There is just to no way to explain the impact of seeing Bob Hoskins for the first time in Dennis Potter’s Pennies from Heaven TV serial.
It would be hard enough for any actor to pull off miming songs yet he did it with such gusto that it was like watching life come into the world.
I remembered his name and when the movie The Long Good Friday was pimped and having its premiere (on Good Friday!) in New York City, I went to see it just to watch Hoskins. He was again revelatory, with a final shot of him that can’t be compared to anything else in film history.
Even when he had a minor role — such as a manic repairman in Brazil — you could feel the energy within him waiting to be unleashed.
He was amazing and one of a kind. He did great work and will be missed.
After the break, some video.
Additional:
Mike Cane’s xBlog 