# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/101 "2004-10-28T22:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Long before Empire Strikes Back, John Ratzenberger was a lieutenant in teh airborne in A Bridge Too Far. He takes a bullet between the eyes during the river crossing scene. Ah, ya beat me to it. He was also the submarine crewman who supervises the ice floe airstrip in _Firefox_. Looks like that guy was Joe Bitpart for a while. Where exactly was he in ESB? ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/102 "2004-10-28T22:09:38Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > And of course Jack Nicholson as the insipid hero of Roger Corman’s THE RAVEN, and as the sadistic dentist in the original (1960s, non-musical) LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS… Actually, he was the masochistic dental patient Wilbur Force. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/103 "2004-10-28T22:19:04Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > Ah, ya beat me to it. He was also the submarine crewman who supervises the ice floe airstrip in _Firefox_. > > Looks like that guy was Joe Bitpart for a while. Where exactly was he in ESB? He was an officer in Hoth. In the scene where Han and Luke haven’t returned and Leah’s looking out mournfully, another officer comes in and says to Cliff “Sir, the patrols are in. Still no—” And Cliff motions for him to lower his voice in front of Leah before he continues “still no contact from Solo or Skywalker.” Cliff then turns to Leah and says “Your Highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight - we must close the sheild doors.” Mgoo-hay. Cliff was also a NASA employee in **Superman 2** - he’s the one that gets into a discussion about whether the Astronaut on the moon said “girl” or “curl.” ---
**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:** [October 28, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/104 "2004-10-28T22:46:22Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > John Leguziamo is one of the bad guy’s soldiers in Die Hard II. The character has one line which is very obviously not Leguziamo’s voice. > > –Cliffy Oh, and he was also the guy who was robbing the convenience store, and shot Harrison Ford, in _Regarding Henry_. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/105 "2004-10-28T22:47:39Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > He was an officer in Hoth. In the scene where Han and Luke haven’t returned and Leah’s looking out mournfully, another officer comes in and says to Cliff “Sir, the patrols are in. Still no—” And Cliff motions for him to lower his voice in front of Leah before he continues “still no contact from Solo or Skywalker.” Cliff then turns to Leah and says “Your Highness, there’s nothing more we can do tonight - we must close the sheild doors.” > > Mgoo-hay. > Cliff was also a NASA employee in **Superman 2** - he’s the one that gets into a discussion about whether the Astronaut on the moon said “girl” or “curl.” What’s the name of the movie where he is a plumber/adventurer? I think this was probably post-Cheers or at least contemporary with the series. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/106 "2004-10-28T22:58:42Z")
Kevin Costner also played a frat boy in _Night Shift_. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/107 "2004-10-28T23:04:31Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > What’s the name of the movie where he is a plumber/adventurer? I think this was probably post-Cheers or at least contemporary with the series. No idea. I’m more of a fan of the old movies I saw him in than a fan of him specifically. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/108 "2004-10-28T23:14:12Z")
Ooooh - another one from _Night Shift_ (1982?) - when Henry Winkler finds Shelly Long in the elevator after she’s been stiffed by a john & the door opens and a troop of “Bluebirds” or “Bluebells” or whatever they were called spots him & a one of the little girls blows her whistle & yells “Mugger!” – that whistle blower is Shannon Doherty. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/109 "2004-10-28T23:46:12Z")
I just remembered two girlfriend roles: In **License to Drive** , one of those godawful Corey/Corey flicks, a young Heather Graham plays the hot chick. In **Johnny Be Good** , Anthony Michael Hall’s girlfriend is played by a young Uma Thurman. I dig that movie for the scene where the two scouts are trying to recruit Johnny. One is from Southern California, the other New England. They grab each other and start screaming, and the guy from New England keeps yelling “It’s good to have the seasons change! It’s good to have the seasons change!” Cracks me up every time. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/110 "2004-10-29T00:01:46Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Schwartzenegger played a “tough” in “The Long Goodbye” in 1973. > > I don’t think he says anything. One of his usual roles then 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/111 "2004-10-29T00:39:15Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > What’s the name of the movie where he is a plumber/adventurer? I think this was probably post-Cheers or at least contemporary with the series. House II: The Second Story ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/112 "2004-10-29T01:52:16Z")
Kirsten Dunst, as a little girl, played Deanna Troi’s sister Kestra in the _NextGen_ episode “Dark Page.” Kestra had drowned as child; Lwaxana was in a coma from trying to block out the memory, and Deanna saw Kestra in Lwaxana’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/113 "2004-10-29T01:56:45Z")
Sorry. Actually, Ms. Dunst played a young alien girl, Hedril, in that episode; but Hedril appears as Kestra in Troi’s vision, as she reminded Lwaxana of her lost daughter. This was in 1993, a year before Ms. Dunst’s appearance as Claudia in _Interview with the Vampire_. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/114 "2004-10-29T03:13:28Z")
Tom Selleck had a bit part as a human chandelier in the movie “Coma”. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/115 "2004-10-29T03:19:56Z")
I just caught part of an old Law & Order, and Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the rapists. But then again, who the heck hasn’t been on Law & Order? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/116 "2004-10-29T03:32:24Z")
A thirteen-year-old Kirsten Dunst also played the young Resi in _Mother Night_. “Go ahead and shoot the dog. I didn’t like it anyway.” I’ve always wondered if someone else looped her dialogue for that brief role, or if she just had great talent and coaching. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/117 "2004-10-29T05:30:05Z")
Billy Bob Thornton had a small part in [Chopper Chicks in Zombietown](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103959/) and John Goodman had a cameo in [C.H.U.D.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087015/) ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/118 "2004-10-29T06:07:12Z")
> [@snickers](#): > > A young David Hasselhoff (why is this guy famous?) is playing pinball in the diner in Footloose. Are you sure about that? I know young is a relative term, but Footloose was made in 1984 and Hasselhoff was in his early 30s, a veteran of daytime TV and doing _Knight Rider_ at the time. > [@spoke-](#): > > **Jim Carey** as one of Nicholas Cage’s teenage buddies in **Peggy Sue Got Married**. And Joan Allen as one of Kathleen Turner’s friends. > [@bordelond](#): > > Selma Blair had a small role in the 1997 Kevin Kline vehicle In and Out. As did Lauren Ambrose, now well known for _Six Feet Under_. [quote=twickster] Morgan Freeman was a regular on the PBS kids’ show Electric Company back in the early '70s, with a recurring role as “Easy Reader” among other characters. _Electric Company_ also featured Rita Moreno and Bill Cosby, and in one of her first jobs, a pre-_Fame_ Irene Cara. As an interesting aside, the first head writer on the show was Paul Dooley, who played Molly Ringwald’s father in _Sixteen Candles_ amongst other great roles. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/119 "2004-10-29T12:01:01Z")
In the graduate, a pre-MASH Mike Ferrell plays a bell hop in the hotel lobby, a pre-Mr. Furley Norman Fell plays the boarding house landlord, and the border who asks in one scene “Should I call the cops?” is Richard Dryfess. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521/120 "2004-10-29T12:18:08Z")
Norman Fell was Mr. Roper, not Mr. Furley, on _Three’s Company_. And four years before _The Graduate_ he played one of the police officers at the crash site at the beginning of _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bit-parts-when-they-were-not-so-famous/271521.md?page=7)