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At the start of the 2010s, Jon Bernthal rose to fame thanks to his stellar run in the first few seasons of The Walking Dead. Since then, the actor has continued to deliver strong performances on both the big and small screens, becoming one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood.
Despite his success in movies, Bernthal is most known for his television roles. After The Walking Dead, he went on to appear as the MCU’s Punisher in his own series and Daredevil, while also shining as Michael Berzatto in touching flashbacks of the acclaimed show The Bear.
Even his most recent project, His & Hers, was a successful miniseries that landed on Netflix. It’s a bit more difficult to pick out Bernthal’s greatest film roles. He’s worked alongside some of the top actors in the world, from Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie to Brad Pitt and Will Smith.
Bernthal might not be the guy who is the leading man in these movies, yet he’s always a scene stealer. From Academy Award-winning projects to star-studded action flicks to quite indie dramas, the filmography of Jon Bernthal is pretty impressive and gives him a fantastic slate of possibilities for his greatest movies.
Even when he only appears in a handful of scenes in smaller roles, there’s a certain charisma that Jon Bernthal brings to his best films.
10
The Accountant 2 (2025)
One of the most recent films featuring Jon Bernthal is The Accountant 2. Unlike a lot of his other movie parts, this is a case where Bernthal is one of the leads. In the first installment of this series, he appeared in a smaller role but this time, he has nearly as much screen time as Ben Affleck.
The Accountant 2 is a fun action flick that sees Affleck and Bernthal as a pair of brothers who come together to solve the murder of an old acquaintance. Bernthal and Affleck play well off of each other, and alongside the action, their chemistry was consistently the most praised aspect.
9
Wind River (2017)
These days, Taylor Sheridan is most known for his various TV shows, from Yellowstone to Mayor of Kingstown. However, that has made people overlook his quality film projects, including Wind River, which he wrote and directed. The movie is led by MCU stars Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner.
Jon Bernthal only shows up around the third act, yet he’s a pivotal part of the story. The plot centers on trying to solve a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and Bernthal plays Matt Rayburn, the boyfriend of the girl who was killed. The flashback with Bernthal revealing what happened is one of the film’s best scenes.
8
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Seeing Jon Bernthal in The Peanut Butter Falcon is likely to remind you of his work on The Bear. In the hit show, he plays the deceased older brother of the protagonist, who we see through flashbacks. That’s his role in this indie hidden gem as well.
The film follows a wayward fisherman (Shia LaBeouf) and a young man with Down syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) as they go on the run, the former from his rivals and the latter from an assisted living facility. Bernthal appears in flashbacks as Mark, the older brother of the fisherman, in some great scenes.
7
Fury (2014)
Fury is a movie that showcases a lot of what Jon Bernthal does so well. He’s an expert at blending into a stacked cast and practically stealing the show. In Fury, he’s joined by Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, Jason Isaacs, and more.
Fury focuses on the members of a tank crew fighting in Nazi Germany during World War II. Bernthal portrays Grady Travis, the tank loader, and he has some of the film’s most memorable moments. Critics appreciated the movie, as it holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 75%.
6
Widows (2018)
Like Fury, Widows is another film that features an incredibly talented cast. Bernthal has a relatively small but crucial role, yet it can get overlooked given the movie also features Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Kaluuya, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree Henry, and more.
The story focuses on a group of women who perform a heist to steal $5 million from a politician to pay back a crime lord after their husbands die during a job for the boss. Bernthal plays Florek, the abusive husband of Debicki’s Alice, making for one of his scariest roles.
5
Baby Driver (2017)
Baby Driver is a case of Jon Bernthal delivering a memorable performance despite only popping up for a couple of scenes. The film was a critical darling and follows a getaway driver who works for a crime lord to try and pay back money he owes him, yet he always works with a different crew.
During the incredible opening scene of Baby Driver, Bernthal appears as a henchman named Griff. He also gets a fun scene where he banters with the rest of the crew before he says, “If you don’t see me again, it’s ‘cause I’m dead,” and he never shows up again. Many believe his character died off-screen because of this.
4
Ford V Ferrari (2019)
Yet again, it’s a movie where Jon Bernthal stands out in a supporting role. Ford v Ferrari tells the true story of the team put together by Ford to compete against the perennially dominant Ferrari team from Italy during the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Matt Damon and Christian Bale lead the way in this film, which was a success both critically and commercially. Bernthal plays Lee Iacocca, the vice president of Ford, who helps bring the team together. It’s a small role, yet that seems to be where Bernthal shines brightest as he’s great here.
3
King Richard (2021)
The infamous Oscars incident where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock has made it so people seem to forget just how good he was in King Richard. He won Best Actor that night, yet that’s not what anyone was talking about.
King Richard tells the story of the rise of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, and how their father coached them. Smith is indeed great in the lead role, while Bernthal plays Rick Macci, a United States Professional Tennis Association coach who also worked with the future superstars.
2
Sicario (2015)
Sicario remains one of Denis Villeneuve’s best movies, even among his stellar catalog that includes Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune. The intense film follows an FBI agent who joins a task force designed to take down a drug cartel in Mexico, only to find that they don’t do things by the book.
Again, Jon Bernthal doesn’t have a huge role in this film, yet it’s a memorable one. He pops up as a Phoenix police officer named Ted who hooks up with protagonist Kate, only for it to be revealed that he works for the cartel, leading to a fight.
1
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
Jon Bernthal’s best and most memorable movie role comes in the masterpiece that is The Wolf of Wall Street. From legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, the movie tells the wild story of Jordan Belfort’s rise as a stockbroker who engaged in rampant corruption.
Bernthal plays Brad Bodnick, a drug pusher who gets recruited to work for Jordan. His antagonistic relationship with Jonah Hill’s Donnie is one of the most entertaining aspects of the film, which is saying something. The Wolf of Wall Street features DiCaprio at his best and sits as one of the best films of the 2010s.
