# There are no small parts... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629 "2008-05-17T03:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/1 "2008-05-17T03:01:12Z")
But there are some credits I’m sure actors would just as soon leave off their resumes. While looking through [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/) here are a few I found: Second Japanese Sentry First Gossip Reporter #8 Man Being Combed for Lice Daughter of Elegant Bystander Whip Scarred Brick Carrier Wounded Poker Player Gum Chewer Your favorites? Bonus points if they later became a Big Star! ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/2 "2008-05-17T04:44:45Z")
In the first episode of Angel, Josh Holloway (Sawyer on Lost) is a vampire at a bar, but is credited as “Good Looking Guy.” ---
**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:** [May 17, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/3 "2008-05-17T14:38:02Z")
Jeff Goldbloom’s first role was in Death Wish. He played the key role of: [Freak #1](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000156/) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/4 "2008-05-17T14:47:32Z")
My father was a “featured extra” in a film a few years back. In the script he was listed as “Angry white man.” Talk about your type casting! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/5 "2008-05-17T15:22:56Z")
[Megan Mullally … Call Girl](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086200/fullcredits#cast) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/6 "2008-05-17T18:15:42Z")
I loved how bit parts in _The Naked Gun_ were credited by quotations. I’d love to be able to say that I played “Hey! It’s Enrico Palazzo!” ---
**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:** [May 17, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/7 "2008-05-17T19:26:05Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] Jeff Goldbloom’s first role was in Death Wish. He played the key role of: [Freak #1](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000156/) [/QUOTE] With some memorable quotes. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/8 "2008-05-17T19:58:43Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] But there are some credits I’m sure actors would just as soon leave off their resumes. [/QUOTE] While it’s not a hard and fast rule, most professional and aspiring actors don’t list film and TV roles by name on their resumes. The usual three-column format is: Name of Production-----Type of Role------Director and/or Production Company Types of role for feature films and TV movies include: _Lead_ (not necessarily the star, but an important role) _Supporting_ (as little as one line; what most people think of as supporting roles are likely to be listed as leads) _Featured_ (this has been somewhat degraded over the years and is now usually interpreted as meaning a background or “extra” role) Types of role for TV series include: _Series regular_ (appearing in all or at least most of the episodes of at least one season) _Recurring Guest Star_ (a guest star on two or more episodes) _Guest Star_ (the “guest starring” credit is supposed to denote a meatier role than “co-starring,” but sometimes the difference comes down to an actor’s previous credits or their agent’s negotiating skills) _Recurring_ (a co-star for two or more episodes) _Co-star_ (any speaking part that does not merit one of the previous descriptions on a show other than a soap) _Principal_ (any speaking part that does not merit one of the previous descriptions on a soap) _Under 5_ (a speaking part with fewer than 5 lines on a soap) Using this format makes sense when you consider that casting directors aren’t going to be able to tell what kind of experience you have if your credit says “Guy in Bar.” They’re much more interested in knowing how much dialog you had to manage. For stage credits, it’s customary to list roles by character’s name, the presumption being that CD’s know a little more about Claudius, Horatio, and Osric than Freak #1. I know. I’m taking this far too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/9 "2008-05-17T20:01:44Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] I know. I’m taking this far too seriously. [/QUOTE] **SDMB** …Serious Guy #8…Creative Loafing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/10 "2008-05-17T21:02:54Z")
One of the writers of _The Lost World_ cameoed in the film as the man who is eaten by a T-rex outside a video store. He’s credited as “Unlucky Bastard.” A recent story out of Salt Lake comments on the arrest of one of the stars of Disney’s _High School Musical_ after robbing a pizza store. He played the memorable (?) role of Skater #1. And who could forget Krusty the Klown’s desperate plea after his show’s cancelation: “Can I be Hemorrhoid Sufferer #1?” ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/11 "2008-05-17T21:23:31Z")
Orlando Bloom … Rent Boy. Not quite his [first](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089217/) role, but pretty darn close. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/12 "2008-05-17T22:06:02Z")
[This](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2125645/) guy has so far been credited as “boy” in his first role, a terrorist by name in his second, “gunman” in the third, and “satanic cashier” in the fourth. Typecasting, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/13 "2008-05-17T22:49:56Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] I know. I’m taking this far too seriously. [/QUOTE] Nah 🙂 While it is amusing to laugh at roles like these, most people don’t get that the actor had to win out over maybe dozens of other actors to get it. My daughter’s first role was “Photographer” in a commercial. The money was just as good. I think Kermit said “all these people have families too” during the long credits at the end of **The Muppet Movie.** ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/14 "2008-05-18T02:28:52Z")
[Jean Claude Van Damme’s](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000241/) first movie credit, in 1984’s _Monaco Forever_, was “Gay Karate Man.” Typecasting can be a bitch. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/15 "2008-05-18T03:26:45Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] I think Kermit said “all these people have families too” during the long credits at the end of **The Muppet Movie.** [/QUOTE] Actually, I think that’s in the opening credits of **The Great Muppet Caper**. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/16 "2008-05-18T04:34:45Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Actually, I think that’s in the opening credits of **The Great Muppet Caper**. [/QUOTE] “Nobody reads those things anyway, do they?” “Sure! They all have families.” ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-are-no-small-parts/449629/17 "2008-05-18T05:58:17Z")
[QUOTE=CaerieD] Orlando Bloom … Rent Boy. Not quite his [first](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089217/) role, but pretty darn close. [/QUOTE] That role isn’t _that_ small, and it’s important to the plot, but I am nit-picking on behalf on the prettiness that is Bloom. (Remember folks, I never said a word about his acting abilities- just his face.😉 )