Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
What's His Face: Ten Great Character Actors
January 18th 2010 15:12
by Matt Shea and Toby Fleming
Toby Fleming is a guest writer on 20/20 Filmsight. When he isn’t slipping a bandanna round his head and living vicariously through 'First Blood: Parts I & II', Toby’s busy tinkering with his own screenplays and boring people to death about the virtues of pressure-plunged coffee. He may prefer Ridley, but still appreciates Tony.
You know them, but you can’t always place them. They’re the cops, criminals, junkies, freaks and geeks who fill out your favourite films. While the stars walk the red carpet, these ladies and gentlemen stay at home and practice their lines over stewed coffee and stale cigarettes. Not that they mind – they’re in the game for the love of it.
And it’s that love we at 20/20 Filmsight have tried to emulate by naming some of our favourite character actors. Matt Shea and guest writer Toby Fleming sat down to argue about ten fantastic players – their names as well as their work – and now present this humble list of film’s great grafters.
aClifton Collins Jr.
One of the most versatile young actors doing the rounds today, Clifton Collins Jr. doesn’t approach his profession lightly, being barely recognisable from one role to the next. A rising profile has seen bigger and better films come his way in recent times (Capote, Star Trek), but Collins Jr. remains virtually unrecognisable as a real person, his dedication to the craft being a sublime bonus for any film he appears in.
Essential Work: Sunshine Cleaning is a film stacked with great performances, but it’s Collins Jr.’s turn as a one-armed, model-making store clerk that quietly steals the show.
aGeorge Dzundza
Dzundza is someone your subconscious probably associates with the neighbourhood bakery or municipal library, but once you’ve patched that name to that face, half your film collection will chime with familiarity (Basic Instinct, No Way Out). Dzundza started off treading the boards like any great character actor, and while his heft and natural timing saw him drift towards television comedy, it also left neglected a fearsome intensity that is one of the most underutilised in the film business.
Essential work: Without doubt his turn as Commander Daskal in The Beast. Dzundza shed the pounds for the role and created one of the most memorable sociopaths in modern cinema memory.
aKeith David
In the schoolyard, Keith David wouldn’t be the funny kid or the bully kid. He’d be the guy who’d make you laugh and then flush your face down the toilet – it’s all about versatility. David made a name for himself early in his career for playing the tough guy, being a particular favourite of John Carpenter (The Thing, They Live), before illustrating an equally fine talent for comedy(There’s Something About Mary) and voice acting(Coraline,The Princess and the Frog).
Essential work: David’s first role is still one of his best, when he provided a glowering counterpoint to Kurt Russell’s MacReady in The Thing.
aCarrie Preston
While last year’s Duplicity died a disinterested death at the point of Clive Owen and Julia Robert’s never ending dialogue, somewhere in the background was Carrie Preston, quietly stealing away her scenes from the bigger, brassier accompaniment. And it’s something Preston has made a habit out of recently, popping up in a diverse array of quality films in the last few years, including Transamerica, Doubt and That Evening Sun.
Essential Work: Despite her wealth of recent feature work, the best role to see Preston in at the moment is that of ditzy waitress Darlene in the deep south set vampire serial, True Blood.
aRoy Billing
For Australian and New Zealand audiences, Roy Billing is like the uncle in the black and white family photographs that you’ve never met – his face is so recognisable, and yet nearly nobody knows who he really is. Billing started his career in advertising in New Zealand before jumping over to Australian film and television in the late 80s and early 90s, climbing from bit parts to juicy roles by the end of the last decade.
Essential Work: When it comes to highlights for Billing, it’s hard to go past his turn as a media-obsessed small town mayor in The Dish.
aLaura Linney
Three times Academy Award nominated actress Laura Linney has been a solid performer for over twenty years. Her breakthrough role came in The Truman Show as Jim Carrey’s wife. It was in the naughties that she came into her own, being nominated for Best Actress in 2000 for her role in You Can Count on Me. Her unaffected beauty often belies the strength and complexity of the characters she portrays.
Essential Work: Her role as the flinty matriarch of a family in devestation in Mystic River.
aWilliam Fichtner
Starting in TV soaps in the late eighties, Fichtner soon turned his hand to the world of film, appearing in blockbusters Contact, Heat and Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down. He earned a SAG award for Best Acting In Ensemble for his part in Crash. It should also be noted that his unique vocal talents have been utilised to voice the character of Ken Rosenberg in the Gand Theft Auto video game franchise.
Essential Work: As the sleazy, rat-faced money launderer Roger Van Zant in Michael Mann’s Heat, a total underestimation of the situation leads to an inglorious end.
aWes Studi
It’s unsurprising that Wes Studi made his film breakthrough playing American Indian warriors (Dances With Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans): the full-blooded Cherokee actor has a face like a worn-out Moccasin and brings a granite-like counterpoint to those he shares the screen with. His natural ability to embody the stern and fearless warrior could perhaps be attributed to his own experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War, but it would be a mistake to typecast Studi: he also possesses impressive comic timing (Mystery Men) and appears on the stage as regularly as he appears on the screen.
Essential Work: His role as Magua in The Last of the Mohicans would have soley been responsible for an upswing in buckskin sales the year of it’s release.
aRonny Cox
Singer, songwriter and actor Ronny Cox’s debut came in Deliverance. He is truly a character actor who when pointed out is invariably met with the utterance, “…. Oh, that guy!” having been the tough but fair authority figure in Beverley Hills Cop I & II and futuristic sinister company executives in Total Recall and Robocop ( “ I give you.. Ed 209” ). Cox still continues with his first true love of music, appearing at many folk festivals etc. every year.
Essential Work: Has to be his role in Deliverance and part in the ‘Dueling Banjos’ sequence, giving the world a standard musical cue for indicating inbreds and indeed all those of sub par intelligence.
aHope Davis
Making her Debut in Joel Schumacher’s Flatliners as William Baldwin’s fiancé, Davis went on to become a cardigan sweetheart, appearing in The Daytrippers with Live Schrieber and that other darling of the indie world, Parker Posie, while also finding critical success in Next Stop Wonderland. Most would however know her from her role opposite Paul Giamatti’s Harvey Pekar as his wife Joyce Brabner in American Splendor.
Essential Work: Her portrayal of the homely Joyce Brabner in American Splendor is a triumph, especially considering she was sharing the role with the real Joyce Brabner!
*This picture is from Celebrity Pictures
*This image is from AllMoviePhoto
*This image is from Pop Entertainment
*This image is from The Official John Carpenter
*This image is from SciFiAndTvTalk's Blog
*This image is from Mirror Mirror
*This image is from The Somewhere In... Blog
*This image is from Rtliih2AMmd
*This image is from Jubilee
*This image is from Cinema is Dope
*This image is from Ace Show Biz
Toby Fleming is a guest writer on 20/20 Filmsight. When he isn’t slipping a bandanna round his head and living vicariously through 'First Blood: Parts I & II', Toby’s busy tinkering with his own screenplays and boring people to death about the virtues of pressure-plunged coffee. He may prefer Ridley, but still appreciates Tony.
You know them, but you can’t always place them. They’re the cops, criminals, junkies, freaks and geeks who fill out your favourite films. While the stars walk the red carpet, these ladies and gentlemen stay at home and practice their lines over stewed coffee and stale cigarettes. Not that they mind – they’re in the game for the love of it.
And it’s that love we at 20/20 Filmsight have tried to emulate by naming some of our favourite character actors. Matt Shea and guest writer Toby Fleming sat down to argue about ten fantastic players – their names as well as their work – and now present this humble list of film’s great grafters.
aClifton Collins Jr.
Essential Work: Sunshine Cleaning is a film stacked with great performances, but it’s Collins Jr.’s turn as a one-armed, model-making store clerk that quietly steals the show.
aGeorge Dzundza
Essential work: Without doubt his turn as Commander Daskal in The Beast. Dzundza shed the pounds for the role and created one of the most memorable sociopaths in modern cinema memory.
aKeith David
Essential work: David’s first role is still one of his best, when he provided a glowering counterpoint to Kurt Russell’s MacReady in The Thing.
aCarrie Preston
Essential Work: Despite her wealth of recent feature work, the best role to see Preston in at the moment is that of ditzy waitress Darlene in the deep south set vampire serial, True Blood.
aRoy Billing
Essential Work: When it comes to highlights for Billing, it’s hard to go past his turn as a media-obsessed small town mayor in The Dish.
aLaura Linney
Essential Work: Her role as the flinty matriarch of a family in devestation in Mystic River.
aWilliam Fichtner
Essential Work: As the sleazy, rat-faced money launderer Roger Van Zant in Michael Mann’s Heat, a total underestimation of the situation leads to an inglorious end.
aWes Studi
Essential Work: His role as Magua in The Last of the Mohicans would have soley been responsible for an upswing in buckskin sales the year of it’s release.
aRonny Cox
Essential Work: Has to be his role in Deliverance and part in the ‘Dueling Banjos’ sequence, giving the world a standard musical cue for indicating inbreds and indeed all those of sub par intelligence.
aHope Davis
Essential Work: Her portrayal of the homely Joyce Brabner in American Splendor is a triumph, especially considering she was sharing the role with the real Joyce Brabner!
*This picture is from Celebrity Pictures
*This image is from AllMoviePhoto
*This image is from Pop Entertainment
*This image is from The Official John Carpenter
*This image is from SciFiAndTvTalk's Blog
*This image is from Mirror Mirror
*This image is from The Somewhere In... Blog
*This image is from Rtliih2AMmd
*This image is from Jubilee
*This image is from Cinema is Dope
*This image is from Ace Show Biz
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Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Clifton Collins was great in Traffic... probably my favourite of his roles. And Roy Billing rules, props for singling him out.
My favourite William Fichtner role is in Go... he's hilarious.
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Collins Jr: I'd almost completely forgotten about Traffic, but great mention. You just see him everywhere these days, but he's always playing a completely different part.
Yeah, Billing is great, and I think he's actually got a big role in the next Narnia film!
As for Fichtner: he's totally underrated. The 'bed' scene in Go is indeed a classic.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
My other favourite character actors include:
J.T. Walsh
Brad Dourif
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Tom Waits
and four favourite leading men who happen to be brilliant character actors: Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp, and Christian Bale.
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
these actors, though they may not be pulling big paychecks, have an impressive body of work!
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
In most cases these are the guys who genuinely deserve a-list status for their skills. More often than not making those around them look better.
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight