David Bowie’s Most Intriguing TV and Film Roles

David Bowie’s self-titled debut album was launched on June 1, 1967. His film profession launched nearly concurrently.

Bowie first appeared onscreen in 1968 on the BBC throughout an episode of the British TV drama Theater 625 titled “The Pistol Shot.” He went on to greater than 30 eclectic and typically stunning roles, showing in a number of critically acclaimed mainstream films like The Man Who Fell to Earth, Labyrinth and The Linguini Incident, all whereas making nearly as many studio albums.

For Bowie, the 2 careers weren’t solely unalike, a degree underscored when he created musical alter egos in Ziggy Stardust and the Skinny White Duke. “My performances have gotten to be theatrical experiences for me, in addition to for the viewers,” he informed Rolling Stone in 1971. “I don’t wish to climb out of my fantasies with the intention to go up on stage: I wish to take them on stage with me.”

As you will see on this listing of David Bowie’s most compelling performing roles in tv and films, the frequent bond was his boundless creativity.

The Picture (1969)

Bowie’s debut as an actor got here in a 13-minute brief from director Michael Armstrong. Unknown on the time, Bowie performed a nondescript character merely referred to as “The Boy” reverse actor Michael Byrne, who went on to star in Indiana Jones and the Final Campaign, The Sum of All Fears and Tomorrow By no means Dies. In The Picture, Bowie seems as a ghostly determine who involves life from a portray.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

A bigger position for Bowie got here a number of years later within the science-fiction movie The Man Who Fell to Earth, about an alien that encounters issues as he tries to mix into the human race to avoid wasting his personal dying planet. For his position as Thomas Jerome Newton, Bowie received an award for greatest actor on the 1976 Saturn Awards.

Only a Gigolo (1978)

One other actor was initially set to seem in Only a Gigolo earlier than Bowie took an interest, screenwriter and govt producer Joshua Sinclair revealed to NME in 2021. Sadly, audiences ignored this poorly constructed story a few Prussian officer named Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski who returns house to chaos. “Hear, you had been upset, and you were not even in it. Think about how we felt,” Bowie complained in 1980. “I imply, oh God, I actually ought to have recognized higher. Each actual, reliable actor that I’ve ever met has informed me by no means to even strategy a movie until you understand the script is nice. If the script is not any good, then there is not any manner a movie goes to be good.” Fortunately, this flop did not preserve different distinguished film roles from coming his manner sooner or later.

Christiane F. (1981)

A 13-year-old woman in ’70s-era Berlin turns into hooked on heroin in an intense movie that included a Bowie cameo. Issues within the teen’s life steadily distort and disappear as she befriends a small crew of junkies and falls in love with a drug-abusing male prostitute. Christiane F. received a Golden Display award in Germany and was voted hottest on the Montreal Movie Pageant the 12 months it was launched.

Baal (1982)

Bowie performed the title position within the BBC Tv adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s play. After spending 4 weeks in rehearsals, the week-long shoot happened in August 1981 earlier than Baal was broadcast the next March. Because the protagonist, Bowie performs a drunken poet caught up in a downward spiral. He additionally contributed a number of songs to the corresponding EP.

The Starvation (1983)

The movie that critic Roger Ebert described as an “agonizingly unhealthy vampire film” wasn’t a box-office smash. Nonetheless, it will definitely achieved a cult following due to a forged that included Bowie, Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. Deneuve performed a vampire named Miriam within the film, whereas Bowie was forged as her husband of 100 years. Stevie Nicks informed Rolling Stone that it was considered one of her favourite moments of Bowie’s profession, declaring his flip as John “creepy and unusual and amazingly lovely.”

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)

A battle movie concerning the experiences of a troop of British troopers captured by the Imperial Japanese Military throughout World Struggle II, this Christmas film was a far cry from present light-hearted Hallmark flicks. Bowie embodied a British officer named Main Jack Celliers who was interned by the Japanese as a prisoner of battle. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence lined subjects together with tradition shock, the dehumanization of battle and homosexuality. The movie earned important acclaim for its message of discovering frequent floor and bridging gaps throughout cultural divides.

Into the Night time (1985)

Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer starred on this darkish comedy motion thriller, which additionally enlisted the assistance of comic Dan Akroyd simply earlier than Spies Like Us and Dragnet had been launched. Into the Night time follows Ed Orkin (Goldblum) as an insomniac with a dishonest spouse and a boring job who finally ends up on a wild journey with a mysterious girl named Diana (Pfeiffer) after she drops out of the sky onto the hood of his automobile. The journey features a memorable scene with Bowie, Carl Perkins and a very sharp weapon. Additionally making cameos had been Muppets creator Jim Henson and the movie’s director, John Landis.

Absolute Inexperienced persons (1986)

Director Julien Temple initially requested Bowie to provide music for the soundtrack to Absolute Inexperienced persons. After studying the script, nonetheless, Bowie requested to play the gender-bending character Vendice Companions as a substitute. The musical is primarily based on the e book by Colin MacInnes, which is ready in London within the late ’50s and concentrates on the youth tradition that may finally turn into the trend-influencing Mod motion. The title music, “Absolute Inexperienced persons,” served as Bowie’s last High 5 hit, reaching No. 2 within the U.Okay. The film additionally featured the Kinks’ Ray Davies.

Labyrinth (1986)

Jim Henson initially thought of Sting, Prince, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson for the position of Jareth the Goblin King on this musical fantasy, earlier than deciding on Bowie. Labyrinth follows teenager Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) by way of a surreal pursuit as she tries to rescue her child brother from the clutches of the Goblin King. “It was like a wonderland for me, engaged on that movie,” Connelly informed ET in 2015. “And I cherished Jim Henson. And David Bowie was so candy to me.” Bowie wrote 5 songs for the soundtrack, together with “Because the World Falls Down” and “Magic Dance.”

The Final Temptation of Christ (1988)

Bowie appeared in Martin Scorsese’s non secular drama as Pontius Pilate, the high-ranking Roman official who the Gospels declare condemned Jesus to die on the cross. The Final Temptation of Christ precipitated a stir when it deviated from the Bible in retelling the story of Jesus (Willem Dafoe), specializing in the primary character’s non secular battle as he wrestled together with his divine nature. By the late ’80s, Bowie had turn into recognized for pushing the inventive envelope. Sadly, his total display screen time in The Final Temptation of Christ accounted for lower than 4 minutes within the 162-minute movie.

The Linguini Incident (1991)

This American crime comedy starred Rosanna Arquette reverse Bowie as a fellow disgruntled New York Metropolis restaurant worker who got down to rob their mutual employer. The Linguini Incident wasn’t a business success or an award-winner. Nonetheless, Bowie was reportedly “fairly pleased” with the top outcome.

Twin Peaks: Fireplace Stroll With Me (1992)

Bowie constructed a profitable performing profession by way of a sequence of temporary however pivotal roles, and Twin Peaks: Fireplace Stroll With Me served as extra proof. He appeared as FBI Agent Phillip Jeffries within the David Lynch-directed traditional, delivering an iconic efficiency in simply 4 minutes of onscreen work. In Bowie’s one scene, he and co-star Kyle MacLachlan indicate disturbing concepts about mortality, self-control and the shortcoming to flee from chaos.

Basquiat (1996)

It is a tall activity for any actor to tackle the position of iconic pop artist Andy Warhol. However Bowie had admired Warhol’s work for a lot of his profession, so the Basquiat character served as one simply extra eclectic position in a portfolio of exuberant characters. The film additionally served as one other mile-marker on Bowie’s well-documented journey of adventurous wigs.

Mr. Rice’s Secret (1999)

Bowie portrayed a mysterious 400-year-old man who helps a terminally sick teen discover which means in life, in one other adventurous and difficult position. “I’ve fairly a number of years of my very own to attract upon, although a 12 months in Manhattan is nice for fatigue useful resource,” Bowie quipped in 2002. “I do not assume you’ll be able to ‘play’ 400. There are not any precedents. A 400-year-old might properly have the power to challenge the traits of a 19-year-old. Who is aware of? I simply settled for him to be comparatively low-key.”

Zoolander (2001)

Bowie had no concept that this pivotal position in Ben Stiller’s comedy traditional was coming. “David Bowie, actually, we simply got here up with the thought of who could be humorous to guage this ‘stroll off.’ Bowie, together with his music ‘Trend,’ personified that,” Stiller later admitted. “We put it within the script and despatched it to him, and he really stated sure. That was a kind of out-of-the-blue issues.” By the point Bowie seems on this action-comedy, tensions have peaked between rival fashions Derek Zoolander (Stiller) and Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson) and so they want a decide to settle the rating. Enter a dapper-looking Bowie with “Let’s Dance” enjoying within the background, and the remaining is slapstick gold. “If no person has any objections, I consider I is likely to be of service,” Bowie says, enjoying himself.

Arthur and the Invisibles (2007)

This animated flick primarily based on the e book by Luc Besson informed the story of a younger Arthur, who lives together with his grandmother in an outdated farmhouse in Connecticut. To go the time whereas his mother and father are away searching for work, Arthur reads his grandfather’s journals and turns into impressed by the small print of his adventures across the globe. Bowie performs Emperor Maltazard, the daddy of Darkos, the emperor of Necropolis and the primary antagonist. Arthur and the Invisibles was created in France for an English-speaking viewers and included the voices of Madonna, Robert DeNiro, Chazz Palminteri and Harvey Keitel, along with Bowie.

The Status (2006)

Casting the small however important position of Nikola Tesla was one of the tough points for director Christopher Nolan. Bowie really turned him down the primary time Nolan requested. The filmmaker stated he “begged” Bowie to take the half, admitting that he had no thought the best way to transfer ahead if the rocker did not settle for. Bowie finally relented and performed the Serbian-born Tesla, a pioneer of digital engineering who died in 1943.

August (2008)

Bowie did not even rehearse this half beforehand. “He confirmed up, knew his strains and was an absolute pleasure to work with,” director Austin Chick informed the Reeler. August follows two brothers who’re making an attempt to maintain their dot-com firm afloat because the inventory market begins to break down in August 2001, proper earlier than the 9/11 terrorist assaults. The siblings had been portrayed by Josh Hartnett and Adam Scott, whereas Bowie performed a supporting position. “He sees a little bit of himself in Hartnett’s character and sees this as a possibility to show a younger man a lesson — not destroy him eternally,” Chick stated. “However you’ll be able to inform he kind of relishes it. I spent the entire day saying, ‘Oh my God; I am directing David Bowie.'”

Bandslam (2009)

Bowie’s last film position got here on this PG-rated teen musical, which tells the story of a fledgling rock group searching for its huge break in a neighborhood battle-of-the-bands competitors. Bandslam delivered one other cameo for Bowie, or at the very least a toned-down, Myspace-checking model of himself. As he sits in a espresso store scrolling by way of his High 8 in one of many final scenes, he comes throughout considered one of Vanessa Hudgens’ pop-punk songs and turns into moved sufficient to e-mail her: “I actually like your band. You already know, I’m beginning an indie label.” It served as a cheerful ending for a teen musical that was by no means meant to be epic, whereas closing out Bowie’s profession with one other stunning position for underrated actor who was choosy about his elements.