It’s impossible for every character in a movie to get equal amounts of screen time, but the shortest performances can be the most impactful in a film. Movie characters can make huge impressions with little screen time, as it’s about what they do with the time onscreen that counts. A well-written character brought to life by a skilled actor is always going to be memorable, even if they’re only featured in one scene. There are plenty of performers who have gone on to win major awards for roles with limited screen time.

Beetlejuice is a great example of a тιтular character and antagonist who defines almost all the movie’s conflict without spending more than seventeen minutes onscreen. There are many similar box office and critical successes, like Beetlejuice​​​​​​, that have gotten away with using one of their best characters very little but doing so with a significant impact. Sometimes, the appeal of these characters is their mystery and the lack of backstory we get as the audience. Entire histories, headcanons, and spinoffs can emerge based on just a few moments onscreen.

8

Beetlejuice – Beetlejuice (1988)

Played by Michael Keaton

Hints of Beetlejuice are dropped slowly throughout the film’s runtime, with Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin) slowly coming into contact with him and deciding to use his services. A large part of Beetlejuice is the fact that the тιтular character doesn’t have the power to bring himself into the living world on his own. This forces him to spend most of his time on the outskirts, manipulating people and events to encourage the young couple to rely on him.

If anything, Keaton is now more ᴀssociated with playing Beetlejuice than with Batman, demonstrating how attention-grabbing he is.

Though Michael Keaton was best known for portraying the hero Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman​​​​​​, the director tapped Keaton to play this off-beat and villainous role for a reason. If anything, Keaton is now more ᴀssociated with playing Beetlejuice than with Batman, demonstrating how attention-grabbing he is. Thanks to his loud personality, clothing, and actions, the viewer has no trouble spotting Beetlejuice when he enters the frame. This characterization is part of what defines his role and allows him to stand out among the otherworldly style of the film.

7

The Wicked Witch Of The West – The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Played by Margaret Hamilton

Though the recent surge in popularity of Wicked has changed the audience’s perceptions of the infamous Wicked West of the West, for a long time, she was one of the scariest villains in fantasy movies. The Wizard of Oz is an enduring children’s fantasy film that has inspired countless other works of speculative fiction. Additionally, the way the Wicked Witch is portrayed in the movie helped establish many tropes and stylizations within the witch archetype.

Margaret Hamilton plays the dual role of the Wicked Witch and Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) nasty neighbor, Almira Gulch, sparking terror in young audiences. Hamilton’s performance is what made it possible to have so few scenes with the Wicked Witch in the film. Just the thought of her and her disciples was chilling for Dorothy, so the viewer believes her power to be great and horrible. Though Dorothy is just as recognizable and influential, the Wicked Witch’s impact can’t be overstated.

6

The Shark – Jaws (1975)

Played by the animatronic

Necessity was the mother of invention when it came to Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, Jaws, and the development of the shark. The 1975 film might’ve been an enormous hit that redefined the blockbuster, but it is notorious for going over budget and facing many roadblocks throughout production. One of the reasons that the shark barely ever appears onscreen is that Spielberg thought the shark looked unrealistic in Jaws and wanted to limit its screen time so audiences weren’t taken out of the movie.

Thanks to the brilliant score from John Williams that increased the terror of the shark’s approach, it didn’t matter that the viewer doesn’t see the shark; what’s inside our imaginations is far worse.

Fortunately, this turned out to be a stroke of genius, as delaying the shark’s appearance built the tension that Jaws earned its reputation for. Thanks to the brilliant score from John Williams that increased the terror of the shark’s approach, it didn’t matter that the viewer doesn’t see the shark; what’s inside our imaginations is far worse. This is one of the best tricks in the horror playbook, and Jaws sparked a franchise with its skillful use of this concept.

5

Hannibal Lecter – The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Played by Anthony Hopkins

One of the Oscar-winning movie performances with the shortest screen times, Anthony Hopkins’ take on Hannibal Lecter is considered the definitive version. Though Mads Mikkelsen would achieve acclaim for his performance as the iconic cannibal in the TV series Hannibal, this performance wouldn’t exist without Hopkins’ work. Every time Lecter enters the frame, it’s as if the temperature suddenly drops. He isn’t just chilling but also dripping with intelligence and power that shakes the audience and Clarice (Jodie Foster) to their core.

Though Lecter isn’t the primary antagonist in The Silence of the Lambs, as Clarice is chasing another killer, he’s the true source of her nightmares. She knows he’s the key to opening up the case and solving the crimes, but going back to his cell and letting him into her mind is a terrible cost. However, it’s always exciting when Clarice must continue engaging with Lecter, as these scenes are the meat of The Silence of the Lambs and the reason the movie is so rewatchable.

4

Boba Fett – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) & Return Of The Jedi (1983)

Played by Jeremy Bulloch

The Star Wars franchise includes so many films and TV shows that there are more than a few throwaway characters audiences have quickly forgotten. However, the original trilogy features one iconic antagonist who’s become an icon of the franchise, even though we never see his face in the first films. Boba Fett, played by Jeremy Bulloch in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi has far exceeded his brief appearances in the 1980 and 1983 films.

Boba Fett didn’t contribute that much to the plot of the first films besides helping to build conflict and action. It even seemed as if he had died in Return of the Jedi. However, the hold that Boba Fett has on the Star Wars fanbase and canon could never have been anticipated. He’s been featured prominently in many spinoff shows, and as a young man in the prequels, Boba Fett’s legacy has far exceeded his screen time. It could be because he’s such a complex and mysterious figure that we all collectively wanted more Boba Fett.

3

Ernst Stavro Blofeld – You Only Live Twice (1967)

Played by Donald Pleasence

Like Bond himself, there have been many iterations of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, one of 007’s most dangerous nemeses, but Donald Pleasence’s work in You Only Live Twice helped originate the role. Throughout most of the film, Sean Connery’s James Bond is chasing down other leads and dealing with Blofeld’s minions, slowly working his way up to the final villain. However, this doesn’t stop Pleasence from stealing every scene he’s in. Since Blofeld was previously unseen up to this point, Pleasence was a big reveal.

Pleasence is a great foil to Connery, giving a slightly over-the-top yet sinister performance that has crystalized in the minds of James Bond fans everywhere. From his iconic cat to his convoluted torture methods, Blofeld is quite a memorable villain, and You Only Live Twice doesn’t shy away from establishing the genre tropes that would come to define the Bond villain in the future. Though Christoph Waltz’s recent take on Blofeld expands the character’s legacy, it’s impossible to forget Pleasence’s work.

2

Lucifer – Constantine (2005)

Played by Peter Stormare

Keanu Reeves might lead the cast of Constantine as the tortured exorcist himself, but Peter Stormare’s brief but potent appearance as Lucifer steals the show. Though the threat of Lucifer and his collection of Constantine’s soul hangs over the entire story, it’s not until very late in the film that we first see Lucifer. Stormare’s take on the infamous figure made waves within fantasy circles, as this wasn’t the monstrous king of hell viewers and critics were used to.

The dynamic between Reeves and Stormare in Constantine is packed with tension, allowing Stormare to leave his mark on the project.

Instead of portraying Lucifer as beastly, dripping with blood, or similar to a Hades-like character, Lucifer was dressed in an all-white suit and eerily calm as he came to drag Constantine to hell. His demonstration of power and patience in these final moments of the film defines the entire story, as Constantine isn’t afraid to be damned if it means doing what’s right. The dynamic between Reeves and Stormare in Constantine is packed with tension, allowing Stormare to leave his mark on the project.

1

Queen Elizabeth – Shakespeare In Love (1998)

Played by Judi Dench

A beautiful romance movie with incredible writing, Shakespeare in Love is a sweeping period drama that imagines how the iconic playwright might have experienced love. Set in Elizabethan England, Shakespeare in Love touches upon the class differences of the time and how Will’s (Joseph Fiennes) lowly origins prevent him from being with the lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow). Since life at court plays a role in Shakespeare in Love, it’s only right that Queen Elizabeth herself plays a role.

Brought to life by Dame Judi Dench, Queen Elizabeth is brilliantly styled in Shakespeare in Love, demonstrating the commanding presence and larger-than-life appearance she had in the late 1500s. Dench is a well-known figure in film and theater. Her notoriety and prestige make Dench’s contribution to the film give the project increased credibility. With hilarious comedic timing and one of the most lauded portrayals of the monarch, Dench is a credit to Shakespeare in Love.