Character actors in genre/exploitation films

[Headless mermaid]

Really liked William Friedkin's SORCERER that I watched recently and got thinking about the ever-relevant connection between high and low brow art and realized a lot of the highest regarded (character) actors have not only been in, but are probably best known for beeing in classic/cult genre or exploitation films, of which some have some of the most iconis outrageous cult movie moments, and lots are some of my favorite films.

Bonus material: Feel free to start a discussion about definitions of genre and exploitation films.

Examples:
Pacino in Scarface
DeNiro in Taxi Driver + Goodfellas
Roy Scheider in Jaws + Sorcerer + Marathon Man + French connection + Seven-Ups
Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws
Robert Shaw in Jaws + Pelham 123
Walther Matthau in Pelham 123
Gene Hackman in French Connection
Donald Sutherland in Body snatchers
Mia Farrow in Rosemary's baby
Gena Rowlands in Gloria
Steve McQueen in Bullitt
Clive Owen in Children of men
Viggo Mortensen in The Road
Harrison Ford in Blade Runner
Michael Caine in Get Carter + Italian Job + Batman trilogy
Christopher Lee in Star wars
Paul Newman in Fort Apache
and more

Add on + discuss.

[babycart]

Bonus material: Feel free to start a discussion about definitions of genre and exploitation films.

Nah, we already did that, let´s define character actors instead.

Here´s a pretty intense showdown between an antihero and Chris Walken in a small character role.

[Headless mermaid]

Nah, we already did that, let´s define character actors instead.

Here´s a pretty intense showdown between an antihero and Chris Walken in a small character role.

Intense!

[babycart]

Warren Oates in almost anything



Bill Pullman in anything but especially The Serpent and the Rainbow



Luis Guzman in all sorts of shit

Bill Paxton in all sorts of shit.

Gary Busey in all sorts of shit

Don Cheadle in all sorts of shit apart from Oceans 11.

Michelle Rodriguéz and Zoe Saldana kicking the shit out of me.

[Headless mermaid]

Warren Oates in almost anything



Bill Pullman in anything but especially The Serpent and the Rainbow



Luis Guzman in all sorts of shit

Bill Paxton in all sorts of shit.

Gary Busey in all sorts of shit

Don Cheadle in all sorts of shit apart from Oceans 11.

Michelle Rodriguéz and Zoe Saldana kicking the shit out of me.

You consider Guzman, Paxton and Busey character actors?

[babycart]

You consider Guzman, Paxton and Busey character actors?

Yes. I reckon a character actor is one who rarely takes lead roles but often pops up in interesting supporting or minor parts.

And they´re often ugly. Or good-looking in a creepy or nasty way, like Walken or Pullman.

[ginghamkitchen]

I like it when character actors take starring roles, like Joe Don Baker's brief, sweet seventies heyday. I love JDB.

[babycart]

They´re often the ones you recognise but don´t remember the name - like Elias Koteas, Judd Hirsch, John Carrol Lynch.
Ben Mendelsohn is shaping up to be a great character actor in fairly psycho roles.

[babycart]

I like it when character actors take starring roles, like Joe Don Baker's brief, sweet seventies heyday. I love JDB.

Don´t think I´ve seen any of his lead roles. I loved him in Edge of Darkness as the Come Dancing-loving CIA agent , though.

[ginghamkitchen]

He's a good guy, I like him. His best role is still Molly the hit man in 'Charley Varrick', but he's generally pretty good in everything he does. I wrote about one of his films here, it's trash, but good trash.

THE OUTFIT is character actor heaven.

Robert Duvall, JDB, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey, Elisha Cook Jr, Sherre North, Richard Jaeckel, Karen Black...

[babycart]

Elisha Cook Jr, ...

Saw this recently. Go, you shifty, ferret-faced freak, go!

[ginghamkitchen]

Ace. Elisha Cook is the very definition of a character actor - and he's in so much stuff it's incredible, especially as he only used to work when he felt like it.

[SirSlim]

Saw this recently. Go, you shifty, ferret-faced freak, go!

One of my all-time favourite noirs!

Edit - has anyone mention William Bendix yet?

[Ian Townsend]

Yes. I reckon a character actor is one who rarely takes lead roles but often pops up in interesting supporting or minor parts.

And they´re often ugly. Or good-looking in a creepy or nasty way, like Walken or Pullman.

That'll be Michael J Pollard then. (Hannibal Brooks, Bonnie & Clyde)

[Ian Townsend]

Cool Michael J Pollard tribute page here.