# I know that actor(actress), if I could just remember their name! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907 "2008-09-30T19:58:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/1 "2008-09-30T19:58:52Z")
I’ve been watching _Lost_ on the Sci-fi channel, having never watched it before. Last night we saw the mysterious Frenchwoman for what I think is the first time. I kept thinking, “okay, I know this woman, her voice and her eyes are so familiar!” But I had to look her up on IMDB and then I had a :smack: moment. It was Mira Furlan, aka Ambassador Delenn, from Babylon 5. This got me to thinking, how many times have you seen a character and wracked yourbrain trying to remember when you’ve seen them before? Sometimes makeup or age changes an actor, or the way they dress. And then later, after you’ve given up, all of a sudden you think “Oh, THAT’S who it was!” ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/2 "2008-09-30T20:28:31Z")
[Mark Margolis](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0546797/). Over 100 items on his IMDb page, I’ve seen tons of them, every time he shows up, I find myself saying, “Oh hey! That guy! What was he in again… ?” Crazy French Lady from Lost stumped me for a while too, and I’d seen every ep of B5. I once spent an excruciating car ride (with no remote 'net access) completely blanking on Gene Hackman’s name. I knew exactly who he was, could name a couple dozen films, quote lines… couldn’t remember his name. thwartme ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/3 "2008-09-30T20:49:23Z")
Gary Oldman is the chameleon king of Hollywood. I’ve seen at least a half-dozen movies that I _knew_ he was in, saw his character and thought, “wow, this guy’s great… he should get more work… I wonder who he is?” Specifically, Fifth Element, Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Something of Something, Hannibal, and Leon. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/4 "2008-10-01T02:54:32Z")
I’ve been seeing the coma boyfriend from Everwood a lot this week! ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/5 "2008-10-02T07:23:38Z")
James Hampton. (Not an answer to any of the above- just an actor who was the epitome of the OP.) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/6 "2008-10-02T08:02:40Z")
Usually when an actor from _Deadwood_ appears in something else, I’ll spend ages trying to remember who he was, and then a day later will say “Oh! It’s that guy from _Deadwood_!” Specifically: Jim Beaver; Robin Weigert; Garret Dillahunt; William Sanderson; John Hawkes. Though, kind of ironically, when I first started watching _Deadwood_, I was listing all the other actors from where I’d seen them before that. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/7 "2008-10-02T08:13:26Z")
I passed the newer “Miracle on 34th Street” the other day and got stuck watching it for about five minutes, wondering who the woman was. Just as I was about to grab the computer and check IMDB, I realized it was Elizabeth Perkins; Celia from Weeds. What made that especially sad is that I _just got finished_ watching the first three seasons of Weeds at the beginning of the week. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/8 "2008-10-02T08:33:50Z")
Hayden Christensen, though it’s probably more a form of semi-wilful repression… I recently saw **Jumper** (bad idea), and couldn’t for the life of me figure out who the lead actor was. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-that-actor-actress-if-i-could-just-remember-their-name/465907/9 "2008-10-04T05:24:36Z")
Oh! and now Dr Horrible’s love interest was on House and some appliance commercials!