Wes Anderson has always been a unique director. He knows what he likes, how he likes it, and what kind of performance he needs for his films. He sees the sadness in happy characters and the hope in the saddest ones. He knows exactly how to extract those nuances and powerful performances from all kinds of actors.

He has worked with first-time actors, kids, film legends, up-and-coming actors, stars, and character actors, and, with all of them, Anderson manages to show us something new in their performances. With the director's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar making its way to Netflix very soon, now seems like a good time to put on his marvelous soundtracks and talk about those incredible actors. Here are the most powerful performances in Wes Anderson’s movies.

Updated on September 20th, 2023, by Callum Jones: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.

12 Scarlett Johansson as Midge Campbell

Asteroid City (2023)

Asteroid City Scarlett
Focus Features

Like many Wes Anderson films, 2023's Asteroid City is filled to the brim with acting talent. With such a large ensemble cast consisting of big names such as Tom Hanks, Steve Carrell, Bryan Cranston, Margot Robbie, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Defoe, and many others, it must've been hard for any one of them to stand out from the crowd and deliver any kind sort of emotionally weighty performance. Mercifully, in the case of Scarlett Johansson, she did.

Within the film's narrative, Johansson plays Midge Campbell, an established movie star who is experiencing a lull in her career due to the toxic nature of the industry. Though this is her debut in a Wes Anderson film, the actress fits like a glove, capably employing the deadpan line delivery and subtle comedic beats that have become staples of the director's films. However, she also gives the film most of its heart, deftly portraying a woman who has become world-weary over time but is now tentatively ready to open herself up again.

11 Adrien Brody as Peter

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Adrien Brody in The Darjeeling Limited

As is the case with many of the entries on this list, Adrien Brody is a frequent collaborator of Anderson's, having starred in five of the director's films over the years. While he delivers memorable performances each time he appears, his most powerful one in a Wes Anderson film is also his first. The Darjeeling Limited tells the story of three estranged brothers who take a train ride across India in an attempt to bond with each other following their father's death one year prior. Brody plays Peter, the middle brother to Owen Wilson's Francis and Jason Schwartman's Jack.

At one point in the film, the brothers try to save three young boys from drowning and, while Francis and Jack are successful at saving their respective boys, Peter is unable to save his one, meaning the boy dies. For all the brothers, this puts things into perspective but, understandably, it hits Peter hardest and Brody does a great job of conveying that pain and frustration. Furthermore, a flashback scene from the day of his dad's funeral sees Peter becoming frantically fixated on something that really doesn't matter that much, which is an accurate depiction of grief and, once again, Brody delivers an emotionally strong performance.

10 Kara Hayward as Suzy

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Kara Hayward in Moonrise Kingdom

In Anderson's wildly underrated Moonrise Kingdom, Kara Hayward plays Suzy, one of the film's two young leads. At the tender age of 14, this was Hayward's first acting role, but with the help of Anderson's guiding hand, she delivered a performance on a par with more experienced actors. The coming-of-age film follows a young boy and his pen pal lover who run away together and, in doing so, ignite a search party.

Exploring themes of young love and mental health Hayward, along with her co-star Jared Gilman, plays a big role in delivering what film is possibly Anderson's most heartfelt to date. As Suzy, she is an emotionally distant and introverted teenager who feels alienated by her parents, and so goes out into the world in search of something new. Hayward's performance is engaging and relatable and speaks to every young person who feels misunderstood by their guardians.

9 Jared Gilman as Sam

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Jared Gilman in Moonrise Kingdom

It would be almost criminal to add one of Moonrise Kingdom's two young leads to this list, without acknowledging the other. After all, the film is about the relationship between Sam and Suzy, and you can't have one without the other. Like his co-star, Jared Gilman was only 14 years old when he starred in the coming-of-age comedy-drama, which also happened to be his first onscreen role. Also like Hayward, Gilman gives a powerful performance that transcends his young age.

Sam is an orphan with a history of behavioral issues who attends a Khaki Scout summer camp. Having been let down by a number of foster parents over the years, including his current ones, Sam escapes the camp to run away with his girlfriend, Suzy. Gilman excels as a young boy experiencing love and acceptance for the first time. He is introverted and awkward, but also determined and brave. You really buy that he cares for Suzy, and the chemistry between the two leads is why this film works.

8 Tony Revolori as Zero

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Hotel Budapest - Revolori
Fox Searchlight Pictures

Wes Anderson can get great performances from newcomers. He did it with Jason Schwartzman; he did it with Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom), and he did it with Tony Revolori. In a movie full of Oscar winners, Revolori is the soul of the film. He’s the eyes of the audience as they enter the world of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and his performance is the perfect balance for Ralph Fiennes' more optimistic tone.

Zero doesn’t talk much, but his eyes and mannerisms tell you everything that is going through his head, and since he hasn’t had the easiest of lives, that's a lot. It's no surprise that Revolori has been working steadily since this movie because you spend the movie waiting for his next big moment. And that, in a Wes Anderson cast, is no small feat.

Related: Every Wes Anderson Movie, Ranked

7 Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Royal Tenenbaum - Paltrow
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

In Wes Anderson’s movies, female characters sometimes fall to the sidelines. Maybe that’s what makes this character and performance in The Royal Tenenbaums even better. Gwyneth Paltrow conveys the coldness and sadness of a woman who is unsatisfied with her life but doesn’t know what she wants. Without that change, she’s unable to have intimacy with anyone. Not her husband, not her family, not her adopted brother who has feelings for her. No one.

It’s a unique character and a mystery to everyone around her. Paltrow shows us how Margot has an incredible interior life, but doesn’t want to feel vulnerable and share it, giving her a mystique and closed-up attitude. During the ten-year reunion panel in Tribeca, Paltrow said that her scene getting out of the bus is the only one in her entire filmography she can watch because her dad was there on set that day. If there’s one movie where she liked her performance, it had to be this one.

6 Owen Wilson as Dignan

Bottle Rocket (1996)

Owen Wilson Bottle Rocket
Sony Pictures Releasing

Owen Wilson has been working in Hollywood for almost thirty years, giving all kinds of performances, and this movie was his first, as he co-wrote the movie with Anderson when they were college roommates. Bottle Rocket is the story of three wannabe-robbers with a unique set of skills: they don’t have any skills, other than enthusiasm and big dreams.

Wilson gives Dignan a bit of dog energy: he can’t stop moving; he can’t concentrate; he likes to play and put on a show, and he can’t stop himself from doing things that he knows he will regret later. What gives this performance all the power, is that he can combine all those attributes with a certain sadness, as he wants some of the things his best friend (and real brother Luke Wilson) has for himself, giving this character a lot more layers. Dignan is all contrast, and it shows. Not bad for being his first performance ever.

5 Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

ralph-fiennes-grand-budapest-hotel-2014-fox-searchlight
Fox Searchlight Pictures

Though Wes Anderson's films tend to be positively reviewed by critics, not many actors have gone on to receive accolades for their work in his films. Ralph Fiennes came close though, when he picked up Bafta, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award nominations for his performance as Monsieur Gustave H in 2014's The Grand Budapest Hotel. Gustave works as the concierge at the eponymous hotel. After being framed for a murder he did not commit, he hatches a plan to retrieve a priceless Renaissance painting in order to prove his innocence.

Fiennes, who has played a diverse range of characters over the course of his forty-year career, imbues Gustave with a manic energy and camp charm that leads to some scene-stealing moments. It's a performance that is suave, eccentric, and, at times, downright hilarious. Nevertheless, Gustave is far from a one-dimensional character and Fiennes exhibits the full extent of his emotional range, flitting between raucous slapstick comedy and quiet tender moments in the blink of an eye. Only an actor of his caliber could've pulled this performance off.

4 Gene Hackman as Royal Tenenbaum

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The Royal Tenenbaums
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution 

Gene Hackman is an acting legend. Although there are stories that he wasn’t the most fun person to be on set with during this movie, it is undeniable that his performance as Royal Tenenbaum is an incredible achievement. From the start, we know he’s a big part of all the family's traumas. He cheats, he steals, and he lies. Yet, as the film ends, you want him to succeed in getting welcomed back into the family.

He’s the protagonist and the villain at the same time, as he’s the one who changes for the better during this incredible film about a family of kid geniuses. The role was written with Hackman in mind, and he didn’t want to take it, but it was the last great performance of his career before he retired. When we think of Hackman, we think of The Conversation, The French Connection, and Unforgiven, but also The Royal Tenenbaums.

3 Jason Schwartzman as Max Fisher

Rushmore (1998)

Rushmore - Jason Schwartzman
Buena Vista Pictures

In his first movie ever, Jason Schwartzman played the lead character in Anderson’s second feature, Rushmore. It was the first of many collaborations between them as he appears in most of Anderson’s films, and even co-wrote the script for The Darjeeling Limited.

The character of Max Fisher could have been insufferable: he knows he’s a genius, but he could be condescending, prone to anger, and a bit extra. Thanks to Schwartzman's sweetness and vulnerability, you see the inner child, full of insecurities, who's trying to act beyond his years to impress the woman he likes. With that duality, we understand why Max is the way he is, and that’s what makes the character work.

Related: 10 Movies Like Wes Anderson's to Watch if You Like the Director's Style

2 Bill Murray as Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Let me tell you about my boat
Buena Vista Pictures

Bill Murray has had many unique performances in Wes Anderson’s movies. Steve Zissou is still the best of all. As an homage to Jacques Cousteau (they're both oceanographers and wear red hats), Murray shows all the sadness and regret of a man who’s past his better years and doesn’t feel well with his life. In a movie where he’s the one who's always wrong and too stubborn (or egomaniacal) to admit it, it's impressive how one last trip in his submarine shows us how he really feels.

The story of Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou starts with the idea of revenge and is very sweet with how everything changes once he sees the unique and beautiful animal he has been searching for the whole film. It's cathartic, and at that moment he understands that he has made a lot of mistakes, and he knows it. But, at the end of the day, he realizes that his life at sea, friends, and family (a.k.a. his crew) are all he needs, and Murray sells the hell out of it, crying on film for the first time.

1 George Clooney as Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Clooney
20th Century Fox

A voice performance as the most powerful acting? Yeah, that’s how good George Clooney is as Mr. Fox. Anderson admitted that when he wrote the script, his first casting idea for the protagonist was Cary Grant, so he went for the modern version: George Clooney.

In Fantastic Mr. Fox, Clooney gives a tour de force performance: he’s enthusiastic, fun, feral, and a good father and husband. But, he’s also in a midlife crisis and wants to be remembered as a legend. His vocal performance shows every moment of self-doubt, self-aggrandizing, fear, boredom, love, charisma, neediness, and bravery, giving us an incredible lead character. We believe in every one of those emotions while looking at a stop-motion fox. If that’s not a powerful performance, we don’t know what it is.