Ranking the Best Performances So Far By Peter Sarsgaard

When I wrote last about one of our more underrated actors, I said the following: Peter Sarsgaard has long been among the most interesting actors in the business, both in terms of what he chooses to play, and how he plays them. Not necessarily a traditional leading man, he’s gravitated towards complex roles, whether it’s Garden State, Jarhead, Shattered Glass, or now Memory, his finest turn to date. A late breaking awards contender, his work here is so above and beyond spectacular, you’ll almost immediately wonder how he did it  I spoke to him about Memory here (which is where that bit above comes from), but today, with September 5 about to open wide, we’re honoring him by ranking his best performances so far…

In my review of September 5 (here), I had the following to say about Sarsgaard’s role in the cast:

The performances across the board are strong, with our four central characters really shining. John Magaro is ostensibly our lead, which is a plus since this is his best turn to date. Watching him become a more and more confident producer is captivating. Magaro’s everyman quality makes it easy to root for him. Peter Sarsgaard’s ABC executive exudes confidence, even when he’s in just as over his head as everyone else. Leonie Benesch’s local translator is the heart and soul of the film in many ways. Her character is the closest to an outsider, so she becomes the audience surrogate. Benesch is able to elevate the movie by expansing its focus. Ben Chaplin is rock solid as the no-nonsense head of operations, making a character more memorable than he otherwise might have been. Supporting performances include Daniel Adeosun, Rony Herman, Zinedine Soualem, Benjamin Walker, and more, though the main quartet are the highlights.

Below, you can see how Sarsgaard stacks up for me. The top tier for him is Memory and Shattered Glass, with Boys Don’t Cry, Garden State, and September 5 next in line. Now, your mileage may vary, but this is how I see it. Regardless, he’s one of our most interesting actors, one who only now seems to be getting more of his due, but even these days, he still remains without an Academy Award nomination. Sarsgaard likely won’t have an Oscar nod this year, but that first nom is coming, mark my words…

Here now is how I would rank the ten best performances so far from Peter Sarsgaard:

10. Experimenter

9. An Education

8. Jackie

7. Jarhead

6. Kinsey

5. September 5

4. Garden State

3. Boys Don’t Cry

2. Shattered Glass

1. Memory

What are your favorite Peter Sarsgaard performances? Let us know!