Favorite Character Actor/Actress? Name 'em!

[QueenOfCalifornia]

These people are always there, making a movie or TV show richer and more colorful. Name your favorites!

A few of mine:
Brad Dourif - (Most well known as Billy Bibbit, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)
Jack Warden
Gary Marshall
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
William H. Macy
Teri Garr
Harry Dean Stanton
Rip Torn
Gary Oldman
Julie Kavner
Louise Lasser

[momophile]

1. I guess I don't know what a "character actor" is

what does that mean?

[TheBaldyMan]

2. ugly n/t

[QueenOfCalifornia]

4. ?.....

Huh?

[TheBaldyMan]

13. too ugly to play the romantic lead n/t

[QueenOfCalifornia]

3. It is

the supporting cast -

The background that makes it happen....

Like Jack Warden in Shampoo....

Or William H. Macy in Fargo

[Starbucks Anarchist]

10. An actor known more for his roles instead of his celebrity.

Usually, they are less than conventionally attractive and/or are part of the supporting cast. They also tend to play a certain type of role/character repeatedly.

They're usually people you've seen before, but sometimes can't place the name.

[Bennyboy]

5. Ned Beatty

William H Macy
Bill Macy
Tom Waits

[QueenOfCalifornia]

7. Ned

Is the best....

Squeal like a pig!


You got a pertty mouth....

[Starbucks Anarchist]

12. Network, of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AI8mC8XucY

[mcscajun]

34. Ned Beatty, absolutely.

Will watch him in anything, anytime.

This clip from "Network" was his finest moment, IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AI8mC8XucY

Loved him in "Superman", also.

[bridgit]

6. no...

:P

[rakeeb]

8. from your list

definitely Will Macy, but moreso in the last 7 or 8 years Paul Giamatti. Brilliant in the character actor realm.

Gary Oldman I would consider equally brilliant in lead or character in that when he is the lead role, he transforms so well you forget it's him, from Sid Vicious to Beethoven, I can't think of another actor who so completely transforms to the role.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

9. but what about....

women?

Can You think of any?

[rakeeb]

16. good question, you caught me still trying to think of them,

Debra jo Rupp and Edie McClurg are the two that in my mind keep showing up in the most memorable character roles to me.

[mitchum]

25. Debi Mazur

[Gidney N Cloyd]

27. Bonnie Hunt? Joan Cusack? nt

[CBHagman]

40. Of course we can!

No list of character actors is complete without...

THELMA RITTER! :woohoo:


And of course Edna May Oliver. Don't you dare mess with her.


In current cinema/TV/theater:

Conchata Ferrell


Maggie Smith


Judi Dench


Sophie Thompson

[QueenOfCalifornia]

41. wow!

very good!

I love all of these....

[rucky]

11. Wallace Shawn

Fred willard
Rip Torn for sure
does Dennis Hopper count?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

14. Yes, I think

Hopper counts.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. The best ever

[QueenOfCalifornia]

17. BTW

Congrats on your DUzy!

[Oeditpus Rex]

19. Thangya verra mush

I never thought a Python reference would get one because not everybody "gets it," y'know? :D









Oh, and...




Is.

:P

[mitchum]

26. Lorre is the ultimate scene-stealer...if he is onscreen, you can not take your eyes off...

of him. It doesn't matter who is sharing the shot with him.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

29. Remember him in

Arsenic and Old Lace?

[Oeditpus Rex]

33. You're right

I just realized that.

In "Casablanca," the only time I notice Bogart's even in a scene with him is when Rick says, "You're right, Ugarte. I am a little more impressed with you."

Then, of course, a few minutes later there's, "RICK! You MUST help me! Do SOMETHING! RICK!! RIIIIICK!!!" :D

And in "M," the film the photo's from, he was just magnificent.

[deucemagnet]

18. John C. Reilly n/t

[rakeeb]

21. good call,

the character actor with the long stage resume, and the added depth of a voice for musicals.

[rakeeb]

20. and because I am a fan,

I would have to add to the list Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. Steve does well in the support role every time, but in a smaller number of roles Peter has shown a broad range that stretches the definition of the character actor's career.

[yellowdogintexas]

22. Charles Durning! Stanley Tucci! William H Macy

I find it a bit harder with the female side will have to think on it although Maggie Smith who is a qualified lead actress and can do anything does some slam dunk character type roles as does Judi Dench.

[sarge43]

23. My two favorites

Ian Holm - incredible body of work

Hugo Weaving - Elrond, V, Agent Smith and Mitzi Del Bra to name just a few

[CBHagman]

44. Oh, Ian Holm.

We've all seen him in something.

[sarge43]

45. Ash, Alien

Damn, what a performance.

[mitchum]

24. Richard Deacon, JohnMcGiver, GD Spradlin, Warren Oates, LQ Jones...

are just a few of my favorite character actors

[FooFootheSnoo]

28. I like Joan Cusak

[QueenOfCalifornia]

30. I agree...

she is fabu!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

31. Mine:

Gary Oldman
William H. Macy
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Miguel Ferrer
Chris Cooper
Rip Torn
Kevin Pollak
James Cromwell

Lots of others I can't remember, including famous actors who also manage to play interesting characters, like Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall and Forest Whitaker.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

38. speaking of Gene Hackman.

I never thought that Gene Hackman would ever look sexually attractive, but when he's flirting with the woman he wants information from in "Mississippi Burning", yes, I can see how he could be attractive.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

39. Gaylord Sartain.

Escaped from Tulsa along with Gary Busey (They used to have a silly late night show in Tulsa called "The Uncanny Late Night Film Festival and Camp Revival with Mazeppa Pompazoide".)

Gaylord Sartain was in "The Buddy Holly Story" and "Mississippi Burning". He is also a very accomplished visual artist.

[gmoney]

32. Rip Torn rules...

"Arthur" on the Larry Sanders Show was amazing... so was "Bob Diamond" from "Defending Your Life"

[bigwillq]

35. Patricia Clarkson (nt)

[Arkham House]

36. Claude Rains

...no one--and I mean no one--took a screen away from Claude Rains, when he was in top form...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. Andrea Martin.

She was the weird aunt in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I remember when she was on Second City TV (Boy does that make me old. She and Eugene Levy were memorable there.)

[QueenOfCalifornia]

42. Alice Ghostly

She died last week or the week before...

[jmowreader]

43. How could we forget DU's favorite character actor?

[Pool Hall Ace]

46. Vincent Schiavelli and Anne Ramsey

:thumbsup:

[Shakespeare]

47. Gary Cole and Stephen Root.

(couldn't find a pic of Root from "O Brother, Where Art Thou," but he was GREAT in that, too).

[QueenOfCalifornia]

49. Root is a great charater actor

He really takes on the part full throttle-

Oh Brother is an all time fave of ours here

[Tripper11]

48. One of the consumate character actors of all time....

Cloris Leachman!!!

[NV Whino]

50. Strother Martin

"What we got here is a failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke. Many, many more films, but that one put him on the map. Great character actor.

William H. Macy
and his wife, Felicity Huffman

Philipe Seymour. So nice to see these "supporting actors" get lead rolls once in a while, such as Capote. Brilliant performance.

The Brits, Helen Mirren, Judy Dench, Cate Blanchette (Aussie) do lead and character equally well. In that vein, Alan Bates, Michael Cain and lest we forget the greatest of all--Lord Laurence Olivier.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

54. What we have here...

Is a failure to communicate.

[RushIsRot]

51. Gabby Hayes, Slim Pickens

[Dr. Strange]

52. For SNL: Phil Hartman n/t

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

53. Sylvia Sydney, though she's no longer with us

good in her youth in Fritz Lang films, but especially great in her elderly years as Juno in Beetlejuice and grandma in Mars Attacks

[QueenOfCalifornia]

55. Joseph Cotton

He was both a big name and a character actor.