From his outstanding TV work to RoboCop, we salute the 10 finest roles of Kurtwood Smith… How did you get this job?

He looks good in a suit, too, which helps.

Most importantly, even when the world is on the cusp of disaster, the man is unflappable.

Just look at the way he sports a headset.

As weve mentioned, Kurtwood Smiths CV clearly has him as a go-to guy for high-ranking government officialdom.

Hes no villain, just put in an impossible situation, which he effectively conveys.

Whats the chance that he gets a lead in a science fiction series at some point?

Theres an old theory that its easy to be good in something when surrounded by a high quality production.

Its far trickier to stand out in something, er, less impressive.

Its not a rule thats strictly true, but it stands forBoxing Helena.

It remains a mess of a film, but at least Kurtwood Smith is trying here.

That, friends, is no small achievement.

In the case here, though, hes the dad to Alicia Silverstones ingenue/temptress/psychopath.

The Crushis a weird potboiler mash-up ofFatal AttractionandLolita.

He doesnt have a ton to work with, but when he shows up, he makes an impression.

Somehow, Kurtwood is able to play a fairly villainous role without becoming an outright villian.

At no stage do you doubt that his motivation is anything but pure.

Granted, its not a sympathetic role, but Kurtwood handles it in a sympathetic manner.

To say he bares a lot of himself for the role would be no inaccuracy.

Er, just look at the picture.

He and Ed Helms may have needed a drink or two before going into work that day.

A TV role thats brought Kurtwood Smith to another new audience.

That seems about right.

Hes arguably the superior choice.

Mixing those two is no easy skill, either.

And heres an underrated one: weve a lot of time for the underappreciated Christopher Lambert vehicleFortress.

Any scenes where Kurtwood Smith comes on as Prison Director Poe, even more so.

Here, hes a villain without a gun in his hands, yet no less evil.

Its a great role for someone who oozes authority and nastiness, so its the perfect role for Kurtwood.

Plus: its the only movie, to date that includes the quite phenomenal phrase random intestinations.

Somewhat inevitably, we end up here.

To have a great hero, you need a great villain.

Hes evil, hes slimy, and he loves it.

He works on logic, though.

The man never blinks.