MAN OF STEEL star

I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "There are no small parts...only small actors."

That really is true.  There are two actors who are golden examples of that.  They had small parts in the same 2006 movie.  A couple of years later, they were both on the Hollywood red carpet as Oscar nominees.  One of them will get a lot of attention this weekend when fanboys and others flock to see Man of Steel.  Even if the reviews are lukewarm, we know millions of guys are hot to see this new version of the old Superman story.  Actor Michael Shannon had a few minutes onscreen as a Marine in the Oliver Stone movie World Trade Center back in 2006.  Nicolas Cage was the star of Stone's film about the tragedy in New York City on September 11th.  Shannon was a minor player.

In 2008, his supporting role as the emotionally fractured adult suburban son in Revolutionary Road earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Viola Davis also had a few minutes in World Trade Center.  Her one scene was so powerful, so moving, that I stayed through the closing credits to see who she was.  Near the end of the credit roll came the listing "Mother in Hospital.....Viola Davis."

In 2008, her supporting role in Doubt starring Meryl Streep earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Now, Michael Shannon (right) plays a villain previously played by Terence Stamp (left).  He is Superman's main nemesis, Zod, in Man of Steel.

TV viewers have been watching Shannon as a lawman on HBO's Boardwalk Empire 1920s crime story series.  I'm interested in seeing what he does with the Zod role.

As for Viola Davis, she followed Doubt with a Best Actress Oscar nomination for The Help.

She made Oscar history with her second nomination.  Viola Davis is now one of the two black actresses who has more than one Oscar nomination for acting to her credit.  The other is Whoopi Goldberg (nominated for The Color Purple and Ghost).  Brava, Viola!

If you see Man of Steel this weekend, let me know how it is.  See what I mean about "There are no small part...only small actors"?  Michael Shannon and Viola Davis are two who went from bit parts to big attention thanks to their hard work and excellent skills.  Let that be a lesson to you.