Why Are You Ranking: The Best Dramatic Portrayals of Crack Addicts Where These Actors Will Never Receive an Oscar® for Their Roles Listed from High to Fiend

Before the opioid crisis of the mid to late 2010s, there existed the crack wars of the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s. To capture properly the scenes of despair, familial fractures, and the human toll that the drug game has wreaked on America, moviemakers and television crews seek to depict the addict. Now, a metaphor for liking something to the extreme or unable to shake from an activity, the crackhead, has become a staple in films and shows regarding the proliferation of narcotics. They are among the most affected persons involved in the manufacture, production, sale, and consumption of illicit drugs, currently. Their usage of the substances makes them prime territory for screenwriters, producers, and directors to show the comic, desperate, and devastating effects of the drug trade. As prohibition of such substances remains in effect in the United States and most regions of the world, the problem persists. And as the crack crisis has dissipated, the focus now is trained on prescription pill overdoses and heroin (again). But for now, get your vials and try to evade being caught with a wire for Why Are You Ranking: The Best Dramatic Portrayals of Crack Addicts Where These Actors Will Never Receive an Oscar® for Their Roles Listed from High to Fiend.

The Pulitzer Prize-Winning Street Poet

3. “Kendrick Lamar” Duckworth as “Laces” on 'Power' (2014)

Rapper turned actor Kendrick Lamar plays, essentially, the Shakespearean fool in his role as drug addict Laces. He is, of course, without any social or political power. So, because of his status as a lowly addict, he must exhibit his wits despite his conditions. He is a fast-talker and bilingual. He conveys a sense of wisdom but lacks empathy for those who find themselves on the wrong end of a handgun. He fails to wade into too dark territory when it comes to the Devil’s candy. But for his ability to speak sagacity in a rather impotent role, Duckworth should receive praise. By continuing on this path of rendering characters with more shades than most, Duckworth should discover even more roles to tackle.

Rank: High

The funny man gets serious in the movie.

2. Chris Julius Rock III as Benny “Pookie” Robinson in 'New Jack City' (1991)

Comedian Chris Rock turned to drama in this monumental film. By dropping serious pounds and getting into his character to the marrow, Rock shows Pookie as a street-wise punk. He’s got a penchant for stealing, getting high, and informing on drug kingpins. His story arch is at once tragic but expected. Rock, in an era where the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) adores the downtrodden and the feckless, could’ve at least garnered a nomination for his deft performance. The scene of him “beaming up from Scotty” is iconic and a symbol of the entire crack crisis. When it comes to portrayals of crack fiends, few other actors can come close to the sad and sweet delivery that Rock imbued into Pookie.

Rank: Getting Higher

Up Close and Personal

1. Samuel Leroy Jackson as “Gator” Purify in 'Jungle Fever' (1991)

Mr. Jackson plays this part so well because of his actual bout with the addictive agent, crack cocaine. For his time using and abusing the substance, he was enabled to lend his first-hand experience to director Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee. Both comedic and devastating, Gator is the quintessential crackhead. He is disowned by his family, seeks to mooch money from them, has a beautiful but dirtied up fellow addict girlfriend (the lovely Miss Halle Berry in an early role), and must face fate for his wicked ways. Jackson positions Gator as the face of the addiction and the steps that are involved: getting high, experiencing the lows, and searching for the next fix to make up for the doldrums. With this portrayal, Samuel L. Jackson acts with superb precision.

Rank: Fiend