Favorite character actors

[Rockingkj]

What no Gabby Hays!

[Mumbleypeg]

Gabby Hayes is a good example of great character actors who had long careers in films but became perhaps better known for their roles as comic “sidekicks”. Pat Brady (Roy Rogers), Andy Devine (Wild Bill Hickok), Leo Carrillo (The Cisco Kid), Marjorie Reynolds (The Life of Riley), Audrey Meadows (The Honeymooners), and Vivian Vance (I Love Lucy) are some others.

Ken

[Ridgegrass]

And Pat Butram with Gene Autry. Saw a film this morning with Charlie Ruggles and the ever-present Spring Byington who played everybody's aunt, mother, neighbor, friend, etc. O'.

[steve99f]

Great idea for a thread. I would think Helen Mirren would qualify as a character actress.

[Mumbleypeg]

Helen Mirren is a good one. She has become better known the past few years. Charlie Ruggles and Spring Byington also. Spring Byington reminded me about Elsa Lanchester - she was usually a maid, a floozie, someone’s mother or sister but early in her career she had the lead role in The Bride of Frankenstein.

A good one I saw in a movie recently is Charles Coburn. Usually played someone’s grandfather, uncle, or similar. He had a long career.

Ken

[Mumbleypeg]

Arthur Hunnicutt. S.Z. Sakall. Paul Fix.

Ken

[Ridgegrass]

Neville Brand and Vic Morrow, second bananas in westerns and G.I. movies. I think Morrow was actually killed with a couple kids in a helicopter mishap while making a Vietnam film. O'.

[Waukonda]

Neville Brand and Vic Morrow, second bananas in westerns and G.I. movies. I think Morrow was actually killed with a couple kids in a helicopter mishap while making a Vietnam film. O'.

Vic Morrow was my favorite in the "Combat" series.

I just watched "Man With a Gun" starring Robert Mitchum. These 2 recognizable faces were characters in that movie.

[chickenman62]

How about John Dehner. He played cowboys, gangsters and comedy.

[Mumbleypeg]

How about John Dehner. He played cowboys, gangsters and comedy.

He’s a good example - like many character actors I didn’t recognize his name, but when I saw his picture I immediately recognized him!

Ken

[Unk]

Always liked Victor Mclaglen in the John Ford / John Wayne movies. "The Quiet Man" is one of my all time favorites.

[Mumbleypeg]

Always liked Victor Mclaglen in the John Ford / John Wayne movies. "The Quiet Man" is one of my all time favorites.

With Barry Fitzgerald and Ward Bond, no less!

Ken

[Unk]

Agreed Ken. Two more great ones! The scene in "The Quiet Man" when Barry Fitzgerald keeps drinking John Wayne's beer always cracks me up. It's right at the end of this clip.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/mFvbOdnzTKk?si=ZkUQf_HOkld2stwr[/youtube]

[Unk]

Agreed Ken. Two more great ones! The scene in "The Quiet Man" when Barry Fitzgerald keeps drinking John Wayne's beer always cracks me up. It's right at the end of this clip.

https://youtu.be/mFvbOdnzTKk?si=ZkUQf_HOkld2stwr

[Mumbleypeg]

Another great character actor in The Quiet Man is Arthur Shields, who played the Protestant minister, Reverend Playfair. Little known fact is that he and Barry Fitzgerald were brothers. If you look you can see the family resemblance. Both were favorites of Hollywood director John Ford.

Ken

[Unk]

Very interesting! I never knew they were brothers.

[chickenman62]

How about James Best. His face was everywhere in 1950s-60s TV and movies and don't forget Burgess Meredith.

[Mumbleypeg]

James Best is another one that I didn’t recognize the name but immediately recognized his picture. Burgess Meredith was always a favorite of mine. Very versatile actor who played all kinds of roles over a six-decade career, but maybe most known for playing the villainous “Penguin” in the old campy Batman TV series.

Ken

[chickenman62]

This is a great thread. I have always been a big fan of character actors. Here are more names you may not recognize but you will know. They all played ethnic types. Frank Silvera, Frank DeKova and Barbara Luna.

[Mumbleypeg]

Norman Fell. Made a lot of movies before becoming a regular on the sitcom Three’s Company.

Edith Evans had a long 60+ year career. When younger she played characters like Cleopatra. When older she was usually some ones snooty spinster aunt, or a nun.

Ken

[chickenman62]

How about Richard Kiel who did end up kind of famous after James Bond.

[Mumbleypeg]

Richard Kiel was over 7 feet tall, which limited his roles a good deal. His acting ability, assuming he had any, was probably limited by the roles he was cast in, where he was typically mute, or limited to a few lines.

For some reason he reminded me of Woody Strode, who was a pretty good actor. I always thought of him as being tall, but he was “only” 6’-4”. He was in a lot of movies and even played the lead in Sargent Rutledge.

Ken

[chickenman62]

Sergeant Rutledge makes me think you could go off on the best movies of John Ford one of my favorite directors. However here a just a few more character actors you may not know by name but would certainly recognize, Nehemiah Persoff, J.D.Canon and Victor Buono.

[Mumbleypeg]

Rhys Williams made a lot of westerns among other roles over a long career.

Marjorie Main also had a long career but was probably most know for her portrayal of Ma Kettle.

Francis Bauvier, probably most famous for her role as Aunt Bea in The Andy Griffith Show , had a 40 year long career on stage and in movies.

Ken

[chickenman62]

Royal Dano who I always mistook for John Carradine and Leo Gordon who is an iconic badman.