Iconic actor Jackie Earle Haley, 60, has performed a number of amazing roles over the course of his almost fifty-year career in the movie industry. If his name isn't so familiar to you, then his characters surely are. He probably appears regularly in your nightmares of A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010), and has had big roles in films such as All the King's Men and LittleChildren.
One of his biggest roles, however, came in 2009's Watchmen where he played crime-fighting vigilante Rorschach (AKA Walter Kovacs). Haley petitioned hard for the role, having read the comic as a teenager, and was motivated to go after the job upon hearing that he had become a favorite candidate among fans. His low-budget screen test tape was what swung things in his favour, with Zach Snyder commenting on the video: "Very low-tech but awesomely acted. Clearly there was no other Rorschach." It was clearly meant to be. Haley's on-screen performance as Rorschach was largely well-received by fans and critics alike, and the actor was nominated for an Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor that year. But what happened to Haley after his success in Watchmen? What has he been working on since, and what is he working on right now?
6 He Starred In 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'
Following Watchmen, Haley acted a brief role in 2010's psychological thriller Shutter Island, directed by Martin Scorsese. Here he played George Noyce, a patient in solitary confinement, which was a small but significant role for the actor.
During the same year, however, he also starred in the remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street as none other than Freddy Kreuger. Samuel Bayer stated that he and the film's producers chose Haley for the role based on the screen test he shot for Rorschach in Watchmen. Bayer said the tape "blew [his] mind", and that it showed him Haley would be capable of portraying Freddy's depth and believably playing character who was a psychopath "with a burned face and a claw."
Unfortunately the film received disappointing reviews, and Haley's performance was criticised, with reviewers claiming his performance was a poor second to Englund's original portrayal.
5 Haley Then Appeared In 'Dark Shadows' and 'Lincoln'
Following this, Haley went on to play a minor role in Dark Shadows, alongside lead actor Johnny Depp. Haley played the small role of Willie Loomis, the caretaker of the manor.
He also made an appearance in the award-winning historical drama Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis, playing Confederate States Vice President Alexander H. Stephens. Stephens was a Whig party representative who had served with Lincoln in Congress from 1847 to 1849.
4 He Then Directed 'Criminal Activities'
It was Haley's turn to direct in 2015, when he took on the script for Criminal Activities, directing John Travolta, Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens in the roles of mobsters. Haley took turns both behind and in front of the camera, also playing the role of Gerry in the movie. Criminal Activities was not a success at the box office, however, and received mixed reviews from critics - managing only a 51% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes.
3 Haley Then Acted In 'Preacher' and 'Alita: Battle Angel'
2016 was a big year for Haley, as he bagged a big role in supernatural TV series Preacher, continuing his affliation with comic book movies and spin-offs. During the first season of the show, the actor played Odin Quincannon, a man of influence in the show's town who runs Quincannon Meat & Power, a 125-year-old family run cattle slaughterhouse business.
Haley's next big moment came in 2019, when he was cast as Grewishka, a huge criminal cyborg, in the experimental action movie Alita: Battle Angel - written and produced by blockbuster veteran director James Cameron. Haley's villainous character is a personal assassin and enforcer in the future, and here the actor was comfortable in his usual style of role as a dark and difficult character. The film was praised for its special effects, but criticised for a flimsy storyline, and struggled to break even on its enormous production budget.
2 He Played The Terror In 'The Tick'
Jackie has continued to play roles in comic-book TV series, taking on the role of The Terror in Amazon's The Tick during its first season in 2016. The Terror is a supposedly long-dead supervillain, who still operates in the city's criminal underworld, and is central to the premise of the series. Haley was applauded for his work, and the series was a modest success, garnering great critical reviews.
1 He's Been Cast In 'The Retirement Plan'
Haley has been cast in upcoming action film 'The Retirement Plan' alongside Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Ashley Greene, and Ernie Hudson. The movie, which is currently in production, follows a mother (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter (Thalia Campbell), who get caught up in a criminal enterprise that threatens their lives. The pair turn to the only person who can help - her estranged father Matt (Nicolas Cage), who is living a carefree life on a beach in the Cayman Islands. The movie is expected to be released in mid-2022, so fans won't have to wait long to see Haley on the big screen once more.
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