Who is your favorite character actor, and why?

[dixiegrrrrl]

Past or present.
These are the people, male or female, who showed in quite a few films, in a supportive role, perhaps,
sometimes memorably, and who occasionally could steal the show, like Claude Rains often did.
Yet never quite made the starring roles, even the B spot.

As a kid, I liked Claude Atkins.


and Aldo Ray...don't ask me why...

[A-Schwarzenegger]

1. Warren Oates.

Just because.

[Tikki]

4. One of my favorites, also.

And Albert Salmi...RIP



Tikki

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Ohhh..I hd forgotten about him. Yes!!!!!

[Doc_Technical]

2. Martin Balsam

He could do drama and comedy.
Look at the films he was in.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000842/

[Captain Hilts]

8. Great in The Bedford Incident. nt

[Maccagirl]

11. Did you know he was George Clooney's father-in-law

when Clooney was married to Talia Balsam for about 5 years?

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Really?

Wow...imagine being able to talk to Balsam about acting.

[Auggie]

53. +1

[Tikki]

3. Stanley Kamel....

(1943-2008) RIP

Maybe, you all know of his work as the psychiatrist on MONK.

Stanley worked for over 40 decades in the movies and television. Back in the early
1970's he was a staple in those made-for-television movies of the week.

He often would portray a thug in one movie and then follow up soon after as the
leading man's sidekick.

He certainly brought convincing character to his roles...and I miss seeing him in anything new...
but, boy oh boy he is there in re-reuns aplenty.


Tikki

[Swede]

6. 40 decades? Was he a frikkin' vampire?

:shrug:

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. He sounds very dedicated to his craft, eh?

[MiddleFingerMom]

10. I CAN'T EAT JUST ONE!!!!!

.
Peter Boyle - for "Young Frankenstein" and "Steelyard Blues"
.
Ned Beatty - for his purty mouth
.
Sam Elliott - if the man were nothing but a mustache and a voice,
he would still be near the top of the list
.
Teri Garr - for the bee-hived, white go-go-booted waitress in "After
Hours" and because David Letterman once introduced her
as "the best-smelling actress in Hollywood"
.
Walter Brennan - for everything
.
John Lithgow - for the ex-Philadelphia Eagle transsexual bodyguard
in "The World According to Garp"
.
Parley Baer - Chester on the radio show "Gunsmoke"
.
William Macy - for everything
.
Nancy Marchand - for being the strong proto-cougar inspiration
.
Will Geer - for the mountain man griz-hunter in "Jeremiah Johnson"
.
Gary Oldman - for the over-the-top, over-the-edge cop in "Leon" and
the white one-eyed pimp/dealer in "True Romance"
.
Steve Buscemi - for everything
.
Will Sampson - for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (his FIRST role!!!)
.
Harry Dean Stanton - for "Repo Man" and the incredible but never-ever
seen "Stars & Bars" with Daniel Day Lewis -- which
.
Spalding Gray - also for "Stars & Bars" where he plays the fundie minister
who's groping the leg of the teen sitting beside him while he gives the blessing
for the meal -- she grabs his balls in an ever-increasing vise grip that's one
of the funniest scenes EVER
.
M. Emmett Walsh - for everything but especially the sleazy P.I in the
Coen Brothers second film "Blood Simple"
.
Jack Elam and Marty Feldman - for giving us exceptional stinkeyes
.
Minnie Driver -- for "Circle of Friends"
.
Edie McClurg - for "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
.

[KamaAina]

13. More props for Teri Garr

who has MS, and has written a book titled "Does This Wheelchair Make Me Look Fat?"! :rofl: :loveya:

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Than you for reminding me of Ned Beatty.

He is at the top of the current crop of character actors, and occasionally one finds him in a little gem.
Excellent ACTOR. I love watching him.

[Demoiselle]

22. Your list is great..but don't forget Jane Lynch and Charles Durning..

[Tikki]

18. OK, 40 years...geeze..

Tikki

[Swede]

21. Just goofin' around.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Richard Widmark was a character actor that got leads....I like him a lot. nt

[sarge43]

12. Two: Ian Holm and Hugo Weaving

Both have impressive resumes and always give value for money.

[jobycom]

27. Hugo Weaving!

He's in some of the biggest movies ever and no one knows his name.

[sarge43]

36. I don't think he wants name recognition, at least beyond the

casting agencies. He has more choices without it. I mean really, Agent Smith and Mitzi Del Bra, what character acting pro wouldn't kill to have a shot at that stretch. Plus, he can work in all the media, theater (his first love), voice acting, TV and films.

[jobycom]

46. Sounds plausible. He even wore a mask in "V for Vendetta."

He's done such memorable roles that it's hard to believe he stays so anonymous.

[Bertha Venation]

49. . . . . one of the leads in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" ?

If that's him . . . I LOVE him.

[sarge43]

51. It is. Young Anthony aka Mitzi

I love him, too. He was adorable in that role.

[Pullya Pudov]

52. Speaking of Hugo...

"Welcome to Rivendell....Mr. Baggins!"
- Agent Elrond Smith

[Bennyboy]

14. Ned Beatty....

Love him everything ever. Not to mention his name is similar to mine....

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. Just thought of another one I much like....Bob Hoskins.

[arcadian]

19. I like Michael Emerson a lot right now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. Dupe..have no clue why.

[AsahinaKimi]

23. Dina Meyer

[pokerfan]

24. Vincent Schiavelli

He was always great in anything I saw him in.


(1948 - 2005)

[MiddleFingerMom]

31. Completely agree.

.
I had intended to include him in my list and simply forgot.
.
While not his first role, one of his very early roles was, like
Will Sampson, in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (along with
other first-time performers Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito).
.
All but Sampson from that film showed up on "Taxi" -- Schiavelli
to a lesser extent as an occasional minister character.
.
His face always reminded me of the voices of performers like Lou
Reed, Johnny Cash, and Randy Newman -- conventionally unattractive,
yet compelling and fascinating.
.

[Bertha Venation]

50. in everything he did he was completely believable

There was no Vincent - there was only the character he portrayed. Not explaining myself very well. Do you know what I mean?

[Skittles]

25. Will Patton

he's delicious!

[MiddleFingerMom]

26. He starred in a great, VERY hard-to-find movie...

.
...with Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith from "Cheers" and "Frasier) and Robert
Pastorelli (the omnipresent housepainter from "Murphy Brown) called
"The Paint Job" -- a serial killer comedy/thriller with one of the
most vividly colorful fight scenes that will probably ever be made.
.
I HIGHLY recommend it.
.

[jobycom]

28. Yeah, great movie. nt

[Skittles]

29. WOW

why is it so hard to find -was it a made for TV or something?

[MiddleFingerMom]

33. No clue.

.
Saw it on cable and never saw it available at chain video stores --
even our incredible independent video store (that used to order
virtually ANYTHING I requested to include in their offerings, failed
to get it. I don't use online or mail services (Netflix, etc) that
may be able to provide it at the push of a button.
.
If you can find it, git it!!!
.
Not a film-for-the-ages, perhaps - but weirdness/goodness worth the
effort.
.

[jobycom]

30. Harry Dean Stanton. David Morse. The late great JT Walsh. Kevin McNally. nt

[EndersDame]

32. Peter Lorre and Steve Buscemi (who I believe is his secret love child)

[Zomby Woof]

34. I really like J.K. Simmons

[Iggo]

35. Lately, it's Jane Lynch.

She's really nailed it down in recent years with her TV work on Christine, 2.5 Men, and Glee.

[peekaloo]

37. She was Jerry Espensen's sex surrogate in a few eps of 'Boston Legal', too.

played for laughs and drama. :thumbsup:

[Bennyboy]

40. My current fave....

Love her. on 2 1/2 men she is hilarious....

[MissMillie]

38. I think for me these days it's Chris Cooper

A Time to Kill
Adaptation
Seabiscuit
American Beauty
October Sky
Capote


He's just brilliant at everything he does.

[bif]

39. Al Pacino

He's basically built a career out of playing one role..

[blogslut]

41. I dig character actors

So many wonderful ones mentioned here already. I'll just add one more to the list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_Heckart">Eileen Heckart

[Gidney N Cloyd]

42. Eli Wallach

[Z_I_Peevey]

43. This guy.

Burt Mustin.

Because his delivery of a punchline on the Tonight Show nearly levelled Johnny Carson. And because he reminds me of several of my ancient kinfolk.

[Deep13]

44. Christopher Walken.

He's the patron saint of cow bells.

[sarge43]

45. I like Mike Nelson's critique

He could play the Dahlia Lama and appear ready to snap. He always brings an edge to his characters.

[MiddleFingerMom]

47. How could I have forgotten HIM?

.
Although I thought of him in passing when I mentioned Gary Oldman and "True Romance"
.
The scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper is, in my not-so-humble opinion,
one of the finest in the history of film.
.

.

[Bertha Venation]

48. Oscar-winner Linda Hunt

Many of you know her from "Boston Legal" or the new "NCIS Los Angeles."

She's the only actor to win an Oscar for portraying a member of the opposite sex (not a transvestite).

as Billy Kwan in "The Year of Living Dangerously."

Linda Hunt rocks.