Oscar Isaac is a celebrated actor with more than two decades of work under his belt. His first appearance was in a 1996 crime drama, Illtown, followed by The Nativity Story and Law & Order in the years to follow. Since then, Isaac appeared in acclaimed productions like Dune, Star Wars, and Scenes from a Marriage, with 60 nominations and 25 awards to his name.
Isaac has proved he can play anyone, from a fragile husband working to save his marriage to an intergalactic emperor — and will soon take on ancient gods and superpowers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the premiere of the Disney+ miniseries, Moon Knight, quickly approaching, it’s a good time to revisit Isaac’s biggest roles throughout his varied career.
'Scenes from a Marriage' — Jonathan Levy
Isaac hoped that co-star Jessica Chastain could still partake in filming during COVID, Scenes from a Marriage director Hagai Levi told Collider in an interview. The two worked together previously in the 2014 thriller A Most Violent Year and their chemistry was apparent.
The HBO series was poignant and powerful, throwing audiences into the depths of a failing marriage on the mend. As with Levi’s other work, The Affair, the storyline was as good as the actors who carried it through.
'Star Wars' — Poe Dameron
If Isaac’s ability to cross genres and defy being type-cast is not yet apparent, his role in the 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens proves just that. His character, Poe Dameron, is a Resistance x-wing fighter whose existence in the franchise serves as a symbol of comedic relief and determination within the Rebellion.
Due to his success in the role, Isaac went on to appear in the next two films of the trilogy, making a mark on the contemporary Star Wars franchise forever.
'Dune' — Leto Atreides I
One of the biggest blockbusters of 2021, Dune, tells the story of an intergalactic battle for resources and power. At the center of Dennis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert's watershed novel is Duke Leto Atreides (Isaac).
Described as a “strong, noble, and powerful leader,” the Duke’s persona leads the way for his son Paul (Timotheé Chalamet) to become a messiah. According to Collider, Isaac himself even stated on the level of support displayed between the father-son duo calling upon the Duke’s willingness to “accept his son in whatever capacity.”
'A Most Violent Year' — Abel Morales
Isaac and costar Chastain had known each other for many years before starring alongside one another in A Most Violent Year. The American crime drama features Isaac and Chastain as husband-wife duo Abel and Anna Morales. In 1981 New York, arguably the most dangerous era in the city’s recent history, Abel learns how far he will go to protect his family and oil business as corruption runs rampant.
The 2014 film fared well amongst critics, earning a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also brought two actors together whose chemistry only grew stronger over the years; a bond that continued to impact their subsequent roles together.
'Annihilation' — Kane
X-Machina might have been Isaac’s most widely-known sci-fi undertaking, but just four years later he brought that madness to the screen in Annihilation. After Kane (Isaac) disappears within a mysterious world of unnatural phenomenon, his wife Lena (Natalie Portman) embarks on a mission of her own in search of him.
Isaac isn’t as much part of the movie as he is the backdrop to the events which eventually take place. That is, his character exists solely in memories and warnings. But in the brief moments where Kane is on-screen, he upholds a sinister performance that leaves audiences with even more questions than it does answers. Speaking of range, he did all that in 2018, a year that he also starred in five other major roles.
The Card Counter — William Tells
Coming off of a successful year of projects, Isaac cemented yet another Oscar-worthy with his role as William Tells in the 2021 movie Card Counter. William, a career gambler entrenched in criminal activity, only wants to play cards until he must work to prevent a crime. Isaac stars alongside William Dafoe, Tiffany Haddish, and more in the “revenge crime” film directed by Paul Schrader.
Isaac has an impressive range of acting skills, from starring across popular franchises to more subdued roles. The Card Counter was more of the latter, as Schrader told Collider in an interview. “It took [Isaac] a while to figure out the power of recessive performance.” It must have worked, as the movie won Best Film during the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
'Inside Llewyn Davis' — Llewyn Davis
In his breakout movie role, Inside Llewyn Davis, Isaac starred alongside big names including Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, and Adam Driver. He played the titular character, a struggling folk singer living in 1961 New York City.
Not only did Isaac perform songs alongside Timberlake, but he also wrote a few too. The movie went on to win numerous awards, marked the beginning of a very successful career for Isaac, and was a perfect example of his wide range of talent.
'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse' — Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O'Hara
Isaac may not have physically been in the 2018 movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and his character, Interesting Person No. 1, may have only appeared in the post-credit scene. But those few lines of voiceover turned out to be much more significant than a few moments at the end of a movie are worth. Namely, who is this unknown man?
With the upcoming sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, set for release later in 2022, it was revealed that Isaac will reprise the role of Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O’Hara, a Spider-Man from across the multiverse and the future. His character is doused in mystery and theory, especially with the final line from Layla, “But you could be the first person to make an autonomous multiverse jump. Or the last.” Meanwhile, Isaac might become the first person to play three separate Marvel characters in their entire career.
'X-Men: Apocalypse' — En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse
Moving from one franchise to the next, Isaac took the X-Men universe by storm as the literal depiction of the apocalypse. His character, En Sabah Nur (or Apocalpyse) has existed since ancient times and is presumed to be the world’s first mutant. Of En Sabah Nur’s many powers, he possesses telekinesis, cyberpathy, and teleportation.
But this villainous character also seeks something greater: destruction. Throughout X-Men Apocalypse, En Sabah Nur augments the powers of fellow mutants, amassing great power to destroy all civilization. Isaac did it all while dressed in 40 pounds of costume and high heels -— a true sign of dedication to the craft.
'Ex Machina' — Nathan Bateman
After years in the industry, Ex Machina solidified Isaac’s potential as a skilled actor within his generation. Starring alongside Star Wars castmates Domhall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander, Isaac brought tech CEO Nathan Bateman to life.
He gave a sinister performance of a modern-day mad scientist, enthralled with perfecting machines to one day resemble man. Though the Alex Garland-directed sci-fi thriller was not Isaac’s first delve into the genre (Annihilation), audiences came to recognize the actor’s face from this blockbuster success.