible Movie Performances That Nobody Expected
2. Bob Wells - Nomadland
One of Nomadland’s gimmicks, if you didn’t know, was that a huge chunk of the cast weren’t actors at all, but were instead regular people performing as slightly tweaked versions of themselves. One of these people was Bob Wells, the founder of an annual vandweller gathering and real life YouTuber and nomad.
It would be a mistake to think that acting almost as yourself is an easy feat, especially when pitted against the incredible on-screen talent that is Frances McDormand (who played the lead role of Fern). Bob and the rest of the non-professional acting cast took this in their stride, delivering believable and humane portraits of the range of people taking on the nomadic lifestyle.
Bob came across as a genuine, likeable guy who wanted to bring individuals together in a community, much the same as his real life self. Much the same could be said for the other nomads present. There wasn’t a problem of losing immersion or things feeling clearly staged, no awkward stumbling or fumbling. Being on camera is hard when you’re not used to it, but every one of them did a damn good job considering.