Born inGuatemala, Isaac moved with his family to the United States as an infant. As a teenager, he joined apunk band, acted in plays and made his film debut in a minor role. A graduate of theJuilliard School, Isaac was acharacter actor in films for much of the 2000s. His first major role was that ofJoseph in the biblical dramaThe Nativity Story (2006), and he won anAACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying political leaderJosé Ramos-Horta in the Australian filmBalibo (2009). After gaining recognition for playing supporting parts inRobin Hood (2010) andDrive (2011), Isaac had his breakthrough with theeponymous role of a singer in the musical dramaInside Llewyn Davis (2013), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada was born on March 9, 1979, inGuatemala City to a Guatemalan mother, María Eugenia Estrada Nicolle, and a Cuban father, Óscar Gonzalo Hernández-Cano, apulmonologist.[2][3] He has an older sister,climate scientistNicole, and a younger brother, journalist Mike.[4][5] Isaac's family immigrated to the US when he was five months old, and they frequently moved around the country, living inBaltimore,New Orleans andMiami, where they eventually settled.[6] Isaac became aUnited States citizen in 2006.[7] He hasFrench origins through his grandfather and describes himself as "a big mix of many things".[8] He speaks English and Spanish.[9]
Isaac attended the private grade schoolWestminster Christian School insouthern Florida.[10] Drawn to creating music and film content since a young age, he struggled growing up in Miami, which in his view was not "a flourishing place for the arts" due to its rather conservative nature. When he was four, he and his sister organized plays in their backyard.[11][12] Around age10, Isaac made ahome movie calledThe Avenger, in which he played dual characters; he also participated in school plays.[13] He wrote his first play in fifth grade; it was based on the Biblical story ofNoah's Ark and featured a doubtfulplatypus.[14] He found great joy at performing in front of people, which proved to be a stress relief at a time when his parents were separating and his mother became sick.[6]
Growing up in a religious household,[a] Isaac was a rebellious child and liked causing trouble at school. "I set off a fire extinguisher in the gym, defaced a mural, just stupid stuff", he recalled in a 2015 interview.[16] At one point, his teacher screened off his desk from the rest of the class with a piece of cardboard. Isaac was eventually expelled.[10] In 1992,Hurricane Andrew destroyed his family's home in Miami.[11] Around this time, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother toPalm Beach where he attended a public high school. Isaac liked his new school and formed a band with boys he met in atrailer park.[6] He learned music, played guitar and continued to make home movies, inspired byQuentin Tarantino's work: "action [films], with lots of blood and cars".[16][17] Isaac spent his musical years living a "straight-edge" lifestyle.[17]
At age14, Isaac and his bandmates performedNirvana's "Rape Me" at a talent show and lost.[6] He attendedSantaluces Community High School[18] and graduated in 1998. Isaac joined a Christianska punk band named The Blinking Underdogs,[19] which enjoyed some success, opening forGreen Day.[20][11] During this time, Isaac took a two-day workshop with a casting director and won a brief part in the independent filmIlltown (1998).[21][11] A chance encounter withartistic director John Rodaz at the Area Stage Company inMiami Beach resulted in several roles on stage. Isaac next secured parts inJoseph Adler's 2000 productions ofThis Is Our Youth andSide Man at GableStage.[22] To avoid gettingtypecast as a "Latino gangster", he used Isaac as his surname at auditions. In his own words, "Being called Oscar Hernández in Miami is like being called John Smith; there are 15 pages of us in the phone book." To support himself financially, he worked as anorderly at the hospital where his father worked.[17]
Unsure about his career choice, Isaac considered enlisting in theMarines at one point. His father initially disapproved of this, but Isaac had recruiters convince him. Once he had taken the exam, Isaac said he wanted to docombat photography inmilitary reserve, a job they did not offer.[6] Instead, he studiedperforming arts atMiami Dade College and continued to act in plays.[18] During a trip to New York City to play a young Fidel Castro in anOff-Broadway production of the playWhen it's Cocktail Time in Cuba, he successfully auditioned to study at theJuilliard School.[6] While a student there, he was cast in a production ofMacbeth and worked on the filmAll About the Benjamins (2002).[23] Isaac graduated from Juilliard with aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2005.[24][25][26]
After graduating from Juilliard, Isaac continued to write music and performed in small New York clubs, and playedProteus inTwo Gentlemen of Verona (2005) inThe Public Theatre.[17] The following year, he portrayedFederico García Lorca inNew York City Center's production ofBeauty of the Father; David Rooney ofVariety remarked that his "injection of wry humor provides welcome levity".[27] Also in 2006, he briefly appeared on the television seriesLaw & Order: Criminal Intent,[28] and playedJoseph in the biblical epicThe Nativity Story, oppositeKeisha Castle-Hughes. It was the first film to hold its world premiere in the Vatican City. Having grown up in a religious family, Isaac believed it was important to portray his character "as human as possible" and approach him like any other role.[29] To understand Joseph's background better, he read a book titledThe Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.[30] The film received mixed reviews and grossed $46million against a budget of $35million.[31][32] A critic forThe Abbotsford News wrote that Isaac brought the role "a freshness and vulnerability it usually" lacks.[33] Toddy Burton ofThe Austin Chronicle found Isaac "endearing", yet thought that his character's selfless personality made him seem unreal.[34]
Isaac playedRomeo alongsideLauren Ambrose in the Public Theater'sRomeo and Juliet (2007).[35] Michal Daniel ofThe Record believed that a "persuasively young and inexperienced" Isaac was overshadowed by Ambrose but had an enthusiastic speech and a passionate behavior.[36] For much of the rest of the 2000s, Isaac played minor roles in films—the thrillerThe Life Before Her Eyes (2007), the biopicChe (2008), the spy thrillerBody of Lies (2008) and the Spanish historical dramaAgora (2009).[37][38] In a book published byRutgers University Press, which analyzes the performances of rising actors in the 2010s, Rick Warner believed that Isaac "momentarily steals the scene" as aUnited Nations interpreter inChe.[39] Isaac won theAACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role asJosé Ramos-Horta inBalibo (2009).[40] Chris Barsanti ofPopMatters opined that he played his role with "improbable charm".[41] According to R. Kurt Osenlund ofSlant Magazine, Isaac became "a bona fide scene-stealer" afterBalibo.[42]
Isaac began the 2010s with the role of the villainKing John in the filmRobin Hood.[38] In preparation, he read about the character and shared ideas with directorRidley Scott on how to portray him. He liked playing a villain, as he said one does not worry about having to make them likable, enabling him to display more facets of his character.[43] The film had a mixed critical consensus and grossed $321million against a budget of $200million.[44][45] For R. Kurt Osenlund, Isaac skillfully overshadowedRussell Crowe (who playedRobin Hood), "bringing new, magnetic venom to the done-and-done-again role".[42] Rick Warner wrote, "In his early minor film roles, Isaac makes the most of the few lines he is given, supplying emotional complexity not just verbally but also through his attractive face and piercing stare."[39]
In 2011, Isaac received recognition for several supporting roles.[46] His first role that year was of an asylum orderly inZack Snyder'sSucker Punch, for which he applied extensive makeup. Isaac credited Snyder for his openness to actors' input on set.[47][48] He played a security guard inMadonna'sW.E. (2011), a critical failure thatBritish Vogue saw as his "one misjudgment",[49] although Drew Taylor ofIndieWire believed he was "one of the few worthwhile aspects" of the film.[50] Isaac then portrayed a musician in10 Years, in which he performed his own song "Never Had",[51] and an ex-convict inNicolas Winding Refn's critically acclaimed action dramaDrive (2011).[52] Initially hesitant aboutDrive, he accepted the offer after working out a "more nuanced" and less stereotypical version of the character with Refn and screenwriterHossein Amini.[46]Todd McCarthy ofThe Hollywood Reporter praised Isaac's "unanticipated intelligence and sincerity"; Madison Diazm, writing forComic Book Resources in 2022, called the film an early testament to Isaac's ability to create tension.[53][54]Drive earned $81.3million against a production budget of $15million.[55]
Isaac at the New York City premiere ofWon't Back Down in 2013
Isaac had four film releases in 2012. His first, the Mexican epic historical dramaFor Greater Glory, had him play a freedom fighter,[56] for which he was nominated for anALMA Award for Favorite Movie Actor – Supporting Role.[57] After playing the main character's cousin in the comedy-dramaRevenge for Jolly!,[58] Isaac appeared in the action thrillerThe Bourne Legacy. DirectorTony Gilroy originally considered Isaac for the lead role in the latter, but the film's production company decided against casting an unknown actor.[59] Isaac instead won the brief part of a brainwashed assassin.[60] The film was released to a mixed critical reception and box-office success.[61][62] Lizzie Logan ofVulture opined that "Isaac took a character with very little screen time and turned him into a living, breathing, hurting person".[38]Won't Back Down, a drama on theAmerican educational system, was Isaac's last film in 2012.[63] It received negative reviews and was a box-office failure.[64][65]
In 2013, Isaac playedthe titular character of a struggling folk singer in 1961Greenwich Village in theCoen brothers' dramaInside Llewyn Davis.[66] Isaac accepted the project due to his high regard for the Coen brothers, who in turn were impressed with his musical talent. In preparation for the part, Isaac learned the guitar techniqueTravis picking and worked with musiciansErik Frandsen andT Bone Burnett.[46] Before production began, Isaac behaved and dressed like Davis to observe people's reaction to him.[67] The film received acclaim, as did Isaac's performance in what proved to be his breakthrough role.[46][68][69] Critics fromThe Oregonian andSt. Louis Post-Dispatch added that Isaac "anchors this film with a star-making, soulful performance",[70] and "has a gift for being appealing even when he's unpleasant".[71]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times wrote, "Isaac, a versatile character actor here ascending to the highest levels of his craft, refuses the easy road of charm. Like his character, he trusts his own professionalism and the integrity of the material." Scott opined that the musical performances elevated the film, especially Isaac's "The Death of Queen Jane" and "The Shoals of Herring".[72] For the film, Isaac was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[73] He next starred as Laurent LeClaire, a man who seduces his friend's wife (Elizabeth Olsen) in the erotic thrillerIn Secret (2013).Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribune praised Isaac as the film's prime asset, noting that his "sly delineation of the charismatic Laurent provides thethrough-line".[74]
In 2014, Isaac appeared in the thrillerThe Two Faces of January, starring alongsideViggo Mortensen andKirsten Dunst.[38] He starred withJessica Chastain inJ. C. Chandor'sA Most Violent Year (2014), replacing actorJavier Bardem.[75] Described by Isaac as "a gangster movie without the gangsters",[38] the film follows his character Abel Morales, the ambitious owner of a heating-oil company, who is determined to protect his business in a city plagued by violent crime.[76] Chandor first met Isaac upon Chastain's insistence and, finding him "precise, wild and alive", cast him in the part.[49] When Isaac noticed that Morales's background was missing in the script, Chandor allowed him to create it, for which he researchedLatin Americans' history in the 1950s and 1960s.[77] Fascinated by Morales's duality—"cold, calculating businessman" but also "highly emotional and highly passionate"—Isaac read books about sociopaths and "corporate America" to prepare for the part.[78][79] The film failed to recoup its budget but was a critical success.[80][81] Ann Hornaday ofThe Washington Post praised Isaac for "deliver[ing] a master class in that skill from the very first moment ofA Most Violent Year to the last", adding, "he's a commanding screen presence, even when he's saying nothing."[82] Tad Friend ofThe New Yorker believed that Isaac's portrayal was reminiscent of the work of actorsTreat Williams,Dustin Hoffman andAl Pacino.[83] For his performance in the film, Isaac won aNational Board of Review Award for Best Actor.[84]
In 2015, Isaac portrayed Nathan Hamlet Bateman, the reclusive inventor of ahumanoid artificial intelligence, in the science fiction filmEx Machina. He based his character's look and accent on directorStanley Kubrick and observed his speech patterns.[85] Isaac modeled Bateman's personality on chess championBobby Fischer and played the game during filming to get "in that mode of constantly trying to be a few steps ahead".[85]Ex Machina was a commercial and critical success,[86][87] with praise for Isaac's performance.[88]Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com commended Isaac for possessing "an electrifying star quality, cruelly sneering yet somehow delightful, insinuating and intellectually credible".[89] Isaac followed with his first leading role on television—the 6-episodeHBO miniseriesShow Me a Hero, in which he played politicianNick Wasicsko.[90] Isaac was approached for the role shortly after he had finished filming forStar Wars: The Force Awakens. Although he found the story "fascinating", he was initially reluctant to sign on as it was "a little impenetrable" for him. He agreed after finding footage of Wasicsko interacting with the media.[91] Because a show's length generally exceeds a film's, Isaac found filming the miniseries a little more difficult and was skeptical about its six-hour format.[90][91] Isaac's performance, which won him theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film,[90] was lauded by critics.[92] Emily Nussbaum ofThe New Yorker praised it as "a star performance agile enough to elevate scenes that might veer into agitprop".[93]
Isaac co-starred asPoe Dameron, anX-wing pilot, in the epicspace opera filmStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Having likedStar Wars films since childhood, he initially considered himself unfit for the part,[b] but directorJ. J. Abrams convinced him in a meeting.[94] A fan ofInside Llewyn Davis, Abrams described Isaac as "a far more sophisticated actor than one might get for a role".[7] Isaac suggested to Abrams that his character be from the moonYavin 4, which first appeared inStar Wars (1977) in scenes filmed in his country Guatemala; this idea was incorporated.[95] While filmingThe Force Awakens, Isaac initially felt insecure, but soon found a sense of belonging with co-starsDaisy Ridley andJohn Boyega, who were also newcomers to the film series.[94] In preparation for the role, Isaac read about war, including a book calledWhat It's Like to Go to War.[96]The Force Awakens received positive reviews and grossed $2billion worldwide, becoming thehighest-grossing film of 2015.[97][98]Forbes andTheWrap critics praised the cast additions, including Isaac, as "outright terrific",[99] and "engaging performers" who "make strong impressions very quickly, and who are charismatic enough to make us care about their characters".[100]
Isaac agreed to playthe titular villain in the filmX-Men: Apocalypse (2016) because he was a fan ofX-Men comic books since childhood.[101] He underwent extensive makeup and prosthetics, and wore a 40-pound suit; the full costume was uncomfortable, which forced Isaac to go to a cooling tent between takes.[102] CriticsAngelica Jade Bastién andGlenn Kenny believed Isaac, though a "charismatic and dynamic" actor, "feel[s] so torpid here",[103] and "fares poorly through no fault of his own".[104] Years afterApocalypse's underwhelming critical performance,[105] Isaac commented that he wished the film and his character had been better handled.[101] Also in 2016, he starred alongsideCharlotte Le Bon andChristian Bale inThe Promise, a historical drama about a love triangle set during theArmenian genocide.[106] Critics were dismissive of the film, believing that the outstanding cast and powerful real-life story was wasted on a love triangle that failed to engage.[107]Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times wrote that the film was "derivative of better war romances" but was "bolstered by strong performances from Isaac and Bale, two of the best actors of their generation".[108] The film's producers intended to donate the profits to charity, but it accrued a $102million loss.[109][110] Outside film in 2016, Isaac narrated theNike ad Unlimited You,[111] and voiced a soldier trying to rejoin civilian life in the podcast seriesHomecoming.[112]
About late 2016, Isaac spent most of his time caring for his dying mother. As her condition worsened, he began reading herHamlet byShakespeare, whose work he had been a fan of since childhood. In honor of his mother, who died later in February 2017, Isaac starred asPrince Hamlet in The Public Theater production ofHamlet.[113] The play, directed by Sam Gold, ran from July to September 2017.[114]The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney praised Isaac as the production's prime asset,[115] and Jeremy Gerard ofDeadline Hollywood described him as "the rare actor as comfortable onstage as before the camera", highlighting his "committed, fully conceived performance".[116] Also that year, Isaac played an insurance investigator in the black comedySuburbicon, written by the Coen brothers who directed Isaac inInside Llewyn Davis.[38][117]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone called Isaac's performance the film's best,[118] and David Sims ofThe Atlantic wrote, "The film's only really electrifying moments are generated by Oscar Isaac[...] it's in his scenes that the darkly funny spark of the Coens' writing flickers to life."[119] For the film, Isaac was nominated for aSan Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor.[120] Isaac's final work in 2017 was in the sequelStar Wars: The Last Jedi, in which he reprised the role of Poe Dameron. J. J. Abrams originally intended to kill Dameron off inThe Force Awakens, but Isaac convinced him otherwise.[121]The Last Jedi grossed $1.3billion becoming2017's highest-grossing film.[122]
Isaac filmedAnnihilation (2018) simultaneously withStar Wars: The Last Jedi at the same studio. As such, he did not have enough time rehearsing for his role in the former and credited co-starNatalie Portman (who played his wife) with helping him film their intimate scenes with ease.[123] The film received positive reviews.[124] Tasha Robinson ofThe Verge complimented Isaac's chemistry with Portman,[125] andCaryn James of theBBC took note of his ability to act well with a mere glance.[126] Isaac debuted as a producer filming the historical dramaOperation Finale (2018), in which he playedPeter Malkin, the Israeli secret agent who captured Nazi fugitiveAdolf Eichmann in 1960. When asked about his first time producing, he said he wanted to contribute to the stories he is part of. He believed that the film's topic still remains relevant in modern times, where extreme views are deemed acceptable.[127] Critical consensus forOperation Finale was that it is "well-intentioned, well-acted, and overall entertaining, even if the depth and complexity of the real-life events depicted can get a little lost in their dramatization".[128] Bhaskar Chattopadhyay ofFirstpost thought Isaac was brilliant in certain scenes, but mainly highlighted the performances of the supporting actors.[129] The film was a commercial failure.[130] Isaac's other films in 2018 includeAt Eternity's Gate (where he playedPaul Gauguin),Life Itself andSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which featured his voice during the post-credits.[38][131][132] Isaac co-starred withOlivia Wilde in the box-office failureLife Itself; Caroline Siede ofConsequence found the two leads unconvincing and their roles to be poorly written.[131][133]
After Isaac finished filmingStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in October 2018, he intended to take a prolonged acting hiatus but was cast asDuke Leto Atreides inDune (2021) a few months later.[134] In the former, the final film in theStar Wars sequel trilogy, Isaac reprised the role of Poe Dameron.[135] It received mixed reviews but was profitable.[136][137] Earlier in 2019, Isaac starred as an agent working against a drug cartel in South America in J. C. Chandor'sNetflix filmTriple Frontier. To avoid feeling exhausted during scenes in which he is running at high altitude, Isaactrained in a New York hall where one can decrease oxygen. He said that filming in afavela with no water or sewer made him realize his privileged life.[138] Reviews for the film were generally positive.[139] CriticsChristy Lemire and Richard Roeper highlighted Isaac's screen presence as "charismatic" and "electric".[140][141] Isaac next voiced the role ofGomez Addams inThe Addams Family (2019), an animated film based on thetitular characters created byCharles Addams. For years, fans suggested Isaac be cast in the part as they claimed he resembledRaul Julia who played Gomez Addams in live-action films in the 1990s.[142]The Addams Family received mixed reviews and grossed $203million on a $24million budget.[143][144]
Isaac's only role in 2020 was of a kindhearted prison officer in the short filmThe Letter Room, for which he was also an executive producer.[145] Roktim Rajpal of theDeccan Herald believed that Isaac "is the backbone of the short and makes an impact with his sincere performance", yet he fails to "internali[z]e the character as much as expected".[146] The following year, he starred alongside Jessica Chastain inScenes from a Marriage. A remake ofthe 1973 Swedish series of the same name byIngmar Bergman, it switches gender roles, and explores the themes of monogamy, marriage and divorce.[147] To film the show, Isaac and Chastain employed their experiences from past relationships and parents' marriage.[148] Isaac performed in a full frontal nude scene in the series.[149] Reviews for the show were positive, particularly for the duo's chemistry.[150] Carol Midgley ofThe Times praised them for giving "masterclass performances and delivering crackling, wounding dialogue faultlessly".[151] He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award,Screen Actors Guild Award andPrimetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a miniseries.[152]
To avoid what he saw as "green screen alien space land", Isaac starred as William Tell—a troubled, gambling military veteran—in thePaul Schrader-directed crime dramaThe Card Counter. Because his character writes in his journal every night, Isaac took a penmanship course. To portray Tell's military experience, he drew inspiration from his time as a high-school graduate when he and his friend wanted to join the marines. Near the end, the film's production was halted due to theCOVID-19 lockdown; per Isaac's suggestion, he finished it with only Schrader and the cinematographer on set.[153] Critics praisedThe Card Counter and Isaac's performance, which for Eric Kohn of IndieWire was his career's best.[153][154]Justin Chang ofNPR lauded Isaac for "bring[ing] his usual sly, soulful magnetism to the role" and embodying his character's trauma in his "dark, haunted gaze".[155] The film earned him a nomination for theLondon Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year.[156] After reprising the role of Gomez Addams inThe Addams Family 2,[157] Isaac starred inDune as the father of the protagonistPaul Atreides (played byTimothée Chalamet). Based on the1965 namesake novel byFrank Herbert,[158]Dune premiered at the78th Venice International Film Festival to mixed reviews but was nominated for 10Academy Awards.[159][160] It earned over $400million against a budget of $165million.[161]
Isaac began 2022 with the black comedyBig Gold Brick in a brief role that Nick Schager ofVariety found "out of left field".[162] In theMarvel Cinematic Universe seriesMoon Knight (2022), he played thetitular superhero, a man withdissociative identity disorder (DID) who serves as an avatar to the Egyptian moon godKhonshu.[c] He also executive produced the show, which is based onMarvel Comics'namesake comic book.[164] Initially reluctant to join another franchise,[134] he had several conversations withMarvel Studios presidentKevin Feige before signing on.[165] Drawn to his character's complex mind, Isaac found manifesting each alter a technical challenge that took considerable energy.[166] He readRobert B. Oxnam's bookA Fractured Mind to research DID.[167] To distinguish the three alters, Isaac gave them different nationalities.[168] For example, he suggested that the alter Steven Grant be English, and was inspired by comediansKarl Pilkington (from the British travel comedy seriesAn Idiot Abroad) andPeter Sellers to develop his English accent.[165] The third alter, Jake Lockley, speaks Spanish as Isaac wanted to add an aspect of his own life to the role.[169]Moon Knight was released to a positive critical reception.[170] In a review of the fifth episode, Matt Fowler ofIGN took note of Isaac's "dynamic and dazzling performance" and "ace acting", highlighting the dramatic scene in which his character revisits his traumatic past.[171] He was nominated for anMTV Movie Award for Best Hero.[172] Isaac also dropped out of starring in theFrancis Ford Coppola filmMegalopolis.[173]
In 2025, Isaac voicedJesus Christ in theAngel Studios filmThe King of Kings.[179] Isaac then starred inJulian Schnabel's dramaIn the Hand of Dante, based on thenovel of the same name byNick Tosches.[180] He ended the year portraying the lead role ofVictor Frankenstein inGuillermo del Toro's horror filmFrankenstein.[181] About his experience filming it, Isaac declared: "It was the most fucking fun I've ever had in my life. Running around in the rain, up and down steps, this Christ-like thing on a crucifix and Guillermo in the corner, screaming! It was hard to fathom that it was actually happening. It's such dark material, but was approached with so much joy. Like 14 year olds had keys to the kingdom – it had that kind of energy to it."[182] During this time, Isaac dropped out of lead roles in the filmsBohemoth! andKockroach.[183][184]
Media publications likeVanity Fair,The Guardian andPeople have positively commented on Isaac's looks.[186][187][188]Rolling Stone and other media outlets have dubbed Isaac "the Internet's Boyfriend", a label he is skeptical about.[189] Hoby Hermione ofThe Guardian took note of Isaac's "cheerful, vigorous presence", "energy and good humour".[79] Melanie Haupt ofThe Austin Chronicle identified him as "polite, professional, serene".[85] Joseph Adler, who directed Isaac in plays early in his career, was impressed with his "discipline", "professionalism" and "incredible intelligence".[22] Nick Levine ofNME wrote, "In the flesh, Oscar Isaac has a relaxed charisma that puts you at ease."[165] Brett Martin ofGQ commented on his "wide, easy smile", adding, "It's been a long time since we've had a leading man whose charisma comes packed with such tetchiness, so little naked desire to be liked."[7]
Isaac playing guitar withGaby Moreno during a concert in 2015
In 2016,Time named Isaac one of the100 most influential people in the world.[190] In 2017, Isaac was described as the "best dang actor of his generation" byVanity Fair's chief criticRichard Lawson, who wrote, "He's a classically trained actor of true range, one who can sing and dance, do comedy, action, and drama with equal ease and authority. He's thrilling to watch, a prodigious mind sparking a nimble[...] form into action."[186] The same year,Esquire's Miranda Collinge added that after his roles of Hamlet and Poe Dameron, Isaac was becoming the most accomplished leading actor of his generation.[6] In 2020,The New York Times ranked him 14th in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. "When I think about what makes him so credible as an actor", wrote the list's co-author A. O. Scott, "[is] whatever Isaac is pretending to do onscreen[...] I always believe that he really knows how to do it, and that I'm watching some kind of authentic mastery in action."[191] Hossein Amini, who directed Isaac inThe Two Faces of January, remarked on his "ability to make the tiniest shifts in character incredibly quickly, without revealing any element of process".[192]
Martin identified an extent of "loneliness and menace" in Isaac's most memorable characters, attributing his growing success to "a series of brilliant but darkly idiosyncratic roles" (Inside Llewyn Davis andA Most Violent Year). Isaac himself noted "a sense of melancholy, anger, displacement" in these characters.[7] For Rick Warner, Isaac's roles in these films andEx Machina signify his "penchant for moody rumination" that "runs together with an expression of intellect that slips into egoism".[193] Madison Diaz ofComic Book Resources praised Isaac for his inclination to "intense and complex" characters and for exploring their hardships and complicated pasts.[54]Tom Shone ofThe Guardian identified common characters of "ambitious, slightly myopic men whose own movement quickens their fall" (an oil importer struggling to keep his business intact inA Most Violent Year and a doomed politician inShow Me a Hero). Shone noted, "He has made a career playing men for whom careerism doesn't work." Isaac's favorite roles depict "a lot more of the beauty and cruelty of life".[194] He often looks for "the comic in the dramatic and the dramatic in the comic and where those things meet and the brackish waters in between".[195] For Isaac, acting is "the only framework where you can give expression to such intense emotions. Otherwise anywhere else is pretty inappropriate, unless you're just in a room screaming to yourself."[6]
Throughout his career, Isaac has avoided typecasting.[194] Often noted for his versatility,[101][196] he has played a wide range of nationalities, including Egyptian, Indonesian, Armenian, Greek, Welsh, East Timorese, and English. Rick Warner opined Isaac has "skillfully embodied several different affective dispositions—sensitive, flippant, romantically charming, hyperintelligent, neurotic, cynical, sinister, and menacingly violent".[197] He has been credited for a positive ethnic representation in American cinema.[198][84] Author Charles Ramírez Berg wrote inClose-up: Great Cinematic Performances that Isaac's character inA Most Violent Year—a self-acting businessman replacing the usual "barbarous, short-fused ethnic gangster"—broke "the tempestuous, hot-blooded Latino stereotype".[199] In 2017, Isaac became "debatably" the first Latino actor to play Hamlet in a major US production. According to David Román ofTheatre Journal, it helped subvert the stereotype that Latinos cannot be proficient in English.[200] Isaac believes that "the artist[...] should be borderless".[127] If his character is Latino, he "take[s] that away and see[s] what's there. People will put that on top of a bland character to make them exotic, to add a little spice."[201]
Isaac is indifferent to his celebrity status and remains close with his family.[6] According to aNew York Daily News report, he was engaged to Maria Miranda in 2007.[202] Isaac is married to Danish film directorElvira Lind, whom he met in 2012, and married in 2017. They have two sons: Eugene (b. 2017) and Mads (b. 2019).[203] He lives inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn.[204]
Isaac is close friends with actorPedro Pascal, whom he met while both actors starred in a 2005 Off-Broadway production ofBeauty of a Father.[205][206] Isaac and Pascal would later star together in the 2019 filmTriple Frontier.[207]
Isaac expressed support forArmenia in 2020 during the secondNagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying, "To think that Armenian people are in jeopardy once again is heartbreaking."[208] He also expressed solidarity with the people of theGaza Strip during theGaza war. As part of a group calledArtists4Ceasefire, he signed a letter urging PresidentJoe Biden to call for an immediateceasefire in Gaza.[209]
^Lee, Ray (September 16, 2021).《沙丘》奧斯卡伊薩克將成為下一位漫威英雄？10點重新認識「雷托公爵」奧斯卡伊薩克 [Dune – Will Oscar Isaac Become the Next Marvel Hero? 10 Things to Get to Know 'Duke Leto' Oscar Isaac Again].Harper's Bazaar (in Chinese (Taiwan)).Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. RetrievedMay 25, 2022.
Berg, Charles Ramírez (2018). "Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year". In Pomerance, Murray; Stevens, Kyle (eds.).Close-up: Great Cinematic Performances. Volume 1, American.Edinburgh University Press. pp. 291–301.ISBN978-1-474417-01-3.
Warner, Rick (2022). "Oscar Isaac: Brooding by Degrees". In Rybin, Steven (ed.).Stellar Transformations: Movie Stars of the 2010s.Rutgers University Press. pp. 53–69.ISBN978-1-978818-33-0.
Wood, Jason; Smith, Ian Haydn (2015).New British Cinema from Submarine to 12 Years a Slave: the Resurgence of British Film-making.Faber & Faber.ISBN978-0-571315-17-8.
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