I turned on the TV the other day to catch the last half of the film Juno. I really enjoyed Diablo Cody’s unique take on teenage pregnancy and love the first time I saw it. I did my dishes as the movie played in the background and finished loading my dishwasher just in time to watch the wonderful scene with J.K Simmons and Ellen Page as she deals with doubts about her choice for adoptive parents for her child and her own struggles and perceptions of love. It’s one of the most touching moments of the film. Other films would have dealt with the parental relationship in an entirely different way, but Cody’s script combined with the talents of Simmons and Allison Janney really transform it into something that is equally humorous and heartfelt.
I’m a fan of all of the actors in Juno. Each has appeared in another film or television show that I thoroughly enjoyed. As I watched J.K. Simmons in this scene though, I was struck by how much he enhances the films in which he appears. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him as a leading man. If he gets a screen credit in a television show, it’s often one of the ones that appears after the title sequence, just during the particular episode where he guest stars.
He’s played quite the range as well: the loving and funny father in Juno, the stress-out editor in chief in the Spider-Man films, a racist and violent inmate in OZ, or the thoughtful psychologist in Law & Order.
Even in shows like OZ and Law & Order where he frequently appears, he never gets top billing, but he continues to perform in well over 80 different television shows and movies. He’s dependable, playing smart, funny, scary, goofy, mysterious–whatever the role needs.
I watched that scene and it occurred to me that our schools and organizations need more J.K. Simmons. Yes, we need leaders to provide direction and take the reins, but we also need leaders to take on the roles that don’t get top billing. I’m surprised by how often I hear about someone who lost an election and then stopped all involvement with a group or organization. If they couldn’t be the star, they didn’t want to do anything. This frustrates me.
Then, I see a student who isn’t the star, maybe who isn’t even in the leadership class, and there they are, contributing in a way that truly enhances the organization. They wear different hats depending on what is needed, and the organization is better because they serve.
As we role into 2009, see if you can find ways to be a J.K. Simmons when you’re not in the starring role.