Nick Nolte: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
2. Paddy Conlon - Warrior
Forget about Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton's beefy sibling rivalry, the real star of this UFC-inspired Rocky throwback is, of course, Nick Nolte. As Paddy Conlon Nolte turns in his most shockingly honest performance; playing the hollowed out and drying out father of two sons heading for one heck of a public dust up. Dragged around by the most affected of his spawn (a raging Hardy), Conlon is an emotional and physical punching bag for his damaged son. Desperate for redemption via his faith, yet constantly reminded of the sins of the past, Nolte plays the role quietly as he absorbs the unfolding drama around him. Yet another sign that Nolte's career is on an upwards climb, Warrior is also the film that gifted the actor with his best chance of snagging an Oscar, where he was sadly pipped to a supporting nod by veteran actor Christopher Plummer at the 84th Academy Awards.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
