Leo McKern did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bill Maguire in The Day The Earth Caught Fire.
Leo McKern is always a reliable character actor who shows up here or there and offers a strong presence in a variety of roles. Whether that be the pitiful titular Ryan of Ryan's Daughter, the domineering Cromwell in A Man For All Seasons, or of course the strange yet comical cult leader from The Beatles' sequel film Help! McKern was one of those character actors that you could depend on to bring something regardless of the role. And here I think you have sort of a plug-in role. Not that the role is poorly written, but his Bill Maguire is very much the classical newspaper boss type. Hard drinking, always had a ruffled collar, and was very much on top of our "hero" for more than just his questionable work ethic. It is however working very much within a certain type, and when working with a type, it can sometimes be needed for a stronger actor to be able to make them seem less rote than than can be. And that is what McKern does here in a role that really is about those expected tropes and a WHOLE lot of exposition. And it has to be said McKern is very good at both. His manner is terrific as he comes into every scene with this instant sense of his character. He has the right exasperation but combined with a dogged conviction that is perfect for a long-time newspaperman. There is sincerity intertwined with cynicism in every one of his deliveries and he just owns them with the ease of the consistent character actor he was. And that really is the trick with the relationship we see with Peter where McKern is effortless in bringing this sort of blunt directness with him but his eyes always denote this earnest care still for the man. He's a boss who wants the best out of his reporter but he also is very straight with him. McKern creates the right supporting energy that really gives just a bit more depth to every moment that could easily be lost if there was any less from him, but McKern is on point in every scene. His best moments though I will say are the exposition because McKern just excels with his delivery of every word. He never lets it sound ropey or obvious but rather expresses each word with such naturalism. What is best though is when McKern denotes the severity of the central situation where he lets some more emotion drift into the man who sticks to the facts, and while brief, are powerful moments from McKern in just letting there be a little more to sensing what Maguire is personally growing through even as he's trying to maintain that certain journalistic distance. And while Maguire's personal arc is limited, particularly towards the end where we jump in time, McKern regardless is striking in his portrayal where he quietly expresses the anxiety the man is going through even as he stays reserved and even eases on the cynical edge in a way that is pretty remarkable. While again a rote part in some ways, McKern really adds a lot to his film, because while Edward Judd isn't bad, he just doesn't quite have *it* to really carry a film, so McKern coming in every few scenes really elevates much of the material and does what the best character actors always do.
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