It's official. We are living in the Jon Bernthal era, folks.
Bernthal, best known for his role as Frank Castle/the Punisher in the Marvel Netflix universe and for his breakout role as Shane Walsh in AMC's The Walking Dead, had a busy 2021. He appeared in six major projects last year, including critically acclaimed films King Richard and Ford vs. Ferrari, as well as the highly anticipated prequel film to The Sopranos, The Many Saints of Newark, and the film adaptation of John Pollono's award-winning play, Small Engine Repair.
2022 is shaping up to be another exciting year for Bernthal. Two of his major upcoming projects are set to premiere this year: Showtime's present-day version of the classic 1980 film American Gigolo and HBO's crime drama miniseries We Own This City, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by George Pelecanos and David Simon, creator of the critically acclaimed HBO series, The Wire.
Bernthal, who was trained at the prestigious Moscow Art Theater School and taught by Oleg Tabakov, one of the most celebrated stars in Russian cinema and stage, is often known for playing small roles that pack a punch (oftentimes, literally). To celebrate another year of Bernthal, I have compiled 11 of his most essential performances, from a violent antihero with a tragic backstory to the celebrated tennis coach to two of the most famous athletes of all time.
Frank Castle in The Punisher/Daredevil
Kicking it off with his most well-known role to date, Bernthal stars as Frank Castle, the massively popular anti-hero vigilante in Marvel Netflix's Daredevil Season 2 and The Punisher, which ran for two seasons on Netflix. Created by comic book legend Gerry Conway in 1974, the character of the Punisher has been a long-time favorite for comic book fans.
Bernthal, widely considered the best live-action Punisher, is nothing short of exceptional as Frank Castle, so much so that fans are begging for his return in the MCU. His performance as Frank is a true testament to not only his commitment to the physicality that is so integral to many of the roles he takes on, but also to his prowess as a dramatic actor. His performance particularly during Frank's most vulnerable moments, is gutting as he embodies, often through facial expression and body language alone, a man who is truly broken — a man who has lost everything. His monologue during the cemetery scene between Frank and Matt/Daredevil is heart-wrenching, and one of the most moving performances of any Marvel actor to date.
Terrance Swaino in Small Engine Repair
Directed by John Pollono, Small Engine Repair is a film adaptation of Pollono's award-winning play of the same name. An intensely black comedy in which Pollono and Bernthal reprise their roles from the original production, Small Engine Repair is a complex, intimate portrait of masculinity, class struggle, and brotherhood during which a reunion of old friends quickly takes a shockingly dark turn. Co-starring alongside Pollono as Frank Romanowski and Shea Whigham as Packie Hanrahan, Bernthal stars as Terrance Swaino, the colorful, technologically inept ladies' man with a penchant for making lewd jokes and humiliating poor Packie.
It is rare that Bernthal gets to show off his comedic chops, but when he does, it sure makes you wonder why he doesn't do this more often. As the tension rises, however, this is when Bernthal truly steals the show as Swaino, who quickly drops his crass, fast-talking persona and exposes the vulnerable, sensitive man and friend he is underneath. Small Engine Repair is a provocative and often beautiful film about a dysfunctional family who chose each other and will continue to choose each other. And as a lovely bonus, Bernthal's dog Boss (who sadly died after filming) plays Frank's dog in the film, and like Bernthal himself, his beloved pitbull is a star.
Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead
In his breakout role, Bernthal starred as Shane in AMC's The Walking Dead in Seasons 1 and 2. A highly divisive character, Shane acts as a foil to his best friend and hero of the show, Rick played by Andrew Lincoln over the course of two seasons rife with tension and moral ambiguity. His performance as Shane will at times make you shake your head in agreement at the harsh, ugly decisions that must be made in order to survive; flinch in anticipation when you spot his tell-tale disgruntled rub of the back of his head; and ultimately frustrate the hell out of you when, despite his good intentions, he spirals out of control in a heartbreaking conclusion.
Rick Macci in King Richard
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin, King Richard is a critically acclaimed award-winning biopic/sports drama that tells the true story of how tennis pros Venus played by Saniyya Sidney, and Serena Williams played by Demi Singleton became legends with the leadership of their father, coach, and most ardent supporter, Richard Williams, played beautifully by Will Smith.
Bernthal, who played sports for all of his life, is a passionate advocate that in order to do a sports movie right, you better dedicate everything you have to excel at that sport. In yet another rigorous preparation for the role, Bernthal lost 30 pounds, trained for three hours a day, trained a top 50 junior nationals player in character, and finally, grew an incredibly sexy, award-worthy 70s mustache. Bernthal is an absolute delight as Macci in his most fun, purely lovable role so far.
Joe Teague in Mob City
Directed and written by The Walking Dead's Frank Darabont, Mob City is a classic noir TV series based on the critically acclaimed book L.A. Noir by John Buntin. Bernthal stars as LA cop and ex-marine Joe Teague, a role that Darabont wrote specifically for Bernthal after working with him in Season 1 of The Walking Dead. Unfortunately, the TNT drama series was cancelled after one season, but over the course of 6 episodes, Mob City creates a relatively self-contained story that is sexy, sleek, and dangerous as one problem spirals into a tornado of blood and blackmail that takes over the entire city of LA.
The beating heart of Mob City, however, is the character of Joe Teague, the understated, plainclothes cop whose quiet charisma commands attention every moment he's on the screen, even amidst all the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood. In a role that Bernthal's Punisher fans will feel right at home (there is even a shoot-out on a carousel), Bernthal's performance as Teague is a beautifully subtle display of masculinity, of a man who has seen too much, and a man who will do anything to protect his loved ones.
Grady 'Coon-Ass' Travis in Fury
If there is one thing that Bernthal is known for, it's for his total commitment to the role — physically, mentally, and emotionally. Bernthal is absolutely savage as Grady Travis in Fury, an intense WWII drama directed and written by David Ayer. Bernthal, along with Brad Pitt as Sergeant Don "Wardaddy" Collier, Shia LaBeouf as Boyd "Bible" Swan, Logan Lerman as Norman Ellison, and Michael Peña as Trini "Gordo" Garcia, deliver devastatingly real performances as a five-man crew of a Sherman tank crossing enemy lines in April 1945 during the final weeks of WWII.
Bernthal's performance as Grady is equal parts horrifying and mesmerizing, arguably one of, if not the darkest, most immersive role that Bernthal has ever undertaken. Bernthal has spoken candidly to Collider about the rigorous physical and psychological preparation the cast had to undertake during the filming of Fury. (In fact, Ayer punched Bernthal, who has broken his nose 14 times, directly in the face on the first day of filming!). The cast's total mind/body commitment radiates in this intensely raw portrait of war, brotherhood, and loss.
Lee Iacocca in Ford vs. Ferrari
Finally, Bernthal gets to wear the suit and tie. Directed by James Mangold, the Oscar-winning Ford vs. Ferrari is based on the true story of Ford’s bid to build a car worthy of beating Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Bernthal plays Lee Iacocca, the Ford Motor Company Vice President who proposes that in order to boost declining sales, Ford has to be more like Ferrari. Like in King Richard, Bernthal's performance as Iacocca is a total departure from the roles we typically see Bernthal in, but you would never know it. Bernthal is charismatic and honest as the Ford executive, and though he has a larger role toward the first half of the film, he still gives a highly memorable performance, a testament to his adaptability and versatility as an artist.
Brad Bodnick in The Wolf of Wall Street
Bernthal is the king of small roles that leave a big impact, and there is perhaps no better example than his performance as Brad in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. Brad is a drug dealer and personal friend of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), who enlists him to smuggle his illegally earned cash into Switzerland.
Despite having a small amount of screen time, Bernthal absolutely steals every second, whether it's his effortless improv during the now-classic "sell me this pen" scene or his rage over his repeatedly ignored request for a ketchup refill. His scenes with Donnie (Jonah Hill) in particular are comedy gold, their confrontation during the exchange in the street standing out as arguably the most hilarious moment in the film.
Sam Rossi in Sweet Virginia
Directed by Jamie Dagg, this neo-noir crime-thriller centers around a small Alaskan town recently shaken up by a triple homicide. Bernthal stars as Sweet Virginia's quiet leading man, Sam Rossi, a retired rodeo champion who now runs a local motor lodge in town. Often known for playing the guy who usually kicks ass, Bernthal plays the guy who gets his ass kicked in Sweet Virginia.
Sam Rossi is a departure from the traditionally masculine "tough guy" characters or badass heroes Bernthal often plays. Rather, Sam is an untraditional hero, a man with early signs of Parkinson's, a man who says little, but exudes a quiet softness that showcases Bernthal's range as a dramatic actor. Bernthal plays Sam with a gentle, nuanced touch in this quiet slow burn of a film that crackles with bubbling tension right up to the final moment.
Giovanni "Johnny Boy" Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark
Directed by Alan Taylor, the highly anticipated prequel film to The Sopranos, The Many Saints of Newark, takes place in the late '60s and early '70s. Bernthal, who begged his agents for a role on The Sopranos in his early acting days, plays "Johnny Boy" Soprano, father to Michael Gandolfini’s young Tony Soprano.
Although he is in the film for smaller chunks of time, Bernthal radiates charisma as the Soprano patriarch. He expertly exudes the classic hot-headed temperament of the Soprano family and absolutely nails the comedic delivery that is reminiscent of the surprising comedic stylings of classic gangster films like Goodfellas.
Brax in The Accountant
Directed by Gavin O’Connor, The Accountant stars Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff, a mathematical savant with high-functioning autism who works as an accountant for criminal organizations. Bernthal plays a small, but enormously important role in the action thriller as Braxton, an enigmatic hitman working for CEO of Living Robotics Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow), who places a hit on Christian after he discovers Lamar was embezzling money. Bernthal is enticingly mysterious as Brax, but it's his final scenes at the conclusion of the film with Affleck where he shows his full range. Both Bernthal and Affleck have been confirmed to return in the highly anticipated sequel, The Accountant 2, and according to O'Connor, Bernthal will play a much larger role this time around.
If you're looking for more Bernthal beyond this list, Bernthal's roster is packed with many more incredible performances, including Denis Villeneuve's intense thriller Sicario, Edgar Wright's action film Baby Driver, and B.J. Novak's (The Office) anthology series The Premise.