# So that's who that guy is - sudden recognition of actors. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188 "2010-01-16T12:03:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/1 "2010-01-16T12:03:02Z")
I was just watching _Harold and Kumar go to White Castle_ on TV and realized that _Freakshow_ is played by Christopher Meloni (_Elliot Stabler_ from _Law & Order: SVU_). And as a bonus _Goldstein_ is played by David Krumholtz a year before he became _Charlie Eppes_ in _Numb3rs_. This happens all the time but what are some of your favorite “discoveries”. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/2 "2010-01-16T12:13:24Z")
My sister recently talked me into watching an ep or _Criminal Minds_. About halfway through, I asked her about the actor playing Gideon, because _something_ surely seemed familiar about him. . . “I dunno”, she said “I think when he was young he was on some soap and considered really hot. . .” It wasn’t until later in the episode when he cracked a genuine smile that I realized I was watching Inigo Montoya! (Well, okay, not Inigo Montoya; but Mandy Patinkin). ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/3 "2010-01-16T12:43:12Z")
When I saw [_Once_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/), I loved it. It being about Irish musicians put me in the mood for other Irish musician movies and the only one I could think of was [_The Commitments_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101605/) (another kick-ass movie). That’s when I discovered that it was Glen Hansard in both movies – Outspan in _The Commitments_ and “the guy” in _Once_. Of course the movies were created 15 years apart, so it wasn’t that easy to peg him, but in _Once_, he just shines musically. His own songs, his own playing, his own voice, just fantastic music. In _The Commitments_, he was basically just an actor. Sure it was obvious that he was really a musician, but he certainly wasn’t spotlighted. _Once_ blew me away. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/4 "2010-01-16T12:54:42Z")
I’m still watching movies on TV and _Gone in Sixty Seconds_ is on. Delroy Lindo’s sidekick is pre _The Girl Next Door_ and _Live Free or Die Hard_ Timothy Olyphant. I knew that I had seen him before when I saw them. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/5 "2010-01-16T13:09:41Z")
It used to drive me crazy when I’d recognize an actor and try to think of where else I’d seen him. Trying to get a name from the credits was iffy, at best; either you wouldn’t know the character’s name, or the credits didn’t have it, or they were at the beginning and it was already too late. And then came the Internet Movie Database. And it was good. So I don’t really have the need to exercise those particular mental muscles anymore. But there was one a while ago that I figured out from memory. I was disgustingly pleased with myself, and would have bragged if there had been anyone else around. I was watching _Breaking Away_. Remember the jerks from the college, and one of them is kinda in charge? He has a swimming race with Dennis Quaid in the quarry. I knew I’d seen him somewhere before. Then it came to me; he was the jerk in _Die Hard_ who tried to sweet talk Hans and got his head blown off. His name is Hart Bochner. (_Die Hard_ was quite the asshole convention, by the way. The asshole reporter was also the asshole EPA guy in _Ghostbusters_ (William Atherton), the asshole deputy chief of police was also the asshole principal in _The Breakfast Club_ (Paul Gleason), and the asshole FBI agent was also the asshole drug dealer in _Licence to Kill_ (Robert Davi).) ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/6 "2010-01-16T16:15:20Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I’m still watching movies on TV and _Gone in Sixty Seconds_ is on. Delroy Lindo’s sidekick is pre _The Girl Next Door_ and _Live Free or Die Hard_ Timothy Olyphant. I knew that I had seen him before when I saw them. He was the drug dealer in Go the year before that. Of course his best role was in Deadwood as Sheriff Seth Bullock. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/7 "2010-01-16T18:16:06Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I’m still watching movies on TV and _Gone in Sixty Seconds_ is on. Delroy Lindo’s sidekick is pre _The Girl Next Door_ and _Live Free or Die Hard_ Timothy Olyphant. I knew that I had seen him before when I saw them. Or from A Perfect Getaway…where he is…awesome! ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/8 "2010-01-16T18:45:54Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I was just watching _Harold and Kumar go to White Castle_ on TV and realized that _Freakshow_ is played by Christopher Meloni (_Elliot Stabler_ from _Law & Order: SVU_). > > And as a bonus _Goldstein_ is played by David Krumholtz a year before he became _Charlie Eppes_ in _Numb3rs_. > > This happens all the time but what are some of your favorite “discoveries”. As it happens I was watching a rerun of _Oz_ a couple of weeks back. Three Aryan Order cons were watching TV and one started talking about Tinky-Winky being gay. The con was Christopher Meloni. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/9 "2010-01-16T19:09:43Z")
Rewatching _Full Metal Jacket_, I suddenly realized that Pyle was none other than Vincent D’Onofrio carrying about 30 extra pounds. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/10 "2010-01-16T19:12:00Z")
Mine was voice recognition on two different kid’s shows on Nick. (I have a nine year old.) There was something familiar about the voice of Gordy the school janitor on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, but for the longest time, I just couldn’t place it. Then suddenly I had an Aha! moment and a quick trip to imdb confirmed that Gordy (Daran Norris) was also the voice of Cosmo on The Fairly Odd Parents. Turns out he’s the voice of many, many animated characters. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/11 "2010-01-16T19:27:52Z")
Thirty years ago, probably, I was watching TV and this television came on for something (maybe an insurance company). Anyway, this very handsome actor with a deep voice is talking about the company, and as he’s talking, I say to myself, “Wow, he sounds just like Race Bannon.” I tried to make a good mental image of the man next time I saw the commercial. Then, several months later, while watching a “Wild, Wild, West” rerun, one of the voice’s hit me, “Wow, he sounds just like Race Bannon.” Once I was able to see his face, I did indeed id him as the same actor from the commercial (although about 15 years younger). So, I watched the ending credits to look for his name (I already knew the voice behind Race Bannon). Sure enough, it was [Mike Road](http://forum.mininova.org/lofiversion/index.php?t235022826.html). In this link, he’s the guy on the right. He’s 92 this year!. Another one that is as timely as the current calendar: When I was watching “2010” when it first came out, in the scene where the NASA administrator is talking to Dr. Floyd. I said to myself, "That sounds just like the guy that told Archie Bunker he “didn’t like water melon, but if it’s any consolation, I looooove fried chicken.” Sure enough, James McEachin. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/12 "2010-01-16T19:42:02Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It used to drive me crazy when I’d recognize an actor and try to think of where else I’d seen him. Trying to get a name from the credits was iffy, at best; either you wouldn’t know the character’s name, or the credits didn’t have it, or they were at the beginning and it was already too late. > > And then came the Internet Movie Database. And it was good.\ And then we got an iTouch so we can look up actors as we’re watching them on a movie or tv - and it was **better!** Jim and I have sort of a running competition to see who can ID the actors/voices first. I think he’s up a couple on me (I’m good at faces but not names - “Hey, it’s that girl from that show!”), but I’ve pulled some obscure ones out of the hat. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/13 "2010-01-16T22:41:30Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Rewatching _Full Metal Jacket_, I suddenly realized that Pyle was none other than Vincent D’Onofrio carrying about 30 extra pounds. Or 30 pounds fewer, depending on which season of CI you happen to be watching. I had one of these moments today. My kids wanted to see _The Spy Next Door_ so thats how I spent my afternoon. It took me a minute but I realized the bad guy was being played by Magnus Scheving. Those with kids would recognize him as Sporticus in the show Lazytown. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/14 "2010-01-16T23:12:46Z")
My favorite was recognizing Carl Switzer (Alfalfa in Spanky and Our Gang) in _It’s a Wonderful Life_. He’s the young man who opens the pool for everyone to jump into. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/15 "2010-01-17T00:34:51Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > As it happens I was watching a rerun of _Oz_ a couple of weeks back. Three Aryan Order cons were watching TV and one started talking about Tinky-Winky being gay. The con was Christopher Meloni. Since both Oz and the Law and Order franchises filmed in the New York area there was a lot of cast crossover. Christopher Meloni, J.K. Simmons, B.D. Wong and Kathryn Erbe were all regulars on Oz and also one of the L&Os. I’m sure I’m missing someone. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/16 "2010-01-17T02:27:10Z")
Race Bannon is 92? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/17 "2010-01-17T02:31:28Z")
> [@VernWinterbottom](#): > > Mine was voice recognition on two different kid’s shows on Nick. (I have a nine year old.) > > There was something familiar about the voice of Gordy the school janitor on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, but for the longest time, I just couldn’t place it. Then suddenly I had an Aha! moment and a quick trip to imdb confirmed that Gordy (Daran Norris) was also the voice of Cosmo on The Fairly Odd Parents. > > Turns out he’s the voice of many, many animated characters. Yar, that happens to me all the time, as the boys will be watching Nick all day and I’ll look, expecting to see one show, only to see it’s another show but the same voice actor. \>.\< ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/18 "2010-01-17T02:41:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Rewatching _Full Metal Jacket_, I suddenly realized that Pyle was none other than Vincent D’Onofrio carrying about 30 extra pounds. D’Onofrio is awesome when it comes to roles that require him to lose or gain weight. He looked fat and slovenly in \*Full Metal Jacket \*but was totally ripped and toned in \*Adventures in Babysitting \*(I couldn’t believe it was him!) and looked great again as Orson Welles in _Ed Wood_. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/19 "2010-01-17T05:10:13Z")
What was that movie where young Matt Damon sang a rock song that went something like “Johnny doesn’t know”? The song was about how he was screwing Johny’s girlfriend. I didn’t know that was Matt Damon until I happened to run across the film while flipping channels. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-who-that-guy-is-sudden-recognition-of-actors/525188/20 "2010-01-17T05:15:07Z")
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