- The Cell
- Full Metal Jacket
- The Whole Wide World
- Ed Wood
- Good Luck
Vincent D'Onofrio
I'm not really sure where to begin my gushy confession of love this time. I guess I'll just start at the beginning.
Vincent D'Onofrio came to my attention much the same way he came to most everyone else's. In Full Metal Jacket, he took a role that could have been played a million different and less enthralling ways and forced everyone who saw it to remember him. To portray Private Gomer Pyle (Leonard Lawrence) D'Onofrio gained 70 pounds and although it was only his third big screen appearance, forged a presence for himself that commanded attention.
Since then, D'Onofrio's gone on to amass a list of acting roles each more different than the last. He's done quirky comedies (Mystic Pizza), heavy dramas (The Whole Wide World), biopics (JFK, Steal This Movie), indies (The Velocity of Gary, Household Saints), horror films (The Cell), psychological thrillers (The 13th Floor), big budget popcorn flicks (Men in Black) and a whole slew of also rans that may or may not be great movies but are worth watching because he always gives a riveting performance. I haven't seen an actor with a more natural on screen allure since James Dean. And if you know me, you know how insane I get about James Dean.
Quite simply, Vincent D'Onofrio is not a man to be trifled with. He's a power house. He's physically humongous (6'3" with a huge frame and gigantic hands). He's a actor of remarkable range who will quite happily transform himself in countless ways to better inhabit his character's brain. As a gal who loves ACTORS, there's no way around adoring VD (that's Vincent D'Onofrio, not venereal decease). I've never seen him give a half assed performance in anything and I admire that level of commitment. He seems fearless and willing to try anything if it's right for the role. That's something that lots of actors strive toward and even more actors will lie and say they do. D'Onofrio doesn't need to talk about it. He just gets in there, hunkers down and does his job. The results nine times out of ten border on miraculous.
This fall, D'Onofrio is starring in his first gig as a regular on a TV series on Law and Order: Criminal Intent (NBC, Sundays 9-10). I'm torn by this for a couple of reasons. On the one hand I'm sort of surprised that he'd accept an offer to do a network TV show. On the other hand I'm thrilled that I'll get to watch him work every week. On yet another hand, the show he's on is a spin off of Law and Order so if he had to pick a network gig he certainly picked something with distinction. Let's add one more hand and recall the episode of Homicide: Life on the Streets he appeared in (The Subway) that got him nominated for and Emmy and was one of the best episodes of dramatic television ever aired. So hell, maybe it can be viewed as a step down for someone of his immense talent, but it's a step down that I for one am scrambling to get a chance to witness. Plus, it's a steady paying job that gives him some room to make films during the hiatus and it may just bring him the kind of attention he deserves. I love Vincent D'Onofrio because he loves his job and isn't afraid to take risks. Plus, it's undeniable that when you see him perform, it's nearly impossible to notice anything else.
I'm willing to share my boyfriend who lives in the TV: Check out Vincent D'Onofrio in