Jeremy Irons: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked

1. Beverly Mantle/Elliot Mantle - Dead Ringers (1988)

When Jeremy Irons collected his Oscar for his role in Reversal of Fortune, there was a telling moment towards the end of his speech when he thanked a director who hadn't even been involved with the picture. "Thank you also - and some of you may understand why - thank you, David Cronenberg," said Irons, referencing their work on Dead Ringers, a psychological drama they had made together two years previously. There are lot of people who think that Irons should have won the Academy Award for his phenomenal turn as twin brothers Beverly and Elliot Mantel in Cronenberg's underrated masterpiece instead, and Irons' nod to the director could have signalled his agreement. Irons offers up the definitive cinematic portrait of identical siblings in this icy thriller. Dead Ringers contains not one, but two flawless performances from the actor, who uses the most subtle tweaks in mannerism to signal which of the two brothers he's supposed to be at any given time. Cronenberg ensures that Beverly and Elliot - gynaecologists caught in a love affair - are totally identical, of course, which makes Irons' work even more impressive. To date, it's his most admirable screen performance - haunting, precise and masterful.