Continuing their streak of groundbreaking and popular shows, HBO's Westworld is yet another artistic feather in the network's cap. Filled with expert writing, directing, and production design, Westworld was an instant success with critics and built a strong and dedicated fan base.
A large portion of the show's success has been attributed to its cast. The strength of the writing has drawn top tier talent from the film world including an extremely popular Oscar winner. Here are the 10 best films that feature cast from this unique television show.
Evan Rachel Wood In Thirteen
Wood came to notice of the film world in director Catherine Hardwicke's critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated "Indie" from 2003.
The actress played daughter to Holly Hunter's mother in what was widely considered to be an intense and realistic portrayal of the life of a modern girl entering her teen years. Evan Rachel Wood held her own against Hunter with her performance leading to a Golden Globe nomination and spring-boarding a long and important acting career.
Ed Harris In The Right Stuff
Ed Harris has long been one of cinema's most respected actors. He has been nominated for Oscars multiple times and lends a certain gravitas to every role he takes on. His work is usually forceful and intense, making him a critical darling and an occasional box office draw.
It was in Phil Kaufman's 3 hour 1983 film about the Mercury 7 mission that brought Ed Harris great acclaim. The actor co-starred as astronaut John Glenn in an epic tale of that exciting time in America where the race to get to the moon was a go. Harris played the historical figure with a softness yet showed him to be straight-forward and magnanimous, much like the real John Glenn. This led the actor to great acclaim and cemented his role in a film that many critics hailed as an American masterpiece.
Jeffery Wright In Basquiat
Jeffery Wright has always been a respected character actor who always shines in ing roles. However, it was his starring role in the 1996 biopic of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat that gave him his career.
Wright wowed critics with his respectful portrayal of the tragic artist and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his performance.
Anthony Hopkins In The Silence Of The Lambs
Anthony Hopkins was already respected when he took the role of serial killer Hannibal Lecter in Jonathan Demme's classic Horror film. The Silence of the Lambs became one of the biggest successes of 1991 and one of the most respected Horror films of all time.
Hopkins' performance impressed critics and audiences, leading him to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. With less than 20 minutes of screen time, Anthony Hopkins gave what is considered to be one of the finest performances in genre film history.
James Mardsen In X-Men 2
Mardsen ended up being one of the most important characters in Westworld. The show gave the actor one of the better roles of his career. On film, Mardsen cemented himself in comic book history as "Scott Summers"/"Cyclops" in the hugely popular X-Men films.
Marsden has been in popular films but nothing like the phenomenal success of the X-Men series. As "Cyclops", the actor was allowed chances to show different sides of his abilities making him one of the most popular characters of the franchise.
Tessa Thompson In Creed
Creed was a risky project, to begin with. Returning to the Rocky franchise after it was supposedly finished and making "Rocky Balboa" a ing character was a gamble and one that paid off.
A huge box office success, critics agreed that one of its strengths was its cast with many singling out Tessa Thompson for her strong work. The role brought Thompson acclaim and broke her out of his Independent film roots.
Ed Harris In Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was a tremendous hit upon its release in 1995. Ron Howard's Oscar-winning film is one of the most popular and profitable films of its decade.
Ed Harris returned to the NASA missions of the 1960s after portraying John Glenn 12 years earlier. The actor played Gene Kranz, one of the NASA scientists who helped three stranded astronauts find their way home. Harris was praised for his strong performance and went on to receive his first Oscar nomination for ing Actor.
Thandie Newton In Beloved
Thandie Newton is considered to be one of the stars that help anchor Westworld. Always an actress that takes chances, critics cite her work on the HBO series as some of her finest.
Her first acclaimed came in 1998's critically lauded Beloved. Newton played a ghost that disturbed a family in the slavery plagued South. The film was a powerful adaptation of Toni Morrison's equally praised novel of the same name. Newton's performance was unique and disturbing with Morrison stating how she was a perfect representation of the character she created.
Anthony Hopkins In The Remains Of The Day
Two years after his Oscar win for playing "Hannibal Lecter", Anthony Hopkins took on another adaptation of a beloved novel, The Remains of the Day where he played a butler who must confront his suppressed emotions when he falls in love.
Hopkins' performance was unanimously praised while many considered it his career-best. The film was a financial success and nominated for multiple awards including another for Hopkins in the best actor category.
Tessa Thompson In Thor: Ragnarok
These days there isn't a more popular franchise than The Avengers and its characters' stand-alone films. 2017's Thor: Ragnarok became one of the most popular of them all.
After proving herself to be a great character actress, Tessa Thompson made the jump to the Marvel cinematic universe. Her role as "Valkyrie" became a fan favorite. The actress played it with style and never let the character get lost among the CGI heavy adventure.
