The Many Faces of… Hugo Weaving

Many Faces of

Friday Faces time! Hope you have nice plans for the coming weekend (I will be seeing Raiders of the Los Ark on the big screen, looking forward to that) and what better way to relax and enjoy than to look at the work of a great actor, Hugo Weaving. He had his first role in 1984, in a television series called Bodyline. Internationally he became famous for his role in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Slowly gaining fame he really had his breakthrough in the Matrix and Lord of the Rings trilogies and has also done a couple of roles where he’s masked. After the break an overview of his roles.

The Many Faces of...Hugo Weaving
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Weaving really has played a lot of iconic roles, but my favorite is the one where he says “Mr. Anderson”, of course it’s his role as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy. He embodied this machine set to destroy Neo, but still managed to inject him with some humor behind that tense face.

What’s your favorite Hugo Weaving role?

17 thoughts on “The Many Faces of… Hugo Weaving

  1. It is funny. I love Weaving, but he has never shaken the Agent Smith role since the matrix for me. Even as the Red Skull he was just a camp german version of him.

    Great series, keeps on getting better Nostra!

    • I don’t have that issue with him. Will be watching Captain America soon, so looking forward to finding out what he’s like.

      Next week I’m going to have fun with it….small hint is that it is going to be an action star.

  2. Hi, Nostra and company:

    Great choice!

    Hugo Weaving is something of an enigma to me.

    Possessing a wonderful voice. Mr. Weaving is very much a chameleon when it comes to his many screen roles. Yet many of his roles are, as Scott noted. Eerily similar.

    A consumate bad guy whom I’m anxious to see play a heroic character I can cheer for from the bleachers,

  3. Love Friday Faces!! Hugo Weaving is an EXCELLENT pick!

    I love his work. and, yes, I think Agent Smith is also my favorite. But you know, I also really liked his work in V for Vendetta! I didn’t mind him in Captain America, but I tended to forget that it was Weaving!

    Didn’t recognize him at first in the trailer for Oranges and Sunshine!

    Thanks for keeping this feature going! I truly enjoy it! Keep up the great work! Have a good weekend, man!

    • If you forgot it was Weaving in Captain America it does mean he was able to disappear in the role he was playing. Haven’t seen the trailer for Oranges and Sunshine (but the again I never watch trailers :)). I thought he was excellent in V for Vendetta as well.

      Thanks a lot and I’m not planning to slow down with these any time soon 🙂

  4. It’s funny that this is a many faces post, but Hugo is willing and able to hide his face for his best roles. While everyone will always remember him for ‘The Matrix’, his roles in LOTR, V for Vendetta and Captain America were strong as well. He’s not afraid to take a part that he might not even be seen in. Hugo Weaving is one of the more fan friendly actors around if I say so.

    • Yeah, it’s funny that he’s masked a lot, but I guess you could say this even more for Andy Serkis who you almost never see on the screen even though his work is praised widely.

  5. Another great pick, Nostra! 😀

    While he is excellent as Agent Smith I think my favourite character of his is V. He has a very distinctive voice, and I think that’s why I like V the most. With his face hidden he really has to work to make that role his own, which I think he did.

    • Ohhh you’ve seen Oranges & Sunshine?? I put up the trailer for it last week, really curious about that one but it’s gone from my local cinema already 🙁

      Another GREAT choice, Nostra. I so love Mr. Weaving in anything he’s done, both in indies & blockbusters. He balances both really well I think.

      Enjoy Raiders of the Lost Ark. Lucky you to be able to see it on the big screen!

      • I must admit I have not seen many of his roles outside the big movies, so can’t comment on the ones mentioned here.

        Really enjoyed watching Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen last night, it really is fun to see it in that way and it was as good as I remembered. Next month they will be showing The Godfather as well, so will be visiting the cinema for that one as well.

  6. I would say my favorite of his is as V in V for Vendetta. It’s amazing that he was able to give such an incredible performance without any use of facial expression.

    • It really is a memorable character, even though he couldn’t express himself through his expression. It’s a hard thing to do, but it shows how good an actor is. Same thing with the actor in The Diving Bell and Butterfly who could only act with one eye.

  7. I thought he was great in Oranges and Sunshine. That was the first time I felt that I saw
    what he could really do. Of course he’s great as Agent Smith and Megatron, though I did think he was completely wrong as Elrond though; not how I’d imagined him after years of reading the books.

    • Everyone keeps mentioning Oranges and Sunshine, so I guess it’s one that I should be watching then! I thought he fit the Elrond role as well, but then I didn’t read any of the books.

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