In the opening ofLexi Alexander’s underrated 2008 action thrillerPunisher: War Zone, we are introduced to the titular vigilante in an appropriately brutal fashion. Played to perfection byRay Stevenson, it all worked because of the silent verve that he brought as he commanded the screen while hardly saying a word. Even just a simple nod after unleashing carnage spoke volumes, capturing the cold determination of the character and telling us everything we would need to know about what he was capable of. Though others have taken on the role, there were none who played him with quite the same sense of gravitas as Stevenson. This was true for each role he took on. Whether it was big or small, you just couldn’t take your eyes off of him.
This only made the unexpected news that Stevenson hadpassed away Monday at the age of only 58that much more of a shock. He was an actor who felt larger than life, playing everything from the aforementioned Punisher to an Asgardian warrior in theThorfilms and, most recently, a menacing villain in the acclaimed action filmRRR. Though he has now since passed, his presence on screen will remain a towering one that is worth both reflecting on and cherishing for all he managed to carve out as a beloved character actor over the last several decades. After smaller parts in television, his breakout role came in the 1998 filmThe Theory of FlightbyPaul Greengrass, but this was only just the beginning of what was in store for him. Most would first come to know him in the short-lived yet acclaimed 2005 seriesRomeas Titus Pullo where his piercing stare could cut harder than steel. From there, he proved time and time again that he was one of those actors who would make you sit up and take notice. Even when he would just pop up in a show likeDexteras the charming yet ruthless antagonist Isaak Sirko, he became a memorable presence down to a final monologue he gave. When Stevenson was given center stage on the big screen, this proved to be an even greater gift.
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‘Punisher: War Zone’ Saw Stevenson Become An Action Legend
Looking back on a film likePunisher: War Zonereveals it to be a work that is stilloverflowing with dark delights. While taking on this character could be a real challenge, Stevenson made it look easy. He captured how he was flawed and vulnerable, making a scene where he has to break his nose back into place after getting a bit roughed up himself just as compelling as everything that preceded it. The film can be downright goofy, really leaning into the absurd heights of the violence, but Stevenson is what helps to hold it together. Just a simple change of expression as he fought off wave after wave of enemies in this hellscape of a world could elicit a chuckle. At times, it almost was as if Frank Castle was used to the situation and that it was just like clocking into a job. When this mask would then slip aside, like in the standout scene where he says the brief line in the church about how he wants to “get my hands on God,” is handled with a real grace just before it all launched back into the gore. Where lesser actors could stumble when having to hit these emotional notes, Stevenson brought a care to these scenes that made it feel like a natural extension of the character. In the grim depths of the film’s world that were defined by depravity, he didn’t ever shy away from the dark parts of the man himself even as he got up to all kinds of madcap action at the same time.
This extended to his small supporting role in the similarly underrated 2010 filmThe Book of Eli.Though it was similarly blunt, there were just some moments that Stevenson brought to life against the apocalyptic wasteland of our world which remain etched in the mind more than a decade later. While his role as the henchman Redridge is a slight one, just seeing him lock eyes withDenzel Washington’s titular Eli at the end of a chaotic shootout cut through all the noise. When he chooses not to fire, the smug man we had seen taking aim just moments earlier has melted away. Instead, even in just this quick scene, we see a man who is more shaken. A small tilt of his head becomes something more beaten down as he looks towards the ground, with Stevenson showing how uncertain about his place in the world he has now become. In his final scene of the film, where he steps out of a car that has just crashed to look out at the barren world one last time brings this similar emotion. A sigh and a smile could be all Stevenson needed to effectively tear your heart out. He could do so much with so little, making him an invaluable presence for any part as he always brought something more to it. Similarly, the ending of a work like 2011’sKill the Irishmanwasjustspectacular because of how Stevenson’s subtleties as an actor shone through the more explosive elements. At the same time, he could also bring a bombast when the time called for it that was irreplaceable.
No Matter the Role, Stevenson Never Missed a Step On Screen
As Governor Scott Buxton inRRR, Stevenson was magnificent as a slimy villain to end all slimy villains. He captured the real cruelty of the character just as he could convincingly embody the more glorious flourishes like when his character was launched through the air in a car. Just the unflinching grimace on his face as he took aim from a gun he snatched from the air while flying high made it a magnificent moment in a film full of them. A work like this is only as good as its villain and Stevenson made it all that much better. That it, along with the similarly joyous recent filmAccident Man: Hitman’s Holiday, will be his last performances are bittersweet. It felt like he was only just getting started as each character showed him flexing different muscles without ever losing a step. Thereare still projects of his to look forward to, but one wishes he could have been here to see them. With the loss of Stevenson, the world lost a screen presence who was a humble titan of both film and television that will never be replaced.
