It's been a while since my last of these lists (Nathan Fillion, I think?), but that doesn't mean I've given up on them or my site completely.
Terrible portrait, I know, but this is a hard man to find dapper images of. And that's part of the appeal -- there is nothing traditionally Hollywood about this guy. Mostly known for small parts (or big parts in small movies), Combs has a neurotic style of acting that's distinctly his own. He's one of the great cult actors of all-time, and I can't wait to get into it. Here are my 11 favorite Jeffrey Combs performances, because I would have felt bad leaving any of these out.
Playing a small part in a movie almost completely dominated by Kurtwood Smith (who has his own top 10 coming, for sure) should make it pretty impossible for any actor to stand out, but Combs somehow finds a way. A fidgety character perfectly portrayed by one of the few actors who could play him without seeming over-the-top.
| 10. | Shepard Lambrick
in Would You Rather |
The newest show or movie on this list, and it's definitely not a good one. But the villain, a rich and bored maniac who uses the promise of money as a means to watch people torture and humiliate themselves and each other is a definite standout. Actually, let me rephrase that; Combs is the standout, making this generic villain a lot more entertaining than he easily could have been.
| 9. | H.P. Lovecraft
in Necronomicon |
Under heavy face prosthetics and only featured in between story segments that make up the majority of the movie, Combs (looking a lot like Bruce Campbell) is the glue that holds the whole thing together. A less quirky performance than is usual for him, it certainly stands out for me. Additionally, this is one of my favorite horror movies of the 1990s, so it gets a double recommendation.
| 8. | Edgar Allan Poe
in Masters Of Horror |
Masters of Horror was a pretty mediocre series, but this episode is worth a watch for Combs alone. Yes, he was much too old to play this part, but much like Willem Dafoe's Vincent Van Gogh, the age disparages are easy to ignore when you realize how well the actor fits the spirit of the character. He's got the look and self-destructive sadness to fit Poe perfectly, and manages to convey a whole array of emotions in a relatively brief period of time.
| 7. | Crawford Tillinghast
in From Beyond |
One of his first starring roles, and among his first Stuart Gordon collaborations. Some of the best Combs performances are ones that allow him to transform in one way or another over the course of the movie, and this is pretty much the prime early example of that. A little more tame in ways than some of the performances to follow, but an excellent representative of his style of acting and a cool movie overall.
| 6. | John Reilly
in Castle Freak |
As I mentioned before, transformation is a fairly common thing to see in Combs' projects (like Edward Norton and his dual roles), but instead of turning into some kind of gooey monster or anything like that, this is a purely psychological change that occurs roughly halfway through the movie. It was around then that I realized the movie actually wasn't crap, and it was entirely thanks to him. Absolute insanity portrayed by one of the best actors around, so obviously I loved it.
| 5. | Dr. Kevin Burkoff
in The 4400 |
Three in a row for the transformative performances. Over the course of the show, Combs goes from a silent mental patient, to a mutated superscientist, hero/vigilante, to a concerned lover, and none of these transitions feel at all ingenuine. He uses all of his usual tricks here, and even appearing in only 1/3 of the show, he manages to carry every episode he's in and functions as arguably the most important character throughout the series.
| 4. | Brunt & Weyoun
in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine |
Initially I had these two characters in different spots due to them being totally different performances, but it was hard for me to justify that decision when I already didn't want to cut the list down to only 10 roles. Anyway, these are both (largely) antagonist characters rhat, thanks to the makeup and his range, I didn't recognize as being the same actor my first time watching the show. As Weyoun he's a calculated and deceptive clone (among the best villains in the franchise, if you ask me), and as Brunt he's...well, a Ferengi. Very entertaining stuff and equally as impressive.
| 3. | Special Agent Milton Dammers
in The Frighteners |
This is about as twitchy and unhinged as Combs can get, which is really saying something. The agent in charge of investigating a string of deaths falsely attributed to Michael J. Fox, Dammers is the guy they send in to take care of all the "fruity cases". Incredibly paranoid, anxious, and full of all sorts of nervous tics, Combs' oddball energy makes him easily the most memorable character in a movie full of eccentricity. Not to mention the fact he has some of the best quotes in the whole movie.
| 2. | Thy'lek Shran
in Star Trek: Enterprise |
As much as I enjoy his multiple performances throughout the Star Trek franchise, this is the big one in my eyes -- a scene-stealer who (while only appearing in roughly 10% of the episodes in the show) manages to make the entire show worth watching if only for the promise of his sporadic appearances. The begrudging ally is a fairly common character type in Trek, but Shran's development is far more nuanced than most. His gradual shift from untrusting nationalist zealot (and flagrant racist) to what he becomes by the end is natural, satisfying, and fantastically acted.
| 1. | Dr. Herbert West
in Re-Animator series |
Three movies spanning nearly 20 years, and I still find myself wishing there were more of Combs as Dr. Herbert West, the sociopathic scientist whose experiments on reanimating the dead had him ostracized and eventually imprisoned. But did that stop him? Absolutely not. This is classic Combs, and essentially kick-started his entire career. So not only is it my favorite work of his, it's also his most important. He's the most important thing in these movies, and watching the perfect actor take on such a fantastic and entertaining role makes it all the better. This was an easy pick for me, in spite of loving the rest of these entries.
Playing a small part in a movie almost completely dominated by Kurtwood Smith (who has his own top 10 coming, for sure) should make it pretty impossible for any actor to stand out, but Combs somehow finds a way. A fidgety character perfectly portrayed by one of the few actors who could play him without seeming over-the-top. 
The newest show or movie on this list, and it's definitely not a good one. But the villain, a rich and bored maniac who uses the promise of money as a means to watch people torture and humiliate themselves and each other is a definite standout. Actually, let me rephrase that; Combs is the standout, making this generic villain a lot more entertaining than he easily could have been.
Under heavy face prosthetics and only featured in between story segments that make up the majority of the movie, Combs (looking a lot like Bruce Campbell) is the glue that holds the whole thing together. A less quirky performance than is usual for him, it certainly stands out for me. Additionally, this is one of my favorite horror movies of the 1990s, so it gets a double recommendation.
Masters of Horror was a pretty mediocre series, but this episode is worth a watch for Combs alone. Yes, he was much too old to play this part, but much like Willem Dafoe's Vincent Van Gogh, the age disparages are easy to ignore when you realize how well the actor fits the spirit of the character. He's got the look and self-destructive sadness to fit Poe perfectly, and manages to convey a whole array of emotions in a relatively brief period of time. 
One of his first starring roles, and among his first Stuart Gordon collaborations. Some of the best Combs performances are ones that allow him to transform in one way or another over the course of the movie, and this is pretty much the prime early example of that. A little more tame in ways than some of the performances to follow, but an excellent representative of his style of acting and a cool movie overall.
As I mentioned before, transformation is a fairly common thing to see in Combs' projects (like Edward Norton and his dual roles), but instead of turning into some kind of gooey monster or anything like that, this is a purely psychological change that occurs roughly halfway through the movie. It was around then that I realized the movie actually wasn't crap, and it was entirely thanks to him. Absolute insanity portrayed by one of the best actors around, so obviously I loved it.
Three in a row for the transformative performances. Over the course of the show, Combs goes from a silent mental patient, to a mutated superscientist, hero/vigilante, to a concerned lover, and none of these transitions feel at all ingenuine. He uses all of his usual tricks here, and even appearing in only 1/3 of the show, he manages to carry every episode he's in and functions as arguably the most important character throughout the series. 
Initially I had these two characters in different spots due to them being totally different performances, but it was hard for me to justify that decision when I already didn't want to cut the list down to only 10 roles. Anyway, these are both (largely) antagonist characters rhat, thanks to the makeup and his range, I didn't recognize as being the same actor my first time watching the show. As Weyoun he's a calculated and deceptive clone (among the best villains in the franchise, if you ask me), and as Brunt he's...well, a Ferengi. Very entertaining stuff and equally as impressive.
This is about as twitchy and unhinged as Combs can get, which is really saying something. The agent in charge of investigating a string of deaths falsely attributed to Michael J. Fox, Dammers is the guy they send in to take care of all the "fruity cases". Incredibly paranoid, anxious, and full of all sorts of nervous tics, Combs' oddball energy makes him easily the most memorable character in a movie full of eccentricity. Not to mention the fact he has some of the best quotes in the whole movie.
As much as I enjoy his multiple performances throughout the Star Trek franchise, this is the big one in my eyes -- a scene-stealer who (while only appearing in roughly 10% of the episodes in the show) manages to make the entire show worth watching if only for the promise of his sporadic appearances. The begrudging ally is a fairly common character type in Trek, but Shran's development is far more nuanced than most. His gradual shift from untrusting nationalist zealot (and flagrant racist) to what he becomes by the end is natural, satisfying, and fantastically acted.
Three movies spanning nearly 20 years, and I still find myself wishing there were more of Combs as Dr. Herbert West, the sociopathic scientist whose experiments on reanimating the dead had him ostracized and eventually imprisoned. But did that stop him? Absolutely not. This is classic Combs, and essentially kick-started his entire career. So not only is it my favorite work of his, it's also his most important. He's the most important thing in these movies, and watching the perfect actor take on such a fantastic and entertaining role makes it all the better. This was an easy pick for me, in spite of loving the rest of these entries. 
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