A few words about Kris Kristofferson

His particular role in a Mel Gibson movie stands out as a favorite.

Once upon a time, Kris Kristofferson helped out Bradley Cooper.

Cooper was filming a live concert scene for his upcoming film, A Star is Born, and needed a real crowd to complete his vision. Kristofferson, who had played the same role Cooper was playing decades before, offered up a small section of time before one of his shows. I don’t know how they came together, but I imagine the veteran actor had gotten wind of the remake and cared enough to assist the younger actor/filmmaker.

Kristofferson didn’t have to do that. He could have refused, and told Cooper to go fish with his guitar elsewhere. I imagine actors can sometimes be like dogs, loving to piss on each other’s territory and clash in a passing of the torch. Egos do run highway laps around the mind of a creator, whether it be in front of a camera or on a stage. Kris Kristofferson did both, crafting a career in cinema and one as a singer.

I sadly never got to see one of his live shows, but his films thankfully left a decent-enough dent on their own. Helping Cooper out just proves he knew what great cinema was and how one can move it forward. Makes him a good dude as well, which isn’t a given in Hollywood.

He wasn’t a prolific actor, dividing time between his music and film career. Kristofferson hadn’t worked in six years, and scrolling over the last few decades doesn’t reveal a ton of movies that are widely known. He had a credit in 121 different movies/shows/videos, stretching from 1971 to 2018.

The first memory that comes to mind is his Whistler in the Wesley Snipes-led Blade series, and his intimidating, rule-bending sheriff in Lone Star also knocks on the door of memories. However, another role is the most prominent and underrated usage of Kristofferson: Bronson in the still rock solid Mel Gibson-led film, Payback.

He was the guy who unfortunately owed Gibson’s character a handful of money, or one piece of garbage human (Gregg Henry), so the lead kidnaps his son in order to collect. In a juicy supporting role, Kristofferson got to show off his entire arsenal of tricks. He showed off the aged machismo of a proud dad, gifting his son with a pair of keys to a sports car and tickets to a boxing match.

There was the deadly charisma that goes into the initial interactions with Gibson’s Porter, and then the more sinister side of his personality towards the end. A highlight comes during a torture sequence, with Kristofferson adding that Porter’s feet were going to look like roasted beef after his henchman pounded them with a hammer. He knew the assignment, and delivered in a big cast.

88 years isn’t a short stint on Earth, and it looks like he had the time to find some peace after a busy career. Still, fans always want a little more in the end and crave the reality of a particular entertainer being alive and well. Kristofferson may be gone, but he leaves behind a plethora of film and stage work to please the masses.

Somewhere, Cooper is (or should be) toasting a glass to a maestro that lets him recreate a role he first made famous on his stage time. Classy.