ViewAskewbian

So, seeing the recent Fifth Element thread, I decided to revisit that movie. I hadn't seen it since the 90s and was glad I rewatched it as it was fantastic.

That said, it got me thinking. The ONLY thing I remembered of the flick was the Diva character and scene. I remember her clearly on the DVD art and figured she had a huge role in the movie. Watching it this time around was surprised how little screen time the character had but remains exceptionally memorable.

Wanted to put out their the question:
What characters in film remain the most memorable/iconic despite very little screen time in the movie itself?

I'd, say, add Boba Fett to this mix. Dude got his own show.

Noonan

Hannibal Lecter in SotL.

ViewAskewbian

Yes, that's an interesting choice. From what I just read, he was in the film for 12-16 minutes. I totally thought longer than that.

tommyp007

Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glenn Ross. About 8 minutes of screen time and steals the movie.

Runaway

Boba Fett was just a cool looking extra. Hannibal Lecter while not a leading part, is still one of the main characters, regarding the story. Just like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men or Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies.

dex14

Michael Keaton is in less than 20 mins of Beetlejuice.

William Hurt in A History of Violence. McConaughey in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Perkinsun Dzees

ViewAskewbian

What, really!

story

IIRC, that part isn't in the original play but was written for the movie, too.

Dame Judy Dench won Best Supporting Actress for 8 minutes of screen time in Shakespeare in Love.

I'd have to look it up, but Darth Vader is surprisingly barely in Star Wars, and it's the same for the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

rexinnih

I love the smell of Napalm in the morning. Robert Duvall, Apocalypse Now.

Paff

Julianne Moore was billed pretty high for two short scenes in The Fugitive, and she wasn't even that big of a star yet.

rocket1312

Bradley Cooper absolutely owned the 10 minutes he was in Licorice Pizza.

rocket1312

But was she that memorable? Until you just reminded me, if you had asked if she was in that movie, I would have said no.

devilshalo

"Bruce"


John Doe

Time Warrior

1) Robert Eddison as the ancient Grail Knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - "He chose...poorly."

2) O.P. Heggie as the Blind Hermit in Bride of Frankenstein - "Friend?"

3) Sam Jaffe in Ben-Hur (1959 version) - "I am his mouth and he is my legs. Together we make a considerable man."

4) Orson Welles in The Third Man - he does get a good ten minutes of screen time but also absolutely dominates.

TomOpus

Estelle Reiner = "I'll have what she's having"

movieguru

Pretty much any of Stan Lee's cameos.

inri222

Alfred Molina - Boogie Nights
Viola Davis - Doubt

Runaway

Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Montgomery Clift - Judgment at Nuremberg

JoeySeven

beat me to it, but I agree.

Tom Cruise's cameo in Tropic Thunder. had to be around 10 minutes? Hell, I did not even know it has him until the end credits rolled.

Donnie Darko had a few.
Kitty and Jim Cunnungham

Nick Danger

How much screen time did Darth Vader have in A New Hope? I seem to remember hearing that Lucas was surprised by the way the character took off.

inri222

Gene Hackman - Young Frankenstein
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
Willem Dafoe - Wild at Heart & Born on the Fourth of July

tommyp007

Gene Hackman! Great call.

rocket1312

Darth Vader is in Star Wars for 9 minutes. That number only jumps up to 13 and 14 for Empire and Jedi respectively. Luke, and to a lesser extent Han, gets the majority of the screen time in the OT. I don't think it's unusual for villains to get far less time than the heroes.