It’s probably time that we face facts and declare James Cromwell to be our greatest living actor. When James Cromwell turns up in something, ropey Jurassic Park sequels notwithstanding, the audience automatically knows to breathe a sigh of relief. The moment he first appeared on Succession, for instance, was the moment that viewers could relax in the knowledge that the show would contain more than just surface-level nastiness. And while he was handed perhaps the silliest arc of anyone who appeared on 24 – he played Jack Bauer’s dad, and ended up getting blown to smithereens on an oil platform – we at least knew that the role was in the safest possible hands.
But that isn’t the reason why James Cromwell is our greatest living actor. No, that’s because the man can walk it like he talks it. When other actors try to effect genuine change, they’ll do it in the most toe-curling ways. They will hop in a private jet in order to attend a climate crisis summit. They will make boneheaded, insincere awards ceremony speeches. They will, in the worst possible scenario, attempt to sing their way to raised awareness.
