“I still really didn’t know what I was doing”: the role John Goodman wishes he could do over
Even though he’s one of cinema’s most reliable character actors who’s been in an impressive array of classic movies spanning decades, John Goodman has only ever earned one major acting nomination for his big screen work.
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher considering his back catalogue includes such critical darlings and awards season favourites as Argo, The Artist, The Big Easy, Sweet Dreams, and Bringing Out the Dead, not to mention his ongoing collaboration with the Coen brothers dating back to 1987.
A Golden Globe nod for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in the sibling duo’s Barton Fink is the total sum of his recognition for such a stellar movie career, not that he’s ever been interested in chasing down statues when the art of performing has always been Goodman’s driving force.
Talents like Goodman never need to be centre stage or showered in acclaim to know they’ve done a good job, especially those who set out to emulate Marlon Brando. The star is one of many who holds the legend on a pedestal awfully close to deified; not that many inspired by the inimitable method man would end up becoming stars on the sitcom circuit as Goodman did in Roseanne.
Even though his body of work spanning film, television, and stage has been defined by its consistency since the early 1980s, Goodman isn’t beyond having a regret or two. In fact, there’s one performance he wishes he could give all over again if he had a second bite at the apple, which may have been down to being awestruck by the people who surrounded him.
David S Ward’s 1991 comedy King Ralph sees Goodman’s title character become the king of England when the entire Royal Family is electrocuted and killed in a freak accident outside of Buckingham Palace. As the next in line to the throne, the brash American is thrust into a destiny he’d never even considered before.
It was a decent hit at the office that took a critical thrashing, but the biggest thrill for Goodman by far was the chance to share the screen with another one of his idols. As the two leads, they spent a great deal of time together, with the American attempting to absorb as much as he possibly could from his illustrious peer.
“That’s one I wish I could do again,” Goodman admitted to Rolling Stone of his performance before focusing his attention on a mesmeric co-star. “I study Peter O’Toole every day. He’s just an indescribable figure. And it was great and I wish I could have just relaxed and had more fun with it while I was doing it. I still really didn’t know what I was doing. And goddamn, the cast is unbelievable.”
He’s not wrong there, with Goodman and O’Toole being joined by a who’s who of British talent that featured John Hurt, Richard Griffiths, Julian Glover, Leslie Phillips, and Joely Richardson. Aptly surmising them as “a treasure trove of Britannia,” the actor did at least enjoy being around such “wonderful people” despite his own self-perceived shortcomings.
