This Famous Actor Played 2 Major Roles In 2024, But You Probably Didn’t Recognize Him

Beloved English actor Rory Kinnear appeared in two prominent projects in 2024, but these vastly different roles mean you probably didn’t even notice. Kinnear is known for his triumphant performances in movies, television, and theatre, which have earned him accolades all over the globe. He’s been nominated for several prestigious awards and won multiple Laurence Olivier Awards, a Satellite Award, and a Pam Springs International Film Festival award. Through all this, Kinnear has made himself deeply memorable—but 2024 has been a year for branching out.

Kinnear is best known for his villainous roles, most notably playing Bill Tanner in the Daniel Craig James Bond films—Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021). His other memorable performances were in the sitcom Count Arthur Strong (2013 – 2017) and Penny Dreadful (2014 – 2016). These roles required something unique of Kinnear, though he is thoroughly recognizable in each. However, those used to the actor’s appearance and performance in these previous projects might have completely missed Kinnear’s exceptional 2024 movie and TV releases.

Rory Kinnear Was Almost Unrecognizable In Both Of His 2024 Roles

Rory Kinnear Challenged Himself In 2024

Kinnear has appeared in two projects in 2024, playing Winston Churchill in the movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Tom Bombadil in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Both of these roles saw Kinnear looking thoroughly unlike himself. As Churchill, Kinnear had extensive prosthetic makeup to make him appear more like the famed Prime Minister, and he made significant changes to his voice and mannerisms as well. As Tom Bombadil, Kinnear was padded with clothing to appear plumper and donned a long beard so that only his eyes could really be featured.

Rory Kinnear’s 2024 Roles Highlight His Versatility As An Actor

These Roles Differ From Each Other (& Kinnear’s Past Roles)

Kinnear’s roles in 2024’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and The Rings of Power are drastically different from one another and stand out compared to the actor’s past works. His performance as Churchill was highly unique compared to other portrayals, leaning into the quirky nature of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Kinnear isn’t quite a character actor, but his work on screen here seemed to parody those who previously took on the role, like John Lithgow or Robert Hardy.

Kinnear’s performance in Rings of Power is similarly unique since the character of Tom Bombadil had never before been brought to the screen in live action. Kinnear brought the perfect light-hearted yet slightly intense joy of Bombadil to the screen—something very fresh for the actor since he is so notable for his villainous roles. Overall, this demonstrates Rory Kinnear’s willingness to break free of any potentially confining roles. 2024 seems to have been about the actor challenging himself, which makes any future performances from Rory Kinnear all the more exciting.

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  The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film following a top-secret combat unit who were formed by Winston Churchill to hunt down Nazis. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the book The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis.

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  Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.