Put. That Coffee. Down.

Alec Baldwin is one of those actors that I should probably like more than I do. I've seen him in just a smattering of roles: the pre-Harrison Ford Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October; the dissolute movie star Bob Barringer in State and Main; an unfortunate turn as the iconic Lamont Cranston in The Shadow; a self-portrayal on The Simpsons. And, of course, his stirring performance as Mr. Conductor in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. I've always found Baldwin kind of slight, a little underwhelming. But for me, his entire career is redeemed and vindicated by the eight minutes or so he spends in a role especially written for him in the film version of David Mamet's testosterone fest, Glengarry Glen Ross. To put it succinctly:

Alec Baldwin's cameo scene from David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross is a classic distillation of what the ideology of hard selling is all about: high pressure, shame, humiliation, competition, and the link between financial success and self worth.

Baldwin's character, the crisply-dressed and pitiless Blake, parachutes into a sleepy real estate office to threaten, berate, and otherwise motivate its hapless salesmen. His performance, fired by Mamet's dialogue, is truly a thing of beauty:

Blake: Put. That Coffee. Down. Coffee's for closers. (Levene scoffs) Do you think I'm fucking with you? I am not fucking with you. I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy. Your name's Levene?
Levene (Jack Lemmon): Yeah.
Blake: You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?

Eight minutes of pure venom, delivered with a passionate contempt.

Moss (Ed Harris): I don't have to listen to this shit.
Blake: You certainly don't, pal. 'Cause the good news is -- you're fired. The bad news is you've got, all you got, just one week to regain your jobs, starting tonight. Starting with tonights sit. (Pause) Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. 'Cause we're adding a little something to this months sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anyone want to see second prize? Second prize's a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. You get the picture? You're laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them. You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close shit, you are shit, hit the bricks, pal and beat it, 'cause you are going out.
Levene: The leads are weak.
Blake: "The leads are weak." Fucking leads are weak? You're weak. I've been in this business fifteen years -
Moss: What's your name?
Blake: Fuck you, that's my name. You know why, mister? 'Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar BMW. That's my name.

Brings a smile to my face every time.

My question (and I do have one): Is there an actor whom you generally discount who yet managed to utterly floor you (in a good way) with a performance?

(You know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes cross-posts to sell real estate.)