Nestor Carbonell is one of those actors you should know by name mostly because you’ve seen them in so many different movies and TV shows that it should have entered your mind and stuck there by this point. But the thing is that unless that person headlines a show or a movie then the average person isn’t really going to give them much thought. But the other reason is that a lot of times Nestor has been more of a supporting character, and just like all other characters if they’re not given the kind of exposure and recognition that they need to be famous then the chances are they will remain unknown. That’s kind a bummer since these are the people that make up the bulk of any production and give it the support it needs. Without people like Nestor the story would suffer and the depth that’s needed in a production would bottom out very quickly. If you want to be honest he’s showed up in a lot of TV shows and been more of a bit player in some of them while he’s stuck around in others for a while. But he’s contributed something to every show he’s been in and been a character that has at least some kind of staying power in the movies he’s been in. Nestor isn’t a flash in the pan kind of guy, but to this point it doesn’t seem like he’s been much of a leading man either. There are so many different qualities that are prized in Hollywood that knowing which ones are desired is kind of tough, especially since they tend to come and go with the most fashionable trends.
But here are a few reasons why you should remember Nestor and why he’s so good at what he does.
Smokin’ Aces
When your character is nicknamed “The Plague” you simply know that they’re going to be someone uniquely horrifying. Even despite the fact that he wasn’t made to look horrifying in any way, other than his chewed-off fingertips, Nestor’s character in this movie was absolutely terrifying. He had no trouble killing innocent people to get what he wanted, and he’d throw down with an FBI agent in a heartbeat if it was necessary. He was the cold, methodical killer that knew exactly how to inflict pain and was very, very good at it. And yet he was the kind of guy that could also blend in just about anywhere when he needed to, so it was even more dangerous to be around him since he could become essentially anyone without having to change who he was. It’s amazing what the right set of clothes will do for you when you need to reach an objective.
Lost
As confusing as this show was, and it was by all accounts, Nestor’s role was even more so as he was seen on occasion throughout the production. His character was seemingly immortal however and never seemed to age throughout the different timelines in which was seen. That confused a lot of people even further since there was no way to tell just who he was and why he never grew any older. But of course a lot of things on Lost were finally explained and yet people still found it confusing and hard to figure out. Having an ageless character in a show that was supposedly a plane crash involving a great many survivors seems like an insane twist, but it obviously wasn’t the only one.
The Dark Knight
One part of the Batman story that no one ever seems to recognize all that much is that the actual law enforcement agencies that Batman chooses to work with from time to time don’t just go away when the scene focuses on him. This was made apparent in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy as the Mayor, Commissioner, ADA, and many others were put front at center for a lot of scenes when it came time to decide what to do about Batman and his vigilante tactics. So many people adore Batman that they seem to forget that despite being a detective he’s still a private citizen under the mask and is not legally allowed to take justice into his own hands. But given that the police can’t seem to ever tame villains like the Joker, Ra’s Al Ghul, or Bane, it falls to Batman, who’s uniquely trained and fully capable taking them on. That of course leaves everyone else looking like mouthpieces in suits since talking is about all they can do.
The point of all this is that Nestor does serve a purpose wherever he ends up since he is a supporting character and plays his part as he needs to. Without the supporting characters a film falls apart, so remembering them isn’t always necessary but it’s a courtesy since they do contribute to the industry in a big way.
