# Hey, look! It's... it's... THAT guy! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008 "2004-02-13T07:07:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/61 "2004-02-15T00:07:13Z")
Ooh, I forgot to mention [Joaquim de Almeida](http://www.hollys.com/images/joa11.jpg), whom we always refer to simply as, “The Evil Phil Hartman.” He played Bucho in _Desperado_. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/62 "2004-02-15T01:10:09Z")
I’d like to nominate James Rebhorn: Dr. Larry Banks from Meet the Parents, Dickie’s father in The Talented Mr. Ripley, the CRS executive/actor in The Game, the Defense Secretary in Independence Day. Always a good option when you’re looking for a WASPish, semi-authority figure. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/63 "2004-02-15T02:44:57Z")
> [@Leechboy](#): > > My personal favourite ‘that guy’ is Miguel Ferrer, who managed to be the ‘that guy’ on three different series at once in 1990, Twin Peaks (As the coroner), Shannon’s Deal (As the Asisstant D.A.) and Broken Badges (As a cajun cop). > > Plus he gets points for being a less famous relative of George Clooney (Cousin) and his parents (Mel Ferrer and Rosemary Clooney) I was thinking about nominating him as well. Whenever our household sees him we say: “It’s war: It’s FAN-TASTIC!” (From **Hot Shots** starring Charlie Sheen and Lloyd Bridges.) It ends up being sort of surreal because he does have quite a few serious roles. Re: “The first thing we see him as is the first thing we think of him as.” I have a friend who to this day cannot see anything about Gene Hackman without thinking “LEX LUTHOR.” lol. Forget all the amazing roles he’s ever played before or since. Just a word of warning to you future stars! ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/64 "2004-02-15T03:08:06Z")
ESPN’s (formerly Boston) Sports Guy Bill Simmons has also gone over the _THAT_ guy theory. One of his main _THAT_ guys is Don Cheadle, he’s been _THAT_ guy in a number of movies, like _Traffic_ and _Boogie Nights_, among others, and he continues to be one of _THOSE_ guys with the NFL Playoff commercials he has done. I’m disappointed that he hasn’t been mentioned yet. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/65 "2004-02-15T04:38:27Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I’d like to nominate James Rebhorn: Dr. Larry Banks from Meet the Parents, Dickie’s father in The Talented Mr. Ripley, the CRS executive/actor in The Game, the Defense Secretary in Independence Day. Always a good option when you’re looking for a WASPish, semi-authority figure. My first sighting of this guy was as an abusive husband who ended up raping his stepdaughter on the soap _Guiding Light_. Ever since then, when I see him in a movie I go, “Look–it’s Bradley Raines!” My vote for THAT guy– **Art LeFleur** , who has been in so many flicks that I can’t remember them all. IIRC, he appeared as Babe Ruth in _The Sandlot_, and I think he was also in _Field of Dreams_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/66 "2004-02-15T04:42:07Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > Oh, yeah, Roy Kinnear. I saw “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” recently and kept wondering to myself, “Where had I seen this guy before???” According to the IMDB site, he was in a few Mike and the Mechanics videos, the one I remembered him from being “The Living Years.” He’s probably best known for appearing (with Leo McKern) in the Beatles’ HELP! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/67 "2004-02-15T05:02:31Z")
> [@Dignan](#): > > ESPN’s (formerly Boston) Sports Guy Bill Simmons has also gone over the _THAT_ guy theory. One of his main _THAT_ guys is Don Cheadle, he’s been _THAT_ guy in a number of movies, like _Traffic_ and _Boogie Nights_, among others, and he continues to be one of _THOSE_ guys with the NFL Playoff commercials he has done. I’m disappointed that he hasn’t been mentioned yet. Well, he doesn’t really qualify as a “That guy” because he’s Don Cheadle. Everyone knows Don Cheadle. That’s why they chose him for the NFL commercials. "That guy"s are the one’s you DON’T know but see a bajillion times. (IMHO) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/68 "2004-02-15T05:19:44Z")
Holy carp! I was just reading the trivia on Stephen Tobolowsky and supposedly he turned down the role of “Al” on Home Improvement, he was once held hostage at gunpoint at a supermarket in Snider Plaza, “was almost murdered twice in one week in Hartford, Connecticut by different people. Tobolowsky admits “that’s unusual(!)”” and is the son of Edwin Tobolowsky ( [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864996/](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864996/) ) who was in **Mars Needs Women, Curse of the Swamp Creature** , and **Attack of the Eye Creatures** (which I think is better known to MST3k fans as **Attack of the THE Eye Creatures**.) Anyone up for a Stephen Tobolowsky fan club? I couldn’t find and existing one, oddly enough. ---
**Author:** ![Nurobath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e57/32.png) [@Nurobath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nurobath)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/69 "2004-02-15T05:40:06Z")
**Al Leong** - I think “Bill and Ted” is the only movie that he’s been in where his character didn’t die. Whenever I see him in a movie I always watch for when he gets killed. **Curtis Armstrong** has been in a lot of stuff and was probably my first “THAT guy”. I even wrote his name down after seeing it in the credits for Moonlighting just so I wouldn’t have to call him the “what the fuck” guy anymore. **James Hong** is another one who seems to show up in every third movie I see. He was Lo Pan in Big Trouble In Little China among many, many other TV and movie characters. I think he might actually be the THAT guy with the biggest resume…150+ TV appearances and move than 130 movies. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/70 "2004-02-15T06:07:52Z")
Yeah, the only fan club from _Attack of the the Eye Creatures_ is the one for Earrrrrrrrrl Hollimannnnnn. ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/71 "2004-02-15T06:37:12Z")
If you ever need a creepy German to play a vampire Udo Keir is your man. In addition being the lead in Andy Warhol’s Dracula, he played a vampire in Blade. He was also in Armageddon, My Own Private Idaho, Even Cowgirls get the Blues, Johnny Mneumonic, Barbed Wire and he played the millionaire in Ace Venture opposite of Jim Carrey. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/72 "2004-02-15T06:59:43Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I immediately thought of Larry Hankin: > > “Mr. Heckles” on _Friends_ > The bathrobe-clad preacher in _Vegas Vacation_ > Julia Roberts’s landlord in _Pretty Woman_ > “Doobie” the cabdriver in _Planes, Trains and Automobiles_ > The truck driver in _The Sure Thing_ > “Mickey the bartender” in the episode of _WKRP in Cincinnati_ where Herb hits on his buddy who had a sex change > > And lots more. One of our many movie/TV watching games is “Spot Mr. Heckles.” On _Monk_ just last week, he popped up as a bum. I turned to my wife and said “You owe me some gravy.” (That will make sense if you saw it.) ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/73 "2004-02-15T07:22:19Z")
I wasn’t really paying attention to John McGinley until _Scrubs_. Now he’ll always be Dr. Cox to me. I was flipping through the channels today and caught _Platoon_, and damned if he isn’t in that. I kept thinking he should be walking up to Charlie Sheen and saying, “Hey there newbie, I noticed you taking some potshots at the Viet Cong there and I thought I’d come over and once again you’ve exceeded my expectations at how awful you are,” with that great inflection he has. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/74 "2004-02-15T07:36:44Z")
I had an embarrassing moment with “THAT guy.” I was in a group pottery show (at an art gallery) about ten years ago in Los Angeles, and one of my classmates, a very friendly lady, came to the opening and brought her husband. He looked so familiar, so I asked him where I knew him—from some class maybe? Turns out he was [Richard Marcus](http://www.scifiagents.com/RMarcus.html), most well-known for being the scary bald guy in “The Pretender.” He said that everyone always thinks that they grew up with him or went to school with him or something. I was embarrassed! I pride myself in knowing all the character actors and I _should_ have known who he was. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/75 "2004-02-15T07:50:42Z")
> [@AerynSun](#): > > Ooh, I forgot to mention [Joaquim de Almeida](http://www.hollys.com/images/joa11.jpg), whom we always refer to simply as, “The Evil Phil Hartman.” WOW! Isn’t that true! When I first saw him, I thought he had an eerie resemblance to Phil Hartman. He was just recently on “24.” I forgot another “THAT guy”—[Will Patton.](http://www.willpatton.com) He seems to be in everything but until you see him in a particular role that you like, he seems to be someone that’s hard to pin down. I loved him in the short-lived series [VR5](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112209) and since then have noticed that he’s in a _ton_ of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/76 "2004-02-15T11:13:31Z")
I should be worried that I know most of the contenders in this thread by sight and name, shouldn’t I? One “that guy” who seems to get omitted from everybody’s lists is the late Trevor Goddard. He appeared quite prominently in films from Mortal Kombat to Pirates of the Caribbean, yet was always overlooked despite doing a better Aussie accent than most natives. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/77 "2004-02-15T23:22:55Z")
What about Danny Trejo? He might be too well known. I like him thought. I liked Trevor Goddard. He was a solid hench-person. I also nominate Treat Williams, Kevin J. O’Connor, and Wes Studi. Also Cliff Curtis. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/78 "2004-02-15T23:28:28Z")
> [@Sam Hell](#): > > I also nominate Treat Williams, Kevin J. O’Connor, and Wes Studi. Also Cliff Curtis. Is there anyone from the cast of Deep Rising that you _missed_? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/79 "2004-02-15T23:59:27Z")
What about, [this guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0040472/). Ghostbusters, Real Genius, Die Hards I and II, you want a weasel, he’s your guy. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008/80 "2004-02-16T00:52:45Z")
Excellent choice, **Bill Door.** \* William Atherton, always a good choice. I’ve noticed him in quite a few movies, and he does make a very good slimy weasel. Nice screen name, too. You’ll see a few other Discworld fans here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-look-its-its-that-guy/229008.md?page=5)