View Full Version : The Character Actor Appreciation thread
Festered
10-20-2008, 08:52 AM
No movie is complete without them. They’re those actors that conjure the line “Oh, that’s whats-his-face” from… the guys and gals that work in the trenches, giving a film it’s rich textures. The character actor- the people who get those Best Supporting awards at the Oscars.
Although rare, now, for them to become a star, once upon a time, they did it fairly often. Lon Chaney(Sr.) was one of the first, and most successful actors to cross over from the back-up trenches into stardom. Followed by Edward G. Robinson, Boris Karloff, and Humphrey Bogart.
But it wasn’t till after WWII, that a real explosion of great character actors emerged. Helped by the G.I. bill(which helped vets get work in the film industry) and the growing trend towards realism in films, Joe six-pack actors like Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Palance, Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen and others rose to stardom. Some of the great female supporting actresses of the day included Katherine Hepburn(the bulk of her career after the 40s), Bette Davis, Shelley Winters, Joan Crawford, and Angela Lansbury.
The trend of glossier, younger actors, today, has left somewhat of a void in this area, and there seems to be a generic look that makes distinction between star and support hard to tell. But still, a few slip between the cracks. Billy Bob Thornton, Tobin Bell, Kathy Bates, Robert Englund, R. Lee Ermey, Fred Dalton Thompson and Danny Trejo are some of the “newer” crop of pretty faces that have gone on to bigger and better things.
I’ve always liked Joe Don Baker, Borgnine, Lee Van Cleef, Palance, Bates, Thornton, Strother Martin, Jack Elam, L. Q. Jones, Bruce Dern, William Devane, Peter Boyle, Mario Brega and Roy Scheider in most anything, and usually pay more attention to the back-ups than the stars when watching a film.
Got any favorites?
urgeok2
10-20-2008, 08:55 AM
dick miller
Lance Henriksen
clu gallagher
gary busey
Michael Biehn
treat williams
bill paxton
steve buscemi
Geoffrey Lewis
Clint Walker
George Kennedy
Ben Johnson
Warren Oates
Bo Hopkins
the last three can all be found in The Wild Bunch
urgeok2
10-20-2008, 09:02 AM
Geoffrey Lewis
how did that goofy looking guy have such a hot looking daughter !
Festered
10-20-2008, 09:08 AM
Geoffrey Lewis
Clint Walker
George Kennedy
Ben Johnson
Warren Oates
Bo Hopkins
the last three can all be found in The Wild Bunch
Along with Emilio Fernandez, Alfonso Arau(please, cut de fuse) Edmond O'Brien.
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk111/serenacce/AAA/WBSIG75.gif
My sig on another forum.
Juliette Lewis......hot?
Paul Koslo
Don Stroud
John Saxon
10 points...what movie where they all in
urgeok2
10-20-2008, 09:20 AM
Paul Koslo
Don Stroud
John Saxon
10 points...what movie where they all in
i dont know who paul koslo is
i'd have to cheat with imdb to answer
Festered
10-20-2008, 09:25 AM
Paul Koslo
Don Stroud
John Saxon
10 points...what movie where they all in
Joe Kidd, piece of cake.
Joe Kidd, piece of cake.
the man gets 10 points....don't know what you're gonna do with them.
Paul Kolso use to be in many 70's action movies...usually playing the weasly character....he was in a lot of Charles Bronson movies
Dahlia
10-20-2008, 09:57 AM
Billy Drago. He's one of horror's top character actors.
neverending
10-20-2008, 10:11 AM
As I mentioned in another thread I've always loved Bill Hickey Jr., Roberts Blossom and Cynthia Stevenson.
Festered
10-20-2008, 11:12 AM
the man gets 10 points....don't know what you're gonna do with them.
Paul Kolso use to be in many 70's action movies...usually playing the weasly character....he was in a lot of Charles Bronson movies
Was he that blonde headed guy with the bad combover? Don't forget the Vint brothers.
I'll be spending those points on candy.
Elvis_Christ
10-20-2008, 03:56 PM
Richard Lynch!
Was he that blonde headed guy with the bad combover? Don't forget the Vint brothers.
I'll be spending those points on candy.
http://www.thelin.net/laurent/cinema/films/tt0068768/37918.jpg
not a lot of pictures of him on the web
ChronoGrl
10-20-2008, 05:10 PM
The first person who comes to my mind when I hear the phrase character actor is Steve Buscemi. He's been mentioned, and with good reason. He is a brilliant supporting actor, from small parts in Billy Madison and Desperado to larger supporting roles in Fargo and Ghost World, he is distinctive and evokes a visceral response from the audience... And, quite frankly, the dude can act.
He's already been mentioned, but I think that John Saxon is absolutely brilliant. Even though it's not one of my favorite movies, his role in Tenebre was incredibly well-crafted. I also think that he was unforgettable in one of my favorite horror movies of all time, Black Christmas. He's a badass. He's a noir detective. And he's an everyman... And he does it quite well.
One of my absolute favorite character actors EVER (who's mostly employed because - let's face it he's funny looking) is Michael Berryman, the lead mutant in the original Hills Have Eyes and who pops up now and then to make a nod to the exploitation genre (like in Penny Dreadful or The Devil's Rejects). Talk about a memorable actor.
I also think in terms of rising character actor we have Sid Haig who gave memorable performances in House of a Thousand Corpses and Devil's Rejects and who pops up occasionally in smaller supporting roles.
In terms of more classic character actors, there's the iconic Peter Lorre and Vincent Price just to name a couple, but I believe that we were looking for modern character actors?
Elvis_Christ
10-20-2008, 05:44 PM
Sid Haig is great in Spider Baby. Loved his sleazy preformances in all the WIP flicks too.
Dahlia
10-20-2008, 05:53 PM
Oh wow, I love Steve Buscemi. I used to know his cousin and tried so hard to get an introduction. Being on the opposite coast didn't help matters.
Festered
10-20-2008, 06:05 PM
I also think in terms of rising character actor we have Sid Haig who gave memorable performances in House of a Thousand Corpses and Devil's Rejects and who pops up occasionally in smaller supporting roles.
Sid's been chugging along since the seventies, and what he's got going now, well that's probably as good as it gets. Unfortunately, he could give Rondo Hatton a run for his money in the looks department, which kinda limits his range of roles. But he is always fun to watch.
BTW newb, it's hard to tell if that's him with that hat on. I couldn't find a decent pic either, but I think he was in Mr. Majestyk.
Sid's been chugging along since the seventies, and what he's got going now, well that's probably as good as it gets. Unfortunately, he could give Rondo Hatton a run for his money in the looks department, which kinda limits his range of roles. But he is always fun to watch.
BTW newb, it's hard to tell if that's him with that hat on. I couldn't find a decent pic either, but I think he was in Mr. Majestyk.
He was..........
Doc Faustus
10-20-2008, 07:37 PM
Donald Pleasence first of all. Peter Lorre, George Sanders, Claude Rains, John Turturro and Dick Miller are my favorites. Also Jack Nance and Brad Dourif.
Festered
10-21-2008, 06:04 AM
As I mentioned in another thread I've always loved Bill Hickey Jr., Roberts Blossom and Cynthia Stevenson.
Do you remember the part Hickey had in The Boston Strangler, a pervert suspect who sleeps on bare wire bed springs? Shades of DaVinci Code. Never really noticed the guy till he got nominated for Prizzi's Honor.
ChronoGrl
10-21-2008, 06:14 AM
Donald Pleasence first of all. Peter Lorre, George Sanders, Claude Rains, John Turturro and Dick Miller are my favorites. Also Jack Nance and Brad Dourif.
Ack!!!
How could I forget my dear Dr. Loomis?!?!?! That was a total mea culpa - I LOVE Donald Pleasense. I would actually rank him above all that I have previous mentioned.
Followed by John Turturro.
neverending
10-21-2008, 07:22 AM
Do you remember the part Hickey had in The Boston Strangler, a pervert suspect who sleeps on bare wire bed springs? Shades of DaVinci Code. Never really noticed the guy till he got nominated for Prizzi's Honor.
I actually DON'T remember that part! I saw him first in a NET (National Educational Television - the forerunner of PBS) production called "Between Time & Timbuktu- a compendium of Kurt Vonnegut plots thrown together in one story. Hickey played boy inventor Stoney Stevenson, who wins a breakfast food jingle contest. His prize is a trip through the cronosynclastic infedebulum- Vonnegut's version of a space/time warp. Stoney is shot into space and lands on several different worlds, each with a different Vonnegut plot going on. Kevin McCarthy appears as Bokkonon in one, and memorable appearances are made by Bob & Ray as mission control, trying to remember the first words said by man on the moon.
After that, Hickey amazed me as Looseleaf Harper in Happy Birthday Wanda June- so much I desperately wanted to play the part. I never got a chance. After that he always seemed to show up in small parts- the drunk in the bar in The Producers, the uncle in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation who sets the tree on fire. It wasn't until Prizzi's honor that the public in general became acquainted with his unique quality.
neverending
10-21-2008, 07:26 AM
Another couple favorites of mine would be Harry Dean Stanton and Patrick Magee.
I first noticed Stanton in Paris, Texas. That role still blows me away.
Most will remember Magee as the writer in Clockwork Orange. I first saw him in the film version of The Royal Shakespear Company's production of Marat/Sade. I've been in Marat/Sade twice, but never got to play de Sade. He also has a nice role in Luther.
Festered
10-21-2008, 09:49 AM
Another couple favorites of mine would be Harry Dean Stanton and Patrick Magee.
I first noticed Stanton in Paris, Texas. That role still blows me away.
Most will remember Magee as the writer in Clockwork Orange. I first saw him in the film version of The Royal Shakespear Company's production of Marat/Sade. I've been in Marat/Sade twice, but never got to play de Sade. He also has a nice role in Luther.
I always liked Stanton in The Black Marble, playing an exasperated dognapper. His little bit in The Green Mile was easily one of the best parts. Catch some early Magee in Zulu. And strange you should mention Marat/Sade as I was thinking of doing a piece about it.
BTW, that Hickey part will blow you away with how young he looks. Like Walter Brennan, he seemed to be an old man all his life.