Samantha Ofole-Prince looks back at the actor’s ten memorable ensemble movies.
Da 5 Bloods
In the 2020 Spike Lee directed drama, Lindo delivered an Oscar worthy performance playing a volatile, pro-Trump Vietnam veteran and one of the four surviving “Bloods” who return to Vietnam decades later to find the remains of their fallen squad leader and a stash of buried gold. His portrayal earned him the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor.
Get Shorty
As Bo Catlett, a ruthless drug trafficker and low-budget movie producer in Los Angeles, he delivered the humor in Barry Sonnenfeld’s gangster comedy film, which starred John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito.
The Harder They Fall
Lindo played Bass Reeves, one of the first African American deputy U.S. marshals in the American West. The 2021 Western film directed by Jeymes Samuel (in his feature directorial debut) had a brilliant ensemble, which featured an all-Black cast of actors that included Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King and Lakeith Stanfield.
The Cider House Rules
He delivered one of the film’s memorable lines that gained critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mr. Rose in John Irving’s drama which starred Michael Caine, Charlize Theron and Tobey Maguire.
Congo
As Captain Wanta, Lindo had a small role in the 1995 film playing a corrupt captain in the movie which followed a disastrous expedition to the African Congo to find a lost city of diamonds. As a local militia leader who helps the expedition team, his brief but commanding presence certainly made a memorable mark with that iconic line: “Stop eating my sesame cake!”
Crooklyn
He depicted a father and struggling musician, Woody, barely holding together a destitute Brooklyn family after his wife’s untimely death. The film’s focus on family dynamics, community, loss, and the black experience in 1970s America resonated with many viewers. “I cannot tell you the number of people white and black who came to me and said that was my family,” Lindo recently shared. “It speaks to everyone and the fact that it’s a black family is kinda secondary.”
Clockers
Based on Richard Price’s book, this film was about the heart wrenching effects of the violence and death caused by the drug trade and starred Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, and Mekhi Phifer in his debut film role. Lindo’s memorable role as Rodney Little, a local drug lord, was a standout, and Lindo has also felt the film was a standout role for him. “Clockers is also special to me as it’s a very underrated film.”
Heist
Frightening, when necessary, Lindo played Bobby Blane, the trusted sidekick of a veteran thief in the 2001 crime drama film written and directed by David Mamet, which also starred Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito. He was an integral part of the core crew that performed the elaborate robberies.
This Christmas
Reuniting with Mekhi Phifer for another family Black themed flick, Lindo played Joe Black, a father figure to siblings who reunite at Christmas. A live-in boyfriend of the matriarch, played by Loretta Devine, Joe was a church deacon and a warm, supportive presence in the family home. “I’m genuinely interested in a film like this that focuses heavily on an African American family and the kind of values that this film is portraying,” shared Lindo about the film on which he also served as an executive producer on.
Sinners
Lindo completely immerses himself in his portrayal of bluesman Delta Slim in this masterful horror flick which brilliantly blends blues, culture, humor and the great Migration. A celebration of artistry, culture and history, for Lindo, it is one of his favorite ensemble movies to date due to its originality and skillful direction by “Black Panther’s” Ryan Coogler who drew inspiration from a variety of classic films from George A. Romero’s classic 1968 movie “Night of the Living Dead” to John Carpenter’s “The Thing.”
“Ryan is incredibly respectful of actors and the acting process. He listens to everybody. The various opinions, points of view that people have, and he listened to me throughout the process in a way that was extremely respectful and felt collaborative,” says Lindo.
The film, which has garnered rave reviews from critics and viewers stars Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Nigerian actress Wunmi Mosaku, newcomer Miles Caton, and Jack O’Connell.