Want to know the best Sam Rockwell movies? How about the worst Sam Rockwell movies? Curious about Sam Rockwell box office grosses or which Sam Rockwell movie did the worst at the box office? Need to know which Sam Rockwell movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Sam Rockwell (1968-) is an Oscar®-winning American actor. Over the years, Sam Rockwell has become one of our favorite actors. He has done a wonderful job of starring in quality independent movies (Lawn Dogs, Moon) while appearing in supporting roles in blockbusters (Iron Man 2, Cowboys and Aliens and The Green Mile). His IMDb page shows over 110 acting credits since 1979. This page will rank Sam Rockwell movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and movies that were not released in theaters were not included in the rankings.
Drivel part of the page: Years ago we wrote a page that listed current actors/actresses that had been held without an acting Oscar® nomination even though they had performances that were worthy of one. Well of the 10 thespians we named 3 (Gary Oldman, Jennifer Jason Leigh & Rockwell) received nominations and 1 got a Honorary Oscar® (Maureen O’Hara).
Sam Rockwell in 2009’s Moon
Sam Rockwell Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews, and awards.
| Year | Movie (Year) | Rating | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Movie (Year) | Rating | S |
| 1999 | The Green Mile (1999) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 2010 | Iron Man 2 (2010) |  |
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| 1999 | Galaxy Quest (1999) | |
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| 2017 | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Win |
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| 1990 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) | |
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| 2000 | Charlie's Angels (2000) | |
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| 2022 | The Bad Guys (2022) Voice Only |
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| 2024 | IF (2024) Voice Only |
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| 2008 | Frost/Nixon (2008) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 2011 | Cowboys & Aliens (2011) | |
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| 2019 | Jojo Rabbit (2019) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 2009 | G-Force (2009) | |
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| 2018 | Vice (2018) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
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| 2025 | The Bad Guys 2 (2025) Voice Only |
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| 2003 | Matchstick Men (2003) | |
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| 2005 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) | |
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| 2019 | Richard Jewell (2019) |  |
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| 2013 | The Way Way Back (2013) | |
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| 2012 | Seven Psychopaths (2012) | |
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| 2002 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) | |
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| 2001 | Heist (2001) | |
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| 2009 | Moon (2009) |  |
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| 2007 | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) | |
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| 1997 | Lawn Dogs (1997) | |
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| 1999 | A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) | |
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| 2018 | Blaze (2018) | |
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| 2010 | Conviction (2010) | |
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| 1996 | Basquiat (1996) | |
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| 2022 | See How They Run (2022) | |
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| 2007 | Snow Angels (2007) | |
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| 1992 | Light Sleeper (1992) | |
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| 2019 | The Best of Enemies (2019) | |
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| 1996 | Box of Moon Light (1996) | |
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| 1992 | In the Soup (1992) | |
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| 2020 | The One And Only Ivan (2020) HBO Movie |
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| 1989 | Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) | |
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| 2007 | Joshua (2007) | |
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| 2015 | Poltergeist (2015) | |
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| 2020 | Trolls World Tour (2020) Universal VOD Voice Only |
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| 2014 | Laggies (2014) | |
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| 2015 | Digging For Fire (2015) | |
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| 2024 | Argylle (2024) | |
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| 2009 | Everybody's Fine (2009) | |
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| 2017 | Woman Walks Ahead (2017) |  |
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| 1998 | Jerry And Tom (1998) | |
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| 2002 | Welcome to Collinwood (2002) | |
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| 2009 | The Winning Season (2009) | |
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| 2008 | Choke (2008) |  |
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| 1997 | SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground (1997) HBO Movie |
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| 2015 | Mr. Right (2015) | |
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| 2013 | Trust Me (2013) | |
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| 2013 | A Single Shot (2013) | |
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| 1998 | Safe Men (1998) | |
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| 2011 | The Sitter (2011) | |
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| 1995 | Drunks (1995) | |
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| 1994 | The Search for One-Eye Jimmy (1994) | |
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| 2004 | Piccadilly Jim (2004) |  |
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| 1998 | Celebrity (1998) | |
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| 2018 | The Blue Iguana (2018) | |
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| 1995 | Mercy (1995) | |
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| 1996 | Glory Daze (1996) | |
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| 2014 | Better Living Through Chemistry (2014) | |
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| 2009 | Gentlemen Broncos (2009) |  |
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| 2018 | Mute (2018) Netflix |
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| 2013 | A Case of You (2013) Limited Release |
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| 1994 | Somebody to Love (1994) | |
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| 2015 | Don Verdean (2015) | |
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| 2014 | Loitering With Intent (2014) | |
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| 2017 | Axis (2017) Film Festival Circuit Only |
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| 1991 | Strictly Business (1991) | |
Sam Rockwell Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort by Sam Rockwell movies and the movie’s trailer
- Sort by Sam Rockwell movies by his co-stars
- Sort Sam Rockwell movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Sam Rockwell movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Sam Rockwell movie received.
- Sort Sam Rockwell movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort Sam Rockwell movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | The Green Mile (1999) AA Best Picture Nom |
Michael Clarke Duncan & Tom Hanks |
136.80 | 337.9 | 708.50 | 12 | 81 | 04 / 00 | 98.8 | |
| 2 | Iron Man 2 (2010) | Robert Downey Jr. & Scarlett Johansson |
312.40 | 495.0 | 988.50 | 3 | 71 | 01 / 00 | 95.1 | |
| 3 | Galaxy Quest (1999) | Sigourney Weaver & Tim Allen |
71.60 | 176.8 | 224.00 | 29 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 94.3 | |
| 5 | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Win |
Woody Harrelson & Frances McDormand |
54.50 | 75.9 | 219.50 | 52 | 90 | 07 / 02 | 93.1 | |
| 4 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) | Judith Hoag | 135.30 | 399.7 | 596.80 | 5 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 93.1 | |
| 6 | Charlie's Angels (2000) | Cameron Diaz & Bill Murray |
125.30 | 290.6 | 612.50 | 14 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 91.3 | |
| 7 | The Bad Guys (2022) Voice Only |
Awkwafina | 97.20 | 108.5 | 279.40 | 19 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 88.4 | |
| 8 | IF (2024) Voice Only |
Ryan Reynolds & Directed by John Krasinski |
111.10 | 111.1 | 184.70 | 21 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 87.1 | |
| 9 | Frost/Nixon (2008) AA Best Picture Nom |
Frank Langella & Directed by Ron Howard |
18.60 | 32.4 | 47.70 | 120 | 87 | 05 / 00 | 85.1 | |
| 11 | Cowboys & Aliens (2011) | Harrison Ford & Daniel Craig |
100.20 | 158.0 | 275.60 | 30 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 85.1 | |
| 10 | Jojo Rabbit (2019) AA Best Picture Nom |
Scarlett Johansson | 33.40 | 45.5 | 119.10 | 76 | 78 | 06 / 01 | 84.4 | |
| 14 | G-Force (2009) | Nicolas Cage & Will Arnett |
119.40 | 199.1 | 488.00 | 25 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 83.0 | |
| 13 | Vice (2018) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Christian Bale & Amy Adams |
47.80 | 65.3 | 100.40 | 60 | 67 | 08 / 01 | 82.6 | |
| 12 | The Bad Guys 2 (2025) Voice Only |
Marc Maron & Awkwafina |
82.60 | 82.6 | 239.40 | 26 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 82.1 | |
| 15 | Matchstick Men (2003) | Nicolas Cage | 36.90 | 76.5 | 135.90 | 75 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 81.7 | |
| 16 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) | Zooey Deschanel | 51.10 | 99.8 | 200.80 | 55 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 81.7 | |
| 17 | Richard Jewell (2019) | Kathy Bates & Directed by Clint Eastwood |
22.30 | 30.5 | 47.80 | 94 | 79 | 01 / 00 | 75.8 | |
| 18 | The Way Way Back (2013) | Steve Carell | 21.50 | 33.1 | 35.70 | 106 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 75.5 | |
| 19 | Seven Psychopaths (2012) | Christopher Walken & Woody Harrelson |
15.00 | 23.6 | 30.50 | 121 | 80 | 00 / 00 | 73.5 | |
| 20 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) | Julia Roberts & Drew Barrymore |
16.00 | 34.5 | 71.20 | 121 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 72.3 | |
| 21 | Heist (2001) | Gene Hackman & Danny DeVito |
23.50 | 52.0 | 52.00 | 94 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 70.9 | |
| 22 | Moon (2009) | Kevin Spacey | 5.00 | 8.4 | 8.40 | 163 | 80 | 00 / 00 | 69.1 | |
| 23 | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) | Brad Pitt & Jeremy Renner |
3.90 | 7.1 | 27.30 | 182 | 76 | 02 / 00 | 65.6 | |
| 24 | Lawn Dogs (1997) | Kathleen Quinlan | 0.10 | 0.3 | 0.30 | 250 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 60.1 | |
| 25 | A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) | Christian Bale & Michelle Pfeiffer |
16.10 | 39.7 | 61.80 | 97 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 59.5 | |
| 26 | Blaze (2018) | Directed by Ethan Hawke | 0.70 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 216 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 58.2 | |
| 27 | Conviction (2010) | Hilary Swank | 6.80 | 10.7 | 18.70 | 136 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 56.5 | |
| 28 | Basquiat (1996) | Gary Oldman & David Bowie |
3.00 | 8.5 | 8.50 | 169 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 56.4 | |
| 30 | See How They Run (2022) | Saoirse Ronan | 7.90 | 8.9 | 18.20 | 77 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 55.0 | |
| 29 | Snow Angels (2007) | Kate Beckinsale | 0.40 | 0.7 | 0.80 | 252 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 54.7 | |
| 31 | Light Sleeper (1992) | Susan Sarandon & Willem Dafoe |
1.10 | 3.2 | 3.20 | 170 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 52.4 | |
| 32 | The Best of Enemies (2019) | Taraji P. Henson | 10.20 | 13.9 | 14.00 | 120 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 52.2 | |
| 33 | Box of Moon Light (1996) | John Turturro | 0.80 | 2.2 | 2.20 | 203 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 50.3 | |
| 34 | In the Soup (1992) | Steve Buscemi | 0.30 | 0.8 | 0.80 | 197 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 50.2 | |
| 35 | The One And Only Ivan (2020) HBO Movie |
Angelina Jolie | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 246 | 69 | 01 / 00 | 49.9 | |
| 36 | Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) | Jennifer Jason Leigh | 1.70 | 5.4 | 5.40 | 147 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 49.0 | |
| 37 | Joshua (2007) | Vera Farmiga | 0.50 | 0.9 | 0.90 | 245 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 47.5 | |
| 41 | Poltergeist (2015) | Rosemarie DeWitt | 47.40 | 70.3 | 141.50 | 55 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 45.3 | |
| 38 | Trolls World Tour (2020) Universal VOD Voice Only |
Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick |
2.60 | 3.5 | 70.40 | 48 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 45.1 | |
| 39 | Laggies (2014) | Keira Knightley & Chloë Grace Moretz |
1.10 | 1.6 | 4.40 | 182 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 44.8 | |
| 40 | Digging For Fire (2015) | Anna Kendrick & Orlando Bloom |
0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 210 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 43.4 | |
| 42 | Argylle (2024) | Bryan Cranston & Henry Cavill |
45.20 | 45.2 | 96.20 | 39 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 43.2 | |
| 43 | Everybody's Fine (2009) | Robert DeNiro & Drew Barrymore |
9.20 | 15.3 | 27.40 | 143 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 42.2 | |
| 44 | Woman Walks Ahead (2017) | Jessica Chastain | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 257 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 36.2 | |
| 45 | Jerry And Tom (1998) | Ted Danson | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 310 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 35.6 | |
| 46 | Welcome to Collinwood (2002) | George Clooney | 0.30 | 0.7 | 0.70 | 231 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 31.6 | |
| 47 | The Winning Season (2009) | Emma Roberts | 0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 262 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 30.9 | |
| 48 | Choke (2008) | Anjelica Huston | 2.90 | 5.1 | 5.10 | 178 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 30.0 | |
| 49 | SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground (1997) HBO Movie |
Denis Leary | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 308 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 29.9 | |
| 50 | Mr. Right (2015) | Anna Kendrick | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 267 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 26.3 | |
| 53 | Trust Me (2013) | Allison Janey | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 419 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 25.5 | |
| 51 | A Single Shot (2013) | William H.Macy | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 394 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 25.1 | |
| 52 | Safe Men (1998) | Mark Ruffalo & Paul Giamatti |
0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 282 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 25.0 | |
| 55 | The Sitter (2011) | Jonah Hill | 30.40 | 48.0 | 55.10 | 100 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 24.6 | |
| 54 | Drunks (1995) | Faye Dunaway | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 274 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 23.4 | |
| 56 | The Search for One-Eye Jimmy (1994) | Samuel L. Jackson & Steve Buscemi |
0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 232 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 20.2 | |
| 57 | Piccadilly Jim (2004) | Tom Wilkinson | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 392 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 20.0 | |
| 58 | Celebrity (1998) | Leonardo DiCaprio & Directed by Woody Allen |
5.10 | 13.5 | 16.50 | 146 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 18.6 | |
| 59 | The Blue Iguana (2018) | Phoebe Fox | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 317 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 17.6 | |
| 60 | Mercy (1995) | Ellen Barkin | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 285 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 13.7 | |
| 61 | Glory Daze (1996) | Matthew McConaughey & Ben Affleck |
0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 255 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 13.3 | |
| 62 | Better Living Through Chemistry (2014) | Jane Fonda | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 231 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 11.6 | |
| 63 | Gentlemen Broncos (2009) | Michael Angarano | 0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 265 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 9.8 | |
| 64 | Mute (2018) Netflix |
Paul Rudd & Alexander Skarsgård |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 417 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 9.6 | |
| 65 | A Case of You (2013) Limited Release |
Vince Vaughn & Justin Long |
0.10 | 0.1 | 0.30 | 277 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 9.0 | |
| 66 | Somebody to Love (1994) | Anthony Quinn & Steve Buscemi |
0.10 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 229 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 8.0 | |
| 67 | Don Verdean (2015) | Leslie Bibb & Danny McBride |
0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 394 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 6.6 | |
| 68 | Loitering With Intent (2014) | Marisa Tomei | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 344 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 5.9 | |
| 69 | Axis (2017) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Kevin Pollak | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 325 | 38 | 00 / 00 | 3.3 | |
| 70 | Strictly Business (1991) | Halle Berry & Samuel L. Jackson |
7.70 | 22.8 | 22.80 | 108 | 31 | 00 / 00 | 3.3 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Sam Rockwell
1. Sam Rockwell was born in Dale City, California in 1968.2. At age 10, Sam Rockwell made a brief stage debut playing Humphrey Bogart in an East Village improv comedy sketch starring his mother.
3. While waiting for his acting career to take hold Sam Rockwell delivered burritos by bike, was a bellboy at restaurants and was a private detective’s assistant.
4. Sam Rockwell’s career really took off in 1999. He appeared in memorable supporting roles in Galaxy Quest (he was Guy Fleegman…the red shirt crew member) and The Green Mile (he was ‘Wild Bill’ Wharton).
5. Sam Rockwell was one of the original choices for the role of Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man. He does play Stark’s antagonist Justin Hammer in 2010’s Iron Man 2.
6. 2009’s Moon was written for Sam Rockwell. The director, Duncan Jones, wanted to cast Rockwell in a different film, but Jones and Rockwell could never come to an agreement on which part he should play. Because he wanted to work with Rockwell so much, he created this film for him.
7. Sam Rockwell, Duncan Jones and David Bowie. Rockwell starred in 1996’s Basquiat with David Bowie. In 2009, Rockwell was the lead actor in Jones’ directorial debut Moon. Duncan Jones is the son of Bowie.
8. Sam Rockwell has never been married and says “I definitely don’t want to become a parent. It’s not my bag.”
9. Sam Rockwell was George Clooney‘s first and only choice to play Chuck Barris in Clooney’s directorial debut, 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
10. Check out Sam Rockwell’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
If you do a comment….please ignore the email address and website section.Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. Golden Globes® are the registered trademark and service mark of the Hollywood Foreign Press.
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Very nice!
Thank you Gin Y. I appreciate the kind words.
Love Sam Rockwell. Ever since his Green Mike character scared me to death when I was an impressionable teenager. Sad to say I have never seen Moon. I thought he was very funny in Mr. Right, Digging For Fire and The Way Way Back.
Hey Helakoski….glad we did a page on somebody you really like. I can see his Wild Bill character in Green Mile being scary to a teenager. As for Moon…..you have to see it. Wonderful movie with a wonderful Rockwell performance. I really liked The Way, Way Back…..thought Mr. Right was decent…..but have not seen Digging For Fire yet. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Sam Rockwell.
While watching SNL with my family, I was offended by the F Bomb, that I do *not* think was a mistake, as it’s being called. They also used “dick” which is the male version of “cXXt”. And, because they’re crass, the word BITCH was was bandied about. If you can’t be funny on broadcast TV without potty mouth… then move to cable. So, it’s the *way* they used the words that’s offensive. Like porn, I may not be able to describe how it crosses the line, but I know it when I see it. And, I don;t want to see it on broadcast TV!!
http://bestmoviesof2017.com/best-movies-of-2017/
Hey best movies of 2016 and 2017. Sorry the Sam Rockwell profanity bothered you so much. In their defense, not thinking their target audiences is families. That being said, they have earned their fine that is coming their way. Like the lists of ?.
Although I had seen him in The Green Mile and Galaxy Quest, where he was great, I first really noticed Sam Rockwell in the amazing science fiction Moon, where he was just outstanding as essentially the only actor in the film together with an amusing and compassionate computer. I see from your list that Moon failed at the box office but I think it is justifiably receiving more interest and has a strong cult following. I also enjoyed Rockwell in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, not a great film, but strong performance from Rockwell. Glad he is getting more recognition, from the Academy and UMR!
Hey PhilHOF17
1. Thanks for sharing your Sam Rockwell thoughts.
2. Glad to see you liked Moon as well.
3. Moon was a low budget movie…..so it has actually been profitable even with a small box office total.
4. Moon was filmed during a movie strike and Duncan Jones got many normally high cost people to work on this movie for almost nothing…..that is one of the reasons…..the movie looks so good.
5. I wanted to like Confessions of a Dangerous Minds….but even a second viewing did not help the cause…..a great cast…..in a confusing movie.
6. Thanks for the feedback.