Pepper’s defining skill is that he can look so serious it seems effortless. This is evident in his performance as sniper Jackson in Saving Private Ryan, in the 8 hour miniseries The Kennedys and in Terrence Malick’s new film The Counselor. Pepper is often regarded as a Woody Harrelson-type but I think that’s unfair. Here are his best lead performances.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Pepper’s first big screen breakthrough came in the form of a Bible-quoting sniper named Private Jackson in Steven Spielberg’s harrowing WWII drama Saving Private Ryan. It was a role that made him the center of attention, complete with photo spreads and Oscar buzz. He followed that film up with major productions like Enemy of the State and The Green Mile, establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s top young actors.
Pepper was born in Canada and grew up on a family farm near Vancouver Island. His father encouraged him to embrace his ancestors’ traditions, which included sailing the seas and exploring the islands of the Pacific. As a teenager, Pepper and his friends would pass the long days aboard their 50 ft sailboat by improvising and acting games.
Enemy of the State (1998)
Pepper made his mark in a big way with this political thriller. The movie is based on the real-life story of NSA operative Phil Hammersley (Jason Robards), who was murdered in a public park by rogue agents working for ambitious agency chief Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight). The murder was covered up, and an unsuspecting lawyer ended up with the video evidence that would have exposed the entire conspiracy. Pepper was nominated for an Emmy for this role, and the gomovies film is an entertaining popcorn flick. However, it lacks the kind of deep-rooted social commentary that gave the classic paranoia movies of the ’70s their power.
Despite the lack of box office success, this is one of the best movies in which Pepper has appeared. He demonstrates his ability to take on challenging roles, and he was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for this performance.
The Green Mile (1999)
After gaining acclaim with the period prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, director Frank Darabont returned to the genre with this bleak story set in Depression-era Louisiana. Tom Hanks and a top-notch cast star in this film about a guard’s attempts to convince a death row inmate that he is not evil, but just another person who deserves his time in the electric chair.
Pepper’s role as the convicted murderer John Coffey is the most challenging of his career. His performance is incredibly layered and deeply moving, and it is one of the movie’s many highlights. Pepper is able to convey Coffey’s struggle with an innocence that is nearly nonexistent and his desire for forgiveness. He also makes the character’s lust for revenge and his eventual change of heart convincing and captivating.
Trigger Point (2002)
After a steady career of small to medium screen roles, Pepper became an instant star after his Bible-quoting sniper turn in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998). He followed this up with a supporting role in Enemy of the State and a much bigger lead in Stephen King’s The Green Mile (1999).
Here, he plays Nicolas Shaw, a former CIA agent who lives an off-the-grid lifestyle in a remote rural community. He’s living a peaceful existence in his home, which is protected by a sophisticated security system, until a former colleague turns up to ask for help. He claims that under torture, Shaw may have given up the names of fellow agents who were later killed, and wants Nicolas to help him find out the truth and track down those responsible.
The Dale Earnhardt Story (2004)
The movie was filmed at Rockingham Speedway, which was the real Dale Earnhardt’s home track at the time. It was also filmed in New Hampshire, which was where Earnhardt was born and raised. Chad McCumbee, who played Earnhardt in the film, went on to become a NASCAR driver.
Pepper has been nominated for several Screen Actors Guild Awards and has won one. He has played a wide variety of roles throughout his career, from Private Jackson in Saving Private Ryan to Dean Stanton in The Green Mile and journalist Joseph Wilson in Fair Game. He has also portrayed baseball legend Roger Maris in the HBO feature 61* and Robert F. Kennedy in the miniseries The Kennedys, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award.
