Marilyn Manson's 6 Most Insane Acting Roles | Page 2 | Revolver

Marilyn Manson's 6 Most Insane Acting Roles

From 'Sons of Anarchy' to 'Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Good Job!'
marilynmanson_2019_credit_travisshinn.jpg, Travis Shinn
photograph by Travis Shinn

Yesterday, September 17th, news broke that Marilyn Manson would be joining season three of American Gods to play the lead singer of a Viking death-metal band whose music is the source of power for the Old God Odin himself. This should prove to be an incredibly good avenue for Manson's thespian talents, and the announcement made us at Revolver consider the many memorable cameos and full-blown roles the career provocateur has secured in the movies and on television. Here are six of our favorites.

Eastbound & Down

Yes, it's awesome to cast Marilyn Manson as a Viking metal singer, or a vampire, or some sort of occult demon, but it's also a little obvious. Less obvious, and all the more awesome as a result, was Eastbound & Down's decision to cast Manson as a waiter at a roller-rink — which is exactly the way life could've worked out for the shock rocker if a few things went differently. Kudos, Danny McBride.

Tim & Eric Aweseome Show, Great Job!

As anyone who's watched or read any of his interviews knows well, Manson is fucking hilarious, and he put his comedic inclinations to good use in his role as the vengeance-seeking Dark Man on Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim's revered sketch show. Plus, we got to see what Manson would look like with a mullet and a goatee.

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

For many — both fans and detractors — Manson is emblematic of the inherent evil of humanity, a representation that he has usually put forward in a cool, subversive way. In 2004's The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, the Antichrist Superstar showed that he can play a much more pathetic type of scumbag, as he's seduced by his partner's child. Gross!

Sons of Anarchy

There are those who say Sons of Anarchy was never better than when Manson was on screen playing Ron Tully. The pallid goth interloper made for a shockingly believable — and quietly menacing — member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Manson always knew how to generate cold menace, and it was on full display here.

Wrong Cops - Chapter 1

2011 killer-tire flick Rubber was Manson's favorite movie of that year, so it made sense when he teamed up with director Quentin Dupieux for his follow-up. What made less sense of pretty much everything in this surreal indie comedy, including the 40-something Manson's cameo as a "young techno lover" who runs afoul of a corrupt police officer.

Party Monster

Macaulay Culkin and Marilyn Manson were together for one glorious moment in the cult classic Party Monster. The best Manson roles either position him completely against type or capture the rocker-actor in situations you could 100 percent believe. Here we find the latter: It's not hard to imagine Manson as a dopey cross-dresser in New York's famously debaucherous club-kid scene. Or hanging out with Macaulay Culkin, for that matter.