2012 | Cast opposite Tom Cruise in action drama "Jack Reacher" |
2011 | Played a Russian general in HBO romantic drama "Hemingway & Gellhorn" |
2010 | Portrayed a backwoods hermit who stages his own premature funeral in "Get Low" |
2009 | Played supporting role in "Crazy Heart," starring Jeff Bridges in his Oscar-winning role |
2009 | Played an old, dying man in the feature adaptation of Joe Penhall's novel "The Road" |
2007 | Cast as Eric Bana's father in "Lucky You" |
2006 | Played an aging cowboy in AMC miniseries "Broken Trail"; earned Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actor in a Miniseries |
2006 | Played a tobacco tycoon in Jason Reitman's satirical comedy "Thank You for Smoking" |
2005 | Played Will Ferrell's father in the comedy "Kicking & Screaming" |
2003 | Co-starred with Kevin Costner in compelling Western "Open Range" |
2003 | Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame |
2002 | Portrayed General Robert E. Lee in the Civil War drama "Gods and Generals" |
2002 | Wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the drama "Assassination Tango" |
2000 | Produced, co-wrote, and co-starred in "A Shot at Glory" |
1998 | Co-starred in "A Civil Action" as the opposing counsel to John Travolta; earned sixth career Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor |
1998 | Co-starred in Altman's "The Gingerbread Man" |
1997 | Received critical acclaim for writing, directing, and starring as a Pentecostal Christian preacher in "The Apostle"; earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay, and SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Actor |
1996 | Produced and starred opposite James Earl Jones in "A Family Thing"; co-scripted by Billy Bob Thornton |
1996 | Portrayed Adolph Eichmann in the TNT movie, "The Man Who Captured Eichmann" |
1996 | Made a cameo appearance as Karl Childers' father in "Sling Blade"; starred Billy Bob Thornton, who also wrote and directed |
1995 | Played Julia Roberts' straying father in "Something to Talk About" |
1995 | First teamed with Billy Bob Thornton for "The Stars Fell on Henrietta" |
1993 | Re-teamed with Hackman for "Geronimo: An American Legend" |
1992 | Played the title role in HBO biopic "Stalin"; nominated for an Emmy Award |
1989 | Starred as Gus McRae in CBS miniseries "Lonesome Dove"; earned an Emmy nomination |
1988 | Co-starred with Sean Penn as Los Angeles street cops assigned to gang detail in "Colors" |
1984 | Played cynical sportswriter Max Mercy in "The Natural" |
1983 | Made feature directing and screenwriting debut with "Angelo, My Love" |
1983 | Portrayed country Western singer Mac Sledge in Horton Foote's Oscar-winning script "Tender Mercies"; first producing credit and first credit as a song performer |
1981 | Co-starred with Robert De Niro for "True Confessions" |
1980 | Portrayed a hard-nosed military man in "The Great Santini"; earned first Best Actor Academy Award nomination |
1979 | Featured as the gung ho Lt. Col. Kilgore in Coppola's Vietnam epic "Apocalypse Now"; earned second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor |
1977 | Returned to Broadway to appear as Walter Cole in David Mamet's "American Buffalo" |
1976 | Earned rave reviews for his portrayal of television executive Frank Hackett in Sidney Lumet's "Network" |
1975 | Documentary film directing debut, "We're Not the Jet Set" |
1975 | Last film to date with Caan, "The Killer Elite" |
1974 | Reprised the role of Tom Hagen for "The Godfather, Part II" |
1974 | Acted in Coppola's "The Conversation"; first film with friend Gene Hackman |
1972 | Portrayed a handyman who falls in love with an abandoned pregnant woman in "Tomorrow"; screenplay written by Horton Foote |
1972 | Offered critically acclaimed performance as Consigliere Tom Hagen in "The Godfather"; re-teamed with director Francis Ford Coppola and actors Caan and Brando; earned first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor |
1972 | Supported Clint Eastwood in John Sturges' "Joe Kidd" |
1971 | Played the title role in George Lucas' feature directing debut "THX 1138"; executive produced by Coppola |
1970 | Portrayed Major Frank Burns in Altman's "M*A*S*H" |
1969 | Initial screen collaboration with director Francis Ford Coppola, "The Rain People" |
1968 | First movie with director Robert Altman and actor James Caan, "Countdown" |
1968 | Played the old nemesis of John Wayne's Marshall 'Rooster' Cogburn in "True Grit" |
1966 | Starred in the original Broadway production of "Wait Until Dark" |
1966 | First film with Marlon Brando, "The Chase"; adapted from Foote's story and play |
1965 | Gained notice for his performance of Eddie in Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge"; Dustin Hoffman was the assistant director |
1963 | Played Capt. Paul Cabot Winston in "Captain Newman, M.D." |
1962 | Made his screen debut was as Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird"; screenplay by Foote |
1959 | Made his first television appearance on "Armstrong Circle Theatre" (NBC) |
1958 | First association with playwright Horton Foote, the NY production of "The Midnight Caller" |
1958 | Made off-Broadway debut in George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession" |
1955 | Moved to NYC to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse |
1953 | Served two years in the United States Army |
