One of the most talented actors of her generation, Catherine Keener has been in a substantial number of projects since entering the scene in 1986. She hardly ever does the same type of thing twice, jumping from independent features to episodes on a hit sitcom to the occasional blockbuster.
Arguably most prominent are her frequent collaborations with director Spike Jonze, almost all of which received widespread critical acclaim. She even went so far as to star as herself in his Adaptation (2002). It was a callback to their work together on a major previous project and goes to show just how willing Keener is to jump on anything that proves interesting.
10 Trish Piedmont In The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – 7.1
Judd Apatow’s quotable The 40-Year-Old Virgin was a huge hit upon release and is still held in high regard now. It featured Steve Carell as the eponymous character, Andy Stitzer, who receives help from his electronics store coworkers to finally lose his virginity.
Keener stars as Trish Piedmont, the owner-operator of a brick-and-mortar eBay store. Keener plays a major role in the narrative just as Piedmont ends up playing a major role in Stitzer’s life. She’s a strong, single mother doing the best she can with three kids, none of whom Stitzer seems capable of dealing with (at first).
9 Nelle Harper Lee In Capote (2005) – 7.3
Bennett Miller’s Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, Capote, primarily takes place while Truman Capote was working on the classic In Cold Blood. Along with his childhood friend, he travels to interview those who knew the slain family discussed in the novel.
Keener plays Nelle Harper Lee, Capote’s childhood friend. Lee is also the very woman who wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, one of the greatest novels and one of the best Hollywood movies of the 1960s. While Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Capote overshadowed the work of his co-stars, Keener delivers a very tender and moving performance. In fact, she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role.
8 Evelyn Deavor In Incredibles 2 (2018) –7.6
This well-received sequel to The Incredibles ups the family drama as the superhero family attempts to show the people that they’re only there to protect them. This becomes far more possible with the assistance of DevTech, a telecom giant.
Keener portrays one-half of the brother-sister team that runs DevTech. As Evelyn Deavor, she initially appears interested and genial like her brother Winston. However, in reality, she’s the “Screenslaver,” the film’s villain. Her plan is to brainwash superheroes in an effort to permanently ruin their reputations. Her motive: the death of her father (who chose to call for a superhero – who never came – during a home invasion) when she was a child. The Deavors are both interesting characters, but Keener’s Evelyn was arguably the best character addition to Incredibles 2.
7 Maxine Lund In Being John Malkovich (1999) – 7.7
Spike Jonze’s surreal Being John Malkovich featured Keener in a substantial role as Maxine Lund. The film stars John Cusack as a puppeteer who finds a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich (who portrays a version of himself).
Keener’s Lund enters the picture when Cusack’s Craig Schwartz gets a job at the Mertin-Flemmer building. When he discovers the Malkovich portal, she initially wants to monetize it before developing feelings for the actor (but only when he’s inhabited by Cameron Diaz’s Lotte Schwartz). It’s a great performance that netted Keener an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
6 Get Out (2017) – 7.7
Jordan Peele’s modern classic Get Out is the story of a young African-American man, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), who goes with his white girlfriend to meet her family. Once there, he begins to notice things and behaviors that don’t quite add up.
Keener portrays the mother of Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), Washington’s girlfriend, and far more than she seems. The very same could be said of Keener’s Missy Armitage, who is responsible for the film’s iconic “Sunken Place” scene. A psychiatrist and cruel racist, Missy is also a master hypnotist when she has her hands on a spoon and a teacup.
5 Andrea Phillips In Captain Phillips (2013) – 7.8
Captain Phillips, Paul Greengrass’ biopic about the captain who was taken hostage by Somali pirates for five days, is Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi’s movie. The vast majority of the runtime is spent on their dynamic and Phillips’ efforts to keep his crew alive.
Keener portrays his wife, Andrea Phillips, who unfortunately has very little screen time. This is primarily due to the movie mostly taking place aboard the Maersk Alabama container vessel. However, even if she is essentially relegated to a cameo appearance, Keener’s presence is welcome amongst Captain Phillips‘ real-life intense thrills.
4 Julie In Modern Love (2019- ) – 8.0
The first season of Amazon Prime Video’s anthology rom-com series Modern Love featured major stars like Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Cristin Milioti, Ed Sheeran, and Andy García.
Keener starred as Julie in the second episode, “When Cupid Is A Prying Journalist.” She plays a journalist interviewing the founder of a successful dating app, Joshua (Dev Patel). Before long, the conversation has left tech and moved over into former loves. With Julie’s insight, Joshua is able to make a wonderful decision for his life.
3 Deirdre “Didi” Perera In Kidding (2018-2020) – 8.0
Kidding was a comedy-drama series that aired on Showtime for two seasons. The cast featured such stars as Jim Carrey, Frank Langella, and Judy Greer. In the show, Carrey portrays Jeff Piccirillo, who also goes by his kids’ TV presenter persona: Mr. Pickles.
In the show, Catherine Keener portrayed Deirdre “Didi” Perera. The head puppet maker for Mr. Pickles’ Puppet Time, Perera is also Piccirillo’s sister. In terms of the character’s main conflict, she has a malicious and spiteful ex-husband out to take away her puppet creations.
2 Jan Burres In Into The Wild (2007) – 8.1
Into the Wild told the heartbreaking story of Christopher McCandless, the young man who took a deadly hike through the Stampede Trail. Emile Hirsch gives a career-best performance as McCandless and the film perfectly captures the look of the early ’90s.
While traveling solo, McCandless interacts with several diverse people. Keener portrays one half of a hippie couple whose marriage is in trouble. Like many other characters in the film, McCandless touches the lives of Jan and Rainey Burres in a way that leaves them better for it. Into the Wild and similar movies capture the beauty of human interaction, and Keener’s compassionate presence bolsters the film’s impact.
1 Nina West In Seinfeld (1992) – 8.8
Keener’s best-reviewed project is her one-episode guest spot on the iconic sitcom Seinfeld. She starred as Nina West, a talented painter and one of Seinfeld’s romantic interests. Once they’re on the outs, she sends him a beautifully written letter that ends up being a plagiarization of Neil Simon’s Chapter Two.
Keener’s West is also responsible for a classic Seinfeld moment: the revelation of her painting “The Kramer.” Keener plays up the clinginess of West, making her character’s somewhat bizarre actions all the more believable.
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