# Watching an old movie / TV show: "Hey, there's that actor from the other, more recent thing!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473 "2021-07-14T15:24:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/61 "2021-07-19T23:09:05Z")
Tony Shalhoub was also terrific as a persnickety Italian-American chef in the foodie extravaganza _Big Night._ ---
**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, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/62 "2021-07-19T23:34:48Z")
I’ve mentioned elsewhere that Kenneth Tobey, aka “Chuck” on _ **Whirlybirds** _, was one of the ground controllers in _ **Airplane!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/63 "2021-07-19T23:50:25Z")
The most interesting example was Captain of the Guard in _I, Claudius_. Later, Patrick Stewart played a Starship Captain in _Star Trek: The Next Generation_. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/64 "2021-07-20T00:14:03Z")
The film _UHF_ featured Michael Richards before he was 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 20, 2021, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/65 "2021-07-20T00:40:09Z")
Stewart was Russian spymaster “Karla” in _ **Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy** _ and _ **Smiley’s People** _ opposite Alec Guiness. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/66 "2021-07-21T14:44:46Z")
I recently rewatched the 1984 Eddie Murphy movie _Beverly Hills Cop_, and Jonathan Banks plays the bad guy’s top mook. ---
**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 21, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/67 "2021-07-21T15:49:17Z")
There’s a 1978 movie called _The Fury_ that’s a bit of a goldmine for this sort of thing. It has very early roles for Daryl Hannah, Dennis Franz, and Laura Innes, and apparently Jim Belushi is visible as an extra in a crowd scene. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a scene where Kirk Douglas is staying at a flophouse hotel in Chicago, and it’s the same room Elwood Blues lived in two years later in _The Blues Brothers_. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/68 "2021-08-17T22:56:52Z")
A few years ago, my wife and I watched the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, _On Stranger Tides_. A few days later we watched an old, madcap ensemble comedy called _If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium_ on my mom’s recommendation. It took me almost half the second movie to recognize that its young and handsome tour guide (pursuing the vacationing pre-_Bob Newhart Show_ Suzanne Pleshette) was the 40+ years younger version of the deeply weathered and very hairy Blackbeard in _Pirates IV_, Ian McShane. Maybe if I’d seen anything he did in between, but no Lovejoy, no Deadwood. ---
**Author:** ![BigDfromLA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@BigDfromLA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDfromLA)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/69 "2021-08-18T03:33:05Z")
Miami Vice had numerous appearances by actors and other celebrities before they became famous. Bruce Willis appeared as a wife-beating sleaze bag in the Season 1 episode, No Exit. Michael Richards of Seinfeld played a heavy in a Season 2 episode which featured basketball stars Bill Russell and Bernard King. Liam Neeson appeared in the Season 3 opener. The Phil Collins episode from Season 2 was excellent and featured an unknown Kyra Sedgwick. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2021, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/70 "2021-08-18T05:39:58Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > The film _UHF_ featured Michael Richards before he was on _Seinfeld_. He was also a TV news producer/director in _ **St Elsewhere** _. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2021, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/71 "2021-08-18T05:43:05Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > A few years ago, my wife and I watched the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, _On Stranger Tides_. A few days later we watched an old, madcap ensemble comedy called _If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium_ on my mom’s recommendation. It took me almost half the second movie to recognize that its young and handsome tour guide (pursuing the vacationing pre-_Bob Newhart Show_ Suzanne Pleshette) was the 40+ years younger version of the deeply weathered and very hairy Blackbeard in _Pirates IV_, Ian McShane. > > Maybe if I’d seen anything he did in between, but no Lovejoy, no Deadwood. IIRC, he was Linda Grey’s love interest in the last season of the original _ **Dallas** _. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/72 "2021-08-18T19:28:37Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I recently rewatched the 1984 Eddie Murphy movie _Beverly Hills Cop_ , and Jonathan Banks plays the bad guy’s top mook. And in the same film, Damon Wayans as the waiter who gives Eddie Murphy bananas to shove in the tailing cops’ tailpipe. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/73 "2021-08-18T19:28:56Z")
Yes, you’re right! ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473/74 "2021-08-19T13:41:33Z")
This goes back a few days, but: > [@terentii](#): > > Peter Falk was a gangster in _ **Robin and the Seven Hoods** _ alongside Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. The other night on MeTV, I happened to catch an episode of **The Twilight Zone** where Peter Falk played a Latin American revolutionary leader who has just seized power in his country–very obviously based on Fidel Castro–complete with fake beard and cheesy “Spanish” accent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-an-old-movie-tv-show-hey-theres-that-actor-from-the-other-more-recent-thing/946473.md?page=3)