1946-2011What a sad way to start the new year. Pete
Postlethwaite has passed away, and while the name may not be immediately recognizable, he is certainly one of the great "That Guy" actors. While he would often take small roles in movies, you knew a director was going the extra mile to flesh out their characters when they cast
Postlethwaite. When you look at the films he played a part in, you begin to realize that he is woven into the fabric of the last twenty years of cinema:
Inception, The Town, The Usual Suspects, The Lost World, Romeo + Juliet, Amistad, The Constant Gardner, Alien 3, and of course
In the Name of the Father, among many others. It was that latter film for which he got a well deserved Oscar nomination, breaking out of his reputation as just a character actor and getting the recognition he richly deserved. A few years later, Steven Spielberg even proclaimed him to be the best actor in the world. Because he wasn't a marquee name actor, you never knew when he might show up in a film you were watching. I always found myself delighted when
Postlethwaite would show up unexpectedly in a film, and going to the movies won't be the same knowing he won't be there to provide some much appreciated gravitas.
1946-2011