Underdogs frequently receive little respect and are not given enough credit for their efforts. One such actor in the entertainment sector who has been around for a very long time is Vincent D’Onofrio. There is enough evidence to conclude that he ranks among the greatest actors of all time.
In 1959, Vincent was born. Young Vincent developed an interest in theater throughout the 1970s and started looking for work at nearby theaters. Until he graduated from high school, he worked behind the scenes before taking on stage-related duties. Vincent spent the following years actively taking part in student theater performances at New York University since he felt this was going to be his life.
Vincent took on gigs as a bodyguard for Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and a bouncer for the Hard Rock Café as side hustles. That was just the beginning, though.
His breakthrough year was 1987. His first significant role was as the obese Pvt. Leonard Lawrence in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, which is perhaps the movie from which most people remember him. To play the clumsy Marine, Vincent reportedly put on a record-breaking 70 pounds, according to The Telegraph.
In 1992, five years later, he made an appearance in Robert Altman’s film The Player. He portrayed a disgruntled and idealistic screenwriter who can’t believe how swiftly clever and original screenplays are vanishing from Hollywood.
He played Burton Steckler, a maniacal policeman searching for a unique disc containing incriminating video, in the 1995 film Strange Days. He was able to land a role in Men in Black two years later, in 1997, and shared the screen with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. He portrayed a villain this time.
Three years later, Vincent made an appearance in the 2000 serial killer film The Cell. You’re certainly familiar with the 2001-launched crime drama Law & Order: Criminal Intent. D’Onofrio played Robert Goren, one of TV’s most amazing investigators, in 141 episodes of the show. He additionally had a supporting role in Sherlock.
D’Onofrio continued to make appearances on numerous TV programs over the years, including The Break-Up in 2006, where he portrayed Vince Vaughn’s business partner. Regardless of the type of show, his ability to hide his true personality and present as a distinct persona is still unsurpassed.
More recently, in 2015, he was cast as Vic Hoskins in Jurassic World. Given all these instances, it is easy to assume that Vincent D’Onofrio is, at the very least, significantly underappreciated and deserving of much greater recognition than he currently enjoys.
