Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Scene stealer: J.K. Simmons

You've probably seen J.K. Simmons somewhere along the way because it seems as though he is in everything. Most recently he appeared in Up In the Air portraying one of many employees being let go by George Clooney and Anna Kendrick's characters. There are quite a bit of these scenes throughout the movie, but Simmons' was memorable, in particular, because it demonstrated why Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is good at his job of letting people go (however "good" one could be at that) and it showcased J.K. Simmons' brilliance once again.

He has guested on many popular shows (E.R., Everwood, Without a Trace, Nip/Tuck, Arrested Development . . .). He can do drama (Oz, The Closer, and Law & Order), he can handle comedy (I Love You, Man and Juno, in both of which he played the father of the main character to perfection), and he can be campy and over-the-top when it's called for (J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man 1,2, and 3). He's been around for a couple of decades and has really come into his own in the last. I find that his performances are nuanced and genuine. If you can't turn on the tv right now and find him on one channel or another, then check him out in one of the many DVDs we have here at the library.

Up In the Air (2009)
Now playing at a theater near you . . .

Jennifer's Body (2009)
Find it in the catalog!

Extract (2009)
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I Love You, Man (2008)
Find it in the catalog!

New In Town (2009)
Find it in the catalog!

Burn After Reading (2008)
Find it in the catalog!

Rendition (2007)
Find it in the catalog!

Juno (2007)
Find it in the catalog!

Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Find it in the catalog!

Thank You For Smoking (2005)
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Spiderman 2 (2004)
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Ladykillers (2004)
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Hidalgo
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Spider-Man (2002)
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Oz
Season 1 Find it in the catalog!
Season 2 Find it in the catalog!
Season 3 Find it in the catalog!
Season 4 Find it in the catalog!
Season 5 Find it in the catalog!
Season 6 Find it in the catalog!