Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton plays Lorne Malvo in Fargo, making a quiet voice and a patient stare feel thoroughly unhelpful to the person opposite him. The performance is funny as well as threatening: Malvo seems to enjoy the awkwardness he creates, and Thornton rarely needs to force the moment.

Thornton is also a writer and director. He wrote, directed and starred in Sling Blade, winning an Academy Award for its screenplay. His film work ranges from the restrained drama of A Simple Plan to the abrasive comedy of Bad Santa. That range helps explain why Fargo's shifts between menace and absurdity suit him so well.

On television, he leads Goliath as lawyer Billy McBride and Landman as Tommy Norris. Both give him more room for the dry delivery and worn-in authority that make his characters interesting before they have explained very much about themselves.