Delroy Lindo's Standout Turn in Spike Lee's Crooklyn

For Delroy Lindo, an Academy Award nomination finally acknowledged decades of consistently strong work; he earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his soulful performance in Sinners after more than 30 years of notable screen roles. One of the best places to appreciate his range is Spike Lee's semi-autobiographical Crooklyn.

Lee cast Lindo as Woody Carmichael, a dramatized portrait of his father, and the actor brings the restrained authority that has defined his collaborations with Lee across films such as Malcolm X, Clockers and Da 5 Bloods. Woody presents as a stern, no-nonsense parent whose internal struggle between supporting his family and pursuing a solo music career fuels domestic conflict with his wife, Carolyn (Alfre Woodard).

Lindo’s reserved, lonely performance carries the film’s emotional weight as a man who must try to redeem himself after misallocating the family’s savings.

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