It wouldn’t be an overstatement to describeSteven Spielbergas the godfather of American cinema, especially through the second half of the 20th century and right up to the modern day. He was pivotal to pioneering the blockbuster as we know it today, imbuing it with a warmth and accessibility that inspired the brand of wondrous adventure that defines movie magic, but he has also helmed everything from Oscar-winning biographical dramas to masterpieces of sci-fi and horror cinema.
Among the byproducts of such range and continued excellence isa filmography full of some of the most beloved and iconic characters to have ever graced the screen. In fact, Spielberg has presented so many great characters that the likes ofSean Connery’s Henry Jones Sr.,Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar-winning turn asAbraham Lincoln, and even the lovable Rufio (Dante Basco) fromHookhaven’t made the cut. The 10 characters that have are among the greatest cinema has ever seen.
10Roy Neary
‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ (1977)
Two years after featuring in Spielberg’s horror masterpieceJaws,Richard Dreyfusswas back working with the filmmaker on one of the most spectacular sci-fi films ever made.Close Encounters of the Third Kindsees the 70s icon star as Roy Neary, an electrical lineman who sees a UFO one night and gives up his life in pursuit of answers, even as government officials insist there is a reasonable explanation for what he witnessed.
Neary’s obsession, which only intensifies the more people try to convince him that he saw nothing, is a central element to the film, and it goes a long way to making him one of Spielberg’s most engrossing characters. The allure and cosmic mysticism surrounding the aliens is the driving force of the film, butNeary’s infatuation with the aliens is one of its strongest emotional pulls. His mash potato sculpture alone makes him one of Spielberg’s best and most memorable characters.
Close Encounters of The Third Kind
9Captain Miller
‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
Saving Private Ryanis one of the most grueling and grandiose depictions of war ever put to screen, and it is understandably regarded to be Spielberg’s best film by many. What it does so extraordinarily well is it successfully undercuts the magnitude of its war spectacle with textured and relatable characters. Portrayed bySpielberg’s frequent collaboratorTom Hanks, Captain Miller is one of the best examples of this in war cinema.
He is tasked with leading a small squad to find the elusive Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) so that he can be sent home to his mother, whose three other sons have been killed in the war. While the other soldiers voice their disapproval of the mission, Miller remains grounded and accepting.His composed, everyman demeanor is beautifully accentuated by his occasional recollections of his wife and his job as a teacher. His final words to Ryan, “earn this,” are a pointed reminder of the sacrifices made in war, and the ultimate futility of sending men to die in such circumstances.
Saving Private Ryan
8Celie Harris
‘The Color Purple’ (1985)
While some have thrown criticism at Steven Spielberg for a lack of leading women in his filmography, his presentation of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) in the harrowing dramaThe Color Purplemakes for one of the most powerful female protagonists of the 20th century. Based onAlice Walker’s novel of the same name, the film follows her tortured life at the hands of her father and, later, her husband, with her enduring the abuse she suffers while dreaming of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.
Spielberg made what was considereda daring decision casting Goldberg—who was then known only for her stand-up comedy—as the lead of such a heavy and dramatic story. She proved to be utterly flawless in the role, earning an Oscar nomination asshe brought to life Celie’s strength and courage amid a world of bigotry and cruelty. Celie’s resolve makes her one of the greatest characters in Spielberg’s filmography, as well as one of the most powerful female leads in the history of cinema.
The Color Purple
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7Frank Abagnale Jr.
‘Catch Me if You Can’ (2002)
Throughout his career, Steven Spielberg has been no stranger to biographical projects, withCatch Me If You Canarguably his most lively and captivating. The true story ofFrank Abagnale Jr.(Leonardo DiCaprio) is quite astounding, with the famed con artist supposedly performing scams worth millions of dollars when he was still in his teenage years. While his claims have been disputed, the Spielberg film doesn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story, blending comedy and crime together as it focuses on Abagnale Jr.’s evasion of FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).
The film finds its spectacular central focus in DiCaprio’s infectious lead performance, with the actor reveling in makingAbagnale Jr.a cocky and charismatic con mandefined by his smooth style and sharp cunning. The art of the portrayal is that audiences become so transfixed by Abagnale Jr. that they are willing to be duped just to see how the con plays out. He is one of Spielberg’s most infectiously enjoyable lead characters.
Catch Me If You Can
6Oskar Schindler
‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)
Another film widely suggested to be Spielberg’s magnum opus,Schindler’s Listthrives as a brutal and confronting depiction ofthe Holocaust as seen through the eyes ofOskar Schindler(Liam Neeson). The industrialist and Nazi Party member uses his influence and favor with Nazi officials to recruit Jewish prisoners to work in his factories, thus sparing them from some of the heinous violence and senseless murders that transpire in the concentration camps.
The Oscar-winning classic is rightfully celebrated for its uncompromising presentation of the Holocaust, but it finds an understated strength in the journey of Schindler, whogoes from being a narcissistic businessman to the savior of over 1,000 innocent people. The balance he must strike between appeasing the Nazis and covertly saving lives is both engrossing and heart-stopping, especially with the horrors of the death camps laid bare around him. It wouldn’t be unjust to suggest that Oskar Schindler is the most heroic of Spielberg’s characters given what he does in the midst of impossible circumstances.
Schindler’s List
5Chief Martin Brody
‘Jaws’ (1975)
It stands to reason that one of the best horror movies of all time should feature one of Steven Spielberg’s greatest ever characters. The director’s breakout film,Jawstranspires as a gigantic, man-eating shark begins roaming the waters off the coast of a popular holiday destination. With the local mayor hesitant to shut down the beach, it falls to police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) to organize an effort to kill the shark before more people are attacked.
While Richard Dreyfuss’ Matt Hooper is the brains of the operation as the oceanic expert andRobert Shaw’s Quint is the gritty go-getter as a professional shark hunter,Brody is instantly likable as the hard-working everyman willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Besides, when a character uttersa line as iconic as “you’re gonna need a bigger boat,”they enter into the league of the all-time greats by default.
4Marion Ravenwood
‘Indiana Jones’ Franchise (1982-2023)
TheIndiana Jonesfranchise is loaded with sensational side characters, from the previously mentioned and cruelly evicted Henry Jones Sr. toKe Huy Quan’s Short Round, and even to Indy’s lovable ally, Sallah (John Rhys-Davies). However, there is no supporting part in the film seriesquite like Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). A spirited and combative bar owner—and Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) past lover—Ravenwood injects the film with a vibrancy when she agrees to help Indy in his race against the Nazis.
With herability to throw a punch, her iron stomach in a drinking contest, and her refusal to be another damsel in distress, Marion understandably became something of a feminist role model to many young girls of the 1980s. These qualities also made her a fan favorite with all viewers and have solidified her as the best female character from Spielberg’s filmography. Allen’s return inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullwas one of the few highlights of the much-maligned 2008 movie.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
3Dr. Ian Malcolm
‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
Rich with wonder, adventure and excitement in spades,Jurassic Parkis arguably the quintessential Spielberg blockbuster. In addition to beinga record-breaking box office success, it features an array of spectacular characters as it unfolds on an island which has been converted to a dinosaur-themed amusement park by wealthy businessman John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). When the park’s security system fails, however, the visitors find themselves in a desperate fight for survival.
Among the many great characters on display,Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm stands out as something of a resonant skeptic. A mathematician who specializes in chaos theory, he is the only member of the touring party to outwardly question Hammond’s creation, speaking ominously about the egomaniacal risks of tampering with nature. Alsoincredibly funny, strikingly smart, and delightfully offbeat, Dr. Malcolm is a true fan favorite ofJurassic Park, as well as arguably the best character Goldblum has ever played.
Jurassic Park
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Not only one of Spielberg’s most iconic characters, E.T. might just be the single greatest non-human character ever put to screen. The classic sci-fi blockbusterbeautifully weaves together child-like wonder and dramatic intrigueas it follows an empathetic young boy who discovers an alien life form left behind on Earth and, with help from his friends and siblings, decides to shelter it from the prying hands of the government.
The realization of the character is a testament to Spielberg’s outstanding direction andCarlo Rambaldi’s expertise at designing animatronics. Great lengths were taken to realize E.T. as the cute and curious critter that audiences around the world fell in love with. The fact that E.T. is not only a figure of astute movie magic, buta genuine character with his own personality and an ability to make deep human connections, is an incredible accomplishment by Spielberg that is sometimes taken for granted.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1Indiana Jones
There may be action heroes who are stronger, better fighters, and in possession of a wider range of skills, but there is no character in the history of the genre quite as iconic nor brilliant as Indiana Jones. Introduced in the enduring action-adventure classicRaiders of the Lost Ark, Indy is well known to all movie lovers, with his brown leather jacket, his fedora, and his whip making him one of cinema’s instantly recognizable protagonists.
Interestingly, it wasGeorge Lucaswho conceptualized the character, but Spielberg made him his own throughout the three 1980s installments of the film series that defined the archeology professor’s swashbuckling bravado. While it can’t be said that Jones will define Spielberg’s career,he is emblematic of the director’s penchant for exciting adventure and everyman heroism, and he is comfortably the best and most iconic character to have come from the filmmaker’s fantastic body of work. He comfortably sits amongthe greatest movie heroes of all time.
