I am using this term to define actors who generally appear in movies in bit parts. Occasionally they may have a starring role, but for the most part, they are in the supporting cast. Generally speaking, they do not have glamorous looks, but will often have longer careers than fantastic looking actors, because they are long on talent.
Elisha Cook, Jr. is a typical example - he worked steadily for over forty years - three great roles in my mind were in The Maltese Falcon, I Wake Up Screaming, andThe Killing. Others I enjoy would be J.T. Walsh (RIP), David Paymer, Dan Hedaya, and Giancarlo Esposito, among others.
My all time favorite, however, is M. Emmet Walsh. His scene stealing in Raising Arizona cemented him as my top choice. Other memorable roles for me were in The Jerk, Fletch, What’s Up, Doc?, Alice’s Restaurant, Slap Shot, Blade Runner, Blood Simple, Back to School, Ordinary People, and Serpico.
Brad Dourif. BORN TO BE GRIMA WORMTONGUE!!!
[sub]two weeks… two weeks… two weeks… two weeks… two weeks… two weeks… [/sub]
Margaret Dumont • Frank (“Eee-yessss?”) Nelson • Hugh (“woo-hoo! woo-hoo!”) Herbert • Edward Everett Horton • Harriett (Mrs. Drysdale) McGibbon • Franklin Pangborn • Polly Walters • Una Merkel . . .
I thought of M Emmet Walsh immediately when I saw the thread title. Great minds and all that… 
Bruce Dern. No one ever played a more convincing slimeball.
I’ll have to go for Walter Huston, a character actor if there ever was one, though his parts were usually larger than “bit.”
He figures in three of my all-time faves, in three completely different characterizations: The Devil himself in The Devil and Dan’l Webster (aka All That Money Can Buy) (1941); an alcoholic doctor and killer in And Then There Were None (1945); and the wise old prospector in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).
David Morse
That guy, you know, the one in that movie, and then he was in that other one where had did that thing.
Then there’s that other guy who always wears a hat. And the lady with the nose. I like her.
David Morse. Far and away one of the best actors working today (though I’m not always a huge fan of the material he gets).
Rory Calhoun?
When I read the title, J.T. Walsh jumped to mind. I also love Clint Howard and Wallace Shawn.
Al Leong, the mustachioed Asian, who among other roles was:
-a thug in Die Hard
-a thug in Lethal Weapon
-a thug in Big Trouble in Little China
and best of all
-Bob Genghis Khan in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Robert Duvall
I’ve followed the career of Frances Sternhagen for about thirty years. (You might know her as “Bunny” (Charlotte’s ex-mother-in-law) in SEX AND THE CITY.
Zoe, Frances Sternhagen did the narration of a documentary I created. Hers was the exact voice I wanted so, needless to say, it worked out marvelously. But on top of that, she did it pro bono and at some inconvenience to herself. For that I will love her to my dying day.
The sadly much under-rated Warren Oates one of the best film actors of the '70s who according to his IMDB mini biography:
With his role as one of the Hammond brothers in the Sam Peckinpah masterpiece Ride the High Country (1962), Oates found a niche both as an actor and as a colleague of one of the most distinguished and distinctive directors of the period. Peckinpah used Oates repeatedly, and Oates, in large part due to the prominence given him by Peckinpah, became one of those rare character actors whose name and face is as familiar as those of many leading stars.
Check out his work sometime.
Is this thread asking about actors portraying different characters throughout their careers, or by someone who is good at doing one character well throughout their career. My first thought was of one of the all time bad guys…Henry Silva. But it wasn’t like he did a lot of things besides the baddie. Walter Brennan was very good. Strother Martin. Having trouble thinking of females or more contemporary actors. Need sleep. Will dream of characters.
For lead actors, Bogart acted Bogart pretty good. Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman are all, IMHO, pretty good character actors who were made “stars”.
Nice thread!
mc
Too many to list but here are a couple of good resources for fans of character actors.
Does Don Cheadle count? I think he may have climbed above the chracter actor stamp.
I just think he is a great actor, period.