Next on the list of criminally underrated and consistently solid actors working in Hollywood today is the immensely talented John Hawkes. He has been well lauded by his peers , with an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win to his name to date, but aside from the keen fan of his work, most movie goers would struggle to put a name to this all too familiar face.
John Hawkes was born John Marvin Perkins on 11th September 1959 in Alexandria, Minnesota, to wheat farmers Peter and Patricia Perkins. He graduated from Jefferson High School and moved to Austin, Texas, where he was a member of the band Meat Joy along with Gretchen Phillips. He was also a member of the musical group King Straggler with fellow actors Rodney Eastman and Brentley Gore. He co-founded the Big State Productions Theatre Company and appeared in the group's original play, "In the West", at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C changing his name to John Hawkes as another actor shared his birth name, John Perkins.
Hawkes earlier film career saw him in minor roles in such films as Congo, From Dusk Til Dawn and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. He also appeared in TV shows such as E.R., Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files in the infant stages of his acting career.
The early 2000's seemed like a turning point for the Minnesota native as he won more notable and substantial roles in both film and TV appearing in movies like The Perfect Storm and Identity with recurring roles in TV shows such as 24 and Deadwood where he played the unforgettable Sol Star earning him a Screen Actors Guild Award.
It was his role as Teardrop Dolly in 2010's Winter's Bone however, that made the world eventually take notice of this fine actor in a role that saw numerous nominations, not least of all a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination.
His rich vein of form continued in the next two years as he roles as cult leader Patrick in Martha Marcy May Marlene and polio sufferer Mark O'Brien in The Sessions gained the actor high critical acclaim and numerous award nominations (how these two roles did not earn him at least one Oscar nomination at the time is still beyond me!)
John Hawkes continues to deliver masterful performances on a extremely consistent level yet doesn't get the credit such an amazing actor deserves. Just take a look at 5 exceptional performances below to see the rich catalogue of work this fine actor already has (and if you haven't seen some of these films, you are missing out!)
5 Exceptional John Hawkes performances:
5. Teardrop Dolly - Winters Bone.
4. Patrick - Martha Marcy May Marlene.
3. Roger - Conatagion.
2. Freddie Spearman - American Gangster
1. Mark O'Brien - The Sessions.
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