Which film characters have very little screen time but massive impact? These 17, for a start
A good film character connects with the audience, lives rent-free in their heads and is a powerful reference point when the story comes to mind.
It’s interesting that many of the most iconic characters in cinematic history didn’t actually get a great deal of screen time.
Across all eight Harry Potter films, Draco Malfoy clocks up about half an hour.
In the opening scene of Scream, Drew Barrymore took just 12 minutes to carve her niche in Horror history.
And if you hear the words, ‘I’ll have what she’s having.’, you know exactly which scene they come from.
Over on Twitter, Nina Lee asked people to bring these 15-minute heroes to mind.
Who is a character that had roughly 15 minutes or less in a film but had a huge impact on it ?
— Nina Lee (@NinaSerafina) June 3, 2021
Her own suggestion was Salma Hayek’s vampire princess, Santánico Pandemonium in From Dusk Till Dawn.
I’ll go first… pic.twitter.com/R10OMyhD1O
— Nina Lee (@NinaSerafina) June 3, 2021
Good choice.
Some of these other responses might surprise you.
1. American Werewolf in London
"I can assure you this isn't the least bit amusing." https://t.co/bZTHz0NX9h pic.twitter.com/CfsvMipyXh
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) June 3, 2021
2. The Lost Boys
There is only one correct answer https://t.co/zDM8ORWJxR pic.twitter.com/0lBuT2s7sL
— Peter Clines (@PeterClines) June 3, 2021
3. The Wizard of Oz
12 minutes of screen time, the iconic witch, inspired a musical. https://t.co/lIqiJVOR40 pic.twitter.com/SWCgRA9Guz
— PhantoMantis (@PhantoMantis) June 3, 2021
4. The Matrix
Gloria Foster (RIP) Aka the Oracle from the Matrix.
She made such a huge impact with a few lines, a few looks, and a few cookies. https://t.co/7t6OqZH8FD pic.twitter.com/fpu6lpIdRS
— Chef Andy Lunique (@AndyLunique) June 3, 2021
5. Star Wars
The cinematic king of "This guy is onscreen for roughly 10 seconds and pop culture as a whole will spend the next four decades obsessed with him." https://t.co/1rI5z10PS3 pic.twitter.com/9B44GcKBN5
— Daniel Dockery (@dandock) June 3, 2021
6. The Terminator
Without him, Kyle would have gone through the Terminator without pants. https://t.co/C1C3K8jkNH pic.twitter.com/8cxI4MkEbH
— Bill Smiley (@neokefka_99) June 3, 2021
7. Glengarry Glen Ross
I mean, c'mon https://t.co/ct6d3TgISe pic.twitter.com/AF5XkEs0XA
— Magical Mystery Whore (@alexwill999) June 3, 2021
8. Men in Black
i think about sideways blinking lad all the time pic.twitter.com/NyWf7Mcu8C
— Ryan Hall (@cornpuddy) June 3, 2021
9. The Big Lebowski
Jesus Quintana. Creep can roll. pic.twitter.com/X7tVsPC8zd
— The Eeky Guy (@eeky_guy) June 3, 2021
