Favorite Character Actors

[LeoMcGarry]

I think that most of you appear to be movie buffs, so you don't need an explanation of what a character actor is.

Some of mine include:
James Hong (Blade Runner, Big Trouble In Little China, and one of my favorite "West Wing" eps, "Lord John Marbury")
Zeljko Ivanek (A Civil Action, ER, Oz)
Daniel Von Bargen (Malcolm In The Middle, The General's Daughter, Seinfeld)
John Spencer (natch)
William H. Macy (Fargo, Seabiscuit, Jurassic Park III)
James Cromwell (The Sum of All Fears)
Tony Shaloub (Monk, Men In Black)
Timothy Busfield (Revenge of the Nerds, thirtysomething, The West Wing)
Tim Matheson (Animal House, The West Wing)
Bruce Weitz (Hill Street Blues)
Jerry Hardin (The X-Files, Reds, The Firm)

Many, many more that I forget right this second. Anyway, I don't know if this question's been asked before, but still, I thought I could bring it up. (I know I didn't mention any actresses, BTW.)

[ZapRowsdower]

Rowan Atkinson (Bean, Rat Race, Love Actually)
Hank Azaria (TV's The Simpsons, Along Came Polly, Mystery Men)
Billy Barty (Willow, UHF)
Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, The Count of Monte Cristo, Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius)
Warwick Davis (Willow, Return of the Jedi (Wicket the Ewok), Harry Potter)
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Don Juan DeMarco, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood)
Will Ferrell (Elf, Old School, Starsky & Hutch)
Jennifer Lopez (Yeah, I'm serious.) (Selena)
Jason Mewes (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back)
Mike Myers (Austin Powers, Wayne's World, Shrek, even the Cat in the Hat)
Frank Oz (The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones)
Rob Schneider (The Waterboy, The Hot Chick, 50 First Dates, Big Daddy)
Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back)
Ben Stiller (Zoolander, Mystery Men)
Peter Stormare (Armageddon)
John Turturro (The Big Lebowski, Secret Window)
Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire, Death to Smoochy, One Hour Photo)

[Deadmanisalive]

One name


Bruce " the man" Campbell (* Ash "Evil Dead series", Elvis "Bubba HoTep" *)


ask yourself one question

WWBD

and what is WWBD you ask??? its simple, 4 words to live by.


What
Would
Bruce
Do


;D

[Heineken Skywalker]

Good topic. Some of my favorite character actors:

Vincent Schiavelli (FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, GHOST, AMADEUS)
Christopher Lloyd (BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY, ROGER RABBIT, ADDAMS FAMILY, TAXI)
Steve Buscemi (RESERVOIR DOGS, FARGO, GHOST WORLD, MONSTERS INC.)
William H. Macy (FARGO, SEABISCUIT, PLEASANTVILLE, AIR FORCE ONE)
Alan Rickman (DIE HARD, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, HARRY POTTER)
Gary Oldman (DRACULA, SID & NANCY, JFK, TRUE ROMANCE, LEON: THE PROFFESIONAL)
Tim Roth (RESERVOIR DOGS, PLANET OF THE APES, PULP FICTION, ROB ROY)
Bruce Campbell (EVIL DEAD TRILOGY, BRISCO COUNTY JR., FARGO, ESCAPE FROM L.A., THE MAJESTIC, SPIDER-MAN)

[LivingDeadGirl]

Michael Madsen
King Bruce
Tom Sizemore
Steve Buscemi
Vincent D'Onoffrio
Ed Harris
Wiliam H. Macy
Alan Rickman
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
David Morse
Chris Cooper
Charles S. Dutton

just to name a few...

[LeoMcGarry]

I don't know if I would agree with all of Smitty's guys being character actors (Johnny Depp?), not to say they aren't talented.

Bruce Campbell, Michael Madsen and Vincent Schiavelli are ultra-cool too.

I'd also like to add to my above list John Amos, Steven Williams, Terry O'Quinn, Joe Morton, Robbie Coltrane, and Robert Carlyle.

[Heineken Skywalker]

LeoMcGarry said:

I don't know if I would agree with all of Smitty's guys being character actors (Johnny Depp?), not to say they aren't talented.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Johnny Depp, Jim Caviezel, Jennifer Lopez?
Jason Mewes?? He's only played Jay. And, except for his cameo in DAREDEVIL, his buddy Kevin has only played Silent Bob.
And a couple of those guys could be "character actors" if they weren't so well known. ie: Mike Myers, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller.
To me, a character actor is usually not a household name. They are those actors that people see in movies all the time in supporting roles as sidekicks, villains, buddies, comic relief, etc. Viewers know they've seen them before, but usually can't think of their name, if they've ever known it at all. They very seldom play the leading man or woman.

[LivingDeadGirl]

Terry O'Quinn...wasn't he in Young Guns?

[LeoMcGarry]

livingdeadgirl said:

Terry O'Quinn...wasn't he in Young Guns?

I think so, though I'm familiar with him through "The X-Files Movie" and "The West Wing", where he's the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (since John Amos was killed off).

[LivingDeadGirl]

He was also ina movie playing a killer or something, can't remember the name of the movie. Watched it yrs. ago.

[LivingDeadGirl]

I would also add Miguel Ferrer (The Stand, The Nightflyer) to my list.

[Heineken Skywalker]

livingdeadgirl said:

He was also ina movie playing a killer or something, can't remember the name of the movie. Watched it yrs. ago.

I think you're thinking of THE STEPFATHER. Never actually saw it myself, but I know he starred in it and its sequel.

[LivingDeadGirl]

Yeah, that's it. Saw the first one, didn't see the sequel.

[Deadmanisalive]

I saw all 3 of them, I like the Stepfather series quit a bit. But I can't find them anywheres these days .

[LivingDeadGirl]

Yet another addition to my list would be William Forsythe (Stone Cold, Gotti, The Rock, Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead, Untouchables tv series). Been a fan of his since I saw him in Stone Cold yrs. ago.