There used to be Edie “He’s a righteous dude!” McCLurg, who’s still alive but doesn’t turn up as much as she used to. Back in the day there was Fran Ryan but she passed on to the Great Casting Call a few years back.
Bob Balaban’s very first role was in the very memorable scene in Midnight Cowboy, where he gives a blowjob to a less-than-enthusiastic Jon Voight, while the latter watches some old space movie in a movie theater. Right as he climaxes (after fantasizing about his old girlfriend) the movie shows a space capsule launching, or some other such sight gag to coincide with the ejaculation. Then Bob Balaban runs to the bathroom and vomits all of the semen into the sink. At this point, Joe asks for his ten dollars, but Balaban doesn’t have it (I have to wonder why Joe didn’t demand that he pay in advance) and gets roughed up by a very, very frustrated male hustler.
Since the guy is now typically known for playing stuffy bureaucrat types, I find it funny that he made his film debut in such a sleazy role.
I’d say Illeanna Douglas is a “That Girl!” I’m sure there are more, but none are coming to me.
Hell, that is when I say “Oh! THAT guy!!!” the most.
My “That Guy” is still around, and just as prolific as when he was in Dirty Harry and Witness: Josef Sommer.
I’ve been seeing Erick Avari around a lot in the last few years, and I always say, “Oh! THAT guy!”
I’m surprised to learn he’s 57 because he seemed that old 15 years ago.
I would second Zeljko Ivanek. He fits the bill perfectly. Most of you have no idea who he is, unlike JK Simmons or Joe Pantoliono, but you would recognize him instantly. Excerpted from IMDB, here are some of the TV shows he has been in:
Heroes
Big Love
Damages
House
True Blood
The Mentalist
John Adams
Numbers
Lost
Cold Case
Bones
SVU
Law and Order
The West Wing
The Practice
ER
Homicide
Ally McBeal
Millenium
Frasier
Chicago Hope
Murder She Wrote
The X Files
LA Law
St. Elsewhere
So basically every major television show ever aired except for Judge Judy and Survivor.
James Rebhorn deserves a short-listing on a “That Guy!” list. He plays your classic shithead-in-a-suit, specializing in weaselling, officious and stuffy doctors, lawyers, D.A.s, high-ranking govt. officials, police officials and military officers. And he’s got five credits for 2009 already.
Ivanek ceased being “that guy” to me after Season 1 of Damages. He was so amazingly good in that role that i’ll never forget his name again.
Don’t forget 24. He was so memorable as the first season’s villain that he instantly became “That Drazen!” instead of “That Guy!” It was a start and now I know his name.
Saïd Taghmaoui is “That Arab Guy.”
Lots of good suggestions so far, though I think that Luis Guzman, J.K. Simmons, and Joe Pantoliano have too much name-recognition to be considered.
I’ve felt that way since Homicide where he played the DA. Then again in Oz where he played the sleazy governor. I’ll never forget his name, at least not since I learned how to pronounce it.
The current title for “that kid” has to go to Vanessa Marano.
Teenage daughter of the main character on “Without a Trace”, teenage daughter of the main character on “Trust Me”, teenage daughter of the male lead on “Gilmore Girls” . . . plus guest appearances on “The Closer”, “Ghost Whisperer”, “Malcolm in the Middle”, “Six Feet Under”, “Grounded for Life”, etc.
There have been times where I’ve watched three different shows back-to-back and had her show up in all of them.
I’ll submit James Karen.
He’s 88 and hasn’t made a movie in 10 years (though he does do voiceover work), but he is still alive: G.D. Spradlin. (pic1 pic 2 very recent). For 30 years whenever a corrupt politician/power-behind-the-throne/executive/etc. was needed he was hired, though he’s most famous for the words “Mister… Cor-lee-o-ney”.
He’s also of that breed with Leon Askin and Charles Lane who would show up in new vehicles from time to time and make you think “Damn! That guy was an old man when I was a kid and he’s still around and playing old men!”
Another: Dennis Burkley. He was obese for many years but has slimmed down so much in recent years it’s sometimes hard to recognize him. He’s most famous as Cal on Sanford (not “and Son” but the footnote later series) and for Mask, but he’s been on everything including a recent My Name is Earl and he voices the principal and other characters on KING OF THE HILL.
And speaking of slimmed down fat guys, Glenn Shadix. Bk4 Beetlejuice, Planet of the Apes, and a zillion TV appearances, he’s the current occupant of the James Coco Memorial Obese Gay Character Actor Turned Just Chunky Gay Character Actor Chair.
WIlliam Fichter. Most folks know his face and even know his movies, but they don’t know his name. So to me he is definitely “That Guy!”
William Hickey–someone who always seems to show up as “That Senile Guy.”
I used to have “that guy” moments about Michael Lonsdale, from movies like The Name of the Rose, Moonraker, Ronin and Munich. You know, that guy!
