# William Fichtner's Greatest Hits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687 "2011-02-26T10:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/1 "2011-02-26T10:52:19Z")
In the [Drive Angry Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=598553), William Fichtner is mentioned as being a highlight of the film. I haven’t seen Drive Angry, but damn it if that always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride career supporting actor isn’t ALWAYS all kinds of awesome no matter how small his role. [IMDB Link](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001209/) _Armageddon_ was on T.V. the other day. I had forgotten he was in it. I was delighted when he walked on screen. I loved him in _Date Night_. In a one-episode-only appearance, he played one of the best characters ever on _The West Wing_. He might have been the absolute best thing about _The Dark Night_ (and I say that as someone who loved _The Dark Night_). I considered making this a poll, but there’s a lot that he’s done that I haven’t seen, so I’d be sure to leave something off the poll choices that other people would want to vote for- there are some recurring character roles on T.V. shows that I’ve never watched: _Entourage_, _Prison Break_, _Invasion_. Anyway, the man raisies the qualitiy of every work he appears in. What’s your favorite? ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/2 "2011-02-26T13:31:54Z")
His turn in **Prison Break** , believe it or not, is my favorite. The show spiraling around him was pretty silly, but he himself was _fantastic_ and really elevated the material. [Here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Ik-ClZdIWwQ&vq=medium) a taste of how believable and compelling he was…and this is just a deleted scene. (NOTE: I’m using the link to the pop-up video player because if you watch this at the youtube site itself there’s a major series spoiler in the “suggested videos” frame. For me, the video just pops up as another tab in Firefox.) ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/3 "2011-02-26T13:35:19Z")
I agree, I like seeing Fichtner in just about everything, and he was really good in _Crapageddon_ … I mean, _Armageddon_. I also really enjoyed his performance in _Contact_, as the blind scientist who had the awesome hearing skills, finding the clues in the radio signal from outer space. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/4 "2011-02-26T13:44:08Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > I also really enjoyed his performance in _Contact_, as the blind scientist who had the awesome hearing skills, finding the clues in the radio signal from outer space. I haven’t seen _Contact_ in a really long time, and I was trying really hard to remember his character when I saw it on his imdb page. Your description is bringing it back to memory. He had kind of an unrequited crush on Jodie Foster’s character (not as a significant plot point, though) right? He was soft-spoken and sweet- so unlike a lot of the roles his gets cast in. Memory is still hazy, but that’s what’s coming to mind. Yeah, this guy is good. Anyone know how he pronounces his last name? FISHT-ner FICKT-ner FIKE-tner? Does the ‘t’ get rolled over? I find that ‘t’ to be troublesome. I wanna go right from the ‘ch’ (be it hard or soft) into the ‘n’. Pronouncing the ‘t’ is hard for me. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/5 "2011-02-26T13:55:17Z")
The second one – FICK(t)-ner. And he was great in **Contact** – right on about how sweet his character was. Awww, bless. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/6 "2011-02-26T15:34:22Z")
I loved him as the narc in Doug Limon’s Go. Scary tough one minute, selling Amway the next, your perception of him keeps changing throughout the film, just as your perception of all the events and characters keep changing. It’s a good film too, with lots of actor you maybe recognize now but didn’t then. It’s one of those movies where you have to pay strict attention or don’t even bother trying to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/7 "2011-02-26T17:26:31Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > His turn in **Prison Break** , believe it or not, is my favorite. The show spiraling around him was pretty silly, but he himself was _fantastic_ and really elevated the material. I agree. I actually loved the show as well, but his turn was a major component in it. I would even go so far as to say if he hadn’t been introduced in Season 2, the show wouldn’t have lasted until Season 4. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/8 "2011-02-26T18:42:10Z")
He was good as a slimy bad guy in **Heat**. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/9 "2011-02-26T19:45:17Z")
Even from the beginning of his career, before he started working in major films, he was really good. Waaay back in the late 80s/early 90s, he was on the soap “As The World Turns”, playing a stranger who went to work as the stableboy of the local rich bitch. As it turned out, he was actually the rich bitch’s adopted daughter’s father, with someone he thought was his cousin. Huge, big secret. Majorly over the top, in general. But Fichtner SHONE in the role…he had an obvious talent and gravity that kind of dwarfed the rest of the cast’s. I’ve always kind of felt like “I knew about him way before he got famous” because my mother and I used to watch that soap at the time. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/10 "2011-02-26T20:38:57Z")
I first noticed him when he appeared on Grace under Fire with Brett Butler. Of course, I loved Brett’s sense of humor and sarcasm, but Fichtner stood up to her and made that sitcom better than a lot of other shows on the air. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/11 "2011-02-26T20:44:10Z")
Incidentally, Fichtner’s not the only star that came out of ATWT. I feel kind of the same (undeserved) proprietary feeling for Meg Ryan and Marisa Tomei, who also were on ATWT before they hit it big. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/12 "2011-02-27T01:25:53Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I loved him as the narc in Doug Limon’s Go. Scary tough one minute, selling Amway the next. It’s Confederated Products, it’s a different standard, it’s a different company. +1 for GO ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/13 "2011-02-27T02:31:45Z")
Loved him in _Drowning Mona_. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/14 "2011-02-27T04:01:55Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > Loved him in _Drowning Mona_. Oh yeah, good one, Casey Affleck too, what was it with the boardgame? ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/15 "2011-02-27T04:29:24Z")
> [@the other jeffrey lebowski](#): > > loved him in _drowning mona_. i’m a wheel watcher! ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/16 "2011-02-27T05:00:37Z")
How come nobody’s mentioned Black Hawk Down or The Perfect Storm? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/17 "2011-02-27T12:33:44Z")
Loved him in **Blackhawk Down**. “Well then give me a couple of your shooters and I’ll circle us around to the bird”. (Or something like that). When he says this line the expression on his face is perfect - practically saying “This is complete bullshit, but what the fuck I’m gonna get this done.” ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-fichtners-greatest-hits/572687/18 "2011-02-27T15:43:07Z")
He was riveting (as always) in Albino Alligator, and one of the very few actors I have ever seen deliver an absolutely spot-on New Orleans accent.