Why Henry From American Rust Looks So Familiar
The Rust Belt has become a frequent backdrop for Hollywood stories, with movies like "Out of the Furnace" and shows like "Mare of Easttown" shining a light on an underrepresented, destitute side of America. One recent series that takes that concept to new heights is "American Rust," a series that examines the death of the American Dream in a sleepy Pennsylvania town. The show has numerous great performances from actors such as Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney, but one performance that has captured the attention of fans is the performance of Henry.
Henry will likely look familiar to many viewers who sit down to watch "American Rust." That's because he is portrayed by Bill Camp, a seasoned character actor with a lengthy list of IMDb credits to his name throughout his career. Camp has numerous iconic roles under his belt at this point and in the interest of recognizing his time on-screen leading up to his tenure in "American Rust," let's take a look at some of his biggest and best roles across film and television.
He was an infamous gangster in Public Enemies
Michael Mann's 2009 crime epic "Public Enemies" saw a number of major Hollywood stars step into the roles of infamous gangsters from the 1930s. Johnny Depp played John Dillinger, Channing Tatum played Pretty Boy Floyd, and Jason Clarke played Red Hamilton, just to name a few. Despite being fairly early in his Hollywood career, Bill Camp was able to step into the role of one of the most infamous gangsters of the bunch — Frank Nitti. Nitti was the right-hand man of Chicago legend Al Capone, and in the film, he is portrayed as a more refined gangster with aspirations for white-collar crimes beyond John Dillinger's petty bank robberies.
Though he was very much a real person, Frank Nitti has been depicted numerous times across a wide range of media over the years. Bill Camp's version of the man is a more realistic portrayal of how he likely was, but different actors have put different flavors on him, with the version played by Billy Drago in "The Untouchables" arguably making him the most menacing and supervillain-esque of the bunch. That said, in true Michael Mann fashion, authenticity was the name of the game in "Public Enemies," and Camp played Nitti as a far more realistic and understated man.
He starred alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
Legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis stepped into the shoes of Abraham Lincoln under the direction of Steven Spielberg in 2012, resulting in the critically-acclaimed "Lincoln." The film was a box office hit and earned numerous Oscar nominations. In the film, Bill Camp portrays Mr. Jolly (alongside his real-life wife Elizabeth Marvel as Mrs. Jolly), a man brought in by William Seward to help Lincoln understand where the American people stand in the overall fight to end slavery and the Civil War in the United States.
Camp's role in "Lincoln" is ultimately indicative of one of the film's greatest strengths. As noted by Twitter user Will Mavity, the film served as a launching pad for some of today's most impressive actors. In addition to Camp and his role as Mr. Jolly, the film's ensemble also includes "Star Wars" star Adam Driver, "Succession" actor Jeremy Strong, and "Fear The Walking Dead" actor Colman Domingo, among others.
He is (possibly) God in The Leftovers
The world presented by "The Leftovers" remains one of the most unique of any TV world put to the small screen over the course of the last decade. The series followed a world in which 2% of the world's population disappeared in an instant with no explanation. From that premise, the series saw three seasons exploring the socio-political and religious ramifications of the "Sudden Departure." Season 2 introduced audiences to Bill Camp's character, David Burton, an Australian sports announcer who died in an accident and allegedly came back from the dead, claiming to be God.
"The Leftovers" rarely provided audiences with concrete answers. As such, the series never makes the definitive determination as to whether or not David Burton truly is God. Camp's portrayal of the character in the series paints this potential God in a very Old Testament way, full of indifference toward humanity and interest in his own self-gratification. As David Burton is not a character in the novel upon which "The Leftovers" is based, there is little concrete information to work with about the nature of his character beyond what Camp imbued in his portrayal.
He earned an Emmy nomination for The Night Of
Bill Camp has appeared in numerous TV series and miniseries throughout his career, but HBO's "The Night Of" may be his most critically acclaimed project to date. The miniseries follows the unjust incarceration of a young man named Naz (Riz Ahmed) after being falsely accused of murder and the ensuing investigation into the titular evening. In the miniseries, Camp plays Detective Box, who is the man tasked with investigating the murder and pursuing justice.
For his role as Detective Box in "The Night Of," Bill Camp received an Emmy nomination, and it's clear to see why. His portrayal of Box was arguably far more complex than the average depiction of a police officer -– highlighting his character as a well-respected cop who is willing to bend his ethics in the pursuit of justice. At one point during the run of the series, he is even referred to as a "subtle beast" by John Turturro's John Stone.
He is an anti-terrorism expert in The Looming Tower
Hulu has produced a number of strong dramas as the streaming landscape has emerged and evolved over the last few years, and one of the most harrowing of the bunch is "The Looming Tower." The miniseries was based on the 2006 book of the same name and chronicled the series of bureaucratic failures that ultimately led to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In the miniseries, Bill Camp portrays an FBI agent named Robert Chesney, a good cop about to retire who finds himself forced to utilize his strong interrogation skills to get necessary intelligence.
Although "The Looming Tower" was based on real events and included real-life historical figures in its narrative, not all of the characters on the show were based on individual people. Specifically, Camp's portrayal of Robert Chesney stands out as one of the show's major composite characters. In fact, according to TV Guide at the time of the release of "The Looming Tower," Chesney is the show's most amalgamated character, representing at least four different people involved in the lead-up to (and fallout from) 9/11.
He hunted the Clown Prince of Crime in Joker
Todd Philips' "Joker" arguably redefined the limits of comic book-inspired films when it debuted in 2019. Quickly becoming an Oscar favorite (and eventual Oscar winner), the film was largely anchored by the performance of Joaquin Phoenix as the titular clown prince of crime. However, in addition to Phoenix's turn as Arthur Fleck/Joker, the film featured numerous other fantastic performances by well-known character actors. One such actor was Bill Camp as Detective Garrity –- one of the police officers tasked with apprehending Fleck. Chasing Joker onto the Gotham subway during the film's climactic foot chase, Garrity is attacked by a mob of Joker supporters when his partner accidentally guns down an innocent bystander on the train.
Bill Camp is one of many notable characters actors to appear in "Joker." In addition to his small but memorable role, the film's ensemble of supporting players also includes "Kong: Skull Island" actor Shea Whigham as his partner, as well as "True Detective" actor Glenn Fleshler. With "Joker 2" reportedly still a possibility for Phoenix (via IGN), it remains unclear if Camp and Whigham's characters may potentially return for the sequel, as neither character is shown to be dead on-screen at the end of the movie.