Last year while I was flying across the country, I stumbled onto a Showtime documentary all about character actors. I was amazed how many of the actors featured in the film I had seen before but couldn’t name. That was the entire point behind Ian Roumain and Michael Schwartz’s film “That Guy…Who Was in That Thing.” The film features 17 different male actors who get hired to play the same general role and have made pretty lengthy careers out of it. (Note: if 17 seems high to you, there was a sequel that featured 16 women in the same type of feature.)
I Know That Guy
This all came to mind over the last couple of weeks as we’ve been binging on CW’s “Arrow”, which features the exceptional Neal McDonough as season 3’s big bad guy, Damien Darhk. McDonough has 110 acting credits on his IMDB page, including Minority Report, Flags of our Fathers, Suits, Captain America: The First Avenger, Red 2, The Hitcher, and plenty more. The point is the guy has been around, and he’s generally outstanding as an actor. His Damien Darhk is manipulative and slick and a joy to watch.
Another outlet for character actors who consistently turn in great performances is CBS’s “Person of Interest.” The show features Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson as the leads, and in each episode, their machine generates a number associated with a person in danger or about to cause harm. This setup provides the perfect stage for a weekly appearance but “that guy” as the potential victim or perp. Stacia and I actually turn it into the “where have we seen that guy before” game. Guys like Bruce Davison, with 229 acting credits on his IMDB page, turn up in “Castle” or “Covert Affairs” or “Hawaii Five-O.” He’s probably most recognized as the anti-mutant Senator Kelly in the X-Men movies.
Actors Playing Serial Villains
The point behind the documentaries is that many of these actors have embraced the “character actor” career path. It’s the Hollywood equivalent to an NFL quarterback being called a “game manager.” At first, it meant he got just enough right and let the team do the rest. In other words, he can suck but just don’t suck enough to cost the team. The term has become less of an insult in recent years. The Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 with future hall-of-fame quarterback Peyton Manning fully in “game manager” mode. The defense, arguably among the best of all time, did the rest, and Peyton is probably just fine with hosting the Lombardi trophy as a result.
That’s the point behind “That Guy.” The term character actor was originally intended to label a performer as a one-trick pony. Hollywood is a competitive place. Sometimes, the answer is to take the roles in which you excel and are identified, knock them out of the park, and build from there. These guys are talented. They’re not stupid. They have bills to pay just like the rest of us. They have pride. Paul Guilfoyle (CSI, Session 9, New York Undercover), one of the “That Guy” guys, is quoted as saying, “Strive to be authentic all the time. That’s sort of my philosophy on life, which applies to acting.”
It’s always fun to watch a show and suddenly realize where (or how many times) you’ve seen a familiar actor before. Acting is like sports. Not everyone is going to have a lengthy, storied career, but for the guys and gals who make the most out of their chance, good for them. Here’s hoping we see them show up many more times in the future.
One Love,
nK
