The 1980s was one of the most inventive decades in cinema up to that point or since. Films took larger risks, resulting in the creation of icons such as Freddy Krueger, Boba Fett, and Indiana Jones. From wild blood-and-guts horror films to comedic financial successes that commented on the time's society, audiences had a litany of solid options to pick from.
And, within those solid options, there were likable cast members just as there were likable characters. Furthermore, often times, the movie was the one to introduce those likable cast members to audiences all over the world. In other words, it's because of the 1980s that many names became of the household variety, and film fans have been grateful ever since.
20 Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead (1981)
The Evil Dead was an extremely impressive first foray into feature filmmaking for both director Sam Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell, both of whom were at jaw dropping young ages. Specifically, Campbell led the movie at 23 while Raimi helmed at just 20. The low-budget, basically guerrilla filmmaking-created horror flick works as well as it does because it is so financially restricted. And, given the charm in even such an early Campbell performance (which would get heightened in the sequels), The Evil Dead is an absolute classic.
The two have continued to collaborate over the years, with Raimi returning to helm 1987's Evil Dead II and 1990's Army of Darkness. And, of course, there are Campbell's cameos in the Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
19 Kathleen Turner in Body Heat (1981)
One of the most sultry films not only of the 1980s, but of all time, Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut Body Heat is not only one of the Star Wars veteran's best films, but one of the late William Hurt's, as well. But the movie belongs to Kathleen Turner, whose scheming Matty Walker is a dynamo of manipulation and beauty.
Like the later Wild Things, the film's South Florida setting really helps sell the seductive, sweaty ambiance. And given the number of twists and betrayals, it's the type of movie that inspires sweat under the characters' collars regardless of the temperature outside.
18 Alfred Molina in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark is the ultimate adventure film, and its accomplishments and merits are seemingly limits. It even starts strong, with the boulder escape standing as one of the most iconic film intros to ever hit the big screen.
Most actors don't get to debut in a classic scene, but this is something Alfred Molina can write on his resume. His guide, Satipo, doesn't stick around long, but after messing over Indiana Jones a spiked trap finds a way to stick to him.
17 Glenn Close in The World According to Garp (1982)
George Roy Hill's adaptation of John Irving's The World According to Garp stands as the best adaptation of the author's work, with only The Cider House Rules coming close. It was also only Robin Williams' second role in a feature film, two months off the conclusion of Mork & Mindy.
But it was an even earlier entry in Glenn Close's filmography. And the role was a doozy. She plays the titular character's mother, Jenny fields, a WWII nurse who sexually assaults a dying man, gets pregnant, and names the child after the last noise he made before passing. She then goes on to write a book about her child's burgeoning sexual proclivities, going so far as to actually hire him a sex worker. But, she becomes a feminist icon in the process, while her son goes on to become a successful author in his own right. Unfortunately for them both, success breeds scrutiny, controversy, and vitriolic reactions.
16 Geena Davis in Tootsie (1982)
Tootsie is a movie that couldn't be made now, but it was a major box office and critical success back in 1982. It also introduced audiences to Geena Davis, who would go on to put in memorable performances in The Fly and A League of Their Own.
The plot follows Dustin Hoffman's actor Michael Dorsey, who has clout but also a reputation. Specifically, he's known to be tough to work with, so Dorsey adopts a brand-new persona: "Dorothy Michaels."
15 Kevin Kline in Sophie's Choice (1982)
For the most part, Kevin Kline is an actor who sticks to one genre: Comedy. But that certainly doesn't apply to his debut in Sophie's Choice, a movie with a title that's essentially become synonymous with "Sad Movie."
The Sophie's Choice title refers to a time when the Polish immigrant title character, Zofia Zawistowski, was interned at Auschwitz. There, she was forced to choose one of her two children to be sent to the gas chamber, and she did (though, had she not, both children would have been executed). Kline's Nathan Landau is "Sophie's" lover in the present time, but the last thing he gives her is a better life.
14 Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs. (1982)
Saturday Night Live may have made Eddie Murphy a household name, but 48 Hrs. showed that he was a bona fide superstar. Nick Nolte was an established film star when 48 Hrs. hit theaters, but there's little doubt it's Murphy's loudmouthed and volatile crook Reggie Hammond who carries the film.
The film's narrative follows Nolte's cop Jack Cates who is on the tail of a drug kingpin known as "The Iceman." The monstrous man has also put a hit on Hammond, who Cates now decides to use to properly identify the career criminal.
13 Warwick Davis in Return of the Jedi (1983)
The third and final installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, is widely considered a mixed bag when stacked next to its two predecessors. But, it's still a classic and a more than fitting conclusion to the narrative established in A New Hope.
It also introduced audiences to Warwick Davis, though as the Ewok Wicket he was buried under a lot of costuming. Viewers would get a better sense of his talent in Leprechaun, but even with multiple films that character is nowhere near as endearing as Davis' debut.
12 Frances McDormand in Blood Simple (1984)
One of Frances McDormand's best movies just as it's one of the Coen brothers', Blood Simple marked one heck of a debut for all three. It's a tightly-written and suitably eerie neo-noir with a dynamite antagonistic performance from M. Emmet Walsh.
The Texas-set movie follows a bar owner who hires a private detective to kill his wife and her lover. But then the detective gets thoughts of his own, and a new plan.
11 Johnny Depp in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Three years before he broke big via the TV action series 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp was getting pulled into a bed and eviscerated by Freddy Krueger in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street. He plays Glen Lantz, the protagonist's boyfriend, but instead of being written like a useless appendage, he's a character with a little bit of agency and a lot of empathy for his significant other.
Unfortunately for him, Lantz ends up being Freddy's third of four victims within the film. But, even though he's such a likable character, his death scene is so inventive it kind of makes his departure from the narrative worth it.
10 Jennifer Connelly in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Sergio Leone's crime epic Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stands as one of the auteur's greatest films (and his last), just as it is for Robert De Niro and James Woods. But they're not the only two stars in the tale of Jewish gangsters ascending the world of New York City organized crime from 1918 to 1933.
There's also Elizabeth McGovern, frequent De Niro collaborator Joe Pesci, and the late Treat Williams. Furthermore, the movie served as the debut of Jennifer Connelly, who plays the younger version of McGovern's character.
9 Fairuza Balk in Return to Oz (1985)
It's debatable whether Return to Oz is a strong movie or a weak one, but two things are for sure: Fairuza Balk is terrific as Dorothy, and it's a truly bizarre film. Most viewers would probably recognize Balk from either The Waterboy or her best role as Nancy Downs in The Craft.
The plot takes place after the events of the 1939 film and Dorothy is suffering from memory loss (and, apparently, age regression). Then, when she gets transported back to the Land of Oz, she finds it overrun by the Nome King and his horrifying Wheelers. The Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow are nowhere to be found, but Dorothy finds allies in Billina (a chicken), Tik-Tok (a mustachioed robot), the creepy Jack Pumpkinhead, The Gump (a moose), and fellow child Princess Ozma.
8 Josh Brolin in The Goonies (1985)
The Goonies is a movie loaded with beloved, recognizable talent. Behind the scenes was Superman and Lethal Weapon's Richard Donner as director, Steven Spielberg as producer, and Home Alone's Chris Columbus as screenwriter. It's a merging of legends at the top of their game, but the treasure seeking adventure also features a host of the '80s most well-recognized youthful talent.
The Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin leads as the Goonies' leader, Mikey, while Josh Brolin plays his cool guy older brother. Corey Feldman is also put to perfect use as "Mouth," who is essentially the film's Richie Tozier. Not to mention the beloved Ke Huy Quan, who was fresh off his massively successful debut in the previous year's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The film was Astin's debut just as it was Brolin's, who wouldn't really start to blow up until No Country for Old Men in 2007, but he worked consistently in-between.
7 Michael Rooker in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Long before Michael Rooker was working on just about every James Gunn project, he was leading Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. The horror crime film is a realistic depiction of a serial killer's day-to-day.
A released convict, Henry lives with fellow past inmate Otis, who then introduces his sister, Becky, to the equation. Their dynamic devolves, and the titular character's true nature is unleashed on the two people he comes closest to caring about.
6 Jason Bateman in Teen Wolf Too (1987)
Teen Wolf Too is a remarkably awful film, following an already weak-premised financial success with none of the charm or Michael J. Fox. But, as far as replacements go, a late '80s studio couldn't have done any better than Jason Bateman.
And, by this point, far more people know that Bateman was in the movie than have actually seen it (mostly thanks to Will Arnett's ribbing over the years). If asked what movie the actor debuted in, there's a good chance they'd say Teen Wolf Too. But, if asked what movie Sandra Bullock debuted in, there's little chance they'd fire back with the correct answer of Hangman (also released in 1987).
5 Patricia Arquette in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Before A Nightmare on Elm Street became a franchise with a one-off reboot of low quality, it was producing one of horror's greatest sequels. Everything about Chuck Russell's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors clicks like clockwork, and outside of Wes Craven's original film it's bar none the best the franchise has been capable of.
And as Kristen Parker, one of the franchise's best non-Freddy or Nancy characters, Patricia Arquette brings an otherworldly quality that matches well with the dream aesthetic. Unfortunately, she declined to reprise her role (to a significantly decreased capacity) in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. But, at least she was able to be part of Freddy's most incredible sequel. Not to mention, her choosing not to come back for a film which will just kill her off less than halfway through was probably a good call.
4 Chris Cooper in Matewan (1987)
Director John Sayles has made some terrific films, usually as both writer and director, and Matewan may very well be number one. The auteur (who also wrote the excellent creature features Piranha, Alligator, and The Howling) also has a proclivity for working with the same performers repeatedly, e.g. the great David Strathairn and Matewan's lead: Chris Cooper. Most actors, even terrific ones, start in a low-budget, less-than-cerebral horror film.
Cooper, however, debuted as a mine union organizer in the middle of a 1920 strike in West Virginia. It's hefty stuff but he excels and, given the tragic arc of the character, it was a film that needed a solid central performance. And sterling performances are the only kind Cooper brings to the table, whether it's in Oscar darlings like American Beauty or big budget flops like The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Cooper and Sayles would go on to further collaborate on 1991's City of Hope, 1996's Lone Star (a rival to Matewan's quality), 2004's political satire Silver City, and 2010's Amigo.
3 Patricia Clarkson in The Untouchables (1987)
Patricia Clarkson may not be the first name that pops into mind when one thinks of Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (most likely Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, or Kevin Costner), but she steals every scene she's in. As Catherine Ness, wife of Eliot Ness, she needs to convey a merging of pride in what he's doing and fear that he'll die doing it.
Clarkson never fails in showing the viewer Catherine's internal conflict. The fact that she reads as fully organic is a testament to the performer's talent, and the fact that The Untouchables was her debut is astounding. Even still, her role is secondary when measured up against Eliot Ness and his assembled team taking on De Niro's Al Capone head on.
2 Richard E. Grant in Withnail and I (1987)
Withnail and I is a British black comedy that's one of the decades most poignant and hysterical, regardless of country of origin. It also introduced audiences to Richard E. Grant, the Withnail of the title. Viewers might recognize him from his small roles in The Hitman's Bodyguard and Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard as well as his older Loki variant in the character's Disney+ series.
Bruce Robinson's film is semi-autobiographical, following two unemployed actors in late '60s Camden Town. Stressed given their lack of employment, they decide to drive off on a mini-vacation, but it just ends up adding more tension to the heap.
1 Alan Rickman in Die Hard (1988)
Perhaps the single greatest straightforward action film of all time, Die Hard notoriously made Bruce Willis a household name, far more than even five seasons of Moonlighting. But it also did a lot for Alan Rickman's recognizability.
And how could it not? In his film debut, Rickman's Hans Gruber is one of cinema history's most insidious and iconic villains. And if the strength of Rickman's performance (not to mention the writing) wasn't enough, Gruber's slow-motion death scene alone will be. Die Hard is a blast no matter how many times it's viewed, and it doesn't even need to just be viewed at Christmas.
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