Top 10 Lesser known roles of Bob Hoskins

Today, veteran actor Bob Hoskins passed away at age 71 from pneumonia. For those who are unfamiliar, Bob Hoskins is most famous for his role as detective Eddie Valiant from the 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit. However, would it surprise readers to know that the native Englishman also starred in iconic roles like Captain Hook’s assistant Smee in Hook? Or that he played Odin way before the Thor movies were even a thing in Son of the Mask?

Born in 1942, Hoskins stumbled into acting on accident but proved to be a natural. He earned his first leading role in the 1980 gangster flick The Long Good Friday. In 1986, Hoskins won multiple awards for his part in the critically acclaimed neo noir film Mona Lisa. These successes lead to his most memorable role in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the second highest grossing film of 1988. Afterwards, Hoskins performed in multiple films throughout the 90s and 2000s up until his retirement in 2012. To honor his memory, the following list focuses on the most known “unknown” roles of the late Bob Hoskins that is sure to bring back some nostalgic movie memories.
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[new page = 10. Odin, Son of the Mask]

Anyone who is anyone knows that Son of the Mask has to be one of the worst sequels to have ever been created, winning the Razzie Award for Worst Remake or Sequel in 2006. Despite its lack of popularity, Hoskins actually played a significant role in the film through his portrayal as Odin, the god who sends his son Loki down to Earth to retrieve his “mask” before it falls into the wrong hands. The film stars Jamie Kennedy, Alan Cumming, and Traylor Howard.

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[new page = 9. Mario Mario, Super Mario Bros.]

Despite the iconic nature of the role, Hoskins later admitted that Super Mario Bros. was to be the worst decision of his life. In fact, he had no idea he was portraying a video game actor until his son told him later on during production. Still, you have to respect the fact that he and costar John Leguizamo continued on with the project knowing full well it wouldn’t amount to the 48 million dollar budget. Kudos to them, especially considering no one has done it since.

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[new page = 8. Muir, Snow White and the Huntsman]

In one of his last pictorial performances, Hoskins played Muir, one of the seven dwarves in the revamped fairy tale Snow White and the Huntsman. The 2011 twist on the classic tale puts the dwarves on the back burner, but never the less Hoskins came through with a spectacular performance as one of the head honchos. The film also also stars Kirsten Stewart, Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth.

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[new page = 7. Eddie Mannix, Hollywoodland]

This underrated Hollywood noir centers on the mysterious death of Superman actor George Reeves, played by Ben Afflect. Hoskins plays MGM general manager Eddie Mannix, the man allegedly responsible for the gruesome unsolved case. It is these kinds of gangster roles that Hoskins relished in, though the film failed to take in any major awards. The cast also includes Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, and Robin Tunney.

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[new page = 6. Bart, Unleashed]

Continuing on with the gangster mentality, this 2005 action flick stars Hoskins as a mob boss responsible for enslaving Jet Li’s character Danny, and turning him into his own personal attack dog. Though a bit disturbing, the onscreen chemistry between Li and Hoskins is enough to keep you in your seats until the very end. Did I mention it also stars Morgan Freeman?

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[new page = 5. J. Edgar Hoover, Nixon]

A dramatic reversal from his well-known roles, Hoskins portrayed FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in the 1995 biographical account Nixon, alongside Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, and Ed Harris. The role played off, and earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance. The film itself went on to receive numerous nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTA awards.

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[new page = 4. Nikita Khrushchev, Enemy at the Gates]

Set during the Battle of Stalingrad, this World War II movie stars Hoskins in another biographical role as Nikita Khrushchev. While not a major part of the battle in the film or real life, Khrushchev did end up leading the Soviet years later from 1956-1964. Hoskins portrayed an array of politicians throughout his career (mostly dictators), including Mussolini, Noriega, and Churchill.

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[new page = 3. Boris the Goose, Balto]

Out of all of the roles covered so far, none of them surprised me as much as this one. Apparently the bumbling, know-it-all Boris the Goose, from the 1995 children’s classic Balto, was voiced by none other than Bob Hoskins. The film was nominated at the Young Artist Award for the Best Family Feature – Musical or Comedy in 1996.

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[new page = 2. Mr. Smee, Hook]

That’s right, everyone’s favorite childlike croney from Hook, Mr. Smee, was played by none other than Mr. Hoskins himself. The 1991 film won 5 awards and 16 nominations. Hoskins enjoyed the role so much that he reprised Smee for the TV miniseries Neverland for SyFy.

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[new page = 1. Ray, Last Orders]

Hoskins starred alongside an all-star cast in the 2002 drama Last Orders alongside Michael Cane, Tom Courttenay, David Hemmings, Ray Winstone, and Helen Mirren. The cast won Best Acting by an Ensemble at the National Board of Review, and a Best Actor nomination from the European Film Awards. Mirren, a long-time friend of Hoskins, appeared with him in his first lead role The Long Good Friday, and was one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to him after his death.