Timothy Olyphant is undeniably endearing, even when he is playing a less-than-savory character. He has never had any problem hopping from genre to genre while playing both good guys and bad guys. That has never been more obvious than when he starred in The Girl Next Door in 2004, directed by Luke Greenfield and written by David Wagner, Brent Goldberg, and Stuart Blumberg. Olyphant plays Kelly, a self-serving pimp/manager/pornographer who isn’t quite ready to give up his most prized performer, Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), who is one of the most sought-after pornographic actresses in the business, when she falls for a naive high school senior, Matthew (Emile Hirsch). It’s a movie that kind of flew under the radar at the time of its release, but has continued to gain cult classic status over the last several decades.
How Does Timothy Olyphant’s Character Fit Into ‘The Girl Next Door’?
By the time Olyphant arrives on screen as Kelly, Matthew has already fallen head-over-heels in love with his beautiful new next-door neighbor, Danielle. She has yet to inform him, however, that she is an adult film star and is trying to escape her past and start a new, more routine life. That is when Kelly descends into the peaceful neighborhood to remind her that her former life isn’t going anywhere, and neither is he.
Needless to say, the leather-clad, spike-haired Kelly sticks out like a sore thumb in the upscale community that Danielle has sought refuge within. Kelly immediately begins to take steps (mostly illegal ones) to ensure that Danielle doesn’t fall in love with the socially awkward Matthew, so she can return to work and make him more money in the adult entertainment business. His motivation as her sleazy manager is wholly self-serving and myopic, and Olyphant nails the performance perfectly.
Related
We Need To Talk About Timothy Olyphant’s Time on ‘Sex and the City’
Who even needs coffee filters anyway?
What Makes Timothy Olyphant’s Character So Alluring in ‘The Girl Next Door’?
Timothy Olyphant is the perfect combination of intimidating and playful, keeping the viewer on edge throughout. As Kelly, you keep wondering which side of this screwball story he will end up on? Will he find some redemptive core qualities, or go full-on dark-mode villain and turn The Girl Next Door into a much darker dramedy than it is? He deftly tiptoes that line of good and evil that makes him the most interesting wildcard and scene-stealer in the movie.
Ultimately, as long as what benefits Kelly also happens to benefit the blossoming relationship between the star-crossed lovers, that is what he will do. Despite stealing from and blackmailing Matthew, Kelly comes out smelling like a rose, and Olyphant has the smirk to go with it. The Girl Next Door is further proof that he can bring an edginess that gives a raunchy teen comedy some teeth. He adds a layer to a familiar “Risky Business” genre trope that few actors could deliver, and he makes it look effortless.
Timothy Olyphant Has Played a Similar Kind of Rogue Before
Way back in 1997, Olyphant got in on Wes Craven‘s highly successful Scream franchise, playing the sadistic serial killer Ghostface/Mickey Altieri in the sequel to the game-changing original. It’s not easy to make the horror movie-loving, infamy-seeking psychopath Mickey somehow feel like a charmer, but Olyphant has been pulling it off for over thirty years, routinely adding nuanced layers to what could be very simple and straightforward characters in the hands of another performer. It’s a combination of that incorrigible smile, a knowing smirk, and a legitimately expressive face that he can use for both good and evil. The dual roles of Mickey and Ghostface are the perfect vehicle for Olyphant.
While Olyphant is known more recently for his white hat and morally squared-away characters like Raylan Givens in Justified and Justified: City Primeval and Sheriff Seth Bullock in the hit HBO drama Deadwood, it should not be lost on audiences that he has an extensive background in all genres. His unusual ability to turn that smirk into a scowl, and then back into a smirk again, makes him appealing to both Hollywood casting agents and audiences, allowing him to deliver such lovable scumbags without missing a beat.