John Goodman’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

John Goodman began voice over work in radio and commercials in the late 1970s, but his big break would not come until years later in Roseanne, though his best movies and TV shows display his talent beyond his work as a sitcom father. Goodman got his start in commercials, but he also worked in dinner theaters and off-Broadway shows in New York while trying to make it as an actor. His early career spent a lot of time on the stage before he landed his big break.

His role as Dan Connor in Roseanne made him a household name. It’s that series that really paved the way for Goodman to make a long-lasting career for himself as the show established his ability to do comedy and drama equally effectively. Since the series, he has gone on to appear in more than 100 other credited roles, hosted Saturday Night Live 13 times, and been named a Disney Legend for his voiceover work. His career is so prolific that he has dozens of fantastic roles, but these encompass the best movies and TV shows that demonstrate the full range of his abilities.

imagery-from--Inside-Llewyn-Davis-and-10-Cloverfield-Lane

Related

10 Underrated John Goodman Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen

John Goodman is such an incredible actor that not every film in his catalogue is widely known, with many of his best movies being less commonly seen.

Posts

1

10

Arachnophobia (1990)

As Delbert McClintock

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Arachnophobia

PG-13

Comedy

Horror

Sci-Fi

Thriller

9.5/10

Release Date

July 20, 1990

Runtime

109 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot of Jeff Daniels

    Jeff Daniels

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Harley Jane Kozak

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Arachnophobia offers a throwback to B-movies of the 1950s and the concept of creatures invading a small town. It was initially billed as a thriller and a comedy, though it certainly leans more into the horror-comedy territory and is one of the most underrated horror movies of the ’90s.

The movie follows a doctor (Jeff Daniels) and his family as they move to a small town that is then overrun with deadly spiders. It is not for those who might fear the spiders, as the title suggests. While the bulk of the focus is on how the family deals with the arachnids, Goodman plays a supporting role as an eccentric exterminator.

Goodman also steals every scene he is in as said exterminator. The movie allowed him to really chew the scenery in a way that something like Roseanne did not at the time, and it’s gone on to become a modern creature feature classic.

Goodman earned a Saturn Award nomination for his role in the movie. Arachnophobia also won a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film.

9

Roseanne (1988-1997)

As Dan Conner

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

Roseanne TV Series Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Roseanne

TV-PG

Comedy

Drama

ScreenRant logo

7/10

25

7.5/10

Release Date

1988 – 2017

Network

ABC

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Roseanne Barr

  • Headshot Of John Goodman In The 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival - Golden Nymphs Award Ceremony.

    John Goodman

Showrunner

Bruce Helford

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Though Goodman appeared in numerous movies and TV shows before he landed a starring role in Roseanne, the family sitcom made him and the rest of the cast household names. It was a departure from earlier family sitcoms that presented family life as neat and tidy and embraced the dysfunction that could come in the modern era – and the comedy that came along with it.

The series followed the titular character and her family in a fictional town in Illinois. The family is not wealthy and things do not always go their way, and that is part of what made the show so great at the time. It followed them triumphing in small ways and finding ways to deal with conflicts that actually resonated with the audience. Roseanne’s best episodes found a balance between those conflicts and humor.

The series was nominated for a slew of awards during its run, even though it was not often considered a prestigious award show contender. Goodman won a Golden Globe and was nominated for seven Emmys for his work on the show. As the family patriarch, the show did not always center on Goodman, but when it did, he brought a healthy dose of humor and reality to the show, helping to ground some of the more outlandish plotlines.

Goodman returned to the role of Dan in the 2018 revival series The Conners.

8

Raising Arizona (1987)

As Gale Snoats

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Raising Arizona

PG-13

Comedy

Crime

10/10

Release Date

April 10, 1987

Runtime

94 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Nicolas Cage In The 77th Cannes Film Festival 'The Surfer' Premiere

    Nicolas Cage

  • Headshot Of Holly Hunter

    Holly Hunter

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Over the course of his career, Goodman has collaborated with the Coen brothers in numerous projects. Their offbeat comedies have given a great showcase to his skill set. Raising Arizona was the first time he collaborated with the Coens.

In the movie, Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter star as a couple who kidnap a baby – one of a set of quintuplets. They are unable to have a baby of their own, and see the kidnapping as an easy way to have a child. Goodman plays a criminal who has a past with Cage’s character.

Goodman’s Snoats and his brother are engaged in a plot to kidnap the baby themselves. It’s a true madcap comedy in the vein of 1980s classics with a lot of moving parts and a lot of hilarious actors. Goodman, however, stands out in the movie as he holds nothing back in the role.

Related

The 10 Best Coen Brothers Characters, According To Reddit

Which among the hundreds of characters in movies by the Coen Brothers are the most iconic? Redditors have nominated a couple of names.

Posts

7

The Artist (2011)

As Al Zimmer

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

01377578_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Artist

pg-13

Drama

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

December 22, 2011

Runtime

100 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Jean Dujardin

    Jean Dujardin

    George Valentin

  • Headshot Of Bérénice Bejo In The Series Mania festival opening ceremony

    Bérénice Bejo

    Peppy Miller

  • Headshot Of John Goodman In The 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival - Golden Nymphs Award Ceremony.

    John Goodman

    Al Zimmer

  • Headshot Of James Cromwell

    James Cromwell

    Clifton

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

…a great showcase for actors who use movement and body language in their roles as much as their voices.

The Artist is a fascinating throwback to a very different time in Hollywood. Shot in the style of a black and white silent movie, the film uses little dialogue, instead, relying on the cast to convey the story to the audience.

The Artist is set in the late 1920s as silent movies are falling out of fashion and “talkies” are becoming all the rage. It centers on the relationship between an older silent film star and a young actress whose star is just beginning to rise. Goodman appears as a studio executive trying to help the silent film star.

The movie is a great showcase for actors who use movement and body language in their roles as much as their voices. With Goodman’s large frame, his size has often been part of his characters, and here, the way he is aware of his movement helps to make Al Zimmer a larger-than-life figure.

The Artist was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning five, and six Golden Globes, winning three.

6

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

As Roland Turner

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

inside-llewyn-davis

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Inside Llewyn Davis

R

Musical

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

10/10

8.7/10

Release Date

December 6, 2013

Runtime

105 minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Oscar Isaac

    Oscar Isaac

  • Headshot of Carey Mulligan

    Carey Mulligan

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Another Coen brothers movie, Inside Llewyn Davis follows Oscar Isaac as a jazz musician struggling to find his way after the loss of a bandmate. The movie is much darker than the usual fare from the Coens, but it still has plenty of comedic elements.

Goodman’s role here is essentially an extended cameo, likely born from the good working relationship he has with the Coen brothers. He plays a fellow jazz musician who crosses paths with the titular character. The two share a car alongside another musician as they travel, but Goodman’s time as Roland in the movie is cut short when his character collapses from a heroin overdose. Llewyn simply leaves him (and the car) behind in order to get to his next destination.

While it’s an abrupt move away from his character, Goodman still steals his scenes as a travel companion who is able to annoy everyone around him.

Inside Llewyn Davis was nominated for two Oscars and three Golden Globes.

5

Treme (2010-2011)

As Creighton Bernette

TV Show

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

Success!

03135047_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

treme

TV-MA

Drama

Music

Release Date

2010 – 2012

Network

HBO

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Art Neville

    Uncredited

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Dr. John

    Creighton Bernette

  • Headshot Of John Goodman In The 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival - Golden Nymphs Award Ceremony.

    John Goodman

    LaDonna Batiste-Williams

  • Headshot Of Khandi Alexander

    Khandi Alexander

    Delmond Lambreaux

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Many of Goodman’s best-known roles are of blue-collar characters. Here, he gets to be an academic, playing an English professor in the first two seasons of Treme.

Treme is set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It follows an ensemble cast as they try to rebuild their lives in the wake of the storm and reestablish a sense of normalcy. Goodman’s professor is working on a book, but his wife (Melissa Leo) is a civil rights lawyer searching for her missing brother.

The series as a whole was seen as an honest representation of New Orleans as it dealt with a tragedy. It likely was a labor of love for Goodman, whose wife is from Louisiana. The two have had their primary residence in New Orleans and Goodman has filmed many projects in the state. Because of his personal connection to the place and the people, Goodman’s character feels lived-in in a way many of his others do not.

Treme was nominated for six Emmys, winning one.

4

Monsters Inc. (2001)

As James “Sulley” Sullivan

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

01259801_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Monsters, Inc.

PG

Animation

Comedy

Family

ScreenRant logo

10/10

6.7/10

Release Date

November 2, 2001

Runtime

92 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Billy Crystal

    Billy Crystal

    Mike (voice)

  • Headshot Of John Goodman In The 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival - Golden Nymphs Award Ceremony.

    John Goodman

    Sullivan (voice)

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Though Goodman has lent his voice to numerous projects, the best of his voice acting is Monsters Inc. His role in the first movie has continued as more Monsters movies and series have been made in the universe, but the first is the best.

The original movie follows a pair of monsters who work as scarers, gathering fear for the power plant in the land where they live. When a little girl they are supposed to be scaring comes home with them, they have to work to get her back. Along the way, they discover that there might actually be something even more powerful than fear.

The movie was a fantastically creative story from Disney and Pixar that did not rely on fairy tales the audience already knew to make parents tear up and kids embrace the monsters under their bed. The warmth of Goodman’s Sulley was a big part in making the characters likable and giving them such great staying power among other legendary Disney figures.

Imagery-from-CoCo-and-Up

Related

10 Sad Moments In Pixar Movies That Would Make Anyone Cry

Pixar movies have become famous for their heartbreaking moments, and hits like Up and Finding Nemo can make people of all ages shed a tear.

Posts

1

3

Argo (2012)

As John Chambers

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Argo Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Argo

r

Biography

Drama

History

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

8/10

7.8/10

Release Date

October 12, 2012

Runtime

120 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Ben Affleck

    Ben Affleck

  • Bryan Profile Picture

    Bryan Cranston

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Argo is inspired by real events, and it provides a very different way for Goodman to give another voice to old Hollywood. While the movie is filmed in the modern style, unlike The Artist, it still features some old Hollywood characters.

Argo tells the story of a CIA operative (Ben Affleck) who runs a mission to get hostages out of Iran during the 1970s. In order to pull off the mission, he creates the idea of a fake movie being made to get his team in and out of the country. Among the crew he needs to pull off the mission, however, are those who have real jobs in Hollywood, like Goodman’s John Chambers.

John Chambers is an acclaimed makeup artist who worked on the original Planet of the Apes movies and is credited with creating Spock’s pointed ears for Star Trek. In the ’70s and ‘80s, Chambers really did do contract work on “disguise kits” for the CIA’s spy teams, and he was instrumental in getting all of the Hollywood information right for the mission. Goodman brings the man to life with a certain amount of charm and slots neatly into the movie’s impressive ensemble.

Argo was nominated for seven Oscars, winning three, including Best Picture.

2

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

As Howard Stambler

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

10 Cloverfield Lane Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

10 Cloverfield Lane

PG-13

Drama

Horror

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9/10

Release Date

March 10, 2016

Runtime

103 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of John Goodman In The 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival - Golden Nymphs Award Ceremony.

    John Goodman

  • Headshot Of Mary Elizabeth Winstead In The New York premiere of 'A Gentleman In Moscow'

    Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

…it can be easy to forget that Goodman is also a fantastic character actor.

John Goodman is known for playing likable characters. He is the dad who works hard to put food on the table in so many movies and TV shows (not just Roseanne) that it can be easy to forget that Goodman is also a fantastic character actor. His best movies offer great examples of that, and one of them is 10 Cloverfield Lane.

When the movie was initially filmed and marketed, it was as an isolationist thriller, not as something part of the Cloverfield universe. The audience did not go into the movie knowing that the conspiracy theories that Goodman’s Howard Stambler spouts are actually true. That is part of what makes the movie itself so great on first watch. Goodman’s performance is what sells it though.

It’s rare for Goodman to get to play a villain. Here, he is a man who has trapped others in a bunker in a bid to help them survive an apocalyptic event. He is unnerving and determined. His portrayal of Howard combined with the claustrophobic setting of the movie makes it fantastic. He was called a “psychopath for the ages” (via NY Post) and “terrifyingly perfect” (via Vox), with many critics advocating for him to get an Oscar nomination for the role.

Goodman won a Saturn Award for his work in the movie.

1

The Big Lebowski (1998)

As Walter Sobchak

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Big Lebowski

R

Comedy

Crime

Sport

ScreenRant logo

8/10

9/10

Release Date

March 6, 1998

Runtime

117 Minutes

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Julianne Moore In The 77th annual Cannes Film Festival

    Julianne Moore

  • Headshot Of Jeff Bridges In The 2024 Disney Upfront

    Jeff Bridges

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Different generations of movie-goers will likely recognize Goodman for some very different iconic roles. For the generation introduced to him in the ‘90s, however, Goodman’s most iconic work is going to The Big Lebowski. It is also his best movie.

The Big Lebowski sees a man known as The Dude (Jeff Bridges) mistaken for a millionaire with the same name. He is assaulted and the millionaire actually hires him to get his kidnapped wife back. Goodman’s Walter is the friend along for the ride who conspires to get the payment and the ransom money.

The movie might have received a mixed reception when it initially hit theaters, but it has developed a cult following and is widely recognized as the Coen brothers’ best movie. Bridges made The Dude one of the most iconic characters on screen, but he could not have done it without Goodman’s perpetually angry Walter by his side. Walter gets some of the movie’s funniest quotes. He also allows Goodman to show impressive range as an actor as he blows up at inconveniences, but also eulogizes a friend by the movie’s end in one of the most heartfelt sequences in the film.