Greatest out of work actor of the day: Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames got his start acting in Native Son (1986). He did some television work before appearing in Casualties of War (1989). The 90’s would prove to be Rhames’ decade for success, appearing in several high profile films. The most well-received and popular film Rhames would have a significant role in is Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) as gangster boss Marsellus Wallace.

During this golden age of Rhames he would appear in the following films: Jacob’s Ladder, Flight of the Intruder, Homicide, People Under the Stairs, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Dave, Drop Squad, Kiss of Death, Mission: Impossible, Striptease, Dangerous Ground, Rosewood, Con Air, Out of Sight, Entrapment, and Bringing Out the Dead.

After all of that, Rhames would return to his role as Luther in Mission: Impossible II (2000) and Mission: Impossible III (2006). Aside from these films, the only “major” theatrical films Rhames’ shows up in are Dawn of the Dead, Idlewild and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. This isn’t to suggest he isn’t working, but he hasn’t been landing any sizable roles in recognizable films. Rhames’ has been in many direct-to-video movies, several really small very limited release films and some television work.

According to IMDB.com, Ving Rhames is currently involved in roles on nine different films, all in various stages of production. Hopefully some of these will be wider theatrical releases and we’ll see a new era of Ving Rhames. Personally, I miss Marsellus Wallace and Leroy from People Under the Stairs.