The most memorable Tim Robbins roles

Helen Hunt was the star of this 1983 made-for-television family drama about Tami Maida, who played quarterback on her high school's football team. Robbins played Marvin, the geeky and athletically challenged backup and good friend to Tami. The game scenes with Marvin under center are pretty comical. Technically, this was Robbins' first movie role, though not for the big screen.

To say Larry is a little batty would be an understatement. He thinks his wife is cheating on him, which she is. But that's not a reason to hold a stressed-out car salesperson (Robin Williams) hostage. This isn't a notable movie, but Robbins and Williams play well together, and the former is authentic enough that viewers don't know whether to laugh at or feel sorry for his character.

Robbins and fellow Hollywood star John Cusack have enjoyed a long-time friendship and working relationship. The Sure Thing (1985) is one of Cusack's more underrated films, and Robbins adds to the movie's brilliance. His limited screen time is memorable as Gary, who, along with traveling buddy Mary Ann Webster (Lisa Jane Persky), gives a ride to Gib (Cusack) and Alison (Daphne Zuniga). He enjoys show tunes but not foul language or cheese balls. 

This is another Robbins and John Cusack highlight. This time, in co-leading roles. Sure, Tapeheads is not the first — or maybe 10th — movie that comes to mind when discussing Robbins' movies. As Josh Tager, one-half of a slacker duo who loses their security-guard jobs and starts a music video production company, he's the lesser of two evils.

This 2019 film offers a dramatized version of environmental lawyer Robert Bilott's case versus chemical manufacturer DuPont. Terp, the supervising partner to Robert (Mark Ruffalo), is no real help to his stressed-out colleague. 

Robbins ventured into the world of psychological science fiction in 2017. Jon Prime, his wife (Geena Davis), and her aging mother (Lois Smith) are introduced to the world of holographic projections. Specifically, interacting with deceased family members. The storyline is intriguing, and Robbins is strong in a supporting role.

Robbins is not known for buddy-type comedies, but he was quite good when he teamed up with Martin Lawrence for this 1997 picture. Robbins' Nick Beam is an advertising executive who thinks his wife had an affair. In a depressed state, making matters worse, he's carjacked by Lawrence's T. Paul. Nick turns the tables on T. Paul, and the fun begins.

Five Corners (1988) is one of Robbins' more forgotten films. Most critics praised the movie, which didn't result in success at the box office. Still, Robbins stands out in this indie film as a 1960s pacifist who has adopted Buddhism and is trying to find his place following the murder of his police-officer father. Even with Jodie Foster and John Turturro in the cast, Robbins delivers an underrated performance.

We get a little international taste from Robbins. This Spanish-Irish picture from 2005 features Robbins delivering a poignant performance as a burn victim on an oil rig. He's cared for by a partially deaf woman (Sarah Polley) with a haunted past. Josef begins to have feelings, and he's willing to clear any hurdles in his way of having a relationship with this mysterious woman.

With 1993's Robert Altman-directed comedy-drama Short Cuts, Robbins finds himself intertwined with various storylines spread over an exceptional ensemble cast that includes Matthew Modine, Julianne Moore, Jack Lemmon, and Frances McDormand. Robbins' Gene Shepard is pretty brilliant as a comical police officer who makes up ridiculous stories to conceal his affair with Betty Weathers (McDormand).

Robbins' cameo during the famed Anchorman news team parking lot brawl is another special moment from the non-stop hilarity of Anchorman. It's worth making this list. Robbins plays the public television news anchor and announces his presence by yelling, "No commercials, no mercy!!" Then, when Spanish news television shows up, he proclaims, "We've got ourselves a bilingual blood fest" before chopping off the arm of Channel 2 News lead anchor Frank Vitchard (Luke Wilson).

More from Robbins and John Cusack. Robbins' Ian, or "Ray," is the new boyfriend of Rob Gordon's (Cusack) ex-girlfriend, Laura, in this classic 2000 film. As Rob puts it, Ray is known for his love of "whatever world music was trendy that week," his rings, and "awful cooking smells." Ray eventually confronts the Laura-obsessed Rob at Championship Vinyl, and the meeting goes much differently in the protagonist's head than in person.

After becoming an A-list movie star, Robbins wasn't a regular TV figure. However, it paid off when he did some work on the small screen. In this HBO drama from 2011, Robbins is stellar as an early 1970s unfaithful husband to his wife, Pat (Diane Lane), while their family's life is filmed for an upcoming documentary series. Bill is not very likable, even as he tries to justify his life decisions. But Robbins' performance was strong enough to earn a Golden Globe nomination.

By 1990, Robbins had made a name for himself. Jacob's Ladder showed his depth and potential to tackle more complex roles that would ultimately turn him into a bonafide star. Jacob Singer doesn't exactly know who he is or what's going on in his life. Is he a Vietnam War veteran? A family man? A series of strange visions and hallucinations haunt Jacob, trying to make sense of it all. The movie received mixed reviews upon release, though it has earned cult-classic status over the years. 

The Bob Roberts character was introduced during a sketch from Saturday Night Live. Robbins built on that and made his directorial debut while bringing this character to the big screen via the 1992 satirical mockumentary. On the surface, Bob Roberts is a seemingly wholesome, folk-singing, conservative businessman running for the United States Senate. Of course, Bob is more ruthless — like most politicians — than we are led to believe. It was highly entertaining and warranted a Golden Globe nomination for Robbins.

In this subtle but deliciously evil role from 1999, Robbins gives a performance that should be more celebrated. Robbins' complex character is a terrorist posing as a family man. He's looking for a patsy — in this case, vengeful history professor Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) — to continue his assault on the American government. Robbins doesn't always play a truly bad guy, but when he does, it doesn't get much better than his Arlington Road effort.

Robbins' first Golden Globe win came for his role in 1993's The Player. Robbins and late legend Robert Altman came together for a memorable film that claimed to be a satire of Hollywood but had enough elements of truth to blur the lines of reality. Griffin Mill encapsulated it all as a ruthless production executive dealing with death threats from a disgruntled writer. It would be right to hate Griffin if we didn't actually respect the authenticity of his character.

This 2003 role won Robbins his only Oscar (for Best Supporting Actor) to date. Dave Boyle is an emotionally troubled, blue-collar Massachusetts resident haunted by his abduction from 25 years earlier. The incident has shaped his mental capacity, leading to moments of anger and depression while trying to lead a normal life. Robbins' effort is riveting.

Andy Dufresne might be the most intelligent, cunning, and championed character Robbins has ever played. Wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and the man she's having an affair with, the prominent banker is sentenced to consecutive life sentences. Andy's stay at Shawshank is made harder by an arrogant and authoritative warden, power-hungry guards, and some unfriendly inmates. All that only fuels Andy to devise one of the most genius plans of revenge — and the freedom lost — in movie history. While co-star Morgan Freeman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, Robbins is the undisputed highlight of the 1994 film.

From dramatic and pure theatrical standpoints, Robbins' performances in The Shawshank Redemption and Mystic River are as good as it gets. However, Robbins' breakthrough role in this beloved baseball comedy classic is a highlight in his acting legacy. He's the pretty boy with a "million-dollar arm" and "five-cent head." Whether going by "Meat," "Nuke," or even "Pokey," LaLoosh is not the brightest bulb in the box, but he's one of the great fictional baseball characters of all time.