Steven Spielberg is without a doubt one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time, as he has made films considered to be classics within almost every genre. Although Spielberg was a centralpart of the “New Hollywood” movementthat was initiated in the 1970s, he has continued to work ever since, and has developed new forms of technology in order to make his work accessible to a younger generation of cinephiles.
Although he is often thought of as “the king of summer blockbusters,”Spielberg’s ability to get great performances out of his actors is unparalleled, as he has createdsome of the greatest heroesand villains in the history of the medium. In addition to being able to recognize young talent, Spielberg has routinely made it a habit to work with some of the most iconic actors ever. Here are then ten best performances in Steven Spielberg movies, ranked.
10Mark Rylance, ‘Bridge of Spies’ (2015)
Character: Rudolf Abel
Mark Rylancebecame one of the few actors to win an Academy Award for his work in a Spielberg filmwhen he picked up the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work inthe exciting Cold WarthrillerBridge of Spies. Although many viewers may have not expected to see a film about such a contentious time in history in which the Soviet Union spy is depicted within a favorable light, Rylance was able to show that Rudolf Abel was simply an honorable man who was trying to protect his friends and family.
Rylance’s performance was very subtle and nuanced,but did manage to provide some laughs when the film risked being too bleak. He was clearly an actor that Spielberg enjoyed working with, as they would go on to collaborate together again onThe BFGandReady Player One.
Bridge of Spies
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies follows American lawyer James Donovan, who is recruited by the CIA to negotiate the release of a U.S. Air Force pilot who was shot down over the Soviet Union. Tom Hanks stars in the 2015 historical drama based on the true story.
Watch on MGM+
9Whoopi Goldberg, ‘The Color Purple’ (1985)
Character: Celie
Whoopi Goldbergbecame the icon she is known as today because of her work inThe Color Purple, one of the most underappreciated films of Spielberg’s entire career. While there has been some blowback that a white, male director made a film about LGBTQ women in the black community duringa dark time in American history, it was clear that Goldberg was very comfortable with her performance.
Goldberg is the heart ofThe Color Purple, but manages to have enough comedic moments to avoid the film slipping into melodrama; her chemistry withOprah Winfreyis by far the most endearing aspect of the entire film. It was a role that inspired many great actresses, asThe Color Purplewas adapted into an acclaimed stage musical, which in turn had a cinematic adaptation that Spielberg returned to produce alongsideQuincy Jones.
The Color Purple
In early 20th-century rural Georgia, The Color Purple chronicles the life of Celie, an African American woman who endures and overcomes severe adversity. Through letters and relationships, Celie finds her voice and strength amidst a backdrop of racial and gender discrimination, highlighting themes of empowerment and resilience.
Rent on Amazon
8Michelle Williams, ‘The Fabelmans’ (2022)
Character: Mitzi Fabelman
Michelle Williamshad one of the most challenging roles in any of Spielberg’s films, as she was tasked with playing a version of his mother inThe Fabelmans. The 2022 drama was inspired by Spielberg’s own childhood, where he was inspired to become a filmmaker during a contentious period in which his mother and father (Paul Dano)were going through a divorce.
Williams was able to bring a sense of vibrancy to a complex characterwho loves her family very deeply, yet is haunted by unmet expectations and the inherent sexism that makes it challenging for a woman to find work within a male-dominated industry. The fact that Spielberg placed so much trust on Williams to give a performance that was so critical to his identity speaks to how brilliant she is as an actress, and whyThe Fabelmansis such a special film.
The Fabelmans
The Fabelmans is a film loosely based on the life of a young Steven Spielberg, with Gabriel Labelle playing the role of 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman. Fictionalizing but treading essential moments in the director’s life, The Fabelmans is set in the 1960s with the titular family moving from New Jersey to California, where a dark secret begins to cause the life of young Sammy to unravel. To escape the reality he’s faced with, he turns to films and reinforces a new dream - the aspiration of becoming a filmmaker. The film allows the director and the audience to look back on the past and try to understand the motivations of family members' various actions by contextualizing them through the lens of film.
Watch on Starz
7Sean Connery, ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ (1989)
Character: Henry Jones Sr.
Sean Connerymanaged to steal the film from Spielberg’s most iconic herowhen he was cast inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which is largely considered to be the best sequel (if not the best installment) in theIndiana Jonesfranchise. While fans of the first two films had come to expect a lot of adventure and action,Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadewas able to sneak up on its audience by delivering one of themost powerful father-son storiesthat has ever been seen on screen.
Connery adds a lot of comic relief to the film, but he is hardly a stooge; the character of Henry Jones Sr. is very insightful about the nature of life and death, and delivers a powerful monologue at the very end in which he urges his son to let go of his desires to capture the Holy Grail.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
In 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.
Watch on Prime Video
6Tom Hanks, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
Character: Captain Steve Hiller
Tom Hanksgave a performance that honored every veteran that hadserved in World War IIwhen he appeared inSaving Private Ryan, a film that recounted the events of a squad of American soldiers in the aftermath of the storming of Normandy towards the end of the conflict. Hanks showed a sense of leadership, honor, and humility in his depiction of Captain Steve Hiller, but also reminded viewers that he was just a normal man; in many ways, the fact that Miller was seemingly “ordinary” made his journey of heroism even more inspiring.
Hanks received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actorfor his performance inSaving Private Ryan, but lost toRoberto BenigniinLife is Beautiful. The Oscar voters may have not been inclined to vote for him, as he had already won Best Actor twice forPhiladelphiaandForrest Gump, but it truly was a performance that he deserved to win for.
Saving Private Ryan
Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
Watch on Paramount Plus
5Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002)
Character: Frank Abagnale Jr.
Leonardo DiCaprioproved that he was more than just a teenage heartthrob inCatch Me If You Can, the first (and sadly only) collaboration with Spielberg.Catch Me If You Canis one of the strangestcoming-of-age stories of all-time; DiCaprio stars as Frank Abangnale Jr., a trickster and conman who impersonated doctors, pilots, teachers, and businessmen all before he made it to his 20s. DiCaprio is often known for his more serious roles, butCatch Me If You Canproved that he could also be funny.
DiCaprio shows the vulnerability of Abagnale, who is so determined to pretend to be other people because he feels deeply insecure about himself. Although the greatChristopher Walkenearned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for playing Abagnale’s father, DiCaprio was unfortunately overlooked by the Oscars for what is still one of the most impressive performances of his entire career.
Catch Me If You Can
Barely 17 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
4Ariana DeBose, ‘West Side Story’ (2021)
Character: Anita
Ariana DeBose was tasked with a tremendous amount of responsibility when she was cast in Spielberg’s remake ofWest Side Story, as the original classicwon the Academy Award for Best Picture, and is considered to be one of the greatest musicals ever made.Rita Moreno’s performance as Anita in the original both won an Oscar and became a cultural icon, but DeBose managed to somehow add more depth to the character, and picked up a Best Supporting Actress prize of her own.
DeBose is easily the most compelling and charismatic performance in the remake ofWest Side Story, which is certainly no small praise considering that the film also features excellent work fromRachel Zegler, Mike Faist,andAnsel Elgort.Among the most powerful scenes in the film are those that feature DeBose and Moreno together, as it feels like two generational icons honoring each other.
West Side Story
Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.
Watch on Disney+
3Harrison Ford, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)
Character: Indiana Jones
Harrison Forddefined what a great movie hero should look like inRaiders of the Lost Ark, as Indiana Jones was instantly heralded as one of the greatest characters in the history of cinema. Although Ford has certainly shown his charisma with his work as Han Solo in theStar Warsfilms, Indy was a more complex character who was motivated to help restore lost relics from history and return them to museums where they can be admired and studied.
Although his performances have been excellent within every film in theIndiana Jonesfranchise,Ford does his best work as Indy inRaiders of the Lost Ark. The film reaches an entirely different level of excellence wheneverit focuses on the excellent romantic chemistrythat he shared withKaren Allen, who co-stars as Indy’s former flame and subsequent ally, Marion Ravenwood.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
2Liam Neeson, ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)
Character: Oskar Schindler
Liam Neesongave the single best performance of his career inSchindler’s List, which is arguably the best film that Spielberg has ever made. Although it would be impossible to capture the enormity of a historical tragedy like the Holocaust within just one film,Schindler’s Liststars Neeson as the German businessman Oskar Schindler, who used his factories to help rescue Jewish workers from being persecuted and killed by the Nazis.
Neeson shows a great level of grace and sensitivity within his performance in Schindler, a quality that some cinephiles may not have been aware that he was capable of if they hadonly seen him in action films.The final sequence, in which Schindler breaks down crying because he feels like he could have saved even more people, is perhaps the most tear jerking moment within any of Spielberg’s films.
Schindler’s List
1Daniel Day-Lewis, ‘Lincoln’ (2012)
Character: President Abraham Lincoln
Daniel Day-Lewiswas already considered to be one of the greatest actors of all-time when he was cast inLincoln,so there was a tremendous amount of anticipation to see what he would do when collaborating with Spielberg. There was a great deal of pressure for him to ensure that the performance was as respectful and accurate as possible, as Abraham Lincoln is considered to be the single greatest President of the United States, and was responsible for both saving the nation and freeing the slaves during the Civil War.
Day-Lewis peers into the mind of a patient, yet ambitious manwho is forced to pull off a political scheme in order to pass the 13th Amendment to amend the United States constitution. Spielberg has made many films about American heroes,but there isn’t a biographical performanceas powerful as Day-Lewis’ work inLincoln.
As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.
KEEP READING:10 Movies That Were So Successful They Revolutionized the Film Industry
