Over the past decade, it's become increasingly common for actors to seamlessly transition between movies and television, due to the nature of streaming. However, great character actors like Michael Stuhlbarg have been delivering great performances in both mediums since before it was a popular practice. Stuhlbarg is one of the most versatile screen chameleons working today. He pops up in a wide variety of projects, from hit television shows to cinematic awards contenders.

Stuhlbarg was a relative unknown before he had his breakout role in Joel and Ethan Coens’ 2009 dark comedy A Serious Man. The Coens generally work with major stars, and Stuhlbarg was an unusual choice to lead their next project. He proved himself to be perfect for the material and earned wide acclaim for his work. Over the next decade, Stuhlbarg continued to draw critical praise, regardless of the size of the role.

Stuhlbarg has both a major blockbuster and a prestige television series in the near future. He’ll next be seen as David Rudolf in the HBO Max miniseries The Staircase, and will reprise his role as Nicodemus West in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Here are Michael Stuhlbarg’s 9 greatest performances yet.

RELATED: 'The Staircase': Trailer, Release Date, Cast, and Everything You Need To Know

Lawrence Gopnik in A Serious Man (2009)

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Image Via Focus Features

A Serious Man is the Coen Brothers’ darkest and most underrated film to date. Although the film’s brittle humor makes it just as hilarious as The Big Lebowski or O Brother, Where Art Thou, it’s a complex study of eventuality and Jewish anxiety. Stuhlbarg’s character, Professor Lawrence Gopnik, watches his entire life collapse in front of him. Both his family and students don’t take him seriously, and he is unable to find solace in his faith. Stuhlbarg perfectly captures Gopnik’s lack of control amidst an increasingly ludicrous series of mishaps.

Arnold Rothstein in Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)

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Image Via HBO

HBO’s Boardwalk Empire is one of the most important dramas of the pre-streaming era. With its extensive budget and in-depth storytelling, Boardwalk Empire provided an experience that was just as “prestigious” as any other Martin Scorsese production. Arnold Rothstein was one of the most complex characters in the series. A powerful gangster in the emerging scene, Stuhlbarg's Rothstein is one of the fiercest antagonists that Enoch Thompson (Steve Buscemi) faces.

George Yeaman in Lincoln (2012)

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Image Via Disney

Steven Spielberg's historical epic Lincoln has an absolute murderers’ row of great actors that appear for just moments on screen. The film focuses on the critical last days of the American Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) leads a Congressional campaign to pass the 13th amendment to the Constitution banning slavery. Stuhlbarg portrays the detestable Kentucky Congressman George Yeaman, who opposes the amendment’s passing, and speaks passionately about the “importance” of slavery within the American economy. Stuhlbarg pulls no punches in recreating Yeaman's bigotry.

Andy Hertzfeld, Steve Jobs (2015)

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Image Via Universal Pictures

Aaron Sorkin likes to tackle big personalities, but Steve Jobs is a remarkable example of bringing larger-than-life figures down to Earth. Although Michael Fassbender certainly chews the scenery as the egocentric Apple founder, Stuhlbarg gives a much more subtle performance as Andy Hertzfeld. An engineer employed by Jobs, Hertzfeld struggles to live up to his boss’s demands. During a powerful moment in the third act, he reveals to Jobs that he secretly paid for Jobs' daughter, Lisa’s, tuition. It perfectly sets up the touching reconnection between Jobs and Lisa in the film’s final sequence.

Agent Halpern in Arrival (2016)

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Image Via Paramount

Arrival is a film that explores the power of communication. Denis Villeneuve's science-fiction drama explores the real-world implications that an alien visit would have, and unsurprisingly, the U.S. military isn’t looking for a peaceful solution. Stuhlbarg appears as Agent Halpern, a CIA agent who blocks Louis Banks’s (Amy Adams) efforts to communicate with the aliens. He creates palpable tension within the story during the final moments when Banks experiences conversations with the Chinese ambassador in multiple timelines.

Pat Connors in Miss Sloane (2016)

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Image Via EuropaCorp Distribution

Miss Sloane is one of the most underrated political thrillers of the past decade. The film explores the gun control debate and the impact that lobbyists have on the sensitive issue. Jessica Chastain stars as the titular lobbyist Elisabeth Sloane, a prominent influencer who leads a campaign to install stricter background checks for gun purchases. Stuhlbarg appears as one of her chief rivals, the conservative spokesman Pat Connors. Sloane is usually charismatic during her media appearances, but Connors overwhelms her during an intense televised debate. It incites Sloane to reveal a tragic personal anecdote about her employee Esme Manucharian (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) on air.

Sy Feltz in Fargo (2017)

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Image Via FX

After launching his career with a Coen Brothers project, it's only natural that Stuhlbarg would appear in a series inspired by one of their best films. Stuhlbarg’s quirky sensibilities are perfect for Noah Hawley’s equally peculiar series. Although the third season of Fargo is its weakest, it features an incredible lead performance from Ewan McGregor as the twin brothers Emmit and Raymond Stussy. Emmit is the more successful of the pair, owning a successful parking lot business. Stuhlbarg appears in a major role as Emmit’s best friend and loyal servant, Sy Feltz. While Emmit is forced to take extreme measures to ward off his brother’s advances, Feltz retains his honor throughout.

Mr. Perlman in Call Me By Your Name (2017)

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Image Via Sony Pictures Classics

There’s no film that captures Stuhlbarg’s understated power better than Call Me By Your Name. The film’s message is shown in one of the final sequences, in which Elio (Timothee Chalamet) has a heartfelt conversation with his father (Stuhlbarg). Mr. Samuel Perlman had been a consistent presence throughout. However, he never appears for longer than a few moments to offer warm words to Elio, or to express his excitement to his student, Oliver (Armie Hammer), over their research project. His knowledge of Elio and Olivers’ relationship is unclear. After a heartbroken Elio reflects on Oliver’s departure, his father tells him that his experience was powerful. He tells his son that all emotions he feels should be valued. Stuhlbarg delivers his monologue with such grace; making it hard to believe that he was not nominated for an Academy Award for this performance.

Dr. Robert Hoffstetler/ Dimitri Mosenkov in The Shape of Water (2017)

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Image Via Fox Searchlight Pictures

Guillermo del Toro's modus operandi is creating empathy during fantastical events. Although The Shape of Water is very whimsical in its homages to classic Hollywood romance films, it has a very realistic depiction of the Cold War. Stuhlbarg’s character, Dimitri Mosenkov, is a Russian spy posing as the American scientist Dr. Robert Huffstetler. The villainous Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) discovers the deceit and confronts him. What’s beautiful is that Moskenov isn’t trying to steal the amphibious creature (Doug Jones); he genuinely loves biology and thinks that all living things have the right to exist.