Barry Corbin's resonant drawl makes generals, sheriffs and coaches sound comfortable with their authority. His natural delivery is a pleasure, though we prefer him when the writing gives him something more interesting than an order to issue.
Fi1m perspective
Barry Corbin sounds comfortable giving orders. As General Beringer in John Badham's WarGames (1983), he supplies the quick, firm responses the screenplay asks for without making them feel like hard work. We laughed at the general's resistance to David because Corbin makes him sound so comfortably certain of himself. Parkes and Lasker give the adults less uncertainty than would make them persuasive, and Corbin cannot supply what the part will not allow. He is good company in a tense, funny thriller whose teenagers get the better writing.
That resonant Southern Plains drawl has served plenty of sheriffs, generals and coaches. His feature debut, Urban Cowboy (1980), established him in Western and character roles. He played the bumbling deputy Roscoe Brown in Lonesome Dove (1989), then Maurice Minnifield, a former astronaut, in Northern Exposure (1990–1995). The latter brought wider recognition, with John Cullum among his co-stars. Corbin's natural delivery makes overbearing men recognisably human, which matters more than the job title.
In the Coens' No Country for Old Men (2007), his appearance as Ellis is brief and carries considerable weight. It is a patient, frightening film that we rate highly enough to recommend beyond the usual Western audience, though its severity can be wearing. Corbin suits that patience: his resonant voice needs no elaborate display to hold our attention. His contribution gives the film room for reflection without softening it.
The reservation is how often casting asks him to repeat the same sort of authority. A convincing manner can make a thin part enjoyable, but WarGames shows the cost when a character is there chiefly to be proved wrong. We prefer him with enough room to suggest a person who might surprise us, rather than merely obstruct the lead. Start with WarGames for the brisk entertainment; leave No Country for Old Men for an evening when something severe is welcome.
Biography
Barry Corbin is an American actor. Born in Lamesa, Texas, he studied theatre arts at Texas Tech University and served in the United States Marine Corps before beginning his career as a Shakespearean actor in the 1960s.
He is best known for his role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series Northern Exposure (1990–1995), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Corbin has appeared in numerous films and series, often as sheriffs, military leaders or other authority figures. His credits include WarGames (1983), Lonesome Dove (1989), No Country for Old Men (2007) as Ellis, In the Valley of Elah (2007), One Tree Hill (2003–2009), The Closer (2007–2012), The Ranch (2016–2020), Yellowstone (2018–), Better Call Saul (2015–) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
