# Best character actor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-character-actor/651391>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 26, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-character-actor/651391 "2013-02-26T00:22:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jack\_tardiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jack\_tardiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_tardiff)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-character-actor/651391/1 "2013-02-26T00:22:47Z")

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Timothy Carey or Thelma Ritter. Or you suck. Choose or face the consequences. And discuss.

I vote Thelma Ritter for one flick, the Sam Fuller one.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-character-actor/651391/2 "2013-02-26T01:22:11Z")

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Thelma by a wide margin. She was great in her very first (uncredited) appearance in **Miracle of 34th Street** and could be counted on to give a great performance every single time. And six Oscar nominations ain’t chopped liver, even though the Academy never gave her a win.