# Character Actor ID. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840 "2019-05-12T01:33:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/21 "2019-05-12T16:07:45Z")
Vincent Gardenia, who played a bespectacled mobster in M:I, is actually wearing a pair of glasses in his IMDB profile pic… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/22 "2019-05-12T16:28:48Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Maybe he did an episode of Star Trek, or maybe not. The best I can do in describing him is that he was an insurance salesman or accounting type, with an occasional hint of menace. Think, maybe, mob accountant, and you’ve got it. Wore glasses, at least in my head picture. Anthony Caruso did an iconic episode of Star Trek as a mob guy who wore glasses. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/23 "2019-05-12T17:00:19Z")
Those are all good guesses. And It’s not David Brian who played John Gill in the classic ST ep “Patterns of Force” either. But he kind of looks like the guy too. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/24 "2019-05-12T17:06:18Z")
E-DUB, could you, in one post, list all the actors suggested so far and your reaction to each of them? For each one, tell us in what way they do or don’t resemble the actor you’re thinking of. This thread has gotten very confusing, so it’s hard to tell what your reactions to all the actors listed are. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/25 "2019-05-12T17:09:39Z")
Abe Vigoda? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/26 "2019-05-12T17:18:29Z")
> **[Bob Gunton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Gunton)** > > Robert Patrick Gunton Jr. (born November 15, 1945) is an American character actor of stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, including Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, Chief George Earle in 1993's Demolition Man, Dr. Walcott, the domineering dean of Virginia Medical School in Patch Adams, and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in Argo. He also played Leland Owlsley in the Daredevil television series, Secretary of Defense Etha... Bob Gunton played the Warden in Shawshank Redemption. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/27 "2019-05-12T17:39:51Z")
Why don’t you go to IMDb and look at some full cast lists of late '60s–'early '70s TV shows, starting with _ **TOS** _ and _ **M:I** _? Odds are, he’s on one of them. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/28 "2019-05-12T17:41:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Vincent Gardenia, who played a bespectacled mobster in M:I, is actually wearing a pair of glasses in his IMDB profile pic… That guy! I was going to mention him but couldn’t immediately recall his name. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/29 "2019-05-12T18:52:08Z")
OK-to recap: Herbert Anderson: Way off. Too nondescript. William Schallert" Way off. Too mild-mannered. James Daly: Close, but no cigar. James Gregory: No. Hair too dark. Lew Ayres: Good guess. But too mild-mannered. Vic Perrin: Good guess. Anthony Caruso, Vince Gardenia: Too ethnic. Steven Tobolowsky: Too recent, bald Bob Gunton: Too recent Abe Vigoda: I’d know if it was him. I’m gonna go to IMDB and do full looks at the ST and MI casts. Just to see if I can find the needle in one of those two haystacks. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/30 "2019-05-12T19:13:26Z")
> **[John Vernon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Vernon)** > > John Keith Vernon (born Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz; February 24, 1932 – February 1, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada. He was best known for playing Dean Wormer in Animal House, the Mayor in Dirty Harry and Fletcher in The Outlaw Josey Wales. > Born as Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz in Zehner, Saskatchewan, Vernon was one of two sons of Adolf Agopsowicz, a grocer, and his wife Eleonore Krückel (also spell... John Vernon was the mayor in Dirty Harry and Dean Wormer in Animal House. ETA: His screen debut was as the voice of Big Brother in the 1956 version of 1984. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/31 "2019-05-12T19:16:51Z")
How about William Windom? I forgot if he’s come up. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/32 "2019-05-12T19:23:49Z")
Probably not correct, since he was also bald, but John Fiedler? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/33 "2019-05-12T20:31:31Z")
No, no, and no. I should point out that I’ve seen every episode of ST:TOS probably dozens of times as watching it was a daily dorm ritual. That takes out Fiedler and Windom. Vernon, I’d know right away. All these guys are too prominent. Go more obscure. And I did check the listing for ST:TOS and MI. (God, those pictures are small.) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/34 "2019-05-12T21:30:01Z")
[Joseph Campanella](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0132103/) [Martin Balsam](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000842/) [Christopher George](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0313387/) [Peter Mark Richman](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0725052/) This guy looks like a mob accountant. [Richard Bull](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0119993/) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/35 "2019-05-12T21:33:47Z")
Here are some lists of actors whose faces are recognizable but whose names are often forgotten: > **[30 Actors You Recognize But Probably Can't Name](https://www.ninjajournalist.com/entertainment/unknown-actors-fb/)** > > There are so many actors who might recognize but just can't figure what their name is. Here are some of the finest examples. > **[Character Actors You See All Over But Probably Can't Name](https://www.ranker.com/list/character-actors/lisa-waugh)** > > The good news is that with the advent of streaming channels and a sprawl of cable slots, there are lots of roles for male characters out there. The bad news is, there are tons of great character actors vying for those roles. What is a character... > **[Actors I can't remember the name of - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls021574710/)** > > Actors I can't remember the name of [https://stars.topix.com/slideshow/15709](https://stars.topix.com/slideshow/15709) > **[50 Unfairly forgotten great actors - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls002511750/)** > > 50 Unfairly forgotten great actors > **[Actors you've seen but mightn't know the names of - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls000122191/)** > > Actors you've seen but mightn't know the names of > **[70's TV Drama Actors - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls050427245/)** > > 70's TV Drama Actors > **[The 300 Most Underrated Actors (Great Character Actors) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls000062158/)** > > The 300 Most Underrated Actors (Great Character Actors) > **[\- IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/list/ls006574251/)** [http://www.460xvr.com/tg/not.htm](http://www.460xvr.com/tg/not.htm) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/36 "2019-05-12T22:29:14Z")
For the Star Trek connection and a mob lawyer look: Arthur Batanides? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/37 "2019-05-12T22:49:49Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > [Peter Mark Richman](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0725052/) This guy looks like a mob accountant. If not Richman, then surely Al Traina…!!! (the undying thread: [Challenge! Who is the man sitting with all the stars on Johnny Carson? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722215) ---
**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:** [May 12, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/38 "2019-05-12T22:53:40Z")
Richard Herd, maybe; although I don’t recall him wearing glasses. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/39 "2019-05-12T23:03:03Z")
Ray Walston? > **[Ray Walston - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001827/?ref_=tt_cl_t7)** > > Ray Walston. Actor: Popeye. Ray Walston started his acting career as a spear carrier with a local stock company. When the family moved to Houston, Texas, Walston's father wanted to teach him the oil business, but Walston instead joined a traveling... ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840/40 "2019-05-12T23:12:54Z")
Herd is too hefty. Betanades was a good guess, but not gray haired. Noticed Edward Andrews on there, he’s close but not a winner. And no to Ray Walston (Come on. I know Uncle Martin.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-actor-id/833840.md?page=3)