# Bit parts when they were not so famous **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521 "2004-10-27T19:29:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/221 "2004-11-11T19:00:18Z")
Thought of another one. Since there are so many _Lord of the Rings_ fans here - Bilbo Baggins was played by **Ian Holm** who, many years ago, was Ash (the bad android who spewed milkblood) in the first _Alien_. Holm also played the Jewish runner’s controversial coach in _Chariots of Fire_ and the mean restauranteur in _Big Night_ (among dozens of roles; he’s been around for a while). ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/222 "2004-11-11T21:58:36Z")
i rember seeing samuel l jackson in exorcist III. he sure has put in his time in hollywood. also, patrick ewing is the angle of death in that movie. i remember seeing him at the end and thinking “that guy looks just like pat ewing”, and then thinking “it has to be pat ewing, no one else looks like that.” strange casting choice. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/223 "2004-11-11T22:06:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I saw an episode of “Just Shoot Me” with Dean Cain playing a guy who sleeps with Miya and then gets a job on the magazine. Actually, this was near the end of Just Shoot Me’s run, shot after Superman had ended. So Cain was pretty famous, although I use the term loosely. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/224 "2004-11-11T22:21:47Z")
In “The Fiddler on the Roof” movie, Perchek was played by a very pre-“Starsky & Hutch” Paul Michael Glasser. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/225 "2004-11-12T02:17:53Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > In _Ferris Bueller_ Sloane’s teacher (“In what waaaaay”) was played by **Del Close** , who was actually a well-known and influential teacher of improv in Chicago. When he died a few years ago, just about every famous Chicago actor you could name showed up to pay tribute. His skull was later used as a prop, I think it was in a local production of _Hamlet_, as per his wishes - so it could be said he’s the first actor to play Yorick. My sister interviewed Del just before he died, as part of a school project, & said he was quite a character. Damn! You beat me to this! I had the chance to share a stage during an improv show with Close several years before his death. It was like working with God. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/226 "2004-11-15T11:32:04Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > _Taps_ features Tom Cruise and Sean Penn as Timothy Hutton’s friends at the academy. While neither is exactly a “bit” role, it was the screen debut for both of them. If you wanna pick nits, IMDB has **Endless Love** listed as Cruise’s first role. However, both films were released in 1981, and it’s possible that **Taps** was in theaters before EL. Don’t know if anyone else remembers the Fox sitcom [South Central](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0108936/), but the mom in the show worked at a grocery store. Jennifer Lopez was one of her co-workers. Did anyone mention that Sylvester Stallone had a non-speaking role in the Woody Allen film **Bananas**? Mugger on Subway. A few years ago, a review of **Antz** remarked on how odd it was for Stallone and Allen to be in a film together. I emailed the correction, but never got an answer. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/227 "2004-11-29T23:21:44Z")
Just caught one. Diedrich Bader, who played Oswald on Drew Carey and is now on the that new John Goodman show, played a tactical officer in one episode of Star Trek:TNG. He also once played the leader of a 50s motorcycle gang in an episode of Quantum Leap. ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/228 "2004-11-30T00:17:16Z")
Caught another one here. Frances Conroy, Ruth in “Six Feet Under”, was one of Michael Caine’s con victims in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”. She is the lady that has dinner with Caine, and Steve Martin’s Prince Ruprect. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/229 "2004-11-30T00:37:29Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > Thought of another one. Since there are so many _Lord of the Rings_ fans here - Bilbo Baggins was played by **Ian Holm** who, many years ago, was Ash (the bad android who spewed milkblood) in the first _Alien_. Holm also played the Jewish runner’s controversial coach in _Chariots of Fire_ and the mean restauranteur in _Big Night_ (among dozens of roles; he’s been around for a while). Perusing IMDB: He’s played Dr. Frankenstein in two different movies, Napoleon in two different movies, and top Nazi’s in two different movies. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/230 "2004-11-30T00:39:06Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Perusing IMDB: He’s played Dr. Frankenstein in two different movies, Napoleon in two different movies, and top Nazi’s in two different movies. Weird. Wow. Make that Napoleon in THREE different movies. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/231 "2004-11-30T06:55:20Z")
Oliver Stone, in a Troma movie, [The Battle of Love’s Return](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0066814/) ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/232 "2005-08-24T22:36:08Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > It wasn’t exactly his first movie, but its always fun to see Bill Paxton (or its it Bill Pullman…no, no…its Paxton) as the “Punk Leader” whom Arnold requests his clothing from as **The Terminator** begins. Bill Paxton was also the older brother Chet in Weird Science!! :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/233 "2005-08-24T23:21:58Z")
There is John Travalta in [Carrie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074285/), receiving a blow job from Nancy Allen. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/234 "2005-08-24T23:29:00Z")
Was the role of the neighbor-girl in _Good Times_ **Janet jackson** ’s first? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/235 "2005-08-24T23:38:12Z")
Viggo Mortensen as an Amish farmer in _Witness_. ---
**Author:** ![BigDummy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@BigDummy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDummy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/236 "2005-08-24T23:40:53Z")
When I saw **The Karate Kid** for the first time, I thought “Hey, that’s Chooch from **Up The Academy** ”. Macchio had a major part in that movie, but I think it was his first one. Also, watching it again some years ago I thought I saw a young Robert Downey Jr. Looking it up, makes even more sense because his father directed it. His dad put him in a number of movies early on. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/237 "2005-08-25T00:10:44Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Bill Paxton was also the older brother Chet in Weird Science!! :eek: :eek: :eek: And was also in Pat Benetar’s “Shadows of the Night” video (along with Judge Reinhold). And was the human in Barnes & Barnes’ classic “Fish Heads.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/238 "2005-08-25T00:15:05Z")
And, and Kim Cattrall, best known for “Sex & the City” was also the mannequin in “Mannequin,” and was Honeywell (the banshee) in “Porky’s.” ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/239 "2005-08-25T00:43:20Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > And, and Kim Cattrall, best known for “Sex & the City” was also the mannequin in “Mannequin,” and was Honeywell (the banshee) in “Porky’s.” She also played a battered wife in “Quincy, ME”. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/240 "2005-08-25T00:49:08Z")
Oh! Everyone’s favorite obsessive-compulsive, Monk’s Tony Shaloub, was the cab driver who didn’t speak English) in _Quick Change_. His only line? “Wuh-hair to?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521.md?page=13)