You see them in every movie. They're the men and women who often steal the show, and, at the very least provide strong performances for the "stars" to play off of.

Many people don't know their name, but they certainly recognize their face. They become "that guy who played on that movie with Bruce Willis," or some other appropriately vague title.

They are character actors.

And they deserve some long-overdue attention.

Post your favorite character actors here. Feel free to talk about movies they've starred in or anything else you would like to discuss.

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Here are a few to get us started (along with three movies which really show off their particular talents).

1. Brian Cox - The reigning king of the character actors, Brian Cox seems to be in everything these days.
a. Manhunter(1986)- Dr. Hannibal Lecter (yes, he was the first to play this famous movie icon)
b. Troy(2004)- King Agamemnon
c. The Bourne Supremacy(2004)- Ward Abbott

2. Brendan Gleeson - Standing 6'2", Gleeson is often cast as a big, intimidating guy, but he has also demonstrated a softer touch in movies like 28 Days Later. (On an interesting side note, he and Brian Cox were both in Troy and Braveheart.)
a. Dark Blue(2002) - Jack Van Meter
b. Gangs of New York(2002) - Walter "Monk" McGinn
c. Braveheart(1995) - Hamish Campbell

3. Lance Henriksen - Left home at age 12 and was illiterate until the age of 30 (learned to read from studying movie scripts). Blessed with a craggy face and raspy voice, Henriksen is instantly recognizable by audiences around the world. The role of the Terminator was originally written for him by James Cameron (Arnold tried out for Kyle Reese).
a. The Quick and the Dead(1995) - Ace Hanlon
b. Aliens (1986) - Bishop
c. Near Dark (1987) - Jesse Hooker

4. Danny Aiello - Generally cast as an Italian (which he is), Aiello has loaned his large frame and distinctive voice to numerous Hollywood films.
a. Moonstruck (1987) - Johnny Cammareri
b. Do the Right Thing (1989) - Sal
c. 2 Days in the Valley (1996) - Dosmo Pizzo

5. J.T. Walsh - Known for his intense performances, Walsh was a veteran of both the stage and screen. Unfortunately, he passed away from a heart attack in 1998 (while still in his 50s).
a. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) - Sgt. Maj. Dick Dickerson
b. Breakdown (1997) - Warren "Red" Barr
c. The Big Picture (1989) - Allen Habel

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I'm mad that you got to JT Walsh before I did.

Heh. He was great, wasn't he? I also loved him in Slingblade and The Negotiator. He was also in the stage version of Glengarry GlenRoss (although I've only seen the movie version).

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Here are a few more additions...

1. Geoffrey Lewis - Father of Juliette Lewis and longtime buddy of Clint Eastwood.
Dillinger (1973) as Harry Pierpont
Every Which Way But Loose (1978) as Orville Boggs
The Devil's Rejects (2005) as Roy Sullivan

2. Pat Hingle - Another Eastwood favorite, Hingle has always brought a quiet sincerity to his roles.
Norma Rae (1979) as Vernon Rae
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) as Mr. Boyce
Batman (1989) as Commissioner Gordon

3. Jeffrey Jones - Widely recognized character actor. Red-haired and stands 6'4".
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) as Principal Ed Rooney
Beetlejuice (1988) as Charles
Deadwood (2005-2006) as A.W. Merrick

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1. Brad Dourif - While he often plays psychos, Dourif can really act. He was nominated for an Oscar and won the British Academy Award for his role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
a. Exorcist 3 (1990) as The Gemini Killer
b. Mississippi Burning (1988) as Deputy Clinton Pell
c. Deadwood (2005-2006) as Doc Cochran

2. Hector Elizondo - Since 1970, has been in over 80 movies and TV-movies. Director Garry Marshall considers Hector to be his "good luck charm" and Hector has appeared in 12 of his movies, including Pretty Woman (for which he received a Golden Globe nomination) and Runaway Bride.
a. Pretty Woman (1990) as Barney Thompson
b. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) as Mr. Gray
c. Chicago Hope (1994-2000) as Dr. Phillip Watters

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1. Ernest Borgnine - He won a Best Actor Oscar in 1955 for Marty, but Borgnine is best known for a steady stream of character roles which stretch over a 50+ year span of time.
a. Marty (1955) as Marty Piletti
b. The Wild Bunch (1969) as Dutch Engstrom
c. Escape from New York (1981) as Cabbie

2. Bob Hoskins - Often cast as Cockney toughs and rough-around-the-edges types, his distinctive voice and squat build have made him a fan favorite.
a. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) as Eddie Valiant
b. Unleashed (2005) as Uncle Bart
c. Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005) as Vivian Van Damm

3. Dennis Farina - Has often been cast as mobsters and cops. He should know about the latter, as he spent almost 20 years as a Chicago police officer before becoming an actor.
a. Crime Story (TV series 1986-1988) as Lt. Mike Torello
b. Get Shorty (1995) as Ray 'Bones' Barboni
c. Snatch (2000) as Cousin Avi

4. Warren Oates - Rugged character from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1983.
a. The Wild Bunch (1969) as Lyle Gorch
b. Dillinger (1973) as John Dillinger
c. Stripes (1981) as Sgt. Hulka

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Man, Lance Henrickson. That brings back memories. I used to rent movies just because he was in them.

Thogh he passed away last year, I always like (Chris ?) Penn. He was in Resoviour Dogs the first time I saw him.

Cool. I have always been (and continue to be) a big Lance Henrickson fan. Nice to see that someone else out there feels the same.

As for Chris Penn, I always liked him myself. He rocked as Nice Guy Eddie. Did you ever see Best of the Best? He played a redneck karate expert on the US Olympic Karate Team. He was waaaaay thinner in those days, but weren't we all?

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1. James Hong - If you've seen a movie with an older Asian man in it, chances are that you've just seen James Hong at work. With roles in over 300 movies and television shows, Hong has been going strong for many years.
a. Big Trouble in Little China as Lo Pan
b. Wayne's World 2 as Mr. Wong
c. Blade Runner as Hannibal Chew

2. Martin Balsam - Veteran actor of stage and screen, Balsam passed away in 1996. He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1965 for A Thousand Clowns. Many might remember him as Archie's business partner on the show Archie Bunker's Place.
a. 12 Angry Men as Juror #1
b. A Thousand Clowns as Arnold Burns
c. Psycho as Milton Arbogast

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