Where Is He Now?
After being relatively quiet for most of the 90’s, Finney entered 2000 with a bang in the Steven Soderbergh directed film Erin Brockovich. Playing the role of Ed Masry, Finney would win several Critics Awards for Best Supporting Actor while also gathering nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe. He would end up being swept by actor Benicio Del Toro for his harrowing performance in another Steven Soderbergh directed film, Traffic. Finney does have a role in Traffic as well, playing the White House Chief of Staff. He would go on to appear in another Soderbergh film Ocean’s Twelve, but in an uncredited role.
In 2002, Finney would play the iconic Winston Churchill in the Made-for-TV biographical film The Gathering Storm. Finney’s performance has been critically acclaimed and he has won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini-Series/Film and a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Mini-Series or Television Film. The next year, he would star in, what is in my opinion, one of his best yet and most under-appreciated roles of his career — the older Edward Bloom in Tim Burton’s Big Fish. Finney and Ewan McGregor (who plays the younger Ed Bloom) carry this movie on their shoulders and make the character (Bloom) larger than life. It is truly one of the best movies I’ve ever had the chance to watch.
Since Big Fish, Finney would go on and appear in smaller, supporting roles. He provided his voice to the Tim Burton film Corpse Bride in 2005. In 2006 he would appear in Ridley Scott’s romantic-comedy A Good Year, and then again in Michael Apted’s biographical drama, Amazing Grace. But in 2007, he would go on and appear in two larger roles: Dr. Albert Hirsch in The Bourne Ultimatum and Charles Hanson in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
Finney may not have done much since 2007, but he’s making a bit of a comeback this year. He reprised his role as Dr. Albert Hirsch in the summer action flick The Bourne Legacy, which was met with lukewarm reviews. Later on in the year he’ll be appearing in the next chapter of the James Bond universe, Skyfall. While I haven’t had a chance to see The Bourne Legacy (and I admit, I can’t say I’m in much of a rush), but I will be the first in line to see Skyfall. But when it comes to the future, I’m unsure what Finney will be doing next. He’s 76 years old, but I don’t see him leaving the big screen just yet. I believe he’s got a few good roles left in him. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Josh Kaye for Classic Movie Hub
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