The SoapCentral Suggestion List: 5 Robin Wright movies and TV shows that you should definitely not miss

Robin Wright is Hollywood’s cool, enigmatic chameleon. She is the kind of actor who breezes from cult fairytale to D.C. power suits like she’s just switching brunch spots on a Sunday! But for viewers (and entertainment writers with tight deadlines), she’s a gift that keeps on reinventing herself.

Many of us who have watched her as the dominating yet defeated mother-in-law on The Girlfriend might be looking for a Robin Wright starter pack.

So, here are five of her projects that absolutely no one should miss, curated for SoapCentral readers and most discerning binge-watchers!

Best Robin Wright movies and TV shows

1. The Princess Bride (1987)

Before memes, before “as you wish” tattooed itself on the pop culture psyche, there was Robin Wright as Buttercup! Legions know her as the kidnapped, stubborn princess who embarks on a quest with pirates, rodents, and so much sword-fighting it's almost cardio. Wright plays a damsel who stands up.

If you haven’t witnessed Wright ride a horse over rolling hills while Vizzini yells “inconceivable,” it’s not too late to fix your childhood.

2. Forrest Gump (1994)

While Forrest Gump is Tom Hanks’ mega-hit, Robin Wright’s Jenny is the wild, tragic heart of it. She’s a lovely, lost, infuriating, magnetic character who lived through the best and messiest of American decades.

In less talented hands, Jenny could have been a trope. Wright is fragile one minute and defiant the next. She is thrown smack into Forrest’s life. Feel free to yell at the screen when she makes dubious choices, though!

3. House of Cards (2013–2018)

If you want icy elegance with your political play, welcome to Netflix’s House of Cards, a.k.a. That's the Show Your Dad Watches on Business Trips!

Wright’s Claire Underwood is a scene-stealer serving ambition with a chili glaze, paired with resolve and a stare that could curdle milk. Claire runs D.C. and eventually takes the White House throne herself. For a show swimming with sharks, Wright is the hammerhead.

Frank Underwood was scary. Claire? She’s scarier.

4. Unbreakable (2000)

This M. Night Shyamalan pre-Avengers thriller stars Bruce Willis as the man who can’t break, but it’s Robin Wright as Audrey Dunn who gives the story its human heart. No one broods like Robin, and she transforms a minor role into a portrait of a woman with trust issues, fragile love, and family powers.

She’s the grown-up in the room and the compass for the movie, subverting every superhero cliché before most Marvel fans could spell “origin story”.

5. Land (2021)

In Land, Robin Wright takes double duty as star and director, tackling wilderness and her character’s shattered soul. As Edee, she flees modern life for a mountainside exile, determined to be lost...or found.

The movie is as meditative as wild berries, with Wright haunting every frame. The fact that she directs herself but still feels exposed is a testament to her guts. You can watch it for the landscape shots; stay for Wright’s performance!