Outside of being one of the most likable presences in Hollywood, Ving Rhames has a deep resume of great films that are well worth exploring. While he’s perhaps best known for his iconic turns as the kingpin Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction and his recurring role as Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Rhames has a vast track record that includes giant blockbusters, underseen independent classics, and uproarious comedies.
It’s rare to find an actor so talented in so many different genres, and Rhames is also the type of star that can improve a project even if he has a limited amount of screen time. These 10 projects stand as Ving Rhames' best.
10 'Dave' (1993)
Dave is the type of high-concept original comedy that seemingly isn’t made anymore. The star-studded political satire stars Kevin Kline in dual roles as both the egregiously corrupt, womanizing President William, Harrison Mitchell, and the identical man Dave Kovic, a good-natured temporary employment agency agent.
After the President falls into a coma, his administration must desperately search for a way to keep the nation from falling into chaos without the guidance of an official commander-in-chief. Rhames has a particularly amusing supporting role as Duane Stevensen, the secret service agent who helps Dave go undercover as the President.
9 'Wendell & Wild' (2022)
Rhames has such a booming, iconic voice that it’s easy to recognize his presence even when he’s not on-screen. While he’s often found lending his vocals to cartoons and commercials, Rhames can also give a more nuanced voiceover performance, as he does in Henry Selick’s bizarre family adventure Wendell & Wild.
Wendell & Wild uses the story of the teenage girl Katherine Elliot (Lyric Ross) and her attempts to find the goofy monsters Wendell (Keegan Michael-Key) and Wild (Jordan Peele) as a metaphor for the systemic issues within the prison system (this is Selick, so it gets pretty out there). Rhames serves as the voice of Wendell and Wilds’ bumbling father, Buffalo Belzer.
8 'Jacob's Ladder' (1990)
One of the more unusual (and surprisingly controversial) thrillers of the 1990s, Jacob’s Ladder follows the American infantryman Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins), who comes to believe that he’s been experimented on by genetic scientists during his service in the Vietnam War. When he can no longer distinguish between his visions and reality, Jacob begins to fall into madness.
Rhames appears in flashback as George, one of Jacob’s brothers-in-arms during the pivotal conflict itself. It’s a nuanced performance, as it’s unclear whether these scenes are literal or based on Jacob’s heavily filtered perception of what he thought he saw during his service.
7 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)
“Subtlety” is not a word in Zack Snyder’s dictionary. If George Romero’s 1978 horror sequel classic Dawn of the Dead was an ingenious satire of capitalism and American greed, then Snyder’s 2004 re-imagining is simply an excuse to trap a bunch of wacky characters in a confined location and pick them off one by one in increasingly bloody fashion.
That doesn’t mean that Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead isn’t a lot of fun, particularly due to the clever script by James Gunn. Rhames seems to be having a blast chewing the scenery as the overbearing police officer Sergeant Kenneth Hall.
6 'Bringing Out the Dead' (1999)
Bringing Out The Dead is perhaps the most unusual film within Martin Scorsese’s entire filmography. Part Taxi Driver-esque character study, part midnight horror thriller, part crime epic, and part spiritual journey, Scorsese’s 1990 film follows the depressed New York City paramedic Frank (Nicolas Cage) as he gets embroiled in a conspiracy during his late night shifts.
The nature of Frank’s job means that he’s never paired with one other driver for too long. Rhames appears as one of his co-workers, Marcus. Despite his religious dedication, Marcus also enjoys sharing a laugh with Frank after they end up getting into a crash.
5 'Out of Sight' (1998)
Steven Soderbergh’s 1998 black comedy Out of Sight is simply one of the most endlessly rewatchable caper films of its decade and the perfect showcase of what Soderbergh can do when he’s simply having fun. George Clooney gives his signature charismatic performance as the career cat burglar Jack Foley, who is forced to team up with the no-nonsense U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez).
In another valuable supporting performance, Rhames appears as Jack’s partner and closest advisor, Buddy Bragg. Buddy’s aptitude for saving the day comes in handy at the end when Jack must call upon his old friend for help.
4 'Con Air' (1997)
Of all the 1990s action films that could be described as a version of “Die Hard on a plane,” Con Air is certainly the most fun (and certainly the most ridiculous). Nicolas Cage gives one of the worst (or maybe best?) New Orleans accents ever with his performance as the paroled ex-Army Ranger Cameron Poe, who amidst his release from prison must bring a hijacked prison plane to safety after it's taken over by criminals.
The joy of the film is seeing all the different wacky villains in the rogue’s gallery; Rhames gives an intimidating performance as the near-silent killer “Diamond Dog.”
3 'Casualties of War' (1989)
Casualties of War is just about as politically minded as any 1980s film about the Vietnam War, but given that it comes from director Brian De Palma, it also pushes the line when it comes to violent and disturbing content. De Palma wasn’t interested in lionizing the United States military’s operations in the foreign conflict, and his depiction of American infantrymen is just as terrifying as any of the scares he concocted for Carrie.
Rhames gives a particularly spring-tingling performance as one of the senior members of most experienced soldiers in the conflict, Lieutenant Reilly.
2 The 'Mission: Impossible' Series
While Tom Cruise deserves credit for risking his life and limb for the sake of the seven Mission: Impossible movies, Ethan Hunt would never get anything done if it wasn’t for his best friend (and the world’s greatest hacker), Luther (Rhames). Luther is more than just Ethan’s “guy in the chair;” he’s a source of wisdom and logic, and he’s often the heart of these relentlessly action-packed movies.
It’s hard to name a favorite Luther scene, but his humorous attempts to give Ethan wedding advice as they break into a religious center is one of the more enjoyable moments in Mission: Impossible III.
1 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)
When it comes to roles that define what Rhames does so well, it’s hard to get more definitive than the character of Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction. In a film that belongs to many genres (and features countless great actors popping in and out), Rhames gives what may be the scariest performance in the whole film.
He plays a dominative gangster whose briefcase contains some sort of mysterious secret that movie fans have been trying to figure out for decades now. Pulp Fiction is often hilarious, but the hunt for Butch (Bruce Willis) led by Marsellus left audiences on edge: their ultimate reconciliation makes for one of the most profound moments of the movie.