Jason Isaacs is an acclaimed actor who has tackled what seems like every possible role. He has done work in both film and television, including voice acting in video games and animated series. Isaacs began acting in 1988, but didn’t really become well-known until he was cast as Felton in Dragonheart. His roles in direct-to-television films A Relative Stranger and Guardians eventually led to him being cast in the 1998s science fiction disaster film Armageddon. Since then, Isaacs has continued to hone his craft and starred in multiple films of varying genres. That role led to even more work including roles in Resident Evil and Dawn.

More recently, Isaacs has been making waves in television shows like Star Trek: Discovery, The OA, and Castlevania. His upcoming endeavors include a biopic film of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart entitled Spinning Gold, a comedy film called Maria about a girl who is struggling in life and falls in love with her new stepbrother, and an animated drama aptly named A Winter’s Journey of a melancholy poet who has been cast out of society and embarks on a perilous journey through wintery alpine terrain in pursuit of a potential new life. Deadline also recently reports that Isaacs will be starring as Cary Grant in a biopic for ITV Studios. While we wait for those projects to release, let's take a look at his best movies, ranked.

10 After the Fall

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Entertainment One

After the Fall is a 2014 crime drama that tells the story of an average father, Bill Scanlon (Wes Bentley), who resorts to a life of crime in order to support his family. Isaacs plays Frank McTiernan, the detective who is investigating a series of robberies committed by his friend, Scanlon. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Isaacs said his character is “a man who tests the main character’s soul.” This rings true for many of the so-called villainous characters Isaacs has played over the years. After the Fall has had five award nominations and one win.

Related: Exclusive: Jason Isaacs and Alba Baptista Discuss Bringing Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris to Life

9 Skyfire

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Jennifer Dong Production

Skyfire is a Chinese-produced, English-dubbed film from 2019 about a group of people who end up stranded on a beautiful island paradise in a volcanic beltway that houses a volcano theme park and resort. Isaacs stars alongside Alice Rietveld and Xueqi Wang. When the volcano itself erupts, chaos rains down. This film is great at trying to be serious while being a bit more comedic. The only thing missing from the film is the dinosaurs, and it could be a knock-off of Jurassic Park.

8 Abduction

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Lionsgate Pictures

Abduction is a 2011 action mystery film about a boy named Nathan (Taylor Lautner) who gets paired with the girl across the street, Karen (Lily Collins) whom he has a crush on, for a school project on missing kids. To their shock and surprise, they find a photo of Nathan himself on a missing kids website and make contact. This one small mistake turns Nathan’s life upside down, getting his family, played by Maria Bello and Isaacs, killed. Although only in a small bit of the film, Isaacs does a wonderful job of playing the stern but caring father-figure.

7 Black Hawk Down

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Columbia Pictures

Isaacs plays Michael D. Steele in Black Hawk Down. Isaacs is the Captain of the Black Hawk crew of which he does a brilliant job. Black Hawk Down is a historical drama that was released in 2001, but the movie is set in 1993. The film shows what happened when America dispatched special forces to Somalia in order to overthrow the authorities and offer food and emergency assistance to the desperate inhabitants. Two of the Black Hawk helicopters are quickly destroyed when Somalian forces launch an unannounced attack during the process of releasing the soldiers to the ground. From there, under intense attack, the American soldiers must fight to restore their position. The film also stars Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, and Eric Bana.

6 The Harry Potter Franchise

Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter
Warner Bros.

Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock for the last 15 or so years knows a little something about Harry Potter. Isaacs plays Lucius Malfoy, the father of Harry's schoolyard nemesis, who has some secrets of his own. The downright evil, yet polite way Isaacs portrays the elder Malfoy is so indicative of his skills as an actor. Isaacs made his debut in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and was in each subsequent film in the series. When it came time to end Harry Potter, Isaacs told Collider that he “was always cognizant of the fact that I'd have to pack up my little furry friend of a wig and stick it in a box and say goodbye to the cane. All the joy was tinged with sadness for me.”

Related: What Happened to Lucius Malfoy After the Battle of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter Finale?

5 Mass

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Bleecker Street

Mass is a 2021 film directed by Fran Kranz in his directorial debut, which focuses on how two families are managing following a shooting incident at a school. Ripped straight from the headlines of real-life tragedies, Mass takes a look at what gun violence in schools is doing to those directly linked to the events. Isaacs plays Jay, one of the fathers involved in the storyline. Loss, suffering, trauma, guilt, rage, reconciliation, acceptance, and healing are all things that Mass navigates the characters through. Although the environment is tense, dramatic, and explosive, Isaacs shows talent by allowing the audience to thoroughly appreciate it. His fellow actors (Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd, and Reed Birney) each provide something to remember them by within their performances. Mass has had an astounding 80 award nominations, including a 2022 BAFTA, and 43 awards wins.

4 Sweet November

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Warner Bros.

2001s Sweet November is one of the saddest films with the strangest cast of characters and brings joy in sorrow. Only an hour spent in the DMV, also known as torture, connects Sara Deever (Charlize Theron) with Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves). They decide to have a somewhat unusual romance one-month trial period followed by a separation — because they are intrigued by one another but are not yet ready to commit. The possibility of falling in love is something neither of them anticipates. Isaacs plays Chaz Watley, Sara’s gay neighbor and friend who cares for her. Isaacs’ performance is only accentuated by the fact that he actually dresses in full-on drag at one point.

3 Armageddon

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Touchstone Pictures

The 1998 disaster film Armageddon by director Michael Bay tells the story of a well-known driller named Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), who agrees to oversee a risky spaceflight to avert an asteroid, roughly the size of Texas, from striking the Earth, assuming he can bring his own promising young squad. One of them is the pompous A.J. (Ben Affleck), whom Harry initially believes is unsuitable for his daughter (Liv Tyler), but the mission eventually invalidates his thoughts. Isaacs plays Dr. Ronald Quincy, one of the scientific advisors for the space mission. Isaacs does a great job of delivering one-liners that are meant to be serious, but end up giving a bit of geeky lightheartedness to the film as a whole.

2 Peter Pan

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Universal Pictures

Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy adventure movie based on the classic book Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan (Jeremy Sumpter) pays a visit to Wendy Darling (Rachel Hurd-Wood) while she tells tales to her brothers John (Harry Newell) and Michael (Freddie Popplewell). Peter, a youngster who magically never ages, extends an invitation to Wendy and her brothers to visit Neverland, an island home to him and the Lost Boys. However, while there, Captain Hook (Isaacs) kidnaps Wendy and her brothers. To save the Darlings, Peter must confront Hook with the help of the fairy, Tink (Ludivine Sagnier). This film is one of the best retellings of Peter Pan’s story and that is all down to Isaacs, who shines as both George Darling and Captain Hook in this rendition.

1 The Patriot

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Columbia Pictures

Issacs plays Col. William Tavington in The Patriot, a 2000 action war film also starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, and Joely Richardson. The Patriot tells the story of when the British invaded in 1776, and a widowed farmer with a gallant but brutal wartime past decides not to enlist. However, when his son joins the military and is subsequently abducted by the enemies, the former soldier is obliged to forsake his pacifist faith in order to save his oldest child. As a result, he establishes a brigade of Carolina patriots, whose guerilla techniques become pivotal to the United States military effort. Isaacs manages to hold a compelling connection with the audience while playing the jerk of the story and delivering fantastic lines.