5 TOM WAITS
Best SF performance: Mr Nick in The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
Pop fame: Gravelled-voiced US singer/songwriter beloved of critics
SF fame: With a trademark growl and experimental jazz/blues/industrial fusion Tom Waits the musician might still be making a successful living touring the globe, but to SF fans he is perhaps best known as a colourful character actor, responsible for bringing edgy creations like Renfield (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) and Dr Heller (Mystery Men) to the big screen. He’s also provided tracks for everything from Life On Mars to Hellboy.
Most recently Waits’s offbeat sensibilities proved a perfect match for the devilishly delicious role of Mr Nick in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. Outwardly comical with bowtie and bowler hat and a convenient addiction to gambling, Waits's raspy drawl nevertheless manages to imbue every line with a sinister sense of fun. As the master tormentor he’s arguably (whisper it) the best thing in the whole film.
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