Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1981: Results

5. John Lithgow in Blow Out- Lithgow gives an interesting turn as a hired killer who accomplishes his dirty job by pretending to be a murderous psychopath.

Best Scene: Burke explains his actions to his superior.

4. Paul Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark- Freeman gives an effective performance that makes Belloc the shadow to Indiana Jones.

Best Scene: "This, this is history"

3. Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice- Brimley steals his whole film through his assured performance that basically wraps up the plot for his film.

Best Scene: His scene.

2. Bill Hunter in Gallipoli- Hunter gives a strong performance giving humanity to a man who continues with a futile and fatal charge because it is his order to do so.

Best Scene: Major Barton proceeds with the final charge.

1. Robert Prosky in Thief- Prosky gives my favorite supporting performance of 1981, apologies once again to my seemingly perpetual number 2 Jack Nicholson, by delivering a fantastic performance as a warm genial older man which hides the vicious gangster beneath.  

Best Scene: Leo threatens Frank.

Overall Rank:

1. Nicol Williamson in Excalibur
2. Robert Prosky in Thief
3. Jack Nicholson in Reds
4. John Gielgud in Arthur
5. Ian Holm in Chariots of Fire
6. Howard Rollins in Ragtime
7. Bill Hunter in Gallipoli 
8. Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice
9. Griffin Dunne in An American Werewolf in London
10. Dennis Hopper in Out of the Blue
11. David Warner in Time Bandits
12. Paul Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark 
13. Lee Van Cleef in Escape From New York
14. Mickey Rourke in Body Heat 
15. Sean Connery in Time Bandits 
16. Willie Nelson in Thief
17. John Gielgud in Chariots of Fire 
18. John Lithgow in Blow Out
19. Gianfrancesco Guarnieri in They Don't Wear Black Tie
20. Rutger Hauer in Nighthawks
21. James Woods in Eyewitness
22. Jerry Orbach in Prince of the City
23. Michael Ironside in Scanners
24. Brad Dourif in Ragtime
25. Michael Palin in Time Bandits 
26. Nigel Havers in Chariots of Fire
27. Kjell Nilsson in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 
28. Harry Dean Stanton in Escape From New York  
29. Bruce Spence in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
30. Christopher Walken in Pennies From Heaven
31. Burgess Meredith in Clash of the Titans 
32. Herbert Grönemeyer in Das Boot
33. Patrick McGoohan in Scanners
34. Bill Kerr in Gallipoli
35. Donald Pleasence in Escape From New York
36. Kenny Baker in Time Bandits 
37. Nicholas Farrell in Chariots of Fire 
38. Robert Grubb in Gallipoli
39. Lindsay Anderson in Chariots of Fire
40. John Cleese in Time Bandits
41. Warren Oates in Stripes
42. Nigel Davenport in Chariots of Fire
43. Bob Balaban in Absence of Malice 
44. Ralph Richardson in Time Bandits
45. Sean Penn in Taps
46. James Coco in Only When I Laugh
47. Michael Lerner in The Postman Always Rings Twice
48. Max von Sydow in Victory
49. John Rhys Davies in Raiders of the Lost Ark
50. Tom Cruise in Taps
51. Brion James in Southern Comfort
52. Patrick Magee in Chariots of Fire
53. Vernel Bagneris in Pennies From Heaven
54. Paul Geoffrey in Excalibur
55. Christopher Plummer in Eyewitness
56. Topol in For Your Eyes Only
57. John Woodvine in An American Werewolf in London
58. Michael Preston in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
59. Fred Ward in Southern Comfort
60. Ralph Richardson in Dragonslayer
61. Ernest Borgnine in Escape From New York 
62. David Rappaport in Time Bandits
63. Kenneth McMillan in Whose Life Is It Anyways?
64. James Cagney in Ragtime
65. Alan Bates in Quartet
66. Burgess Meredith in True Confessions
67. Struan Rodger in Chariots of Fire 
68. Pierce Brosnan in The Long Good Friday
69. Ian Holm in Time Bandits
70. John Colicos in The Postman Always Rings Twice
71. Kenneth McMillan in True Confessions
72. Ronald Lacey in Raiders of the Lost Ark
73. David Argue in Gallipoli 
74. Peter Egan in Chariots of Fire 
75. Don Gordon in Out of the Blue
76. Isaac Hayes in Escape From New York
77. Barney Martin in Arthur
78. David Yelland in Chariots of Fire
79. Gene Hackman in Reds 
80. Milton Gonçalves in They Don't Wear Black Tie
81. Alfred Molina in Raiders of the Lost Ark
82. Charles Durning in True Confessions
83. James Olson in Ragtime
84. Julian Glover in For Your Eyes Only
    
85. Bob Balaban in Whose Life Is It Anyways?
86. Dabney Coleman in On Golden Pond
87. Ted Danson in Body Heat
88. Everett McGill in Quest for Fire
89. Ron Pearlman in Quest for Fire
90. James Belushi in Thief
91. John Cassavetes in Whose Life Is It Anyways?
92. John Candy in Stripes
93. Nicholas Clay in Excalibur
94. Dennis Farina in Thief
95. Denholm Elliot in Raiders of the Lost Ark 
96. Cyril Cusack in True Confessions
97. J.A. Preston in Body Heat
98. Paul Sorvino in Reds
99. Gregory Hines in History of the World Part I
100. Robert Addie in Excalibur
101. Dennis Franz in Blow Out 
102. Brad Davis in Chariots of Fire
103. Laurence Olivier in Clash of the Titans
104. Vernon Wells in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
105. Dennis Christopher in Chariots of Fire
106. Liam Neeson in Excalibur
107. Stephen Elliot in Arthur
108. Tom Signorelli in Thief
109. Michael Caine in Victory
110. Kenneth McMillian in Heartbeeps
111. Randy Quaid in Heartbeeps
112. John Larroquette in Stripes
113. Gabriel Byrne in Excalibur
114. Patrick Stewart in Excalibur
115. Doug McKeon in On Golden Pond 
116. Pele in Victory
117. Edward Hermann in Reds
118. Don Hood in Absence of Malice
119. Orson Welles in Butterfly
120. Harry Goz in Mommie Dearest
121. Michael Edwards in Mommie Dearest

Next Year: 1964 lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1981: Robert Prosky in Thief

Robert Prosky did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Leo in Thief.

Thief  is about a career thief Frank (James Caan) who agrees to work for the mafia while trying to build a more normal life for himself. It's a pretty effective thrille.

Thief follows many similar story beats to that of Drive, and one of the similarities is found in the main heavy of the story who is a older mobster, although Bernie Rose as played by Albert Brooks in Drive seemed a bit more retired than Leo played by Robert Prosky. Both men approach our hero with a good proposition. Bernie Rose wanted to get into the racing scene circuit with the driver, but Leo here actually wants Frank to perform illegal activities for him. Frank, despite ticking off one of Leo's men, intrigues Leo with his skills as a thief which makes Leo offer Frank an offer that it seems he can't refuse. The offer being that Leo will basically fund and set up jobs for Frank to pull and they will split the profits.

Robert Prosky, much like Albert Brooks, is not exactly the first guy you think of when you think villian after all Robert Prosky was the man who originated the part of the hapless salesman Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross. That is not a problem for Prosky in fact it is asset in the way he plays Leo for the first three fourths of the film. Prosky plays Leo as a fairly genial fellow when Leo outsets his plan for Frank and himself. Prosky is rather gentle as Leo asks Frank do to jobs with him with a nice friendly smile, and at the moment Prosky makes it seem that Leo can be perfectly trusted as mostly just a nice old man. Prosky makes it wholly believable why Frank would except the proposition because Prosky makes it seem like such a good deal.

Prosky does something brilliant here though in that even though he makes Leo seem like a nice old man he never compromises the fact that he also is a gangster. Prosky approach to do this lies almost entirely in his manner that suggests his years as a mobster. The way he walks, the way he seems to always be in control of his crew without anything all comes Prosky's body language as Leo. Prosky even brings this incredible hidden menace in Leo, it is something just suggested never enforced in the early scenes. It is obvious that Leo had a long past in crime and Prosky let's that known in his physical performance, and puts it to just simmer there below of the surface of the personality that Leo allows Frank to see.

One particularly amazing scene for Prosky comes when he is talking to Frank and Frank tells Leo his personal problems which involve issues with adopting a child. Prosky plays this scene so well in the add but oh so effective dynamic he brings to the part of Leo. On one hand Prosky genuinely makes Leo a father figure to Frank, as Leo tries to remedy any problems he might have in his personal life. Prosky seems so honestly warm as Leo promises to get Frank that son he wants. Prosky makes Leo seem man who just wants Frank to have a good life, but there is something else in the scene that only adds to the greatness of it.  During the entire scene Prosky keeps Leo the gangster though in the way he leans in his chair, as if he were a King, and even just the way he wears his sunglasses that are so fitting to an illegal power player.

Leo undergoes a bit of a transition though when Frank wants to end the agreement and Leo does not. This is flawlessly portrayed by Prosky, aided well by the way he set up Leo throughout, as in a single facial transition we see the real Leo come out. It is a beautifully done scene by Prosky as we see the happy hold man, when Frank has said nothing, drift to the murderous criminal right before our eyes when Frank tries to threaten Leo. Prosky does not need to say a single thing as it it obvious the tide will change as makes pleasantness naturally drift from his face to that of the hollow mobster he really is. The full extent of the evil in Leo though comes in Prosky's strongest scene as Leo threatens Frank in one long monologue. Prosky is absolutely chilling in the sheer brutality he brings to Leo's words that does not only threaten Frank but threatens his entire family.

The strength of that monologue is made all the more powerful because of how Prosky lead to it. In the monologue there is not a hint of sympathy in his eyes, in his voice, in his face. In the moment Prosky let's be known that the warmth before was only allowed to men who followed every order he gave. The monologue is truly jarring because all that warmth is made to be a lie by Prosky showing that Leo never was really Frank's friend, not even when he found Frank a son. This is a great performance by Robert Prosky who steals every one of his scenes as well as the entire film through his outstanding portrayal of the method of an aged gangster. Prosky never allows you to second guess his casting for a moment through his imposing depiction of both the kind deception and the true viciousness of his character.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1981

And the Nominees Were Not:

Robert Prosky in Thief

Wilford Brimley in Absence of Malice

Bill Hunter in Gallipoli

John Lithgow in Blow Out

Paul Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark