by Valirie Morgan
Joel and Ethan Coen’s latest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, may have been snubbed from the Academy Awards nominations, but it’s still making a huge impact — especially for breakout star Oscar Isaac. The multitalented Cuban and Guatemalan actor captivated audiences as the film’s title character, a troubled folk musician living in 1960s New York, sharing the screen with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and John Goodman. And while Oscar isn’t going to win an Oscar for his performance, he’s quickly becoming someone to watch in 2014!
Chances are, you’ve seen Oscar Isaac before. He’s played a wide variety of characters, from legendary biblical figure Joseph in The Nativity Story to a brainwashed assassin in The Bourne Legacy, and even a prince in Robin Hood. A graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School, Isaac has been rubbing elbows with some of Hollywood’s most high-profile performers throughout his career. Now, he’s finally making waves on his own after achieving such success with Inside Llewyn Davis.
Just last month it was announced that Isaac will star alongside his Juilliard classmate Jessica Chastain in J.C. Chandor’s film A Most Violent Year, replacing Javier Bardem as the lead role. Isaac will play a Hispanic man who immigrates to the United States and achieves success as a businessman.
However, if you don’t think you’ll be able to wait that long before seeing the ruggedly handsome Isaac on the big screen again, you’re in luck! He’s got three other films in post-production already: The Two Faces of January with Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortenson (which is expected to release in May), sci-fi thriller Ex Machina, and Mojave with Garrett Hedlund.
Inside Llewyn Davis is currently in UK cinemas. Check out the film’s official trailer here on Beauty and the Dirt!
6 Facts About Inside Llewyn Davis‘s Oscar Isaac:
– He had to get over his fear of cats before he could start working on Inside Llewyn Davis, which features him toting a cat around for half the movie!
– The musical talent you see in Inside Llewyn Davis is real! As a teenager, Isaac played guitar in a punk-ska band called Blinking Underdogs.
– His favorite songs to write are love songs. In an interview earlier this month, he said: “You play songs for girls—that’s the thing to do. The song, sometimes, seals the deal.”
– After graduating Juilliard, he took on the role of Proteus in Shakespeare in the Park’s Two Gentlemen of Verona, sharing the stage with Rosario Dawson!
– Sadly, he’s off the dating market: he referenced having a girlfriend in an interview a few days ago.
– Oscar and his Inside Llewyn Davis costar Justin Timberlake had frequent jam sessions on set. JT even gave him a sneak preview of his album “The 20/20 Experience” while it was still being recorded!