# Your favorite performances by character actors

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-performances-by-character-actors/651358>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 25, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-performances-by-character-actors/651358 "2013-02-25T16:31:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-performances-by-character-actors/651358/21 "2013-03-01T12:35:34Z")

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> [@denquixote](#):
>
> Walter Matthau in “Lonely Are The Brave.”

So true.

Made me think of Joe Don Baker as Molly in _Charley Varrick_ which also had some outstanding work by Sheree North and John Vernon.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-performances-by-character-actors/651358/22 "2013-03-01T13:09:54Z")

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Now that it’s pretty convincing that [Steve Buscemi](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=sr_1) will emerge from this poll as, if not the outright winner, then at least in the Top Five, I’m wondering which of his many roles is the standout. I know I was aware of his work before _Lonesome Dove_ (1989) but I can’t be sure of any of the earlier titles in his resume’. I know for sure he was already a fixed image by the time of _Reservoir Dogs_ (1992) but some of his earlier work may be things I saw but just don’t remember by their titles.

What’s his earliest work that you know you saw at the time?

More relevantly, what’s his most outstanding role before _Boardwalk Empire_? By that time, he’s surely established as a star and not merely a “character actor” – at least in my mind.

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**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-performances-by-character-actors/651358/23 "2013-03-01T20:26:08Z")

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Robert Vaughn on Bullitt.

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