# Most influential very minor movie role **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [September 3, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865 "2022-09-03T05:02:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/1 "2022-09-03T05:02:35Z")
So I mentioned Peter Cook as the priest in [The Princess Bridge](https://youtu.be/3odMTPuzLwY) in another thread and it got me thinking. That has to be the most influential minor role in movie history. It was really small role, just a handful of lines in a single scene. But it is one of most memorable roles (in one of the most memorable and quoted movies of all time, so that’s saying something). I cannot count the number of times I had it quoted at me over the course of getting married in the UK (at an Anglican church) What other contenders are there? I don’t mean just “not the main character”, I mean a really minor role with handful of lines in one or two scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/2 "2022-09-03T05:25:42Z")
Keenan Wynn, Dr. Strangelove…“You’re going to have to answer to the Coca-Cola Company” ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/3 "2022-09-03T08:53:09Z")
Benicio del Toro in **The Usual Suspects**? It may not be quite as minor as you’re looking for, but I would submit that it would seem minor indeed if del Toro hadn’t knocked it out of the park. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/4 "2022-09-03T09:20:57Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > [The Princess Bridge](https://youtu.be/3odMTPuzLwY) There’s someone you shouldn’t cross. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/5 "2022-09-03T09:24:36Z")
Influential, or memorable? The classic, “Coffee is for Closers” speech from Glengarry Glen Ross must rank up there. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/6 "2022-09-03T09:38:15Z")
Q usually only had short screen time in the James Bond movies. Usually only one scene where Bond is given his equipment, and sometimes another shorter scene at the end. But they were always memorable. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/7 "2022-09-03T12:04:29Z")
Walter Huston in _The Maltese Falcon_ Judi Dench and Beatrice Straight won Oscars despite having only a few minutes of screen time in _Shakespeare in Love_ and _Network,_ respectively. O.P. Heggie as the hermit in _Frankenstein_. “Smoke good.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/8 "2022-09-03T12:10:37Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Judi Dench and Beatrice Straight won Oscars despite having only a few minutes of screen time in _Shakespeare in Love_ and _Network,_ respectively. I think Ned Beatty’s small role in Network is more memorable, though. There’s also Matthew McConaughey in The Wolf of Wall Street. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/9 "2022-09-03T12:30:25Z")
- Boba Fett in _Empire Strikes Back_. - “Old Man” Marley in _Home Alone_ (played by Roberts Blossom). ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/10 "2022-09-03T12:35:40Z")
“I’ll have what she’s having”. Estelle Reiner in When Harry Met Sally… ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/11 "2022-09-03T12:47:39Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Walter Huston in _The Maltese Falcon_ And John Huston in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/12 "2022-09-03T12:48:39Z")
Black Knight in The Holy Grail. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/13 "2022-09-03T12:50:25Z")
[“I’d buy that for a dollar!”](https://youtu.be/_dGh7p1tZmk) ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/14 "2022-09-03T12:50:32Z")
Two from The Big Lebowski. John Turturro as the Purple Jesus. No influence over the story, but most definitely memorable. Especially when he licks the bowling ball. Tara Reid as Bunny Lebowski. Not much screen time, but a big chunk of the story revolves around her character, so she’s certainly influential. Maybe that’s cheating, though, since any character fulfilling the same function in any crime-based movie would influence the story. Still, the line “I’ll suck your cock for a thousand dollars” is priceless (even though she quotes a price for the service). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/15 "2022-09-03T12:51:14Z")
Good one! Maybe add an honorable mention for the Rabbit of Caerbannog. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/16 "2022-09-03T12:51:43Z")
[This opening scene](https://youtu.be/yrEvK-tv5OI) ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/17 "2022-09-03T13:11:54Z")
Alphonso Bedoya in _Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/18 "2022-09-03T13:13:21Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > Judi Dench and Beatrice Straight won Oscars despite having only a few minutes of screen time in _Shakespeare in Love_ and _Network,_ respectively. > > I think Ned Beatty’s small role in Network is more memorable, though. Both Beatrice Straight and Ned Beatty were nominated for Best Supporting Actress/Actor for their roles in _Network_ despite Straight only having five minutes of screentime and Beatty six minutes. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/19 "2022-09-03T13:26:45Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > The Big Lebowski. > > John Turturro as the Purple Jesus. No influence over the story, but most definitely memorable. Especially when he licks the bowling ball. It’s a slightly different question, but “best character that had no role in the plot” is an interesting criteria. It is a delicate thing to have a whole bit onvoling a character that could be removed without changing the story. It canbe valid, of course, because it goes to character development or exposition. But typically in those cases you don’t want the superfluous characters to be stealing the show. But sometimes it works. The OP wouldn’t meet this requirement because the priest being slow and fumbling and clueless is a major part of the plot: its why Buttercup never had to say “I do”. But some of the others probably do. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865/20 "2022-09-03T16:06:01Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > Walter Huston in _The Maltese Falcon_ > > And John Huston in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Also Robert Blake in _The Treasure of Sierra Madre._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-influential-very-minor-movie-role/970865.md?page=2)