William Powell, Life with Father

as CLARENCE DAY

Won: New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actor

What made William Powell an interesting presence in The Thin Man was that in spite of the fact that he wasn't necessarily doing much in the film, he still bolstered his performance with an inane charm, which in turn made him likably watchable. That is what's severely lacking from Life with Father and the character of Clarence Day, and that's what makes it such a task to finish up the film.

William Powell, My Man Godfrey

as GODFREY SMITH

William Powell has a charisma to him that I think few actors have. Aside from his handsome looks, there's an almost palpable intelligence to the way he presents himself onscreen. The way in which he speaks and reacts to other people has a confident smoothness that really makes you feel at ease with the characters he plays. Whether he's flirting with danger as Nick Charles or wooing us as Florenz Ziegfeld or butling in disguise as Godfrey, my interest in Powell is always consistently high. He's got a great mastery of his movie star powers, that even if he's not exactly wowing me with one of his performances, he can still hold my attention on the sheer basis of his charisma.

William Powell, The Thin Man

as NICK CHARLES

When analyzing William Powell in The Thin Man, the late great Roger Ebert said that Powell "is to dialogue as Fred Astaire is to dance. His delivery is so droll and insinuating, so knowing and innocent at the same time, that it hardly matters what he's saying."I think this perfectly sums up my own feelings about Powell's work as well. There is a mesmerizing quality to the way Powell speaks--his diction, his tone...all of it drips with intelligence, is assertive yet relaxed all at once, and blends so well with the dark wit that The Thin Man's screenplay offers. He is a perfect leading man in every possible way, and I'd wager that the subsequent five Thin Man sequels spawned not just from the strength of the story or the chemistry of Powell and Myrna Loy, but also because Powell is so good, so in his element, at being a charming sleuth.