Kurtwood Smith did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Clarence Boddicker in Robocop.
Robocop is an entertaining action film, biting satire, and an emotional exploration into the mind murdered police officer who is revised through robotics.
Kurtwood Smith is a proper "that guy" actor of the 80's and on in television and film. An example of a talented actor who usually is in brief often unimportant roles, though makes them feels a bit less unimportant. It is then always fun to see such an actor get an actually a role to sink his teeth into. And I feel that is a properly appropriate description for the character of Clarence Boddicker the mob boss of the Detroit of the future. Clarence is not a villain with some grand master plan or some evil scheme to rule the world. In fact in perhaps the wrong hands Clarence might be a bit disposable in more ways than one. Smith's performance though is rather great by really embracing the idea of a villain who very much is in it for the money and the joy of being a criminal. This again seemingly could be boring, but Smith's approach not only makes it work, it makes the whole character come to life in a rather special way. Smith's approach is just to really embrace the sort of inner jerk of a criminal, and it is this that so enlivens the role. This approach is interesting in that it allows him to stand out in scenes that technically really he should not necessarily do so, but does so because of Smith's performance.
This is right from the first full scene he is in where he and his gang are being trailed by the still living, eventual Robocop, Murphy (Peter Weller) and his partner. Smith brings this very distinct approach in the way he approaches the scene. As he portrays almost this specific type of annoyance rather than an exact fear. This approach that Smith fashions making Clarence in a way sort of character who kind of treats the city as his little playground. This is as in the action scene Smith combines the intrusion as bothersome, though he doesn't overplay this to a unbelievable point of indifference. Smith instead makes it something far more entertaining, while still finding a definite menace in the sort of carelessness towards life that he portrays in this. Smith finds an actual menace by portraying such a lack of hesitation, and not doing in quite detached or a traditional psychopathic way. It is rather this sort of fascinating way of playing as well just a bit of scum. His glee in the moment for example is not excessively viciously sadistic, even though that is indeed what his actions are, but Smith instead depicts it like it is all a game that Clarence loves to play.
Smith's approach is a touch askew and that is what makes Clarence memorable, when he is technically just a general thug in terms of overall conception. We see this in the essential scene where Clarence and his thugs massacre Murphy, which eventually turns him into the titular cop. Smith is brutally effective in the scene playing the whole thing up with a blunt bit of fun as he toys with the cop before killing him. The callous enjoyment that Smith delivers in every one of his scenes is what makes him stand out so well. Again Clarence isn't the man with the grand plan yet he doesn't become overshadowed by technically the main because Smith plays the part as a guy who is entirely fine with the way things are. Smith way of handling a scene then gives it a bit of different angle that makes far more memorable. Take the scene where he kills Robocop's creator, for his boss, where Smith is mostly silent in the scene. The little looks of "you're going to die soon", with a sly grin, or the almost sensuous way he removes the grenade pin to perform the coup de grace, not only gives Clarence more character, but the whole scene. This approach even allows his scene, where he becomes a complete coward toward Robocop giving up his boss from a bit of intimidation, not to lose anything from the character. This is as Smith plays it with the exact same "who cares" selfish attitude as anything else fitting to the proper slime ball he is. This is not only a good villainous turn but really just a fun performance as well from Smith as he subtly gives a bit of an atypical energy to what could be a standard thug.
