OK. So I don’t blog for a week. More than a week. Now I am home for Saturday night, writing, sitting around, reading old movie reviews at RogerEbert.com (which I very much recommend) and I thought of a good list post, so even though I just posted, I wanna start this one off. The list is one Happy will definitely appreciate – It’s the “That’s the Guy From” List, meaning a list of the character actors that we have seen a million times, but their names have never quite crossed into the public consciousness (based upon normal people’s knowledge, not yours, Happy).
So lets hit it.
1. Vincent Schiavelli - With that unmistakeable mug, the face of a corpse (he actually died this year), appearing in movies from Cuckoo’s Nest to Batman Returns to Better Off Dead.
2. Wallace Shawn - Best known as The Sicilian from The Princess Bride. "Never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line."
3. Henry Silva - Always the bad guy, in so many different cultures, too.
4. Alison Janney - A happy choice.
5. Tony Goldwyn - Shouldn't be on this list, too good an actor (and quite the acting coach as well, apparently.
6. Dan Hedaya - One of the top character actors over the past twenty five years. Made his mark first in Coen brothers movies and on Cheers, as Nick Tortelli.
7. Frank Whaley - Great in Swimming With Sharks, a personal fave. Also a good director, but number seven on the whose that guy list (no Its not a Madonna song).
14 comments:
Vincent Schiavelli (or the Ugly Vincent) is the only one that I know by name. Everyone else is just "That Guy. You know, THAT GUY from you know!" -- you'd have to see who I'm pointing at.
Dawn
You can simply specify the person by saying, the guy from "Particular Movie" or you can actually try to figure it out at imdb.com or otherwise.
Maybe this is too hard for the very reason you've said though.
I'm too lazy to do the imdb thing.
OK, not as commonly seen as Ugly Vincent, but the guy with the lisp from The Princess Bride. I've seen him (and heard his lithp) in a number of movies (i.e. Melinda and Melinda). I never know his name.
Fine. I'll look on imdb just so you don't think I'm talking about Christopher Guest (whose name I'd never forget -- I loved him most recently in For Your Consideration) or Mandy Patinkin (who I love just because). I'm talking about the lispy Wallace Shawn.
Wow. I don't think I ever knew his name.
Yeah, I knew who he was. He's a little above the That Guy thing for me, but I think he qualifies. He's in.
How about Henry Silva -- usually plays the "heavy" -- bad guy in a bunch of movies....
I also have to nominate Allison Janney as a That Girl -- I know she has won Emmy's and for that you will make her not available for this list - but prior to her being on TV - she was definitely a That Girl -- someone who was in a ton of movies - rarely in a leading roll - and was a good actress
OK, So henry silva is a great idea. No clue who Alison Janney is, so she must be a great choice too.
I really don't think that you're going to let this one make the list. He may only be a "That Guy!!!" for me.
Everytime I see him, I confuse him with Campbell Scott (they both have that same generic look, I guess) and I always say "It's that guy. I think. The one from Ghost. I think. Isn't it? Or is it the other guy (who is invariably Campbell Scott)."
Anyway...my other "That Guy!!!" is Tony Goldwyn.
My first thought was Vincent Schiavelli as well (I just watched Clueless for my billionth time...) How about Clea DuVall (always plays an outcast - "Can't Hardly Wait", "Faculty", "But I'm a Cheerleader", and eight zillion other movies, also was in the HBO series "Carnivale".)
Speaking of "Clueless", how about Dan Hedaya (he was Cher's dad) - always a hard*ss - in countless films and TV series ("Night at the Roxbury", "Shaft", "First Wives Club", "Nixon", etc., etc.
Dawn - Tony Goldwyn seems like a good choice. He is on.
Heidi - Clea DuVall seems to be too much of a leading lady. Gonna pass. But Den Hedaya is a great choice.
i offer frank whaley and bill nighy.
oh, and john c. reilly. no one knows his name.
Lozo
We can do Frank Whaley, I think the other two are over the line, particularly Chest Rockwell, er, I mean John Reilly.
How bout William Atherton - he was the epitome of smug asshole in the movies...Ghostbusters, Real Genius, Die Hard . . .
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