Most people won’t know Pete Postlethwaite. The name might ring a bell due to the uniqueness, but very few moviegoers can link the name and face.
But at Pursuitist, we loved Pete Postlethwaite. Postlethwaite was a favorite – an actor like Steve Buscemi or Barry Fitzgerald – a consummate professional, who brought dignity and class to any role.
And readers, when they see Postlethwaite’s picture, will nod and say, “I know that guy.”
Postlethwaite died on Sunday after succumbing to cancer.
Films to his credit include Romeo + Juliet, the Constant Gardener, the Last of the Mohicans, Alien 3, Amistad and recently, Inception, The Town and Clash of the Titans. But most audiences will remember him from two roles – as Kobayashi in the cult classic the Usual Suspects, and as the unjustly imprisoned father in the Name of the Father. For the latter film, Postlethwaite stole the movie from stars Daniel Day Lewis and Emma Thompson. He would receive an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Director Steven Spielberg once called Postlethwaite “the best actor in the world.” It’s hard to argue with Spielberg. Pete Postlethwaite was not the leading man, but his presence made any film better. Few actors could ask for more.