Hollywood film "Cliques" - Mamet, Christopher Guest films, etc

[kid a]

Watched "State and Main" last night - Funny film!
I noticed some of the same actors from Mamets other films "Spanish Prisoner" and "House of Games"

Christopher Guest uses repeated actors in his mockumentaries, "Guffman", "Spinal Tap", "Best in Show"

Are there any other hollywood "cliques" - Same director, actors, etc.?

Woody Allen
early John Hughes

[Shakespeare]

1. The "frat pack"

"The core members of the Frat Pack are Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, and Owen and Luke Wilson, Jack Black, and Steve Carell."

They even have a fan site:

http://www.the-frat-pack.com/

[yvr girl]

2. George Clooney and friends

Ocean's Eleven etc. Clooney has done a bunch of films with Soderbergh. Many of the cast have been in other movies together as well.

[ghostsofgiants]

3. David Lynch likes to use a lot of the same actors...

Laura Dern, Kyle McLachlan, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack Nance (when he was alive).

And more recently Laura Harring, Scott Coffey, Justin Thereaux and Naomi Watts.

[terrya]

4. Scorcese

Used DeNiro in many of his films, Joe Pesci in a couple.

[Kat45]

14. Don't forget Harvey Kietel--Scorcese used him a lot too.

One day I was thinking through his films to try to figure out which actor he used more: DeNiro or Kietel. I forget which one it was, but they were both in a number of them.

[Sufi Marmot]

5. Hal Hartley...

has often used the same actors in multiple films. Martin Donovan and Elina Lowhensohn come immediately to mind and I think there are others too...

[LouisianaLiberal]

6. The Cohn brothers

John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, the Swedish guy (maybe German - can't remember his name) and the woman who played the Sheriff in Fargo. Can't remember her name.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

9. Frances McDormand - she's married to Joel Coen nt

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

19. And the great John Turturro.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

7. Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks

[Twillig]

8. Clint Eastwood films

He has 'used' the same actors in many different films (and not just Sandra Locke!)

Geoffrey Lewis, John Vernon, H. Gaurdino it goes on and on.

[grace0418]

10. Wes Anderson likes to use a lot of the same actors

in Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic, etc.

Owen Wilson
Luke Wilson
Bill Murray
Angelica Huston
Kumar Pallana

[Jade Fox]

11. Michael Mann used a lot of the same actors....

in the minor roles.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

12. P.T. Anderson uses the same actors.

[blondeatlast]

13. Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn,

Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Kenneth Mars, Liam Dunn (Blazing Saddles--"We'll take the n------, but NO Irish!"), ad infinitum.

[Ron Green]

15. John Sayles uses some of the same actors

David Strathairn, Chris Cooper off the top of my head.

[Blue Belle]

16. Kevin Smith uses the same people...

Jason Lee
Matt Damon
Ben Affleck
Joey Lauren Adams
Jason Mewes
Casey Affleck
and of course... Kevin Smith (usually as Silent Bob)

[AngryAmish]

17. Rob Urchill does it too

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

18. Scorcese/Deniro. Tim Burton/Johnny Depp. Etc.

Almost all top directors will have some actors that are "regular" with them, it makes sense, if they have trust and a good working relationship.