# Spotting series actors in minor roles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114 "2018-07-18T01:31:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/41 "2018-07-18T21:27:55Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In early episodes of _Hill Street Blues_, David Caruso had a recurring part as the leader of an Irish street gang. Supposedly when he was cast in _NYPD Blue_, Stephen Bochco (who produced both shows) didn’t remember him. Caruso had a small role in an Officer and a Gentleman, he was one of the guys training to be a naval aviator along with Richard Gere . ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/42 "2018-07-18T21:43:58Z")
Penny Marshall and Mary Kay Place appeared in two or three episodes in the next-to-last season of _Mary Tyler Moore_ as roommate neighbors at Mary’s new apartment building. Penny Marshall looks as if she might’ve been an intended Rhoda substitute, but then she got a better opportunity to lead her own show with _Laverne & Shirley_. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/43 "2018-07-18T22:04:07Z")
I’m a bit confused by the OP and the responses. Are we talking about TV stars who had bit parts on the same TV program that they’re known for, but as a different character? Or are we discussing big-name actors who had bit parts on TV shows before going on to bigger and better things? For an actor that had a bit part before going on to bigger and better things, Jack Black was in an episode of _Northern Exposure_ in the early 90’s playing a high school senior. While he had quite a bit of screen time in that episode it was years before he had a breakout on the big screen. I’m sure there’s a zillion other examples. For actors that had a small bit part in a series before becoming big names in a different series, also from _Northern Exposure_ (I’m a fan, ok?): Patrick Warburton of _Seinfeld_ and _Family Guy_ fame had a small part in one episode, one of his first acting roles. For actors that had a small part in a series and then returned to the same series as another character, Debbe Dunning played a one-off character in _Home Improvement_ before returning two years later as a completely different character, which she played for the remainder of the series. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/44 "2018-07-18T22:16:46Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > _Law and Order_ recycled so many actors in different roles that’s it’s impossible to sort them out, but the most notable was Jerry Orbach, who played a defense attorney in one episode before settling in as Lennie Briscoe. I already mentioned some of the franchise regulars who appeared as one-off characters before they became regulars, but I’m amazed at the sheer number of actors who have played multiple guest roles. I’ll be watching an episode and think I recognize someone so I look them up on IMDb. Seems like at least half the time I recognize them from a different episode of _Law & Order_. Just yesterday I saw the one where a star baseball player killed his limo driver. I knew I’d seen his lawyer somewhere before. Turns out he was also the control-freak father who pushed a woman in front of a subway train 4 seasons earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/45 "2018-07-18T22:24:57Z")
In the “major roles in British cult favorites turned into minor roles on US shows that surprised me” category: Lucy Davis (Dawn from _The Office_ [UK]) playing a random member of the writer’s room on _Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip_ Chris O’Dowd (Roy from _The IT Crowd_) playing a weirdo in a few episodes of \*Girls \* In the “minor role(s) on one show before getting a major role on that same show” category: Jon Lovitz had two one-episode stints on _NewsRadio_ (one was where he was a guy threatening to jump off their building; I don’t remember the other one) before “replacing” Phil Hartman in the final season. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/46 "2018-07-18T22:37:22Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > He was hilarious as the head of an Irish household in _ **The Commitments** _. I laughed out loud when I saw the portraits of Elvis and the Pope hanging side-by-side on his living room wall! > > He was also pilot of the doomed British airliner in _ **Die Hard II** _. He was also hilarious as an arrogant DEA agent in _Con Air._ ---
**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:** [July 18, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/47 "2018-07-18T22:38:48Z")
> [@Kimble](#): > > In the “major roles in British cult favorites turned into minor roles on US shows that surprised me” category: > > Lucy Davis (Dawn from _The Office_ [UK]) playing a random member of the writer’s room on _Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip_ > Chris O’Dowd (Roy from _The IT Crowd_) playing a weirdo in a few episodes of \*Girls \* Darren Boyd from _Kiss Me Kate_ became a regular on the Julia Louis Dreyfus vehicle _Watching Ellie_. _Kiss Me Kate_ was also the first thing I ever saw Bill Nighy in, but he seems to be everywhere the last few years. Gina Bellman was Jane on the original UK version of _Coupling_, then played Sophie for five years on _Leverage_. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/48 "2018-07-18T22:47:31Z")
Armin Shimerman (who played Quark in _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_) played a doctor in the Jean Claude van Damme film _Death Warrant._ Jerry Orbach played a cop in the Steven Seagal film _Out for Justice_ and a doctor in the Jean Claude van Damme film _Universal Soldier_. Speaking of van Damme films, Forest Whitaker played a small role in _Bloodsport_, Ted Levine (the captain from _Monk_) was in _Nowhere to Run_, and Jaime Pressly(from _My Name is Earl_) was in _Inferno_ aka _Desert Heat_. Jill Hennessy(from Law & Order) was in _Robocop III_. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/49 "2018-07-18T23:08:18Z")
Also it’s not a minor role, but Rob Schneider co-starred with Jean Claude van Damme in\* Knock-Off\*. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/50 "2018-07-18T23:27:47Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Armin Shimerman (who played Quark in _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_) played a doctor in the Jean Claude van Damme film _Death Warrant._ How on earth did they explain the ears? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/51 "2018-07-18T23:58:58Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Jerry Orbach played a cop in the Steven Seagal film _Out for Justice_ and a doctor in the Jean Claude van Damme film _Universal Soldier_. also played a Dr. in Dirty Dancing , the father of Jennifer Grey’s character ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/52 "2018-07-19T01:13:29Z")
Not long before she landed the role of Lucy Ewing in _ **Dallas** _, Charlene Tilton had a bit part (along with a couple of other girls) as a bathing beauty on _ **Fernwood 2 Night** _. Oh-my-God! :o If you can find a clip of this on YouTube, I’ll buy you dinner at Scott’s in London. One used to be there, but now I don’t see it anywhere. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/53 "2018-07-19T01:16:11Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Armin Shimerman (who played Quark in _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_) played a doctor in the Jean Claude van Damme film _Death Warrant._ He was also Kramer’s friend Stan the Caddy on _ **Seinfeld** _. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/54 "2018-07-19T02:34:19Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Not long before she landed the role of Lucy Ewing in _ **Dallas** _, Charlene Tilton had a bit part (along with a couple of other girls) as a bathing beauty on _ **Fernwood 2 Night** _. > > Oh-my-God! :o If you can find a clip of this on YouTube, I’ll buy you dinner at Scott’s in London. One used to be there, but now I don’t see it anywhere. ☹ Can’t find the clip, but here’s a still: [![](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w-iSmlRXTfE/0.jpg) ](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w-iSmlRXTfE/0.jpg) ---
**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:** [July 19, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/55 "2018-07-19T02:35:13Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > MacLeod was also a regular on “McHale’s Navy”. > > I once won gift certificates to a restaurant by stumping a DJ with the trivia question, “On which ship did Gavin MacLeod serve before captaining ‘The Love Boat’?” The answer, of course, is the [U.S.S. San Pablo](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060934/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_57). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/56 "2018-07-19T02:57:19Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The answer, of course, is the [U.S.S. San Pablo](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060934/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_57). Technically, of course, a gunboat is not a ship. 😃 ---
**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:** [July 19, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/57 "2018-07-19T03:00:04Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Technically, of course, a gunboat is not a ship. 😃 What does U.S.S. stand for? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/58 "2018-07-19T03:42:43Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > What does U.S.S. stand for? Good question. :dubious: 😕 Submarines are technically boats as well, but they’re also prefixed USS. I don’t make these things up, I just parrot them! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/59 "2018-07-19T03:45:08Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Can’t find the clip, but here’s a still: > > [http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w-iSmlRXTfE/0.jpg](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/w-iSmlRXTfE/0.jpg) The girl on the right looks familiar too. Is she Susan Anton? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2018, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114/60 "2018-07-19T10:33:41Z")
U.S.S. - United States Ship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotting-series-actors-in-minor-roles/818114.md?page=4)