English actor Jason Issacs has been one of the busiest film and TV performers working inside and outside of Hollywood for the past three decades. The esteemed actor has amassed more than 140 credits over his career dating back to 1988, appearing in some of the most beloved blockbuster franchises of all time.
Most famously, Isaacs portrays the wicked character of Lucius Malfoy in all but two Harry Potter films: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. However, since all five of the Harry Potter films that Isaac has appeared in rank among his top 10 films per IMDb (six including the two-part finale), they have been excluded to avoid repetition.
10 The Chumscrubber (2005) 6.9/10
Arie Posin's quirky indie dramedy The Chumscrubber follows Dean Sitffle (Jamie Bell), a teenager who becomes embroiled in an inept abduction scheme following the death of his best friend. Isaacs plays Mr. Parker, the father of one of the abductors, Lee Parker (Lou Taylor Pucci).
When Dean fails to deliver the prescription drugs his deceased friend left behind, Lee decides to kidnap Dean's little brother Charlie. However, Lee kidnaps the wrong boy, leading to a series of darkly humorous mishaps and misunderstandings.
9 The Infiltrator (2016) 7.0/10
Based on the autobiography of U.S. Customs Agent Robert Mazur, The Infiltrator depicts how the operative (Bryan Cranston) went undercover as a shady businessman to help notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar launder illegal money in the 1980s.
Isaacs plays real-life Federal Prosecutor Mark Jackowski in the film, who won many successful money laundering cases in his day, including convictions in the watershed case against Panamanian Bank executives shown in the film.
8 The Fix (1997) 7.1/10
Jason Isaacs first collaborated with fellow Englishman Paul Greengrass on The Fix, a made-for-television movie about a group of soccer players who allegedly threw matches for money in the 1960s. Isaacs plays former English soccer icon, Tony Kay.
After years of illegally rigging matches and reaping monetary gain, a soccer-loathing journalist named Mike Gabbett (Steve Coogan) was assigned to look into suspicious activity. Gabbett's dogged reporting leads to the revelation that Tony Kay and his closest teammates were guilty of fixing games. As such, Kay and his friends were sentenced to four months in jail.
7 The End Of The Affair (1999) 7.1/10
Neil Jordan's aching romantic drama The End of the Affair stars Ralph Fiennes and Julianne Moore as a lovelorn couple desperate to figure out where it all went wrong. Issacs plays atheistic priest Father Richard Smythe, from whom Sarah (Moore) seeks advice.
After her lover Maurice (Fiennes) is injured in battle, Sarah vows to God that she will never see him again so long as he revives him back to health. When the promise becomes too hard to keep, Sarah confides in the atheistic Smythe to help her disbelieve in God to avoid punishment.
6 The Death Of Stalin (2017) 7.2/10
Isaacs portrays real-life Soviet Marshall Georgy Zhukov in The Death of Stalin, a dark satire from director Armando Iannucci. The plot concerns the abject maelstrom of panic, chaos, and disorder following the Soviet leader's (Adrian McLoughlin) sudden demise.
When the power-hungry Beria (Simon Russell Beale) attempts to seize control of the government in the wake of Stalin's death, Zhukov and Nikia Khruschev (Steve Buscemi) mount a counterattack by staging a coup with the help of the Red Army.
5 The Patriot (2000) 7.2/10
Isaacs gave a memorable and menacing turn as Colonel William "The Butcher" Tavington, the evil bloodthirsty villain in Roland Emmerich's American Revolutionary War epic, The Patriot.
The barbarous British colonist and leader of the Green Dragoons run roughshod over several villages and militias until meeting his match in Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), a skilled American soldier and a dedicated family man willing to do whatever it takes to protect his loved one. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards.
4 Hotel Mumbai (2018) 7.6/10
Based on the harrowing 2008 terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India, Isaacs plays fictional hostage Vasili alongside Dev Patel in Hotel Mumbai. Along with fellow victim Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi), Vasili makes a heroic attempt to thwart the attack and make an escape.
Directed and co-written by Anthony Maras, the film drew praise for its visceral action sequences and stark realism. Like United 93 before it, the film treats the underlying tragedy with great respect for the victims without being tasteless or exploitative.
3 Fury (2014) 7.6/10
David Ayer's hyper-violent WWII film Fury traces the moral ambiguity of veteran tank commander Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt) and his men as they run roughshod over German terrain in 1945. Isaacs plays Captain Waggoner, a fallen leader who Don replaces after a deadly attack.
Much of the drama concerns new recruit, Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), a typist with zero combat experience who threatens the safety of his platoon. When Captain Waggoner is struck by German fire, Norman further struggles to adjust to the rules of engagement.
2 Black Hawk Down (2001) 7.7/10
Isaacs plays Captain Mike Steele, a member of the 75th Rangers who stormed Somalia as part of the U.S. government's attempt to stop a pair of rogue warlords in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down.
The epic war movie with a gigantic ensemble of actors recounts the U.S. military's 1993 raid of Mogadishu, which resulted in an extremely bloody and deadly skirmish among U.S. soldiers and Somali militias. Captain Steele ordered the mission after receiving key intel and led the raid into the Bakara Market before two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were gunned down by Somali soldiers.
1 Mass (2021) 8.3/10
After making its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Isaacs' newest and highest-rated movie to date (per IMDb) was acquired by Bleeker Street with plans to distribute the film later this year (per Deadline).
Written and directed by Fran Kranz, Mass reunites two sets of parents whose children suffered a dramatic tragedy in the past. With time to heal and reflect, the two couples come together to confront their past horrors, express their grief, and forge a healing path forward. The couples include Issacs and Martha Plimpton, as well as Ann Dowd and Reed Birney.
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June 16, 2021 at 12:00AM
