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From gangsters to music men, Bob Hoskins had a long, animated career

Every actor hopes for one great role in his career. Bob Hoskins, who died Tuesday night at 71, had several. Though best known for playing Detective Eddie Valiant in the groundbreaking 1988 hit "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," Hoskins was more than a straight man to a cartoon bunny. Check out some of his unmissable performances below.Pennies From Heaven (1978)In the BBC miniseries that made him a name in
Image: Cathy Tyson and Bob Hoskins in "Mona Lisa."
Island Pictures via Everett Collection

Every actor hopes for one great role in his career. Bob Hoskins, who died Tuesday night at 71, had several. Though best known for playing Detective Eddie Valiant in the groundbreaking 1988 hit "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," Hoskins was more than a straight man to a cartoon bunny. Check out some of his unmissable performances below.

Pennies From Heaven (1978)
In the BBC miniseries that made him a name in the U.K., Hoskins played a traveling sheet music salesman who goes on the run after he's wanted for murder. The premise seems straightforward enough—until the characters burst into song. (Great stuff for crime-loving "Glee" fans.) Watch a clip here.

The Long Good Friday (1980) 
Though Hoskins often played cranky guys with a soft side, he was at the top of his game playing gangsters. As Harold Shand in "Long Good Friday" (which also starred Helen Mirren), he was a kingpin attempting to go legit as his old associates tried to drag him back in. The film, ranked No. 21 in the British Film Institute's best British films of the 20th Century, helped turn Hoskins into a movie star.

Mona Lisa (1986)
This stylish independent neo-noir, directed by Neil Jordan ("The Crying Game"), earned Hoskins 10 acting awards — not to mention an Oscar nomination — for his role as an ex-con chauffeur who bonds with a high-price prostitute. Watch the trailer here.

Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
In another film with a risqué plot, Hoskins (co-starring with Judi Dench in the title role) played the manager of a variety show theater who gooses attendance with nude performers in 1937 London. Among other honors and nominations, Hoskins — also a co-producer on the film — collected a prestigious National Board of Review prize for ensemble acting.