Basher Tarr: Ocean's Eleven Demolitions Expert Played by Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle played Basher Tarr in Ocean's Eleven (2001), directed by Steven Soderbergh, and returned to the role in Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). Basher is the crew's demolitions expert, one of the specialists Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan bring together for the Las Vegas job.

The credits list him as Basher Tarr. In Ocean's Eleven he is billed eighth, in a cast led by George Clooney as Danny Ocean, Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan, Andy Garcia as Terry Benedict and Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell. His billing stays at eighth in Ocean's Twelve and rises to fifth in Ocean's Thirteen.

If you want the wider ensemble, the Ocean's Eleven characters page lists every member of the crew, and the Ocean's Eleven cast page covers the actors film by film.

Basher Tarr is the crew's demolitions expert in Ocean's Eleven (2001) and stays with the crew for the European heists in Ocean's Twelve (2004) and the revenge plot in Ocean's Thirteen (2007). The films follow the crew as a whole rather than giving any one member a personal journey.

In Ocean's Eleven (2001), Danny Ocean is paroled from a New Jersey prison and plans to rob a vault shared by three casinos owned by Terry Benedict. The plan runs on the night of a boxing match, when the vault holds the most cash. The crew knocks out power across the city with a device that creates an electromagnetic pulse, and members disguised as a SWAT team enter the vault during the blackout.

In Ocean's Twelve (2004), Benedict tracks down all eleven and demands his money back with interest in two weeks. The crew moves to Europe, their early Amsterdam heist goes wrong, and Europol's Isabel Lahiri closes in on them. Most of the crew ends up in custody before Danny's reveal about the Fabergé egg settles the debt.

In Ocean's Thirteen (2007), Willy Bank cheats Reuben Tishkoff out of a casino deal, and the crew reunites to wreck Bank's opening night by rigging the tables and slot machines so the players win big.

Basher Tarr is part of the crew that Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) assemble for the Las Vegas job. Each member is a specialist, and the films treat them as a working ensemble more than a set of pairs.

Danny is the planner. Rusty is the partner Danny turns to first, and the two bring in the others. Linus Caldwell, played by Matt Damon, is the pickpocket who gets close to Terry Benedict while the rest of the crew sets up the equipment and disguises. Reuben Tishkoff, played by Elliott Gould, is the retired casino owner who backs the job and becomes the reason for the revenge plot in Ocean's Thirteen.

The other members around Basher are Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck), Turk Malloy (Scott Caan), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), Yen (Shaobo Qin) and Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner). For the leads, see Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan. The man on the other side of the vault is Terry Benedict, played by Andy Garcia.

Basher Tarr is alive and free with the crew at the end of Ocean's Thirteen. The three films never take him out of the group.

In Ocean's Eleven, Benedict has Danny jailed on a parole violation, but the stolen cash has already been swapped out and the crew walks away. In Ocean's Twelve, most of the crew ends up in custody and is then freed, and the debt to Benedict is paid when the Night Fox, François Toulour, loses his bet with Danny. In Ocean's Thirteen, the rigged casino pays out heavily, Bank cannot retaliate, and the crew uses part of the take to set Reuben up with his own casino.

An untitled Ocean's Eleven prequel is dated for June 25, 2027; no role for Basher Tarr has been announced.

The best moment in the films Basher Tarr appears in is the Ocean's Eleven (2001) blackout, when the crew cuts power across the city on boxing night and walks a fake SWAT team into the vault. It is the sharpest piece of planning in the series, and it is my pick for the top spot.

Second is the Amsterdam job in Ocean's Twelve (2004), the crew's first big plan in Europe. Watching it go wrong shows how much the crew depends on every specialist doing their part.

Third is the opening night in Ocean's Thirteen (2007), where the crew rigs the tables and slot machines so that players win big and the house loses its expected profit.

If you only have time for one film, start with Ocean's Eleven (2001). It sets up the crew better than either sequel, and it grossed about $451 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, more than either sequel.