(Photo: Getty Images) 
Mark Strong has signed on to join the Murder Mystery sequel, starring opposite Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston. While his role hasn’t been announced, we have a feeling he will be in full force.
We say that, because he’s consistent in having a powerful on-screen presence.
For that matter, his off-screen presence is just as captivating.
We’ve done a roundup of 10 of those moments:

1. He plays a mafioso with a heart. 

In 2008’s RockNRolla, Strong plays a man named Archie, who is a “fixer,” meaning, he cleans up crime scenes. While he may be sort of a baddie, he’s very kind to the people around him, acting as a caretaker. In the above clip, he teaches his employees how to handle a difficult situation, taking on a mentor role to up-and-coming mobsters. 
2. He’s an ace at portraying an ace spy.

We also saw him in the 2011 movie adaptation of John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He portrays Jim Prideaux, who is the head of the MI6 counterintelligence division, referred to as “The Circus.” Prideaux is not just bold, he's daring, confirming why he's a leader. Our hat's off to Strong, for taking on such a complex character. 
3. He crosses boundaries as an on-screen doctor.

Strong took on the role of a neuropsychologist in 2014’s Before I Go to Sleep, opposite Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. After suffering a brain injury, Kidman’s character goes to see Dr. Nasch (Strong) for treatment. He goes above and beyond his medical obligations, advising her on how to manage her abusive marriage. 
4. He puts a lot of himself into his roles.  

Strong had a humble upbringing, with his father absent and his mother relying on state-run boarding schools to help raise him. In an interview with The Independent, he says, “I took who I was to become from the people around me. I took on roles as a way to survive.”
He expands on his choice in roles, saying, “I’m generally quite a nice person in real life, so to pretend to be that dark character is quite delicious.”
5. He takes being famous in stride.

It seems he may even be adverse to fame, with him telling The Independent, “I see young people thinking fame is something they want to achieve, yet you listen to any person who has been famous and they hate it.”
But, he acknowledges that it comes with the territory, with him being in the public eye.
6. He’s all about being a working actor.  

While Strong is quite a scene-stealer, a lot of the times he’s seen in the supporting role. He explains why he chooses to do so in an interview with The Guardian, saying, “The thing for me was always about working. And if you’re a leading actor, unless you’re extremely successful, you spend a lot of time waiting for projects to come along. And I never wanted that pressure. I just wanted to be working.”
7. He returns to what he knows.

He’s starred in multiple spy movies, including the aforementioned Tinker Tailor Spy, 2014’s The Imitation Game and the Kingsman franchise, including 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle. It makes us think of the expression, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”
8. He’s capable of switching gears.

In 2019, Strong popped up in the TV series Temple. He plays a surgeon named Daniel Milton, whose wife is dying. In an attempt to raise the funds needed to save her life, he creates an off-the-record clinic, where he treats hardened criminals for hard cash. It may come across as desperate, or crafty, depending on the perspective. 
9. He does branch out.

Last year, we saw him in Disney’s Cruella, the origin story of Cruella de Vil, opposite Emma Stone in the title role. He plays the right-hand man to the villainous The Baroness (Emma Thompson). While he may work for The Baroness, he is his own man. It’s not quite clear where his loyalties lie as the story rolls out. We like seeing him play conflicted. 
10. He’s focused on his focus.

While we’d like to see him as a romantic lead, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. When speaking to The Independent, he said of starring in a rom-com, “God no. When I started acting it was always about being someone I’m not. I never wanted to play myself, or anything remotely close to it.”

Well, we’ll take that as him being a romantic in his life outside of work (swoon).
If Mark Strong wasn’t already on your watch list, is he now?