Jon Bernthal has had some fantastic television roles over the years, but these five stand out. Bernthal began acting in 2002, and eight years later, he came to national attention as Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead, a brand new zombie show that would go on to become a pop culture touchstone.
As high as that peak was, Bernthal’s career has only grown in the years since. His intense acting style initially led to him being cast as tough figures, bullies, and criminals, but he imbues those characters with so much more that you end up totally mesmerized by even his most despicable ones.
Bernthal has also begun appearing in more “wholesome” roles, for lack of a better word, showcasing a talent for painting fully realized characters who you can see from all sides. A true dual TV and movie star, Bernthal’s career on television has spanned various genres where he’s played wildly different characters.
5
Show Me A Hero
Michael H. Sussman
One of the more underrated David Simon TV shows, Show Me a Hero, is an HBO miniseries based on New York Times writer Lisa Belkin’s book about Nick Wasicsko, the mayor of Yonkers, NY, from 1987 to 1989. Wasicsko, played by Oscar Isaac, fought for desegregation and housing reform in the mostly white city.
Jon Bernthal plays Michael H. Sussman, a real-life civil rights attorney who represents the local NAACP chapter in the show. It’s a unique role in Bernthal’s oeuvre, as he’s cast as a beleaguered, kind figure, though in the courtroom, Sussman is as formidable as any of Bernthal’s other characters.
4
The Walking Dead
Shane Walsh
The Walking Dead was most people’s first introduction to Jon Bernthal. As Shane Walsh, Bernthal played one of the series’ first and defining villains. It’s his growing antagonism that gives viewers a look into the breakdowns that were happening all across the world as a result of the zombie apocalypse.
Shane goes from Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln) best friend to his rival and finally his enemy. Bernthal’s wild-eyed performance perfectly captures how someone’s moral code can quickly break down in the face of something unexpected. His descent is villainous, but unnervingly understandable because of Bernthal’s honest performance.
3
The Bear
Michael “Mikey” Berzatto
The longer The Bear goes on, the more Jon Bernthal’s Mikey Berzatto appears, and the more he appears, the more we as the viewers come to understand why his friends and family miss him so much, despite all his flaws. Mikey’s suicide is the event that kicks off the series, as he leaves “The Beef” to Carmy (Jeremy Allen White).
The eldest Berzatto sibling, Mikey, is larger-than-life, charismatic, and a friend to all, but he also harbors a debilitating addiction to drugs and alcohol. Bernthal’s performance, particularly in “Fishes”, is a showcase of the range the actor can reach, jumping from goofy to rage-filled to humiliated in seconds, forcing our attention the entire time.
2
The Punisher
Frank Castle/The Punisher
The role that solidified Jon Bernthal’s position in the “tough guy” hall of fame, Frank Castle in The Punisher is Bernthal not only bringing his physicality to the MCU but also his incredible acting talent that elevates the Marvel series in a way few others are. Bernthal also plays the character in Daredevil.
Bernthal is the perfect person to capture the tortured psyche of Frank Castle. Beneath his rage and violence is someone who has lost everything, and Bernthal makes that perfectly clear. The Punisher is not charismatic, and Bernthal makes sure his performance is always just unhinged enough that even while you root for him, you’re afraid of him.
1
We Own This City
Wayne Jenkins
We Own This City is Jon Bernthal bringing everything together for a shocking and spellbinding performance as one of the greatest villains in recent television. Based on the real-life crimes of a Baltimore police task force in the 2010s, We Own This City stars Bernthal as Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, the mastermind behind it all.
Wayne Jenkins, who is real-life is serving a 25-year sentence, is the bane of Baltimore, and Jenkins is terrifying in the role. He’s manipulative, violent, quick to anger, and monstrous in his unwillingness to accept blame. Jon Bernthal‘s shark-like eyes have never been put to better use.
