Some Love For Nick Stahl

Although relegated to straight to DVD releases recently, presumably because of his erratic behavior and history with addiction, Nick Stahl still has an impressive body of work.

He first came on my radar in Tall Tale the story of a boys friendship with American Legends Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and John Henry. It's a story about growing up and standing up for yourself and what you believe in. It's really inspiring, a great adventure. I remember wanting to be Nick Stahl in this movie. Because I liked Stahl so much I went back and watched him pair up with Mel Gibson in The Man Without A Face a somewhat more tortured coming-of-age tale.

The summer after 8th grade I went to see Disturbing Behavior with my first girlfriend Erica. Most movies we went to during the summer of '98 were just veiled excuses to have protracted awkward make out sessions. Not so Disturbing Behavior. I was keen on seeing it because of the subject matter, a diabolical doctor brainwashing high school students, and even more so because of Stahl. He plays a wise, stoned, Virgilesque character who befriends the lead and shows him the ropes around the school.

2001 saw Stahl in one of my favorite movies of all time In The Bedroom. His subtle, realistic performance is overshadowed by the powerhouse tag team of Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson but he rounds out and enhances a wonderful cast and an amazing story.

What solidified my love for Stahl was the short lived HBO series Carnivale. It had all the things that scratch my narrative itches- magic, tarot cards, depression era America, carnies, epic battle between good and evil, shadow figures- the show had it all. Stahl was the protagonist in the primarily ensemble driven show. His performance was conflicted, multi-layered, confused, tortured, and maybe redemptive. Unfortunately the show ended when it still had at least one more season left to tie everything together. Carnivale created an amazing dangerous world and Stahl along with Clancy Brown anchored it.

At the beginning of Carnivale Stahl appeared in the underrated Terminator 3 a movie I'll always watch when it comes on TBS, TNT, or FX. At the end of Carnivale Stahl appeared in Sin City as the sadistic sex predator son of a senator who turns into a yellow goblin creature. Both entertaining films.

Since 2005 Stahl has appeared in a series of mediocre straight to DVD releases(I watched The Night Of The White Pants and The Speed Of Thought just because Stahl was in them, woof)  and has come up numerous times in the media for drug offenses and rehab stays. 

He's a really talented actor with a lot of heart and a depth that he brings to each role. I hope he bounces backs and starts getting some more challenging material to work his magic on. In the meantime check out the titles listed above or go on your own Stahl hunt.