Spoilers ahead. . .

Writing and direction in mainstream film is crafted around the lead(s), but every now and then another actor steps in to steal the show. This attention grab can be due to the acting prowess of the cast member. But may also be because the simple fact that their ancillary characters provide a more gritty examination into human nature without the trappings of heroism required by the protagonist.

Although there are plenty of discussion on scene-stealing antagonists (The Dark Knight, Gangs of New York, The Devil Wears Prada), for one reason or another captivating ancillary characters are often overlooked.

Alien Romulus (2024)

David Jonsson as Andy

In the Alien franchise, synthetics typically create a level of conflict between human decisions and the interest of The Company. Then came Romulus, where Andy (David Jonsson) introduces a different initiative: he has been reprogrammed to solely look out for the interests of the film’s protagonist, Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny).

Early on, Andy’s ‘dad jokes’ air that this duty was programmed into him by Rain’s deceased father, conveying Andy is Rain’s last link to her deceased family. How his character works as an avenue to naturally explore Rain’s history provides a soft touch to an otherwise fast-paced script penned by Writer/Director Fede Álvarez and Collaborator Rodo Sayagues.

But as Rain embarks on her journey to highjack an abandoned ship with a band of fellow outcasts, Andy’s role is complicated. Some in the band hate him. Some tolerate him. Some are kind. They all need his digital functions if they are to override the ship’s controls and escape the colony.

Jonsson’s acting chops are on full display, and he is able to jump between friend and threat — due to computer chip complications — convincingly. This builds on the franchise’s staple synthetic conflict. But Andy’s shifts and reboots are refreshingly gut-wrenching to watch because he is so essential to Rain’s personal comfort and safety.

There are numerous entertaining aspects of Romulus. But when walking out of the theater, I found myself most compelled to talk about Andy: the writing and performance that shaped him, how he bound the story.

Jonsson’s work is the kind that elevates film. His portrayal of Andy is so magnetic that viewers may focus on him more than the human characters he orbits. It is interesting to contemplate how attention has shifted to AI.

Lawless (2012)

Tom Hardy as Forrest Bondurant

In Lawless, all know and fear the Bondurant boys. Many speak on their myth — that they can never die. Their legend is made convincing by the violence they carry out and their stances on authority. They don’t answer to the law. They don’t answer to big city gangsters. They don’t answer to anyone. It is an interesting placement of character, a trio of parentless Appalachian brothers who by battle and hardship have convinced the world around them that they are immortal. At times, the brothers seem to believe this sentiment themselves.

The Bondurants’ reputation creates a dangerous aura that, when running an illegal bootlegging operation, is essential to business maintenance. There is Jack (Shia Lebeouf), the main character who is quite softer than his older brothers but with mounting ambition. The oldest brother, Howard (Jason Clarke), an irresponsible and wrathful drunkard (and the only man of a crew to survive a sinking ship during the first World War). Then there is the most emblematic Forrest (Tom Hardy), the middle brother who years earlier outlasted a fever outbreak when all those around him died.

Because Jack is too dreamy and Howard is too drunk, Forrest is unofficially in charge. He talks on the family’s behalf when in public, he decides when and where deliveries are made, and he establishes early on that they he and his brother’s have nothing if they cease to control the fear. Jack wants his respect, Howard lacks his responsibility. Where Forrest is the one men want to be like, his brothers are reflections of what men are.

Around the time of the film’s 2012 release, I was studying my undergrad at Sacramento State University. I went by a barbershop near the campus to get a haircut. While in the queue, I overheard a barber comment on how many young men were coming in to ask for the hairstyle of Tom Hardy’s character from Lawless. I didn’t ask for Forrest’s high and tight comb-over, but that always stuck with me: how fictional characters can shape trends. It’s silly in retrospect (as trends are). But it’s also understandable.

In Lawless, Hardy plays on reserved toughness to a tee. His character is seen using brass knuckles as if they’re an extension of his fists, living and breathing after getting his throat slit, and possessing a stoic understanding of his family’s position in the changing circumstances of their world. The resistance he puts up against the advances of his love interest, Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain), conveys a nice complex. Forrest can bust heads, but he is by no means a ladies’ man — a crafty touch that makes him all the more human. The character is layered so heavily with bodily emotion that it demands an anticipation of release. When those releases come, they are the most compelling moments of the film.

The Town (2010)

Jeremy Renner as James Coughlin

When ancillary characters aren’t afraid to be bad, they may provide a contrast to the heroism of the protagonist. There is no better example of this than the relationship between protagonist Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and side-kick James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) in The Town. Renner’s Coughlin is shades darker than Affleck’s MacRay, less calculated and poorer for thought but more daring when the stakes are running high.

MacRay uses Coughlin for his brutalism when he needs it, then fears that same savagery when Coughlin goes too far. The fun here resides in just how far Coughlin is willing to go. This dynamic is played out masterfully in a sequence where the duo sets off to intimidate those who assaulted MacRay’s love interest:

When MacRay approaches Coughlin and says, ‘I need your help, I can’t tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we’re gonna hurt some people.’ Coughlin’s cold response is, ‘Whose car are we gonna take?’

Below the violent connotations here lies a friendship that is universally desired. MacRay knows he can depend on Coughlin for anything, and Coughlin’s willingness to help MacRay comes without question or doubt.

The assault that ensues in the following sequence is jarring to both the viewer and the protagonist. As MacRay watches Coughlin take the ‘hurt’ a step further, he seems to question if bringing his friend along for his side-mission was such a good idea. This examination of ‘looking out for your brother’ is further tainted by Coughlin’s uncanny questioning of his victims. He wants to know what they did to make MacRay so angry. He wants to know why. As Coughlin tempts answers via intimidation, a fear is expressed in MacRay’s silence. The bond that seemed so ideal is challenged: MacRay owns secrets. Coughlin senses he hides something. The viewer feels a void that will lead to their undoing.

The Town explores human relationships on a level that transcends bank robberies and gang life. Yet the lingering angst of Coughlin makes visceral the dangers of criminal ties. This is what gangster films are supposed to do: show us how these characters are relatable, scare us into remembering they’re not.

Coughlin is a true criminal. One who outside of crime seems to care of nothing but ‘coke and Xbox’ (McRay’s words). Dressed in a wardrobe of tracksuits or Carhartt, he embodies the Boston loose-cannon while teetering problem and solution as an ally.

Snatch (2000)

Brad Pitt as Mickey O’Neil

Looking back on Snatch during its 20-year anniversary (via Alex Shin’s Youtube Channel), Guy Ritchie shared insightful details as to the forming of one of his most iconic characters in Mickey O’Neil.

How Brad Pitt’s accent for the role came by mishap is one of the few fun facts featured in the director’s retrospect. That Pitt contacted Ritchie to be a part of Snatch after watching Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Ritchie only there-after wrote Mickey’s character into the script makes the creation even more iconic.

In Snatch, Protagonist Turkish (Jason Statham) must rely on Mickey to get out of a tight situation. Turkish is hesitant to trust the bare-knuckled fighter, and we soon realize his doubts are intuitive.

Mickey doesn’t throw an unlicensed boxing match when he is supposed to. This creates a domino-effect of problems for Turkish and his friends. Yet working towards the film’s many resolutions, reveals of Mickey’s side-plans are as warranted as they are fateful. It’s rewarding to see a gang of gypsies outsmart the more-established gangsters who underestimated them, and that Mickey leaves behind a present (You like dags?) for Turkish after his caravan abandons camp makes it all the better.

Regarding compelling ancillary characters, there are not many films that can level with Snatch when it comes to quantity. The 1 hour and 45 minute movie intertwines a handful of storylines, each with its fill of comical low-life criminals. Bullet Tooth Tony, Boris the Blade, Vinny, Sol, and Four Finger Franky — to name a few — form the web of hyper-personalities that were essential to pushing the film into the realm of classic cinema.

The film’s combustion of raw violence and chatty dialogue is a Ritchie trademark, with Mickey’s scenes involving underground boxing and the burning of caravans striking a certain nerve for fans of the underdog. If Snatch is about men on the edge of sanity, Mickey camps among them in style. He is not the lead, but one of many who shine.

To the Contrary

A number of other films and characters could’ve made this list, including Christain Bale’s Dickie Eckland from The Fighter, and quite possibly Emily Blunt’s Emily Charlton from The Devil Wears Prada.

Though supporting characters can become fan favorites, that does not take away from the fact that the cast and crew around them were instrumental to the film’s success. Moviemaking is, after all, a team sport.

Black and white version of "Tom Hardy at Cineword Broad Street, Birm" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Stephen J Giles

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