Today, Saturday, March 9, the one and only Oscar Isaac is celebrating his 45th birthday, and so it is the perfect occasion to review his daring career. Compared to film luminaries like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, the Latino star is currently one of the most successful actors in the world.
Having graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School in 2005 with a degree in theater, the Guatemalan-born actor broke into Hollywood with a handful of supporting roles. Little by little, his notable appearances in films such as Agora, Body of Lies, Robin Hood, Sucker Punch, and Drive allowed him to acquire greater notoriety. It was not until 2013 though when he had his breakthrough role in the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis.
Since then and after years of perseverance, Isaac has cultivated an exceptional acting repertoire that includes more than 60 film and television roles and countless awards and achievements. Whether as an understated indie star, a cocky fighter pilot, a tech genius, or an iconic action hero, the Guatemalan has proven that his is a genuine and undeniable talent.
So, in honor of his birthday, let’s celebrate four groundbreaking Oscar Isaac roles:
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, True Grit), and starring Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis, now available on Prime Video, is an authentic depiction of the daily struggles of independent artists trying to conquer the entertainment industry. Isaac showcases his musical talents, singing and playing himself to bring the prickly Llewyn to life.
This cinematic gem is set in New York’s Greenwich Village music scene in the early 60s and follows a talented and ungrateful folk singer whose life falls apart after the suicide of someone close to him. In the role of Llewyn Davis, Oscar Isaac is emotionally turbulent and deeply moving, his wounds feel raw and throbbing.
Inside Llewyn Davis won the Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography and Best Sound Mixing), and earned Isaac his first Golden Globe nomination.
Show Me a Hero (2015)
Directed by Paul Haggis and based on Lisa Belkin’s nonfiction book of the same name, HBO’s limited series Show Me a Hero tells the true story of young Yonkers Mayor Nick Wasicsko, whose tenure was torn apart by ongoing racial tensions. In the skin of Oscar Isaac, the beleaguered local politician is enormously moving.
The six-part miniseries explores the political and social battle that took place in Yonkers, New York, in the late 80s, when federal judge Leonard B. Sand decreed a controversial racial desegregation order, forcing the county to build low- and middle-income housing in predominantly white neighborhoods.
Like the book, Show Me a Hero tells this bit of history through the personal and political journey of Mayor Nick Wasicsko as he must confront a city racially divided, in contempt, and on the brink of violence. Oscar Isaac portrays the rise and fall of Wasicsko with heartbreaking humanity, leaving a hole in the audience’s chest and earning him his first Golden Globe in 2016.
Scenes from a Marriage (2021)
HBO’s limited series Scenes from a Marriage is a profound reflection on love, contemporary marriage, estrangement, and adulthood. Israeli auteur Hagai Levi writes and directs a reimagining of Ingmar Bergman’s play of the same name. Both the original 1973 miniseries and the 2021 remake probe the fissures and collapse of an enduring relationship.
In this five-episode version, Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain bring to life Jonathan Levy and Mira Phillips, a seemingly promising upper-class married couple. Jonathan teaches philosophy at Tufts, does most of the housework, and is the primary caretaker of Eva, the couple’s young daughter. Meanwhile, Mira is a high-level executive, caught up largely in her professional ambitions. Everything seems to be going well for the family: good jobs, wealth, a lovely daughter, a monogamous relationship. Yet Mira couldn’t be more miserable in their relationship. Scenes from a Marriage is a raw and painful portrait of two lovers tearing each other apart in their deepest resentment.
The leads, Isaac and Chastain, both Juilliard students, received countless accolades for their visceral strength and powerful chemistry. Both are exceptional actors and dominate the miniseries in both the quiet moments and the brutal, heartbreaking ones. Isaac, for his part, delivers a surprisingly complex portrayal of Jonathan Levy, which merited him Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild nominations.
Moon Knight (2022)
Moon Knight, Marvel Studios’ fifth live-action series, Oscar Isaac plays a mythical anti-hero who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and is bound to the ancient Egyptian gods.
The story begins from the perspective of Steven Grant (Isaac), a passionate Egyptologist whose modest existence is plagued by mental gaps and mysterious memories. Steven’s problem is that he has no idea that his body is inhabited by multiple personalities, unexpectedly harboring the anti-hero Moon Knight, better known as the fearsome Fist of Khonshu.
In this psychological thriller available on Disney+, Isaac unleashes all his acting talent and transitions effortlessly between his character’s various identities, ranging from the nervous loner Steven Grant to the mercenary and war veteran Marc Spector to the dangerous cab driver Jake Lockley.
The Guatemalan’s performance in Moon Knight has arguably been one of the best in the MCU. Beyond the mythological themes of the series, Isaac shows off his incredible acting range and does a tremendous job portraying the day-to-day challenges of a mental health disorder.
