# Spotting a familiar actor in a surprising place **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805 "2012-03-14T23:52:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [March 25, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/41 "2012-03-25T13:02:00Z")
I was watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for the first time in a long time yesterday. In the card playing scene there is Sam Elliot in basically an extra role. Clorox Leachman is also in as a prostitute. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/42 "2012-03-25T13:02:18Z")
Clifton Collins Jr.was in **The Stoned Age** (a high school cult hit for my friends and I) and reciently he was all growd up in \*\*Scott Pilgrim vs. The World \*\*. Me: “Holy shit! It’s Tack!” Wife: “Who’s Tack?” Me: “Just some dude.” ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/43 "2012-03-25T13:11:47Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I rewatched Patriot Games recently and was surprised to see Jane Lynch playing someone who wasn’t a snarky, witty bitch but actually rather soft-hearted. As she was in The Fugitive. That was _my_ surprising moment. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/44 "2012-03-25T14:28:41Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Five year old Courtney Love appearing on the back cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Aoxomoxoa” Her father Hank Harrison was one of their managers. Likewise, [Courtney in her early twenties](http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessagx/2909764530/) in “Sid and Nancy.” Like that one wasn’t God’s little foreshadowing for us all. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/45 "2012-03-25T15:46:53Z")
Just saw Farewell My Lovely last night with a young Sylvester Stallone playing a henchman. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/46 "2012-03-26T00:23:58Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > I watched _The French Lieutenant’s Woman_ on Netflix Streaming the other day. \*\*(Note: Their version cuts off about 10 minutes before the end of the film; irritating for any film & dreadful for this one.) \*\* > > The “framing story” shows two actors having an adulterous affair. Jeremy Irons is “Mike” & Meryl Street is “Anna”; the lovers in the movie-in-the-movie (based on the book) are Charles & Sarah. > > Mike’s wife was played by a young Penelope Wilton. More recently seen as Isobel Crawley on _Downton Abbey_ & as “Harriet Jones, Prime Minister” in _Doctor Who_! Yes, we know who she is. It’s not really a surprise, given what good actors they are, but I’m always pleased to see how many _Sports Night_ alums still show up. Felicity Huffman in _Desperate Housewives_, Josh Charles in_The Good Wife_, Peter Krause in_Modern Family_ are all leads in their shows, and Joshua Malina and Lisa Edelstein have recurring roles in_The Big Bang Theory_ and _House_, respectively. Teri Polo seems to work steadily, as well. Don’t know what Sabrina Lloyd is doing, and I imagine Robert Guillaime has retired, due to his stroke. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/47 "2012-03-26T02:48:04Z")
I was just watching Youtube today and in one of the ad breaks, they started recommending a TV show. I’m nodding as I see the actress. “Yup, it’s **[Black Book](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262150/)s**.” But it wasn’t **Black Books** – it was **Green Ward** , also starring [Tamsin Grieg](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0340067/). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/48 "2012-03-26T05:30:09Z")
I’ve been watching a lot of Gunsmoke episodes on Netflix, and there are tons of actors I recognized that I had no idea were ever on it. [Here is an astoundingly large list of them on a Wiki page.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Gunsmoke_cast_members) Most of the cast of Star Trek, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/49 "2012-03-26T06:06:03Z")
VERY young Daniel J. Travanti on _Perry Mason_ (he dunnit). ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/50 "2012-03-26T13:01:19Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I was just watching Youtube today and in one of the ad breaks, they started recommending a TV show. I’m nodding as I see the actress. “Yup, it’s **[Black Book](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262150/)s**.” But it wasn’t **Black Books** – it was **Green Ward** , also starring [Tamsin Grieg](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0340067/). Do you mean Green Wing? The hospital-based comedy - occasionally surreal but very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/51 "2012-03-26T13:13:21Z")
Once I was in a convenience store when Jack Palance came in. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/52 "2012-03-26T13:14:59Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > Most recently I was watching a local channel that was playing what looked like a somewhat old, somewhat low budget western. But then people kept showing up: Kevin Kline. Scott Glenn (played Jack Crawford in Silence of the Lambs). Kevin Kostner. Danny Glover. Linda Hunt. Jeff Goldblum (whose entrance is nothing short of [spectacular](http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/280194/280194_large.jpg)). And John Cleese is in there for about 15 minutes at the very beginning. > > I have no idea how popular a movie it was, but I’d never heard of it. It was 1985’s [Silverado](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090022/). I saw **Silverado** when it came out. Most of those peop;le were famous back then. Scott Glennhad been in _The Right Stuff_. Jeff Goldblum had bneen in plenty of flicks, including _The Right Stuff_. Kevin Kline and Linda Hunt and Danny Glover had been in well-known films. Kevin Costner wasn’t so well-known then, as his scenes from _The Big Chil_ (which _also_ had Goldblum!) ended up on the cutting room floor. Brian Dennehey had been in plenty of flicks, including _Coccoon_, and Cleese was famous for Monty Python, and other things. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/53 "2012-03-26T14:03:31Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I saw **Silverado** when it came out. Most of those peop;le were famous back then. Scott Glennhad been in _The Right Stuff_. Jeff Goldblum had bneen in plenty of flicks, including _The Right Stuff_. Kevin Kline and Linda Hunt and Danny Glover had been in well-known films. Kevin Costner wasn’t so well-known then, as his scenes from _The Big Chil_ (which _also_ had Goldblum!) ended up on the cutting room floor. Brian Dennehey had been in plenty of flicks, including _Coccoon_, and Cleese was famous for Monty Python, and other things. Exactly. Linda Hunt was already an Oscar winner. Danny Glover wasn’t big but he was hitting right at this time with three big movies. The only unknown was Costner. It was supposed to be a big movie. It was Lawrence Kasdan’s next movie after the Big Chill. It’s selling point was the cast of stars. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/54 "2012-03-26T18:11:47Z")
Just rewatched **Bourne Identity** yesterday and was surprised to see Walton Goggins as one of Treadstone’s computer lackeys. (Clive Owen was also in a smallish role, but I think he was already well known by then from **Croupier** and those BMW ads) ---
**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:** [March 29, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/55 "2012-03-29T16:48:52Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Brian Dennehey had been in plenty of flicks Hell, he was the sheriff in FIRST BLOOD. Which made it all the more jarring when he was a hardworking cop in F/X, ordered to turn in his badge and shield by… …Gordon, from SESAME STREET. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805/56 "2012-03-29T19:51:40Z")
Jeff Goldblum was in Glee recently as one of Rachel’s two dads. Psych is probably the most ridden with stunt casting show there is. Off the top of my head Just last night: French Stewart, Glenne Headley Previously: Tim Curry Gina Gershon Louis Gosset, Jr. Jane Lynch Kristy Swanson Judd Nelson Ally Sheedy Molly Ringwald Peter Weller Cheech Marin Jaleel White Wayne Brady Mekhi Pfeiffer Aw hell, [too many to name](http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/psych/cast/281392). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-a-familiar-actor-in-a-surprising-place/615805.md?page=2)