Although not everyone knows him yet, Hamish Linklater has an extensive body of work and has been perfecting his craft for a long time. He started out in Greg Harrison’s Groove, a 2000 movie depicting the underground rave scene in San Francisco. Linklater plays David Turner, a shy, cooperative character who gets dragged to a rave by his brother Colin, played by Denny Kirkwood. After his debut role, Linklater achieved small parts in series like Gideon’s Crossing, American Dreams, and eventually a starring role in Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s show The New Adventures of Old Christine in 2006.

Hamish Linklater’s Career

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Hamish is definitely emotionally attuned to the inner turmoil and intention of his characters. In a discussion with Christina Radish of Collider, he explains that his character, John, in Tell Me Your Secrets is “seeking redemption” and “compartmentalizing his past,” so Linklater tried not to think about John’s past too much to create that separation. In the same article, Linklater admits that he didn’t know where John’s character was going to go or “if [he] would do it well” but knew it was worthwhile. This experimental attitude is the sign of an excellent and exciting actor, something he has proven over the years until breaking out in a big way in the Netflix series Midnight Mass. Here’s why Hamish Linklater’s performance in Midnight Mass should earn him more big roles.

Hamish Linklater in Midnight Mass

Linklater gave a stellar performance as Monsignor Pruitt in part because he understood how Pruitt saw the world. In a discussion with Perri Nemiroff of Collider, Linklater says that Pruitt thinks what he has discovered is “the next stage of human evolution — [where] there is no death,” and his “new awakening is so vivid that he thinks these are the right steps he is taking.” Pruitt’s plan and outlook change and adapt as things escalate, allowing the character’s behavior to naturally progress. Linklater’s unique performance makes Midnight Mass arguably the best horror drama of recent years.

Related Link: Best Horror TV Series to Watch on Netflix, Ranked

This seems to be true for many of Linklater’s characters; they appear to grow organically, and he certainly has a part in that. Another detail that makes Linklater excellent in Midnight Mass is his previous experience in theater and his ability to give stunning monologues. According to a Slant article, Kristin Linklater, Hamish’s mother and former chair of the Acting Division at Columbia University, made sure to involve her son in theater. Pretty soon Linklater was starring in Broadway Productions such as Seminar, and Shakespeare in the Park performances like The Comedy of Errors with Jesse Tyler Ferguson of Modern Family.

Specifically for Mike Flanagan’s series Midnight Mass, Linklater was able to take his stage skills and inspiration from Raul Julia in Romero to deliver his performance as Pruitt, the misguided hero. Linklater is a fascinating performer, equipped with perfect comedic timing (as seen in The New Adventures of Old Christine) but able to modulate his humorous performances into something beautifully emotional and tender (as in the great Miranda July movie The Future). With Midnight Mass, he does something extraordinarily different, displaying an immense amount of compassion and tenderness while also morphing into something terrifying and mysterious.

Hamish Linklater’s Upcoming Projects

Just by glancing at Linklater’s body of work, it’s clear he has earned the right to some big roles, scary or not. His most recent project since Midnight Mass is called Angelyne, which tells the real-life story of its titular character, an American actress and model, who rose to popularity for her appearances on billboards. In the show, Linklater plays the nerdy character Rick Krauss, president of Angelyne’s fan club. It’s a real detour from his position as Monsignor Pruitt and reinforces his ability to take on diverse roles. That said, Rick Krauss is not a lead character. In 2022, Linklater is also a recurring supporting character in the biographical drama Gaslit, which depicts the Watergate scandal of the 1970s and stars Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. Linklater plays American businessman and political criminal Jeb Magruder.

Related Link: Peacock’s Angelyne: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

He continues to take on excellent supporting roles, as Linklater is set to star in the 2022 series Manhunt in which he plays Abraham Lincoln. The project accounts for the search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin and also stars Patton Oswalt as Detective Lafayette Baker. It’s unclear how much screen time Linklater will get, but considering the series is about the hunt for Lincoln’s murderer and Linklater plays Lincoln, it’s likely he will die near the beginning.

While it’s encouraging to see Linklater being cast in some interesting and high-profile titles, it’s high time the great actor headlines a project; this is a performer who deserves top-billing. Fortunately, in an interview with Jack Smart of Backstage, Linklater says that when he started he had no idea how rewarding the profession would be, and that there is “so much privilege and joy” in acting. It’s comforting to know that even in his supporting roles, Linklater finds great fulfillment, and audiences definitely find the same in his performances. Clearly, the Midnight Mass star isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but hopefully his star will only rise.