Bob Hoskins gruff, wise-cracking, hard-drinking Eddie Valiant was one of my formative childhood icons of masculinity . I loved Roger Rabbit and basically committed that movie's script to memory as a kid. His most creepy, chillingly effective role had to be the fastidious, lonely chef preying on young, prospect-less women in Atom Egoyan's Felicity's Journey.
He was great in supporting roles as well. I'm thinking in particular J. Edgar Hoover in Nixon, Eddie Mannix (Hoskins had a knack for roles named Eddie) in Hollywoodland and that loopy plumber Spoor in Terry Gilliam's Brazil. Even in a small, throwaway role in mediocre films like Beyond the Sea and Vanity Fair he was the best thing about it.
RIP, 'ol Bob. They don't make heavies the way they used to.