# Whoa!, I never knew that actor was in this movie!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 11, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719 "2009-04-11T02:41:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/101 "2012-09-07T19:00:16Z")
Frank Stallone plays the gambler who accuses Doc Holiday of cheating in the card game before he and Big Nosed Kate leave their luggage behind and head to Tombstone.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/102 "2012-09-07T23:25:19Z")
Rewatched [_The Warriors_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warriors_(film)) a couple of years ago and I was surprised to see David Schwimmer playing the leader of one of the street gangs.
Somebody mentioned Jeff Goldblum being in _Annie Hall_. It was also Sigourney Weaver’s first movie. She doesn’t have any lines and she’s only in a long distance shot but she’s recognizable. She’s the new girlfriend Alvy is introducing to Annie Hall in the [final scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM0IZmUZM4I) of the movie.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/103 "2012-09-08T00:03:18Z")
I was flabbergasted when I realized Joyce Barnaby, the wife on “Midsomer Murders,” was played by the same actress who played Morwena Chenowyth on “Poldark,” Jane Wymark:
[http://www.robertlansing.com/badgers\_drift/BDJoyce.jpg](http://www.robertlansing.com/badgers_drift/BDJoyce.jpg)
[ ](https://ellenandjim.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/poldarkseason2part11episode3oldermorwenna.jpg)
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/104 "2012-09-08T00:04:36Z")
Viggo Mortensen as an Amish zombie in _Witness_.
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### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/105 "2012-09-08T02:41:22Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#):
>
> Just put Elrond in drag and end all of his lines with a drawn out “Mr. Anderson.”, makes for a much fun diversion.
During “Agent Elrond”'s scenes in LOTR, I kept waiting for:
_“Hobbits… are a virus”._
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### Author:  [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/106 "2012-09-08T03:03:43Z")
Jeff Goldblum is one of the creepy rapists in the first Death Wish. Adore Goldblum, never realized it until it was on again late the other nite.
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### Author:  [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/107 "2012-09-08T04:40:38Z")
I was watching a Dr Who the other night and finally figured out that was [Lord Robert Crawley](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/season1.html) under the big pirate beard.
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### Author:  [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/108 "2012-09-08T05:44:48Z")
Rewatched Vacation last month when I realized that Randy Quaid’s daughter in the movie is Jane Krakowski, from 30 Rock. She was like 14 when it was filmed but you can immediately tell it’s her.
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### Author:  [@EvilMinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilMinion)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/109 "2012-09-08T13:48:08Z")
Ben Affleck played a member of a high school basketball team in the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie. It’s a [blink and you’ll miss it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmFS7Fs0YNE) part, starting around 00:14.
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### Author:  [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/110 "2012-09-08T15:10:07Z")
> [@Tangent](#):
>
> I’m bumping this thread because I had two of these “whoa” moments last night while watching _The Fugitive_ (which someone else mentioned upthread re: Joe Pantoliano). It’s been many years since I last watched it.
>
> I was first suprised to see that [Jane Lynch](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0528331/) plays one of Dr. Kimball’s colleagues. She is questioned by the police after Kimball goes on the run, and then she has another significant scene later where she helps Kimball figure out why the one-armed man had been sent after him in the first place.
>
> In a different scene, [Kirsten Nelson](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625529/) (aka “Chief Vick” in _Psych_) appears briefly as a receptionist or something–I forget because my brain was going “Holy shit, that’s Chief Vick! And she looks so young!”
>
> Fun fact: Jane Lynch appeared in an episode of _Psych_, playing Chief Vick’s sister.
And the Janitor from _Scrubs_ was the cop in the subway who tried to arrest Kimball. The only reason I know this is because they referred to it in an episode of _Scrubs_.
I think I’ve mentioned this before but the serial killer, Jame Gumb, Agent Clarice was tasked to find in _Silence of the Lambs_ was played by Ted Levine who was Captain Stottlemeyer in _Monk_.
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### Author:  [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/111 "2013-04-04T14:10:12Z")
sorry for bumping this thread…but I didn’t want to start a new thread…
Watching Gremlins today and saw Jonathan Banks (Michael Ehrmantrout from Breaking Bad) which was pretty easy to recognize.
But the guy who played the teacher that Billy brought the Mogwai to study looked so familiar to me but I couldn’t place him. Turns out it is Mayor Royce from The Wire
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### Author:  [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/112 "2013-04-04T14:34:42Z")
> [@DataZak](#):
>
> And the Janitor from _Scrubs_ was the cop in the subway who tried to arrest Kimball. The only reason I know this is because they referred to it in an episode of _Scrubs_.
>
> I think I’ve mentioned this before but the serial killer, Jame Gumb, Agent Clarice was tasked to find in _Silence of the Lambs_ was played by Ted Levine who was Captain Stottlemeyer in _Monk_.
We also just noticed the Janitor from Scrubs in one of the final scenes in _Major League_ - he’s in the bar that hugs the “punk” after the Indians win.
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### Author:  [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/113 "2013-04-04T14:50:38Z")
Jack Black as the older brother/soldier who dies early in _Mars Attacks_.
In Men in Black 3, at the funeral early on, one of the alien mourners is played by special effects makeup artist Rick Baker, and Tony Shalhoub has a cameo as a newsvendor;
and Samuel L. Jackson (again) in Kill Bill Vol. I & II, as the dead church organist.
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### Author:  [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/114 "2013-04-04T15:01:14Z")
It’s always a bit disconcerting to think of Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson as the biker babe who wants to “have” the protagonist of _Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure_.
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### Author:  [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/115 "2013-04-04T15:09:31Z")
> [@Enderw24](#):
>
> Rewatched Vacation last month when I realized that Randy Quaid’s daughter in the movie is Jane Krakowski, from 30 Rock. She was like 14 when it was filmed but you can immediately tell it’s her.
“Yeah, but Daddy says I’m the best at it…”
My big “whoa!” moment:
In “That Thing You Do!” with Tom Hanks and Tom Everett Scott, his girlfriend at the beginning (before the band gets famous) is none other than a very young **Charlize Theron!** :dubious:
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### Author:  [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/116 "2013-04-04T15:51:07Z")
I just found out that Mae Whitman, the goth looking girl from “Parenthood” was the president’s daughter in “Independence Day.”
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/117 "2013-04-04T17:03:11Z")
[Angelo Rossitto](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=angelo+rossitto&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.dmQ&biw=1024&bih=680&wrapid=tlif136509467546010&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=FrFdUZC7A7CH0QGf-oHQDA), while a name that most people don’t recognize created two memorable film characters 50 years apart.
In the movie “Freaks” (1932), he led the “Gooble Gobble” chant at the dinner table. In 1984, he was the “Master” of “Master Blaster.”
In real life, since he didn’t make much money playing bit roles in horror movies, he operated a newsstand.
Two places he can be spotted in uncredited roles:
“Requiem for a Heavyweight” (1962). He was a midget wrestler. Not one that actually does any wrestling, though. He was so bow-legged, he could hardly walk. He can be seen briefly outside the ring in a scene shortly after the midget wrestlers.
In an episode of “The Fugitive”, he had a non-speaking, uncredited role as. . . a newsstand vendor.
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/118 "2013-04-04T18:09:15Z")
> [@Eutychus](#):
>
> I just found out that Mae Whitman, the goth looking girl from “Parenthood” was the president’s daughter in “Independence Day.”
Weird that that’s how you know Mae Whitman, and not from **Arrested Development** or **Scott Pilgrim** …
A recent moment like this for me was watching this season of **Homeland** - the news reporter / terrorist woman was [Gaia](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Mk1mVnaVe0/T8cy6NQ-drI/AAAAAAAAGks/kXpesfE_JMk/s1600/gaia.jpg) on **Rome** , who killed Titus Pullo’s wife and then later became his wife.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/119 "2013-04-04T19:00:06Z")
> [@Morbo](#):
>
> Weird that that’s how you know Mae Whitman, and not from **Arrested Development**
Well, to be fair, her character in AD basically was the personification of forgetability.
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### Author:  [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whoa-i-never-knew-that-actor-was-in-this-movie/492719/120 "2013-04-05T13:31:43Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#):
>
> [Angelo Rossitto](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=angelo+rossitto&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.dmQ&biw=1024&bih=680&wrapid=tlif136509467546010&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=FrFdUZC7A7CH0QGf-oHQDA), while a name that most people don’t recognize created two memorable film characters 50 years apart.
>
> In the movie “Freaks” (1932), he led the “Gooble Gobble” chant at the dinner table. In 1984, he was the “Master” of “Master Blaster.”
Mind. Blown.
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