Ben Kingsley has had a career spanning almost 60 years on screen. Ben Kingsley is a notable British actor and Oscar winner with over a hundred acting credits to his name. He developed an interest in acting at a young age and began performing in stage plays before moving on to acting on TV and eventually earning roles in films.
He became widely known after starring in Gandhi, a film about the famous Indian leader of peaceful protests and revolts that led to Indian independence from British rule. Kingsley won both national and international awards for his performance and in the decades since, he has gone on to create many more films which range from inspiring documentary-style to comedy and even action films. Ben Kingsley has proven his versatility and his ability to create emotional performances to fit whatever genre he performs in.
10 Maurice
Maurice is a love story where two young British men fall in love in the intolerant setting that was Edwardian England. The film stars James Wilby in the titular role and Hugh Grant as the love interest, with Ben Kingsley playing a supporting role as Dr Lasker-Jones, a psychiatrist who tries to cure a lovesick Maurice of his homosexuality with hypnotherapy. The film itself has earned widespread praise. As for Kingsley’s part in it, it was too minor for him to fully embody the character and deliver a defining performance as he did in many other projects.
9 Without A Clue
This twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle sees Holmes revealed to be a half-witted actor paid by the real genius, Dr John Watson to protect his identity and allow him to make his deductions uninterrupted. Kingsley plays the genius doctor alongside Michael Caine as the false genius detective. The story is a comedy and Kingsley does a terrific job playing the undercover genius and shows off his comic chops. The film is intended as a mystery comedy and the two leads make it just that with plenty of slapstick humor and buffoonery throughout.
8 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Kingsley makes his second appearance in the MCU with a much more prominent role in Shang-Chi. Having played the dimwit actor in disguise as a mastermind himself in Iron Man 3, Kingsley appears in Shang-Chi as the drunken actor Trevor Slattery, now captured by the evil criminal he was impersonating. Performing in the exact opposite role to his earlier performance in Without A Clue, Kingsley again shows off his range and talent for tackling any role and performing it with flare. Kingsley makes a convincing and charming idiot, and his performance enhances the movie.
7 House of Sand and Fog
Based on a novel of the same name, 2003’s House of Sand and Fog sees Kingsley star opposite Jennifer Connelly as an Iranian immigrant who brought his family to America for a new chance at life. His performance earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Kingsley becomes entangled in a challenging situation when he buys Kathy’s (Connelly) former home. Kathy becomes homeless and employs the help of several others to try and forcefully recover her home despite Behrani (Kingsley) having purchased it legally and spending money to renovate it. Kingsley delivers a powerful emotional performance and the film gives him a wonderful opportunity to show off his significant talents.
6 Hugo
In 1931 Paris, Kingsley plays the role of a shopkeeper who tries his best to maintain his privacy. As it turns out, he is a famous filmmaker who has turned away from his former work as a result of his film company going bankrupt after World War I. Kingsley delivers an outstanding performance in Hugo as a man who has left his dreams behind, only to find them again in the most unexpected ways. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo won five Oscars and dozens more awards, and Kingsley of course had a part to play in this success.
5 Sneakers
A thrilling crime drama starring the now-retired Robert Redford, where Kingsley plays his childhood friend, Cosmo. Kingsley delivers a performance as a hardened criminal who spent time in prison and made several links to organized crime. Kingsley deftly manages to deliver a threatening and imposing performance while also playing the role of a man who misses his dear old friend and wishes to have him join him. The role is full of menace and again showcases how well Kingsley adapts to different roles and genres, avoiding any definitive type cast.
4 Shutter Island
Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the primary protagonist is an award-winning mystery thriller with a major twist. Kingsley plays one of two doctors on the mysterious island that Teddy Daniels is investigating. His role in Shutter Island is fairly minimal with just a few lines of dialogue, but he manages to convey a sense of certainty and calm in a psychiatric unit which contrasts with the mystery at the heart of the plot.
3 Lucky Number Slevin
Kingsley plays one of two major crime bosses in Lucky Number Slevin. Another movie where he plays an antagonist and Kingsley delivers on this role in this action crime feature. Kingsley plays a religious leader and a crime boss who is chasing down the protagonist to have him pay a debt. However, both The Rabbi (Kingsley) and The Boss (Morgan Freeman) have targeted the wrong man, and they end up getting captured and muddled in more trouble. Kingsley does an outstanding job and as usual, playing among major celebrities, he holds his own.
2 Gandhi
Kingsley tackles the titular performance in this incredible story directed by Richard Attenborough. Kingsley plays the role of the famous peace activist from an early incident where he is thrown off a segregated train for being in the wrong carriage to his assassination. The film won eight Oscars including the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Kingsley’s performance. Breathing new life and offering meaning to the story of a man who connected with so many and sacrificed his life for the freedom of others, Kingsley reached new heights in his career that were difficult to replicate in future roles.
1 Schindler’s List
One of Steven Spielberg’s defining moments in cinema, Schindler’s List tells the harrowing true story of a German factory owner who felt compassion for the persecuted Jews and as a result, found ways to protect and save many who would have otherwise been killed. Kingsley plays the role of a Jewish accountant working for Oskar Schindler and is instrumental in helping him rescue many Jewish lives that would have otherwise been sacrificed. Ben Kingsley plays a compassionate and intelligent man, with emotion and depth, once again offering a defining performance that fully utilizes his talents and range.
