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Plenty of iconic moving-picture show feature lead character who have very little screen time . It ’s important to note that " run character " in this linguistic context is n’t a recording label that is inevitably restrict to the moving-picture show ’s protagonist or main character , with severalgreat moviesalso play host to a deal of standout deuteragonists or villains who have made a name for themselves despite only receiving a little amount of screen metre over the age .
Fromendlessly rewatchable superhero filmsto thebest war movies of all time , many of cinema ’s most famous and famous celluloid are far-famed for this strange anomaly . Even more remarkably , many movie fictional character bestowed with a modest amount of concealment meter have even gone on to pull in status as some of the most enduring , popular , and influential fictional faces in the story of popular culture , underline the fact that a huge chunk of screen time is n’t inevitably a warranty of lasting winner .
10Beetlejuice (1988)
Michael Keaton As Beetlejuice
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An acclaimed ' 80 Gothic repulsion - funniness from Tim Burton , 1988’sBeetlejuiceis a premier example of a movie where the purported principal character has very small screenland metre . Despite serving as the eponymic fictional character for Burton ’s fan - favorite flick , Michael Keaton ’s deviously cunning bio - exorcist , Betelgeuse , only appear for just about 17 second in the original film . However , it did n’t hurt the movie in the slender , with Burton ’s incoming proving to be a critical and commercial-grade winner .
Warner Bros let go of a repugnance - funniness motion-picture show on Max that includes so many parallels and Easter eggs to Beetlejuice that it might as well be a remaking .
This even formed the footing of an amusing condition for the actor ’s return in 2024 ’s continuation . Michael Keaton take a firm stand his sieve meter inBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceremained around the same duration , arguing that an increase presence for his notoriously politically incorrect character could hurt the wider movie .
9The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
realize the Academy Award for Best Actor and forever write himself into the chronological record of cinematic history , Anthony Hopkins ' take on cannibal psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter in 1991’sThe Silence of the Lambsis the stuff of legend . The fame and ill fame of Hopkins ' chilling execution arguably pass the character as we be intimate him from Thomas Harris ' novels , with Lecter after regarded as one of the most iconic baddie in the history of popular refinement since the film was release .
With some of the most iconic soundbites and fit that movie theatre has ever witnessed in the distich of a piffling over a quartern of an hour , Hopkins ' masterful public presentation is the quintessential pillowcase study of how to make the absolute maximum out of limited screen time . Lecter is n’t even the flick ’s chief antagonist on this affair , speaking volumes to Hopkins ' unreproducibly sinister aura and unforgettable bearing .
8The Godfather (1972)
Marlon Brando As Vito Corleone
The titulary subject of Francis Ford Coppola ’s 1971genre - delineate mobster epic , The Godfather , Marlon Brando ’s bowknot as pack boss Vito Corleone is one of the most iconic performance of all time . However , while he ’s shoot a line as the movie ’s protagonist and cardinal focus , Brando ’s full amount of screen time as Corleone is sharply juxtaposed against his purported independent lineament status .
While he may have take in the Academy Award for Best Actor for his public presentation as Corleone , Brando is only onscreen for less than a after part of the acclaimed movie ’s runtime , appearing for around 40 minutes . It ’s a controversial decision to this day , with many arguing that Al Pacino ’s take on Michael Corleone was more worth of the award ; theHeatstar was name for Best underpin Actor even though he ’s wide viewed as the film ’s reliable main grapheme as of 2025 .
7Apocalypse Now (1979)
Marlon Brando As Walter Kurtz
One of the full war movies of all time , 1979’sApocalypse Nowmarked the 2d collaboration in a row between director Francis Ford Coppola and Marlon Brando , where the player ’s lead character had very little screen time . Charged with the role of Colonel Kurtz , Brando ’s character is the target of Benjamin Willard ’s character assassination mission , a rapscallion U.S. Special Forces military officer who commands a cult of personality among his followers .
Revelation Nowdoesn’t really stick in its fabled villain until the movie ’s climactic sequences .
However , Apocalypse Nowdoesn’t really introduce its fabled villain until the pic ’s climactic sequences , with Brando only appearing as Kurtz for around a after part of an hour before being murder by Willard . Brando ’s iconic charge is n’t evenApocalypse Now’sonly high - profile example of a pass grapheme with little screen sentence ; Robert Duvall ’s Bill Kilgore is regarded as one of thebest villains in state of war picture show history , even though he only features for a abbreviated chunk of the film ’s full run - metre .
6Longlegs (2024)
Nicolas Cage As Dale Kobble
bluster a frequent carrying out from Nicolas Cage , 2024’sLonglegsdoesn’t actually feature its eponymic serial killer onscreen for a great peck of the movie ’s runtime . coop ’s lead opposer only pops up fleetingly throughout Osgood Perkins ' applaud repugnance film , mostly appearing through a combination of brief cutaway model , visions , and flashback . Even after being captured by the police , he is n’t in custody for long after he cracks his own skull undefended on an interrogative sentence desk .
Even after being captured by the police , he is n’t in custody for long after he collapse his own skull clear on an interrogation desk .
Much like itsspiritual predecessorThe quiet of the Lambs , Longlegskeeps its villain ’s time onscreen legal brief to maximize the impingement of his shocking show and Cage ’s stellar performance when he punctually does . It was an divine originative option that proved to have wildly successful results , with Perkins ' film acclaimed as one of the best horror moving-picture show of the class .
5Se7en (1995)
Kevin Spacey As John Doe
Featuring one of the most desolating twirl endings ever , 1995 ’s crime - thrillerSe7enis also renowned for not precede its chief antagonist until the film ’s climactic sequences . Director David Fincher waits until the last possible moment to enter Kevin Spacey’s"John Doe,“the twisted serial killer behind a grim series of murders inspired by the seven mortal sin of Christianity .
Unfortunately for Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman ’s respective character , Doe makes the most of his limited filmdom time as the movie ’s harrowing ending punctually blossom out , leaving viewersspeechless with horror by the time the credits have tramp . When all is said and done , John Doe does n’t even need a great deal of metre to post his claim as one of cinema ’s most horrifying villains , underlining his chilling air and relentless evil in sharp relief .
4The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger As The Joker
become in agenerational performance after considerable cast backlash , Heath Ledger ’s act as the Clown Prince of Crime in 2008’sThe Dark Knightis wide regarded as one of the greatest villainous cinema has ever seen . Still arguably the greatest lively - action Joker of all time , despite Joaquin Phoenix ’s good efforts , the recent Australian ’s perverse take on Batman ’s nemesis see him posthumously receive the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor .
However , while Ledger ’s orotund - than - life presence hover over the entireness of the movie , The Dark Knightplays out with him onscreen for less sentence than you might think . The Joker only appears for a little over half an hour throughout Christopher Nolan ’s acclaimed superhero outing , which is even more remarkable in light of the movie ’s considerable footrace - time of 152 minutes .
3Jaws (1975)
Bruce The Shark
Ahorror movie that everybody should see at least once , Steven Spielberg’sJawsrepresents essential screening for any cinema devotee . However , in somewhat bizarre fortune for a picture chronicle the rampage of a man - eating great white shark , the pic ’s titular focussing does n’t in reality have a great deal of screenland time throughout the movie . The mechanically skillful shark used in Spielberg ’s 1975 epic only features for around 4 minutes , and does n’t even appear onscreen for the first fourth dimension for more than an hr .
An indispensable aspect of the picture show ’s wider identity , Jawsis notorious for crop an breeze of white - metacarpophalangeal joint unendurable tension without in reality showing its antagonist until the last mo . Remarkably , this was more of a technical workaround than an inspired creative choice at the clock time ; the shark sustain breaking down during production , essentially forcing Spielberg to rewrite his movie around"Bruce . "
2Leon: The Professional (1994)
Gary Oldman as Norman Stansfield
A cult - classic action - thriller from Luc Besson , 1994’sLeon : The Professionalpossesses one of cinema ’s most iconic villains in Gary Oldman ’s psychotic DEA agent , Norman Stansfield . Stansfield ’s status as such is arguably even more impressive in the light of the fact that he does n’t feature throughout much of the picture show , even though he ’s the chief antagonist of Besson ’s acclaimed ' 90s classic .
Stansfield ’s iconic"EVERYONE!“one - liner was in the first place never specify to make the final baseball swing of the movie .
The quintessential cinematic type study in constructing an unforgettable villain with a limited amount of screen fourth dimension , Oldman ’s bowing as the unhinged Stansfield retains idolize status to this day . While the lasting cultural encroachment ofOldman ’s performance inLeon : The Professionalis undoubtedly impressive , given the small amount of time that the worker had to work , it ’s heavy to scat the notion that this was a performance of such quality that it deserve more time in the spotlight .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
1Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Bomb (1964)
Peter Sellars As Dr. Strangelove
One might justifiably question why Peter Sellers ' Dr Strangelove is the eponymous character of 1964’sDr . Strangelove Or : How I Stopped concern And see To get it on The Bomb . While trafficker play several different roles in Stanley Kubrick’sclassic 1960s warfare movie , the general supposal before watch the motion-picture show is that his eponymous character would play the most large purpose in legal proceeding .
Stanley Kubrick ’s timeless political irony Dr. Strangelove terminate on an unusually morbid note for a comedy . What on the dot is a " mineshaft spread " anyway ?
However , Dr. Strangeloveproved to be one of popular civilization ’s earliest and most eminent - profile example of a picture where a lead theatrical role had very little screen time . While trafficker ' flush is inextricably linked with the sidesplitting reveal that he can really walk during the moving-picture show ’s conclusion , the allegedly paraplegic nuclear expert and former Nazi scientist does n’t even arrive on the fit until the second act of Kubrick ’s revered state of war entry .
