# Who's your favorite character/supporting actor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504 "2008-01-14T18:33:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/1 "2008-01-14T18:33:10Z")
I watched “Good Morning Vietnam” on TV over the weekend, and was again blown away by J.T. Walsh’s performance as SMJ Dickerson. I did some research on him a few years ago when I played LTC Markinson in a community theater production of “A Few Good Men”. I rented the movie just to watch him and I was impressed with his nuanced performance. Since then I’ve become something of a fan, catching re-runs of “Pleasantville” and “Backdraft” for the sole purpose of watching Walsh (OK, OK, and to get an eyefull of Joan Allen and Jennifer Jason Leigh). It’s a shame he’s not still making pictures – occasionally I’ll see a character that’s morally ambiguous, at best, and think, “Gee, I’ll bet J.T. woulda’ been great in that.” So who’s your favorite second or third banana? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/2 "2008-01-14T18:40:27Z")
[Wallace Shawn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Shawn) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/3 "2008-01-14T18:44:51Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] [Wallace Shawn](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Shawn) [/QUOTE] Inconceivable. Mike Starr. He makes a great heavy. Bob Balaban, though I’m not sure he qualifies as a character actor anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/4 "2008-01-14T19:23:21Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/5 "2008-01-14T19:53:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sunrazor] I watched “Good Morning Vietnam” on TV over the weekend, and was again blown away by J.T. Walsh’s performance as SMJ Dickerson. I did some research on him a few years ago when I played LTC Markinson in a community theater production of “A Few Good Men”. I rented the movie just to watch him and I was impressed with his nuanced performance. Since then I’ve become something of a fan, catching re-runs of “Pleasantville” and “Backdraft” for the sole purpose of watching Walsh (OK, OK, and to get an eyefull of Joan Allen and Jennifer Jason Leigh). It’s a shame he’s not still making pictures – occasionally I’ll see a character that’s morally ambiguous, at best, and think, “Gee, I’ll bet J.T. woulda’ been great in that.” [/QUOTE] That might be a tad difficult, seeing that ol’ J. T. has been [dead almost 10 years](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000687/)… My favorite was [Roscoe Lee Browne](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001975/), who passed away last year. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/6 "2008-01-14T19:54:34Z")
Kevin Pollock. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/7 "2008-01-14T20:16:17Z")
[QUOTE=Rico] That might be a tad difficult, seeing that ol’ J. T. has been [dead almost 10 years](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000687/)… [/QUOTE] Didn’t stop Brando or Olivier… Mine is [Thelma Ritter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Ritter). Tended to play the tough as nails sidekick/maid type. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/8 "2008-01-14T22:53:37Z")
[QUOTE=Rico] That might be a tad difficult, seeing that ol’ J. T. has been [dead almost 10 years](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000687/)… [/QUOTE] Um, yeah, “not making pictures” is what’s called a “euphemism.” Next time I’ll put it in quotes. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/9 "2008-01-14T23:45:26Z")
[Charles Lane](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485272/), who, alas, is no longer avilable. The great thing about Lane was that you could recognize him immediately, often from the one line he had in the movie. Incredible career. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/10 "2008-01-15T02:10:01Z")
Harry Dean Stanton ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/11 "2008-01-15T02:17:05Z")
Ben Johnson \ ***Captain Nathan Brittles:** Were you ever scared, “Captain” Tyree? **Sgt. Tyree:** Yes, sir. Up to and includin’ now. \* ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/12 "2008-01-15T02:23:09Z")
[Graham Greene](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001295/) In _Thunderheart_, he completely upstages Val Kilmer. In _Maverick_, he completely upstages Mel Gibson. In fact, his character deserved his own movie. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/13 "2008-01-15T07:00:48Z")
Jim Beaver! Frederic Lehne’s pretty cool, too. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/14 "2008-01-15T15:14:24Z")
Vinnie Jones. > **[Vinnie Jones | Actor, Producer, Soundtrack](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005068/)** > > Known for: Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Midnight Meat Train ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/15 "2008-01-15T15:32:12Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Ben Johnson [/QUOTE] or Warren Oates. Frankly, I can’t decide which of these two is my favorite. That’s one reason why “The Wild Bunch” will always remain on my top five list of favorite films: they were _perfect_ as the Gorch brothers! > [@](#): > > Lyle Gorch: They made damn fools out of us Mr. Bishop. Gettin’ so a feller can’t sleep with both eyes closed for fear of gettin’ his throat cut. Where in hell were you? > Tector Gorch: Now you listen to me, Lyle. You get up and help once in a while, I wouldn’a got caught near s’easy. > … > Lyle Gorch: While you was doin’ all that plannin’, me and Tector was gettin’ our bell rope pulled by two… two, mind you, Hondo whores! > Dutch Engstrom: And Pike was dreamin’ of washers… you were matching whores… in tandem! > Lyle Gorch: What’s that? > Tector Gorch: That’s one behind t’other. > Lyle Gorch: That’s right! That’s what we was doin’! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/16 "2008-01-15T15:36:19Z")
[Cheech](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001507/) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/17 "2008-01-15T16:15:38Z")
Is William H. Macy a real star now, or is he still a “hey, it’s that guy”? ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/18 "2008-01-15T21:24:24Z")
Female - the above noted Thelma Ritter. Male - Dick Miller. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/19 "2008-01-15T21:46:47Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Is William H. Macy a real star now, or is he still a “hey, it’s that guy”? [/QUOTE] He’s the poster child for Getting Promoted From Hey, It’s That Guy Status. Mine is [Tracey Walter](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910145/). Also Bruce McGill. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504/20 "2008-01-15T21:53:58Z")
[M. Emmet Walsh](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001826/) [Michael Wincott](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000699/) [Gary Cole](http://imdb.com/name/nm0170550/) [John C. McGinley](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001525/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-character-supporting-actor/433504.md?page=2)