# Your favorite character actor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151 "2011-08-02T04:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/21 "2011-08-02T19:27:19Z")
> [@Agnostic\_Pagan](#): > > William Macy is another favorite. I cannot think of a role of his I did not enjoy. I’m having a hard time considering William Macy and Chris Cooper as character actors. I think that both have had enough starring roles to be considered A-list actors. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/22 "2011-08-02T21:57:29Z")
No love for [Steven Tobolowsky](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864997/) yet? He’s seems to have been in every show and movie ever made. 🙂 J. p.s., Oh, and I forgot to add that his podcasts are hilarious. He usually doesn’t show his comic side in his acting jobs, but he’s a great comedy writer. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/23 "2011-08-02T23:24:14Z")
**Simon Oakland** Lt. Shrank in West Side Story. The shrink in Psycho. Twilight Zone. Mission Impossible. Gunsmoke. Combat! The Virginian. Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Bonanza. Dr. Kildare. Hawaii 5-0. Black Sheep Squadron. The Rockford Files. And about a million others. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/24 "2011-08-03T00:43:29Z")
joe flynn, the bunggling aristocratic CO in Mchale’s Navy. ---
**Author:** ![wei\_ji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wei\_ji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei_ji)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/25 "2011-08-03T00:52:36Z")
Vincent D’Onofrio > **[Vincent D'Onofrio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_D%27Onofrio)** > > Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (/dəˈnɒfrioʊ/; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. > His roles include Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence in Full Metal Jacket (1987), Edgar the Bug in Men in Black (1997) and Men in Black: The Series (1997–2001), Carl Stargher in The Cell (2000), New York City Police Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent... His portrayal of “Pooh Bear,” the drug dealer in “Salton Sea,” opposite Val Kilmer, still gives me the creeps. I knew a few people in my youth who later spent their lives as criminals–or got dead trying–and they were just as cunning, vicious, and utterly crazy as “Pooh.” (Who lost his nose to cocaine sniffing, let that be a lesson to all Dopers). A fine, fine actor. ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/26 "2011-08-03T00:56:26Z")
Just checked in to see if Jack Elam was mentioned. He was. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/27 "2011-08-03T00:59:50Z")
Brendan Gleeson Michael Gambon Keith Carradine They’ve all had their share of lead roles, but more often than not play very strong supporting characters. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/28 "2011-08-03T01:08:11Z")
Ben Johnson Victor McLaughlin Ward Bond Warren Oates I’m seeing a trend here… ---
**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:** [August 3, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/29 "2011-08-03T03:08:22Z")
Wallace Shawn ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/30 "2011-08-03T03:16:55Z")
I agree with Hank Azaria, wholeheartedly. He’s possibly too big now, but Steve Buscemi. I don’t like him in Adam Sandler films (luckily Rob Schneider has largely taken that role), but in movies like _Fargo_, _Big Fish_, _Reservoir Dogs_, etc., I think he’s brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/31 "2011-08-03T05:25:14Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Harry Dean Stanton You speak wisdom. See Ebert’s assessment that “no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad,” although he eventually found an exception. More recently, Mark Strong has been there to make good movies great and mediocre movies a bit better. Bad guys in _Stardust_, _Kick Ass_, _Sherlock Holmes_, and I guess _Green Lantern_. He plays the villain/antihero in _RocknRolla_, but he might as well be the star there since the title character is a tool. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/32 "2011-08-03T05:42:08Z")
Mark Strong also had a great role as the head of the Jordanian intelligence services in **Body of Lies**. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/33 "2011-08-03T06:03:22Z")
James Cromwell. Guy can be anything. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/34 "2011-08-03T06:10:23Z")
> [@wei\_ji](#): > > Vincent D’Onofrio > > [Vincent D'Onofrio - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_D%27Onofrio) > > His portrayal of “Pooh Bear,” the drug dealer in “Salton Sea,” opposite Val Kilmer, still gives me the creeps. I knew a few people in my youth who later spent their lives as criminals–or got dead trying–and they were just as cunning, vicious, and utterly crazy as “Pooh.” (Who lost his nose to cocaine sniffing, let that be a lesson to all Dopers). A fine, fine actor. He played the lead role on a successful TV show for 10 years! IMO, that kinda DQs him as a “character actor”. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/35 "2011-08-03T06:12:53Z")
gary oldman, one of few who can switch from cuddly-cute to stark raving mad within 10 frames of film. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/36 "2011-08-03T06:20:40Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > He’s possibly too big now, but Steve Buscemi. I don’t like him in Adam Sandler films (luckily Rob Schneider has largely taken that role), but in movies like _Fargo_, _Big Fish_, _Reservoir Dogs_, etc., I think he’s brilliant. Yes! Steve Buscemi was the first name that came to mind when I saw the thread title. I fell in love with him in Ghost World. Monica Horan, who played Amy on Everybody Loves Raymond, is another favorite. With that character, she helped breathe new life into the show, and the relationship between her and Robert was hilarious and just great. Her facial expressions are awesome, almost like a cartoon character or something. I can’t find it, but the scene where Marie walks in on them having sex and Robert comes out in just his uniform top and Amy has the huge bottoms pulled up to her chest makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. Their wedding dance is also great… Wedding dance https://www.youtube.com/embed/htZzx3-0vx0?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/37 "2011-08-03T06:44:23Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > No love for [Steven Tobolowsky](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864997/) yet? He’s seems to have been in every show and movie ever made. He’s easily my second. He can do comedy (as Ned Ryerson in _Groundhog Day_) and drama (as Sammy Jankis in _Memento_). Very good actor. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/38 "2011-08-03T16:17:46Z")
Gary Oldman. My favorite actor. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/39 "2011-08-03T16:20:21Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Harry Dean Stanton That was the first name I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151/40 "2011-08-03T16:48:16Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > He played the lead role on a successful TV show for 10 years! IMO, that kinda DQs him as a “character actor”. He also had the lead role in Steal This Movie. And he was chillingly brilliant one version of The Taking of Pelham 123. He out-Shawed Shaw! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-character-actor/591151.md?page=3)