Jenniffer Connelly, an actress who started off as a model, has gained much popularity with some iconic roles throughout her career. While Connelly has starred in minor films and different music videos, what brought her big break was Jim Henson’sLabyrinth. Following this, Connelly became a successful star in Hollywood. The different roles she has portrayed thus far in her career show her ability to take over any challenging character.
Connelly is undoubtedly one star that has a diverse range when it comes to acting. Here are some of her best performances that prove her extraordinary talent and why she is a striking Hollywood actress.
7Dark City (1998)
Connelly takes up the role of the protagonist, John Murdoch’s wife, Emma Murdoch in this 1998 sci-fi movie, that is often deemed anunderrated masterpiece. The film follows the story of a world where “human memories are newly fabricatedwhen the hands of the clock reach 12”. Emma’s character brings in the many necessary emotions by emphasizing on her relationship with the protagonist. In an astounding performance of Frank Sinatra’s “Sway”, we see Connelly combine her vocal talents with her performative skills to showcase the emotional elements of the film. Connelly’s performance as Emma is quite heartwarming, as we see this particular character being the ray of hope that endsDark Cityin a positive light.
6Labyrinth (1986)
This 1986 musical fantasy film that stars sixteen-year-old Connelly not only sheds light on Connelly’s talents, but it also opened up new gates for her, as this film brought her the much-deserved big break.Labyrinthis a movie that takes the viewer to a world of goblins and talking worms. WithDavid Bowietaking up the role of Jareth, the Goblin King, we see a young Connelly leading the film with her performance as Sarah Williams, the protagonist. The story follows Sarah on her adventure of trying to save her baby brother. As the story progresses, we see massive character development in Sarah, which is perfectly delivered by Connelly. This film is one that is definitely noteworthy when focusing on Connelly’s performances.
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5Phenomena (1985)
Yet another film that features Connelly as the protagonist,Phenomenais an Italian supernatural horror film that focuses on a fourteen-year-old girl who has the telepathic power to talk to insects. Connelly’s performance as Jennifer Corvino is definitely remarkable, as she is a character that goes through many traumatic episodes. From sleepwalking, to witnessing the murders of her colleagues, to almost being killed by the murderer, this film isdefinitely chilling. With Connelly’s performance in the lead role, it can be said thatPhenomenais a film that keeps the viewer on their toes throughout the story.
4House of Sand and Fog (2003)
House of Sand and Fogis a 2003 psychological film by Vadim Perelman that is based on the 1999 novel of the same name. Connelly takes on the role of Kathy Nicolo, who is a recovering drug addict. The film takes us through Kathy’s whirlwind of a story. We see her go through some harsh routes. This particular film sheds light on important issues like racism, social hierarchy, addiction, and mental health problems. Taking over Kathy’s role is definitely no easy task. It is obvious that the delivery of such a performance is an intense experience for Connelly. Peter Travers warns the audience to “prepare for an emotional wipeout”, due to the brilliant execution of this film. Thus, Connelly’s Kathy Nicolo is a performance that is striking, and has the ability to leave a lasting impression on the viewer.
3A Beautiful Mind (2001)
This 2001 film by Ron Howard is based onJohn Nash’s, a Nobel Laureate in Economics, extraordinary life.A Beautiful Mindcasts Russell Crowe as John Nash and Connelly as Nash’s wife, Alicia Nash. The film follows Nash’s struggle with schizophrenia, and focuses on how his mind ultimately learns to accept and live with mental illness. Even though Connelly takes on a supporting character, she was able to win the 2002 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, among other awards. Alicia Nash’s character is as complex as that of the protagonist. As John Nash’s wife, she had to face many challenging circumstances. Connelly was able to capture the complexities as well as the emotional depths of Alicia’s character perfectly, in turn, allowing her to gain many awards for this particular role.
2Pollock (2000)
Pollockis another biographical movie that Connelly stars in. However, in this particular film, Connelly takes up the role of the mistress of the protagonist instead of his significant other. This 2000 film is based on the life of the American painter Jackson Pollock. The story dwells on his journey in becoming a successful painter as well as his complicated romantic life. Connelly’s role as Ruth Kligman, Pollock’s mistress, is quite fascinating. Kligman was an abstract painter who “seemed to know everyone and be everywhere in the art world”. Thus, her character is more than a mere romantic muse. The film also captures the real-life car crash that killed Pollock and their friend and left Kligman as the sole survivor. While many tend to disregard the mistress in a film, Kligman’s role is one that goes beyond this trope of a mistress.
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1Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Darren Arofonsky’sRequiem For A Dreamis one of themost nihilistic moviesever made. It is definitely not an easy watch as it takes the viewer on a hectic journey, in turn, evoking many emotions on them. Connelly takes over the role of Marion Silver, the protagonist, Harry Goldfarb’s (played by Jared Leto) girlfriend. One interesting fact about this casting is thatConnelly was not the initial choicefor Marion’s role, as Neve Campbell was the first choice. However, following Campbell’s turning down of the role, Connelly took over and delivered an extraordinary performance. Marion’s character goes through some brutal experiences as we see her forced to sell herself for money. Thus, portraying such a character requires the actor to go through many hardships. Nevertheless, Connelly was able to accomplish these challenges, as her performance of Marion is one that is still highly appreciated.
