People

List of Famous Character Actors

Reference
Updated July 3, 2024 36.7K views 183 items

List of famous character actors, with photos, bios, and other information when available. Who are the top character actors in the world? This includes the most prominent character actors, living and dead, both in America and abroad. This list of notable character actors is ordered by their level of prominence, and can be sorted for various bits of information, such as where these historic character actors were born and what their nationality is. The people on this list are from different countries, but what they all have in common is that they're all renowned character actors.

This list contains people like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tim Allen.

From reputable, prominent, and well known character actors to the lesser known character actors of today, these are some of the best professionals in the character actor field. If you want to answer the questions, "Who are the most famous character actors ever?" and "What are the names of famous character actors?" then you're in the right place. {#nodes}

  • Paul Giamatti

    Paul Giamatti, a renowned figure in the world of acting, was born on June 6, 1967 in New Haven, Connecticut. The son of A. Bartlett Giamatti, a Yale University president and later the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Giamatti certainly had big shoes to fill. Despite the pressure, he carved out his own path, graduating from Yale University with a degree in English before earning his Master's in Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama. Giamatti started his acting career in the late 1980s, showcasing his versatility across both stage and screen. He gained initial recognition for his role as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton in the film Private Parts. However, it was his outstanding performance in the biographical sports drama, Cinderella Man, that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Giamatti's talent extended beyond film, with notable performances in television series such as John Adams, for which he received a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. Despite his impressive portfolio, Giamatti never let success compromise his artistic integrity. He continued to choose diverse roles, from a sleazy lawyer in Billions to the voice of Chet in The Ant Bully. His ability to transform into any character has solidified his reputation as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Paul Giamatti, with his distinctive style and unwavering dedication, continues to leave his mark in the entertainment industry.
    Paul Giamatti's Best Movies, RankedSee all
    • Sideways
      1Sideways
      109 Votes
    • The Holdovers
      2The Holdovers
      19 Votes
    • Saving Private Ryan
      3Saving Private Ryan
      65 Votes

  • Tim Allen

    Tim Allen, born Timothy Alan Dick on June 13, 1953, in Denver, Colorado, USA, is an acclaimed American comedian and actor. He is best known for his groundbreaking role as Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the popular sitcom Home Improvement, which aired from 1991 to 1999 and earned him a Golden Globe Award. This role also catapulted him to fame, securing his place as one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. His distinctive gruff voice has also been showcased in several animation features, most notably voicing Buzz Lightyear in the globally successful Toy Story franchise. Allen's journey to stardom was not a smooth one. In his early 20s, he faced a significant setback when he was incarcerated for over two years on a drug trafficking charge. However, this proved to be a turning point for him. Following his release, he started honing his comedic craft in Detroit's comedy circuit, eventually making it big in Los Angeles. His stand-up routines often drew on his experiences and observations of everyday life, leading to relatable content that resonated with viewers. Apart from acting and stand-up comedy, Allen has also made a name for himself in the literary world. His debut book, Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, topped the New York Times Best Seller list, highlighting his ability to connect with audiences through various mediums. His other pursuits include automotive design and restoration, a passion reflected in his role as host of the documentary-style series Assembly Required.

  • Jane Lynch

    Jane Lynch, an acclaimed actress, comedian, and author, is known for her diverse roles in both television and film. Born on July 14, 1960, in Evergreen Park, Illinois, she developed an affinity for acting at a young age. Lynch's journey to stardom was not straightforward; after graduating from Illinois State University and later earning a Master's degree in Theater from Cornell University, she spent many years honing her craft in various theater productions and comedy troupes. Lynch has etched her name in the annals of entertainment history through her portrayal of Sue Sylvester in Fox's musical comedy series Glee. This role brought her widespread recognition and earned her numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Her other notable television appearances include roles in series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Criminal Minds. Lynch's talent isn't confined within the small screen, as her filmography boasts of critically acclaimed movies such as Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Apart from her acting pursuits, Lynch has made significant contributions as an author. She has penned down her memoir Happy Accidents, which delves into her personal life and struggles with alcoholism and sexuality, providing an introspective look at her journey. She is also recognized for her humanitarian efforts, especially for LGBTQ+ rights. A boisterous personality, Jane Lynch's impact extends beyond the realm of entertainment, making her a pivotal figure in contemporary culture.

  • Eli Wallach

    Eli Wallach, born on December 7, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York, was an actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was an iconic figure within the realms of both stage and film, known for his versatility and striking character interpretations. His early life was deeply rooted in the arts, with his first professional play debut taking place after he completed his Master's degree in education at the College of the City of New York. Wallach is perhaps most recognized for his roles in Western films during the 1960s. He gained international fame as Tuco, The Ugly, in Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, alongside Clint Eastwood. However, his talent was not confined to the silver screen. Wallach's performances on Broadway earned him a Tony Award in 1951 for his role in Tennessee Williams's The Rose Tattoo. This recognition solidified his reputation as a powerful force in the world of theater. In addition to his acting prowess, Wallach was also known for his enduring marriage to actress Anne Jackson, with whom he shared the stage on several occasions. Their partnership was considered one of the longest-lasting unions in Hollywood history, spanning 66 years until Wallach's death in 2014. He left behind a legacy in film and theater that continues to inspire generations of actors.
    The 40+ Best Eli Wallach MoviesSee all
    • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
      1The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
      90 Votes
    • The Magnificent Seven
      2The Magnificent Seven
      57 Votes
    • Baby Doll
      3Baby Doll
      30 Votes

  • Philip Seymour Hoffman

    Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the most respected actors of his generation, was born on July 23, 1967 in Fairport, New York. He developed an interest in acting during high school and pursued this passion at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama in 1989. Hoffman's early career was marked by standout performances in both film and theatre, showcasing his extraordinary range and ability to fully inhabit a diverse array of characters. Hoffman's breakthrough role came in 1997 when he starred as Scotty J. in Paul Thomas Anderson's film, Boogie Nights. This marked the beginning of a long collaboration between the actor and director. In the following years, Hoffman's reputation for delivering powerful performances was further cemented with roles in critically acclaimed films like Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Almost Famous (2000). His portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote (2005) was a career-defining moment, earning him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Hoffman's commitment to his craft extended beyond the silver screen to the stage. He was a dedicated theatre artist, directing and acting in numerous productions throughout his career. His performances in plays like Death of a Salesman (2012) and Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003) earned him multiple Tony Award nominations. Despite his successful career, Hoffman struggled with addiction, which ultimately led to his untimely death in 2014. Philip Seymour Hoffman left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, remembered for his exceptional talent and dedication to his craft.
    Philip Seymour Hoffman's Best MoviesSee all
    • Capote
      1Capote
      204 Votes
    • The Big Lebowski
      2The Big Lebowski
      179 Votes
    • Boogie Nights
      3Boogie Nights
      199 Votes

  • Michael Sheen

    Born in Newport, Wales, Michael Sheen is a dynamic actor, renowned for his chameleon-like ability to embody an array of characters with striking authenticity. He was born on February 5, 1969, and began exploring his theatrical interests at the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre and later at the National Youth Theatre of Wales. His passion for drama led him to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where he fine-tuned his acting skills and prepared for a successful career on stage and screen. Sheen's early career was marked by a series of impressive stage performances. His role as Mozart in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus at the Old Vic Theatre established him as a powerful presence in the theater world. His performances as Henry V and Caligula for the Sheffield Theatres, as well as his portrayal of Hamlet at the Young Vic, further solidified his reputation. However, it was his depiction of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the critically acclaimed film The Queen that introduced Sheen to a broader audience and earned him international recognition. Sheen has exhibited versatility throughout his career, seamlessly transitioning between stage and screen. His notable television roles include Masters of Sex, where he played the famed sex researcher Dr. William Masters, and Good Omens, where he took on the part of Aziraphale, an angel and part-time rare book dealer. Despite the variety of his roles, what remains consistent is Sheen's dedication to his craft and his ability to bring depth and nuance to each character he portrays.

  • Charles Durning

    Charles Durning, a celebrated American actor, was born on February 28, 1923, in Highland Falls, New York. He was one of ten children in an Irish family fraught with poverty and hardship. His early life was marked by adversity, including the loss of five siblings to various diseases and his father's early death. Despite these challenges, Durning discovered a love for theater at a young age, setting the stage for a career that would span over six decades and encompass more than 200 roles in film, television, and stage productions. Durning's acting career kicked off in the late 1950s, but it wasn't until the 1970s that he truly began to gain recognition. Known for his versatility, he showcased his ability to seamlessly transition between comedic and dramatic roles. His breakout role came in 1973 when he starred in The Sting alongside Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Durning continued to establish himself as a character actor in films like Dog Day Afternoon, Tootsie, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? He received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). In addition to his illustrious film career, Durning also made significant strides on the small screen and the stage. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in the TV movie Death of a Salesman (1985) and earned nine Emmy nominations throughout his career. On Broadway, he garnered a Tony Award for his role in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990). Apart from his acting career, Durning was a World War II veteran who participated in the D-Day invasion. He passed away in 2012, leaving behind a legacy of diverse roles and memorable performances.

  • Brooke Vincent

    Brooke Levi Vincent (born 4 June 1992) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sophie Webster in the ITV soap-opera Coronation Street since 2004, where she took over the role from Emma Woodward.

  • Paul Lynde

    Paul Lynde was an American actor and writer who was known for his role in "Charlotte's Web" as of Templeton. Lynde was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1974 for "The Hollywood Squares."

  • Pete Postlethwaite

    Pete Postlethwaite, born in 1946 in Lancashire, England, was a renowned British actor whose impactful performances transcend generations. Renowned for his distinctive facial features and immersive acting style, Postlethwaite was once described by Steven Spielberg as "the best actor in the world". He began his journey into acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which eventually led him to tread the boards of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Postlethwaite's career spanned over four decades, with his talent providing him opportunities across film, television, and theater. Notable roles include the character Giuseppe Conlon in the film In the Name of the Father (1993), for which he received an Oscar nomination. His ability to encapsulate and portray a diverse range of characters earned him parts in other high-profile films like The Usual Suspects (1995) and Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997). Although Postlethwaite had a prolific film career, he never abandoned his love for the stage. He was part of the Royal Shakespeare Company and played key roles in productions such as Antony and Cleopatra and The Merchant of Venice. He passed away in 2011, yet his impact on the acting world remains significant.

  • Jim Broadbent

    Jim Broadbent, a titan of the British stage and screen, has made an indelible mark in the world of entertainment with his compelling performances. Born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1949, Broadbent's love for acting was instilled at an early age. His parents were both amateur actors, and their passion for the craft evidently rubbed off on him. After studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he embarked on a career that has spanned over four decades, garnering acclaim at every turn. Broadbent's breakthrough came in the mid-1980s when he starred in the television mini-series Only Fools and Horses. However, it was his performance in the 2001 film Iris, where he portrayed the husband of a novelist suffering from Alzheimer's disease, that truly cemented his status as an acting powerhouse. This role won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, proving his mettle in a highly competitive field. Over the years, Broadbent has demonstrated remarkable versatility, taking on a variety of roles across genres. From playing Professor Slughorn in the globally acclaimed Harry Potter series to lending his voice to characters in animated films like The Lion King, Broadbent's range is undeniably vast. He has also returned to his roots on numerous occasions, gracing stages in London's West End and beyond with his extraordinary talents.

  • Clancy Brown

    Clancy Brown, an American actor and voice artist, has etched an indelible mark in the entertainment industry with his distinctive baritone voice and versatile performances. Born in Urbana, Ohio, on January 5, 1959, as Clarence J. Brown III, he developed a profound love for acting during his high school years. Brown's journey from the local stage to the Hollywood big screen is peppered with hard work, determination, and talent. He attended Northwestern University, where he honed his craft in the School of Speech, further anchoring his interest in pursuing a career in acting. Brown's acting career spans over several decades, with his breakthrough role coming in 1983 when he played Viking Lofgren in the movie Bad Boys. His portrayal of the character Kurgan in the cult classic Highlander (1986) earned him widespread recognition and established him as a notable character actor in Hollywood. His robust physique and deep voice made him a preferred choice for playing villainous or authority figure roles in various films and television series. The actor's versatility shone through his work in critically acclaimed projects like The Shawshank Redemption (1994), where he portrayed the sadistic Captain Hadley, and Starship Troopers (1997), where he played the resilient Sergeant Zim. Apart from his on-screen performances, Brown has also carved a niche for himself as a voice actor in the animated and gaming world. His most recognized voice-over work is perhaps lending his voice to Mr. Eugene H. Krabs, a character in the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Over the years, he has voiced numerous characters in video games, animated series, and films, showcasing his broad range and deep understanding of character interpretation. His contributions to both the film and voice-acting industry have cemented Clancy Brown's legacy as an eminent figure in the world of entertainment.
    Actor Clancy Brown Is In Way More Movies And TV Shows Than You RealizeSee all
    • The Shawshank Redemption
      1The Shawshank Redemption
      1,483 Votes
    • Highlander
      2Highlander
      1,249 Votes
    • Starship Troopers
      3Starship Troopers
      1,173 Votes

  • Fred Thompson

    Fred Thompson, born on August 19, 1942, in Sheffield, Alabama, grew into an influential figure whose career spanned acting, politics, and law. Raised in a modest environment, Thompson's relentless ambition and hard work led him to significant achievements in multiple domains. His career began in law, transitioned into politics, and eventually extended into the entertainment industry, making him a unique figure in American history. After obtaining his law degree from Vanderbilt University, Thompson embarked on his legal career, serving as an assistant U.S. attorney before rising to national prominence for his role in the Watergate investigation. As minority counsel during this pivotal moment in U.S. history, he gained recognition for his direct questioning style and commitment to uncovering the truth. Following his notable legal career, Thompson entered the political arena, serving as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1994 to 2003. His political tenure was marked by his pragmatic approach and conservative views, which resonated with many of his constituents. Thompson's charisma and commanding presence also made him a natural fit for the screen. He launched his acting career in the 1980s, appearing in numerous films and television shows. His most recognizable role was perhaps that of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the long-running television series Law & Order. Despite his success in acting, Thompson never strayed far from his roots in law and politics, often portraying characters that reflected his real-life experiences and beliefs. Fred Thompson's journey from the courtrooms of Nashville to the corridors of Washington, D.C., and onto Hollywood sets is a testament to his diverse talents and enduring influence. He passed away in November 2015, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.

  • Charles Napier

    Described by filmmaker and collaborator Russ Meyer as appearing to smile on one side of his mouth while scowling on the other, lantern-jawed character actor Charles Napier essayed a gallery of mad, bad and dangerous detectives, soldiers and cowboys in a wide variety of films, ranging from Meyer's "Supervixens" (1973) to "Rambo: First Blood Part II" (1985), "The Grifters" (1991), "Miami Blues" (1991) and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). The latter was one of numerous small roles he played for director Jonathan Demme, who frequently cast him against type in "Handle with Care" (1977) and "Something Wild" (1986), and the off-kilter humor he showed in those films led to a second career as a wild card comic player in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) "The Cable Guy" (1997) and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1998). Though he won no significant awards for his work, and struggled to come to grips with his status as a cult favorite, Napier was well loved by generations of movie and TV fans who literally grew up watching him, from his earliest appearances on "Star Trek" (NBC, 1966-69) to his outrageous work with Meyer and dozens upon dozens of low-budget action and horror films, in which he was unquestionably the high point, for over four decades. His death in 2011 was widely memorialized in the media and on the Internet, where fans paid tribute to one of Hollywood's hardest working character players.

  • Wallace Shawn

    Wallace Shawn, born on November 12, 1943, in New York City, is a celebrated American character actor, voice artist, and playwright. Raised in a well-educated family, his father William Shawn was the editor of The New Yorker magazine, while his mother Cecille Shawn was a journalist. He attended Harvard University, where he studied history before pursuing philosophy at Oxford University. This academic background laid the foundation for his intellectual approach to his creative work. Shawn's acting career began in the mid-1970s with small parts in both film and television. However, it was his role as Vizzini in the 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride that brought him widespread recognition. His famous line from the movie, Inconceivable, became an iconic catchphrase. Shawn also gained fame for his recurring role in the popular television series Gossip Girl, and his voice work as Rex in the Toy Story franchise. Throughout his career, he has worked with prominent directors such as Woody Allen and Louis Malle, showcasing his versatility as an actor. Apart from acting, Shawn has made significant contributions to the world of drama as a playwright. His plays, including Aunt Dan and Lemon, The Designated Mourner, and Grasses of a Thousand Colours, have been performed globally and are known for their distinctive exploration of political themes. Shawn's writing often delves into the moral responsibility of the individual in society, reflecting his philosophical education.

  • John Carradine

    John Carradine, born Richmond Reed Carradine on February 5, 1906, was an American actor who had a career spanning over six decades. Known for his distinguished, resonant voice, he was part of the illustrious Carradine family that includes his sons, actors David, Keith, and Robert Carradine. His acting career commenced with stage roles in the mid-1920s, leading him to become a member of John Ford's stock company, where he honed his craft and later became one of Hollywood's most prolific character actors. Carradine is best remembered for his roles in horror films, Westerns, and Shakespearean theater. His first significant film role was in director John Ford's Stagecoach (1939), where he delivered a memorable performance as the loquacious, boozing Southern gambler. Apart from this, he is also noted for his performances in classic horror films such as The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and House of Dracula (1945). He also enjoyed a successful stage career; he played Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the 1952 Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, a testament to his versatility as an actor. Carradine remained active in the entertainment industry until his death in 1988. A testament to his enduring passion for acting, he amassed over 350 film and television appearances throughout his career. The breadth of his work and his dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected figures in the entertainment industry. His legacy continues through his family, with many of his descendants choosing to pursue careers in acting, ensuring the Carradine name lives on in Hollywood.

  • Keenan Wynn

    Veteran character player from the stage, a prolific staple at MGM in the 1940s and 50s, mostly as pals to the male stars of the films in which he appeared, and later memorable as the absurdly earnest Army man who gives Peter Sellers a scare at the telephone booth in "Dr. Strangelove" (1963). Son of vaudevillian-turned-character-actor Ed Wynn ("The Diary of Anne Frank" 1959, "Mary Poppins" 1964, etc.) and father of Tracy Keenan Wynn (b. 1945), who wrote several films in the mid-1970s ("The Longest Yard" 1974, etc.).

  • Michael Gough

    A ubiquitous presence in British film and television for nearly 50 years, Michael Gough played well-heeled, occasionally cruel, slightly mad men in films and television ranging from "The Horse's Mouth" (1959) and "The Go-Between" (1970) to "Horror of Dracula" (1958) and "Berserk!" (1967). His saturnine features and resonant voice made him ideal for upper-class gentlemen with a taste for flaunting their power in unpleasant ways, as his many horror and exploitation features evidenced. But he could also play fatherly - and grandfatherly - as evidenced by his four turns as butler Alfred in four of the "Batman" features (1989-1995). A wealth of varied projects were woven through his five decades of screen appearances, but no matter the quality of the role or the film, Gough gave his all, which made him a beloved and well-remembered performer.

  • Dean Jagger

    Stern looking, bald veteran lead and character actor with aristocratic features. After appearing in vaudeville and with touring stock companies in the 1920s, Jagger made his screen debut in "Woman from Hell" (1929) and played minor roles until he returned to the Broadway stage in the mid-1930s. Starring in the title role of "Brigham Young, Frontiersman" (1940), he revitalized his film career and soon was cast in a number of strong leading roles. Jagger never became a star, but he did play prominent supporting roles for years to come, notably his Oscar-winning performance as Gregory Peck's sturdy adjunct in the excellent war drama, "Twelve O'Clock High" (1949). In the 1960s Jagger played the high school principal on the TV series, "Mr. Novak" (1963-65).

  • Richard Jenkins

    Richard Jenkins is an American actor born in DeKalb, Illinois, on May 4, 1947. Raised in a dairy farming family, he discovered his passion for acting while attending school in his hometown. His pursuit of the art led him to Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he studied drama. Upon graduation, Jenkins began his professional acting career with a traveling theatre troupe before joining Rhode Island's Trinity Repertory Company, where he spent the next 14 years honing his craft. In the mid-1970s, Richard Jenkins transitioned into film and television. However, he didn't earn widespread recognition until his role in the HBO series Six Feet Under, in which he played Nathaniel Fisher from 2001 to 2005. This performance helped propel Jenkins into more prominent roles in comedies, dramas, and horror films. Despite this newfound fame, Jenkins remained committed to theater throughout his career, maintaining a balance between his film projects and stage performances. Among his many performances, Richard Jenkins's portrayal of a lonely professor in The Visitor (2007) stands out. His nuanced performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, solidifying his status as a versatile performer capable of tackling challenging roles. He later won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his work in Olive Kitteridge (2014). From his humble beginnings in DeKalb, Illinois, to his celebrated career in film and theater, Richard Jenkins has demonstrated a dedication to his craft that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

  • Andy Devine

    A much-loved character actor from the silent era through the early 1970s, Andy Devine provided garrulous comic support to stars ranging from John Wayne to Roy Rogers in hundreds of films and television series, including "Stagecoach" (1939), "Island in the Sky" (1953), "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962) and countless others. But it was his work on serial later TV Westerns that brought him his enduring fame, especially to younger viewers, who delighted in hearing Devine's creaky, broken-calliope voice warn Guy Madison's Wild Bill Hickok about impending danger. His currency among children was later doubled when he served as host of "Andy's Gang" (ABC, 1955-1960), a gentle if offbeat mix of storytelling, puppets and Devine's folksy axioms. As a result, he remained as popular in his sixties as he had as a young man playing comic hayseeds in the 1930s and 1940s, enjoying plum roles in "Valance" and "How the West Was Won" (1963), as well as on countless episodic television shows. Though he slowed his screen efforts in the 1960s, Devine was active on screen until the mid-1970s, lending his distinctive voice to animated features, including Disney's "Robin Hood" (1973) until his death in 1977. His status as a beloved comic player and rough-hewn but gentle father figure virtually canonized Devine for generations of movie and TV audiences.

  • Richard Dunn

    Richard Dunn was an American character actor popularized by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. Dunn was best known to audiences for his appearances on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, a sketch comedy television series. Dunn, who was known for his glasses, listed his physical features as 5-foot-10 tall and 125 pounds on his resume. Dunn portrayed many different characters in many episodes of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! from 2007 until 2010. In addition, Dunn had small roles in House, Parks and Recreation, Weeds and Nip/Tuck. He also appeared in the 1998 film, The Wedding Singer, and the music video for Diddy's 2000 single, "Bad Boy for Life.". He first got into show business through his friend, producer Robert Marcus. He volunteered to be a 'gofer' for Marcus' productions. Marcus wrote a book about how to be a production assistant and dedicated it to Dunn. He first got his start as an actor by taking roles as a background actor, and subsequently took classes for acting. He performed a number of roles in commercials and music videos. His first few professional roles earned him enough money to become a member of the Screen Actors' Guild.

  • Scarlett Alice Johnson

    Scarlett Alice Johnson (born 7 April 1985) is an English actress, producer and drama teacher. She is best known for her roles as Vicki Fowler in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Laura Derbyshire in the BBC Three sitcom Pramface.

  • Timothy Spall

    Born on February 27, 1957, in Battersea, London, Timothy Leonard Spall is an acclaimed English actor who has demonstrated a spectacular range of performances across theater, film, and television. His contributions to the world of performing arts are characterized by his distinctive acting style that often combines high drama with subtle comedy. Spall's career first took off in the late 1970s when he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. However, it was his portrayal of the character Barry Spencer Taylor in the British drama series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet during the 1980s that cemented his status as a household name in the United Kingdom. His performance in this series was applauded for its authenticity and depth. Spall's talent also shone brightly on the silver screen in films like Secrets & Lies, where his portrayal of Maurice Purley earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the BAFTA awards. Timothy Spall's most globally recognized role came as Peter Pettigrew in the hugely successful Harry Potter film series. This character's transformation from a timid and weak individual to a sinister villain showcased Spall's remarkable versatility as an actor. In addition to his commercial successes, Spall has been consistently praised for his roles in independent cinema, most notably his portrayal of the painter J.M.W Turner in Mr. Turner, a performance that won him the coveted Best Actor award at the Cannes film festival.

  • David Strathairn

    David Strathairn, a versatile name synonymous with the world of Hollywood, has crafted an impressive legacy throughout his acting career. Known for his compelling performances, Strathairn's journey from stage to big screen is an intriguing tale of perseverance and talent. Born on January 26, 1949, in San Francisco, California, he graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts before delving into his passion for acting. Strathairn commenced his acting career in the theater, honing his skills through numerous productions. His big break came when he caught the attention of acclaimed director John Sayles, leading to several collaborative works notably in Return of the Secaucus 7. Strathairn's capacity to embody diverse characters led him to land roles in several notable films such as Eight Men Out, Silkwood, and L.A. Confidential. However, it was his portrayal of renowned Broadcast Journalist Edward R. Murrow in George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck that catapulted him into international fame, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Despite his mainstream success, Strathairn stayed true to his roots, continuing his work in independent cinema and theater. He juggle between television, stage, and film effortlessly. His noteworthy performances in television series like The Sopranos and Billions, demonstrate his wide-ranging talent. As a testament to his acting prowess, he has been honored with an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role in the HBO series Temple Grandin. David Strathairn's rich and diverse body of work is a testament to his enduring commitment to his craft, making him an admirable figure in the entertainment industry.

  • Leo Gordon

    Powerfully built and perpetually wearing a baleful, cringe-inducing stare, character actor Leo Gordon loomed tall as the villain in dozens of Westerns and melodramatic crime films during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. He once served time in San Quentin State Prison but it's his flinty voice and bulldog-like under bite that have caused some people to proclaim him the "scariest man they ever met." However, many of his former co-stars have regarded him as a professional and decidedly courteous performer. Rather funnily, he first garnered attention for his role in the exploitative prison shocker "Riot in Cell Block 11" ('54), a movie that was shot on location at San Quentin--he got to see all his old prison guards while also getting his big break. Though he's appeared in over 100 movie and TV Westerns, including the kicky oater comedy "My Name is Nobody" in 1973, he is probably best known for his late-'50s role as the large-and-in-charge Big Mike McComb on the rollicking, gambling-centered adventure series "Maverick." In 1963, he famously (if briefly) went toe to toe with the legendary John Wayne in the madcap free-for-all romp "McLintock!" and ended up falling face-first down a mudslide. Gordon occasionally played a good guy and wrote scripts himself for over 20 big-screen and small-screen Westerns. Shortly before his retirement in the mid-'90s, he reprised his signature role in the big-budget cinematic adaptation of "Maverick," which co-starred Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. He died in his sleep at age 78.

  • Ian Hunter

    Ian Hunter was an actor who appeared in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Edward, My Son," and "The Long Voyage Home."

  • James Rebhorn

    James Rebhorn, born on September 1, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an accomplished American actor whose profound talent transcended both the silver screen and stage. With a career spanning four decades, Rebhorn graced over 100 film and television shows. His illustrious career began with a modest yet impactful role in the soap opera The Doctors in 1963, setting the foundation for a life marked by artistic excellence and cinematic diversity. Delving into the dynamics of his career in the entertainment industry, Rebhorn's versatility as an actor often saw him portraying characters of authority. A notable example is his role as Secretary of Defense Albert Nimziki in the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day. His credibility and knack for convincingly embodying such figures earned him roles in iconic films like Meet the Parents, Scent of a Woman, and the critically-acclaimed series Homeland. Not just confined to the screen, Rebhorn also left an enduring legacy in the world of theater, notably as a member of the Roundabout Theatre Company. Despite his undeniable success in the world of cinema and television, James Rebhorn remained grounded. He used his platform to advocate for the arts, especially theater, which he believed played a crucial role in society's cultural development. His acting prowess, coupled with his commitment to the craft, made him one of the most respected figures in the industry. Rebhorn's life, full of passion and dedication, ended on March 21, 2014, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy that continues to inspire countless artists.

  • M. Emmet Walsh

    M. Emmet Walsh boasts a career that spans over five decades. Born on March 22, 1935, in Ogdensburg, New York, Walsh studied at the University at Buffalo. His foray into acting began with theater performances and gradually branched out to film and television. Walsh's expansive body of work includes over 200 film and television credits. He is best known for his roles in cult classics such as Blade Runner (1982) and Blood Simple (1984). His portrayal of private detective Loren Visser in Blood Simple earned him critical acclaim, cementing his position as a character actor of great depth and versatility. Not only did this performance place him on the map, but it also led renowned film critic Roger Ebert to create the "Stanton-Walsh Rule", stating that no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh can be altogether bad. In addition to his work in film, Walsh has displayed an impressive range on the small screen, appearing in series such as My World and Welcome to It, The Mind of the Married Man, and Damages. Alongside his screen accolades, Walsh has also made significant contributions to theater, with notable performances in That Championship Season and A Streetcar Named Desire. Despite his vast body of work, he remains humble about his career, attributing his success to relentless hard work and a genuine love for his craft. His enduring commitment to acting renders him a profound inspiration to aspiring actors across the globe.

  • J.K. Simmons

    Born Jonathan Kimble Simmons on January 9, 1955, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, J.K. Simmons kick started his acting journey with Broadway before transitioning to screens big and small. Simmons spent his early years refining his craft, performing in stage productions and TV shows while gradually establishing himself in Hollywood. His body of work spans genres and mediums, demonstrating his ability as a performer who can slip into any role seamlessly. Simmons' breakthrough came with his portrayal of neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO series Oz, a role that showcased his ability to tackle complex characters with gusto. The actor's versatility was further celebrated when he voiced the yellow M&M in the popular candy's commercials, a testament to his wide-ranging talents. However, his most acclaimed performance came in the form of Terence Fletcher in the 2014 film Whiplash. The role, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, unveiled yet another facet of Simmons' multifaceted talent and solidified his status as one of the finest character actors of his generation. Beyond his success on screen, J.K. Simmons is also recognized for his philanthropic efforts. He has lent his voice and influence to several charitable causes, including the Stand Up To Cancer campaign. Despite his fame, he remains rooted in his love for acting, continually seeking roles that challenge and inspire him.

  • Letitia Dean

    Letitia Dean is an English actress who appeared in "Strictly Come Dancing," and "England, My England."

  • Harold Gould

    A highly admired character actor who become forever identified as Martin Morgenstern, father of TV's "Rhoda" (Valerie Harper), the silver-haired, distinguished Harry Gould enjoyed a long and varied career. He actually played a range of roles far beyond sitcoms, including leading man to Katharine Hepburn in "Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry" (CBS, 1986) and a wonderfully manipulative Louis B. Mayer in "Moviola" (NBC, 1980), proving his versatility well into his eighties as he continued to be employed as a dependable presence in any film or television production

  • Lalita Pawar

    Lalita Pawar, born as Amba Laxman Rao Sagun on 18 April 1916, was an iconic figure in the Indian film industry. Her career spanned seven decades, beginning in 1928 and concluding in 1998. During this remarkable period, she appeared in over 700 films, a testament to her enduring popularity and acting prowess. Pawar's work crossed languages and industries, with her performances gracing Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati cinema. Pawar initially embarked on her journey as a lead actress, but an accident during the shooting of a film in 1942 resulted in facial paralysis, permanently altering her appearance. This incident, instead of ending her career, led to a renaissance. Pawar transitioned into character roles, most notably playing the archetypal wicked mother-in-law or the evil older woman. Her portrayal of Manthara, the scheming maid in Ramanand Sagar's epic television series 'Ramayan', is etched vividly in the collective memory of Indian audiences. Despite the typecasting, Lalita Pawar's talent shone through in diverse roles. She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1961 and the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 1982 for her contributions to Indian cinema. Her performances in films like 'Anari' (1959), 'Shri 420' (1955), and 'Daag' (1952) are considered some of her finest works. Even years after her death in 1998, Pawar's legacy continues to inspire, reminding us that adversity can be turned into opportunity, and talent will always find its place in the spotlight.

  • Vincent Schiavelli

    Vincent Schiavelli was an American actor who appeared in "Ghost," "Batman Returns," and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

  • Theodore Bikel

    Internationally renowned actor and folksinger Theodore Bikel made his first stage appearance as the Village Clerk in a Tel Aviv production of "Tevye, the Milkman" and would in fact play the life-loving Tevye so many times in productions of "Fiddler on the Roof" that it became his signature role (although he claimed to have liked "Zorba!" better). After graduating from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he won acclaim for his work in West End productions of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1949, directed by Laurence Olivier) and "The Love of Four Colonels" (1951, directed by Peter Ustinov) before making his Broadway debut in "Tonight in Samarkand" (1955). Though he also played Robert de Baudricourt in "The Lark" that year on Broadway, a part he would reprise for the 1967 NBC "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation of "St. Joan" his best-known theatrical credit (aside from Tevye) is probably his creation of Captain Georg von Trapp for the Broadway production of "The Sound of Music" (1959), starring Mary Martin. Bikel's feature debut came as the First officer of the Luisa in the John Huston classic "The African Queen" (1951). He would find himself on (or under) the water again as second-in-command of the German U-boat in "The Enemy Below" (1957) and the (Soviet) Captain in Cold War farce "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming" (1966). In fact, his facility for languages (fluent in Yiddish, Hebrew, French, German and English) helped land a plethora of international roles throughout his career. Bikel earned an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the moderate sheriff in "The Defiant Ones" (1958), and he played Russian linguist Zoltan Karpathy in the Academy Award-winning "My Fair Lady" (1964). A guest star on countless TV series, he appeared on four episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" (CBS 1984-1996) in the '80s and '90s, not to mention having recurring roles on "Dynasty" (ABC 1981-89) and "Falcon Crest" (CBS 1981-1990). He also portrayed Henry Kissinger in the ABC movie "The Final Days" (1989), based on the book by Bob Woodward. As Bikel entered his mid-'70s, his acting career slowed down to occasional small roles in films ranging from the thrillers "Shattered" (1991) and "Benefit of the Doubt" (1993) to the post-Soviet comedy "My Family Treasure" (1993) and the inspirational drama "Second Chances" (1998). He appeared as a rabbi in the science fiction hit "Babylon 5" (syndicated 1994-98) and as a farmer in the procedural drama "JAG" (CBS 1995-2005). His final screen roles came in Menahem Golan's modern-day adaptation of "Crime and Punishment" (2002) and in the Israeli drama "The Little Traitor" (2007), starring Alfred Molina. Theodore Bikel died of undisclosed natural causes on July 21, 2015 in Los Angeles. He was 91 years old.

  • Robert Prosky

    Likable stage veteran who became a busy character actor in film and TV of the 1980s and 1990s, Robert Prosky spent 23 seasons as a resident actor with the Arena Stage Theater in Washington, DC before making his film debut as an initially ingratiating gangster in Michael Mann's "Thief" (1981). He came to prominence as the endearing Sgt. Jablonski who replaced Michael Conrad's Sgt. Esterhaus ("Let's be careful out there!") at the opening of each episode of TV's "Hill Street Blues." Prosky also became a familiar TV face in a succession of TV movies, pilots, and guest spots.

  • Clark Gregg

    A genuine triple threat, actor-writer-director Clark Gregg gained respect on the stage and earned credibility in dozens of supporting roles in film and television for two decades prior to becoming part of one of the biggest movie franchises in history. A frequent collaborator with playwright-filmmaker David Mamet, Gregg's early film appearances included such Mamet efforts as "Things Change" (1988) and "The Spanish Prisoner" (1997). He later garnered substantial praise for his turn as a pre-operative transsexual opposite Adrian Grenier in "The Adventures of Sebastian Cole" (1998). Gregg made his debut as a feature-film screenwriter with the paranormal mystery "What Lies Beneath" (2000), turned in more respectable supporting work in films like "One Hour Photo" (2002) and appeared with regularity on such hit shows as "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006). After writing and directing an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel "Choke" (2008), Gregg made his first appearance as secret agent Phil Coulson in the superhero spectacular, "Iron Man" (2008). More Coulson cameos followed, eventually leading to an expanded role in the summer blockbuster "The Avengers" (2012), which teamed a number of Marvel Comics' most iconic heroes on screen for the first time, and a starring role in the TV series "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC 2013- ). Meanwhile, Gregg also co-starred in films ranging from teen comedy "The To-Do List" (2013) to Ben Affleck's Prohibition-set crime thriller "Live By Night" (2016), even writing, directing and starring in his first feature, "Trust Me" (2013). While not boasting the marquee recognition enjoyed by many of his co-stars, Gregg remained one of the more versatile and employable talents in Hollywood.

  • Viju Khote

    Viju Khote is an esteemed figure in the Indian film industry. Born on 17th December 1941 in Mumbai, India, he hailed from a family rooted in cinema, with his sister Shubha Khote also being a well-known actress. Khote's career spanned over five decades, during which he appeared in more than 300 films in Hindi and Marathi cinema, showcasing his exceptional acting prowess. Khote's journey in the film industry began in 1964 with the movie Ya Malak, but it was his role as the dacoit Kalia in the 1975 Bollywood classic Sholay that etched his name in the annals of Indian cinema. This small yet significant role, marked by his memorable dialogue, became one of the most iconic characters in Bollywood history. Not limited to just movies, Viju Khote also made a mark on the small screen. He was part of popular television shows like Zabaan Sambhalke and Shrimaan Shrimati, where he portrayed a variety of roles with ease. Despite playing mostly supporting roles, Khote's performances were noteworthy and stood out due to his unique delivery and comic timing. His portrayal of different characters across genres demonstrated his range as an actor. His contributions were recognized when he was awarded the Kalakar Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema in 2006. In his personal life, Khote remained a private person, staying away from the limelight when off-screen. His death on 30th September 2019 marked the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable performances and a void in the Indian film industry.

  • Hans Conried

    This tall, sharp-tongued radio performer ("My Friend Irma" and "Burns and Allen") entered films in 1938. A smoothly versatile character actor with angular features, a distinctive, clipped diction and facility at foreign accents, Conried was adept at comedy and also often portrayed film Nazis. Later he was a frequent panelist on TV quiz shows of the 1950s and is probably best remembered for the outlandish title role of the Dr. Seuss classic "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T" (1953) and as the acerbic Uncle Tonoose on TV's "Make Room for Daddy" (1958-64).

  • William Fichtner

    William Fichtner, acclaimed American actor, has spent decades impressing audiences with his versatile performances in both film and television. Born on November 27, 1956, in Mitchel Air Force Base, New York, Fichtner's passion for acting sparked during his college years at SUNY Brockport, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. His extensive education didn't stop there; he went on to pursue a Master of Fine Arts from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Fichtner's career spans across multiple genres, showcasing his talent and versatility. He gained recognition for his roles in high-profile movies like Crash, Black Hawk Down, and Armageddon, demonstrating his knack for action-packed performances. However, it's not only about blockbuster films for Fichtner. His compelling portrayals in critically acclaimed TV series such as Invasion and Prison Break have earned him a loyal fan base and industry respect. Despite his success on screen, Fichtner has not limited himself to acting alone. He ventured into directing with his debut film Cold Brook in 2018, which he co-wrote and starred in. This move showcased a new aspect of his artistic skills and opened up another pathway in his already impressive career. In his personal life, he is a devoted family man, married to actress Kymberly Kalil, and they have one child.

  • J. T. Walsh

    James Thomas Patrick "J. T." Walsh (September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American actor. He appeared in many films, notably Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), A Few Good Men (1992), Hoffa (1992), Nixon (1995), Sling Blade (1996), Breakdown (1997) and Pleasantville (1998). According to Leonard Maltin, he was known for portraying "quietly sinister white-collar sleazeballs" in numerous films, and was described as "everybody's favorite scumbag" by Playboy magazine.

  • Derek Nimmo

    Derek Robert Nimmo (19 September 1930 – 24 February 1999) was an English character actor, producer and author. He was particularly associated with upper class "silly-ass" roles, and clerical roles.

  • James Gammon

    A sturdy character actor prolific on stage, screen and television in both small and prominent supporting roles, James Gammon excelled most typically as weathered, rustic types ranging from lawmen to bartenders; from cowhands to military men. Gammon began in the entertainment field at age 19 when he landed a job operating a camera at a TV station in Orlando, FL. Community theater work led him to relocate to Los Angeles in the early 1960s to try his hand professionally, and soon thereafter he made his TV debut in a small guest role on the long-running Western drama series, "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975).

  • Richard Kind

    A television character actor and busy voiceover artist, Richard Kind came up through the 1980s improv comedy scene before becoming one of the more prolific supporting players on primetime. He was best recognized for his concurrent roles on the long-running sitcoms "Mad About You" (NBC, 1992-99) and "Spin City" (ABC, 1996-2002), but throughout his career, he held down a busy schedule in New York musical theater and as an occasional film player. Kind was often cast as bookish, whiny, nebbish types, including in his film career high-water mark in the Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man" (2009), but Kind's voice characterizations in Disney/Pixar animated hits like "A Bug's Life" (1998) and "Cars" (2006) truly afforded the actor the opportunity to stretch his legs and exercise his talent for unpredictable stage comedy.

  • David Kaufman

    A native of St. Louis, David Kaufman is a character actor who has done extensive voice work for animated productions. Kaufman began appearing in plays as a child and started taking on screen roles during his teens, with featured parts in episodes of the TV shows "Little House on the Prairie" and "Remington Steele" during the early 1980s. After starring as a regular on the sitcom "Down to Earth," he continued to appear in guest spots on episodes of shows such as "Night Court" and "Valerie's Family," and in '91, Kaufman began doing voice work, portraying the lead character of Marty McFly on the "Back to the Future" animated series. While still occasionally featured in live-action productions (the sitcoms "Wings" and "Dweebs"), Kaufman increasingly focused on cartoons, lending his voice to "Freakazoid!" and "Superman," where he played the hero's sidekick, Jimmy Olsen. Appearing in small parts on episodes of the TV dramas "The West Wing" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and in the feature film "Pearl Harbor," Kaufman later voiced the title characters of the animated shows "Stuart Little" and "Danny Phantom," marking some of the biggest roles of his prolific career.

  • Barbara Babcock

    Willowy, with an airy frame, but capable of projecting toughness as well as tightly-wound characters, Barbara Babcock was a "working actress" for two decades before a recurring guest role on "Hill Street Blues" in the early 1980s turned her into a TV star. On "Hill Street," Babcock was tough Grace Gardner, hounding Sgt. Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) until she had him. "Tough" seems to be a word threaded through Babcock's personal life as well. The daughter of the US Army General, she was raised in Tokyo and spoke Japanese before English. On screen, Babcock seems very much the "lady." Her early career included guest spots on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (CBS) as a cousin to the rich boy nemesis of the title character. Babcock's deep, cultured voice earned both an appearance on "Star Trek" in the mid-60s as well as several voice-overs for that series.

  • Dick Wilson

    Dick Wilson (born Riccardo Di Guglielmo, July 30, 1916 – November 18, 2007), was a British-born American character actor who played the role of grocery store manager Mr. George Whipple in more than 500 Charmin toilet paper television commercials (1965–89, 1999–2000).

  • Johnny Seven

    John Anthony Fetto, II (born February 23, 1926 – January 22, 2010), known professionally as Johnny Seven, was an American character actor who appeared in 26 films and approximately 600 television shows during his career, which spanned more than 40 years. His credits included a recurring role as Lt. Carl Reese on the 1968–1975 NBC television series Ironside and the 1960 film The Apartment.

  • Bernard Cribbins

    Bernard Joseph Cribbins, OBE (born 29 December 1928) is an English character actor, comedy actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over seventy years. He came to prominence in films of the 1960s, and has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid-1950s. In Britain, he was best known for his successful novelty records in the early 1960s, especially "Right Said Fred", but in the 2000s he gained new fame for his appearances in Doctor Who. Cribbins narrated The Wombles, a BBC children's television programme that ran for 60 episodes between 1973 and 1975, and played the pretentious guest Mr. Hutchinson in "The Hotel Inspectors" episode of Fawlty Towers (1975), and the belligerent barman in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). He was a regular and prolific performer on the BBC's Jackanory from 1966 to 1991. Having appeared as Tom Campbell, a companion to Dr. Who in the 1966 feature film Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., Cribbins also appeared four decades later as Wilfred Mott, the grandfather of Donna Noble, the companion to television's Tenth Doctor.

  • Verna Felton

    With a gentle, kindly voice, Verna Felton made a name for herself as a character actress while providing voices for several of Walt Disney's most beloved films. After a few uncredited parts in the late 1930s and early '40s, Felton landed her first role with Walt Disney Pictures in 1941, providing the voice of Mrs. Jumbo, the ill-fated mother of the little elephant with the big ears in "Dumbo." Having charmed the Disney execs with her vocal chords, she was cast in perhaps her most famous role, the Fairy Godmother in Disney's midcentury classic "Cinderella," in which she voiced the timeless song of magic nonsense words, "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo." She continued her work with Disney the following year, 1951, taking on a new character type as the maniacal Queen of Hearts in the Lewis Carroll adaptation "Alice in Wonderland." Though best known for her work with Disney, Felton was also a prolific live-action film and television actress. Her largest role by far came on "December Bride" as Hilda Crocker, an amateur matchmaker to her best friend. Felton would reprise this role in the series' spinoff, "Pete and Gladys," in the early 1960s. When "December Bride" ended in 1959 (and before "Pete and Gladys" had premiered), Felton voiced another fairy for Disney, this time Flora in "Sleeping Beauty." She would go on to appear in two more Disney films, and her last, "The Jungle Book," was released in 1967, a year after her death.

  • Whit Bissell

    A wide-ranging character actor with Broadway experience, Bissell entered films in 1943 with "Holy Matrimony" and went on to appear in over 80 more. specializing as ineffectual types and high-strung professionals. He is perhaps best remembered for his role as the scientist who turned Michael Landon into a wolfman in "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (1957).

  • House Peters, Jr.

    Robert House Peters Jr. (12 January 1916 – 1 October 2008) was an American character actor most noted for his roles in 1950s B movies and westerns. He is perhaps best remembered as the face and body of Mr. Clean in the Procter and Gamble cleaning product commercials of the era.

  • Brian Palermo

    Brian Palermo is an actor who appeared in "The Social Network," "Girl vs. Monster," and "JAG."

  • Rodger Bumpass

    Although Rodger Bumpass got his start in Hollywood as a minor character actor on sophomoric comedies such as National Lampoon's cable TV special "Disco Beaver from Outer Space," he is better known in the industry as a voice actor for animated films and TV shows. After attending Arkansas State University, he began writing and performing in a late-night comedy show on local ABC affiliate KAIT-TV during the 1970s, then graduated to a touring production of the National Lampoon comedy revue "That's Not Funny, That's Sick" and the then-red hot humor magazine's 1978 TV movie "Disco Beaver from Outer Space." The facility Bumpass showed in these venues for a variety of silly voices were then put in a much more family-friendly context when he began working as a cartoon voice actor in the early 1980s. His best known voiceover roles are as the terminally grumpy Squidward Tentacles on the hit children's series "SpongeBob SquarePants" and as brainiac inventor Professor Membrane on the Nickelodeon program "Invader ZIM."

  • James Hong

    James Hong, a remarkable talent in the entertainment industry, was born on February 22, 1929, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His journey into the world of performing arts began at the University of Southern California where he studied civil engineering but his passion for acting led him to drop out and pursue a career in Hollywood. Hong's first notable role was in the 1950s TV series The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, which quickly paved the way for a succession of roles in both television and film. He became renowned for his ability to transform into any character, due to his exceptional skills in voice acting. One of his most recognized performances is as Hannibal Chew in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982), where he delivered a captivating performance. Hong's versatility in playing different characters has been demonstrated in over 500 film and television roles including popular productions like Big Trouble in Little China, Mulan, and Kung Fu Panda. Despite facing racial stereotyping early in his career, Hong remained resilient and committed to making a significant impact in Hollywood. He co-founded the East West Players, the U.S.'s oldest Asian American theatre company, which aimed to increase Asian American representation in Hollywood. Over the course of his illustrious career, James Hong has become one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood, and his incredible work continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. His life and career serve as an inspiring testament to perseverance, dedication, and the pursuit of one's passion against all odds.

  • Luis Guzmán

    Luis Guzmán is a renowned Puerto Rican actor. Born in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on August 28, 1956, he grew up in Manhattan's East Harlem where he developed an early interest in acting. After graduating from City College of New York, Guzmán embarked on a career as a social worker, but the lure of the stage proved too strong to resist. His professional acting career started in the late 1970s when he began performing in street theater and independent films. Guzmán's breakthrough came in the 1980s when he landed a role in the crime drama Miami Vice. His portrayal of diverse characters in various genres established him as a versatile actor. His distinctive look and raw talent caught the attention of renowned directors like Steven Soderbergh and Paul Thomas Anderson. He collaborated with them on several critically acclaimed films such as Out of Sight, The Limey, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia. Guzmán's performances in these films garnered him significant recognition, establishing him as a mainstay in the world of cinema. Despite his success in film, Guzmán never strayed far from his roots in television. He has appeared in numerous TV shows including Oz, How to Make It in America, and Narcos. His performance in the medical drama Code Black was highly praised and further cemented his status as a versatile actor capable of handling both comedic and dramatic roles. Regardless of the medium, Guzmán's presence on screen is always compelling, bringing depth and authenticity to every character he portrays. His journey from a social worker in East Harlem to a celebrated figure in Hollywood serves as an inspiration for many aspiring actors.

  • James Millhollin

    James A. Millhollin was an American character actor known for his portrayal of nervous, excited, and befuddled men with pop eyes and peculiar mannerisms, usually occupying such positions as hotel clerks, government bureaucrats, military officers, or other middle-management authority figures. He portrayed Major Royal B. Demming, a psychiatrist, in Andy Griffith's 1958 film, No Time for Sergeants, later made into an ABC television series. In 1963, Millhollin was cast in two episodes as Anson Foster, the employer of the Imogene Coca lead character in the NBC sitcom, Grindl. Millhollin's first television role was as "Weiner" of the 1955 episode "The $1,000 Window" of The Elgin Hour. His last role was as Mr. Rudi in the 1979 episode of ABC's Happy Days entitled "Potsi Quits School." In between, Millhollin appeared as Gerold Manners in the 1960 episode "Shadow Catcher" of Will Hutchins's ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Sugarfoot. He then played Doc Cameron in the episode "Starfall: Part 1" of NBC's Outlaws. In 1961, he played Leroy Finch in "The Diamond Dude" of Dale Robertson's Tales of Wells Fargo.

  • Ronny Cox

    Daniel Ronald Cox (born July 23, 1938) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, and storyteller. His best-known roles include Drew Ballinger in Deliverance (1972), George Apple in Apple's Way (1974–75), Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Richard "Dick" Jones in RoboCop (1987), and Vilos Cohaagen in Total Recall (1990). He plays over 100 shows at festivals and theaters each year with his band.

  • John McIntire

    Weathered, veteran character player who began his career on radio and appeared in more than 100 films, usually playing law officers, politicians and other figures of authority. Best known as the no-nonsense police chief in "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950), the timid sharecropper in "A Lion Is in the Streets" (1953) and the shocked sheriff in "Psycho" (1960), McIntire also played villains in three Anthony Mann Westerns: "Winchester .73" (1950), "The Far Country" (1955) and "The Tin Star" (1957).

  • Michael Pataki

    Michael Pataki (January 16, 1938 – April 15, 2010) was an American character actor and voice actor.

  • Hal Smith

    Known equally as an actor and for his voice-over work, Hal Smith built an impressive body of work throughout his career, which stretched across six decades. Smith's first step towards a career in show business was working as a disc jockey and voice-over talent for the Utica, New York, radio station WIBX during the late 1930s and early 1940s. His career was put on hold while he served in World War II, before he relocated to Hollywood and landed uncredited parts in movies during the early 1950s. Along the way, he picked up recurring roles in such popular television comedies as "I Married Joan" and "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet." Come the 1960s, Smith landed voice work on such animated programs as the caveman-era parody "The Flintstones" and "Space Angel,"which used the then-common "synchro-vox" technique. But it was also during this time that Smith landed the acting role that he would forever be best remembered for, as the endearing "town drunk" of Mayberry, Otis Campbell, on "The Andy Griffith Show." Smith would continue to land roles and voice-over work for the remainder of his career.

  • Rebecca Atkinson

    Rebecca Atkinson (born 22 September 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying Karen Maguire in Shameless from 2004 until 2013.

  • Tim Bagley

    Although his acting career is only about 20 years old, Tim Bagley has appeared in over 85 productions on both film and television. After college at Cal State Fullerton, he held a variety of odd jobs in and around the entertainment industry: a Paramount Studio page, butler at the Playboy Mansion, a Mitzi Gaynor dancer, and a phone service operator for pimps. He studied acting with respected teachers Nina Foch and Howard Fine and started his work in comedy with the legendary improv stage group the Groundlings in 1990, where he both wrote and performed. He won two LA Weekly Awards for his solo performances there. He left the group in 1995 to pursue a career in TV and film and has been working steadily ever since. He spent the remainder of the 1990s in small roles on a variety of hit shows like the sitcoms "Seinfeld," "Hope and Glory" , and "Suddenly Susan." He was given a starring role on the two-season run of Julie Brown's comedy series "Strip Mall." This led to more recurring work on TV as one half of a gay couple on the sitcom hit "Will & Grace" and a fellow sufferer of OCD with Tony Shalhoub on five seasons of the procedural comedy "Monk." His feature film work has included the Jim Carrey comedy"The Mask," the sci-fi disaster flick "The Day After Tomorrow," and the indie comedy"Happy, Texas." In 2011, Bagley landed a recurring role on the William Shatner sitcom "$#*! My Dad Says."

  • Barry Gordon

    Barry Gordon is a character actor with a prolific career in television, beginning as a child star. At age six he began appearing on "The Jack Benny Program." In 1960, he appeared on the iconic sitcom "Leave It to Beaver." As an adult, Gordon's first recurring role came on "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," the early 1970s revival of the original classic from the '60s. In 1977, he landed a lead character role on the sitcom "Fish," which starred Abe Vigoda in a spin-off from "Barney Miller." Gordon appeared as Charlie Harrison in all 35 episodes of the two-season series. In the early '80s, Gordon played Archie Bunker's Jewish accountant, Gary Rabinowitz, on "Archie Bunker's Place," the follow-up to the comedy classic "All in the Family." By 1987, Gordon landed a major part in a very different genre - animation - a field that would define much of his later career: as Donatello, he was one of the lead voices on the hugely successful action-adventure cartoon "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." The series became a major franchise, spinning off into a TV mini-series as well as various video games. Gordon continued with multiple voice-over gigs in animation for the next two decades, and his live action work included a 2004-2005 appearance on the irreverent HBO comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as a Rabbi. Gordon served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1988 to 1995. Gordon ran unsuccessfuly for congress in 1996.

  • Bill Erwin

    William Lindsey Erwin (December 2, 1914 – December 29, 2010) was an American film, television and stage actor and cartoonist with over 250 television and film credits. A veteran character actor, he is widely known for his 1993 Emmy Award-nominated performance on Seinfeld, portraying the embittered, irascible retiree Sid Fields. He also made notable appearances on shows such as I Love Lucy and Star Trek: The Next Generation. In cinema, his most recognized role is that of Arthur, a kindly bellhop at the Mackinac Island Grand Hotel, in Somewhere in Time (1980).Erwin was a self-taught cartoonist, published in The New Yorker, Playboy, and Los Angeles. He won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, four Drama-Logue Awards, Gilmore Brown Award for Career Achievement, Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters' Diamond Circle Award, and Distinguished Alumnus Award from Angelo State University.

  • John Fiedler

    This stage-trained veteran character player has had a long and varied career playing mousy little men in films and TV since the late 1940s. Short, plump, often bespectacled and perpetually balding, Fiedler has a look that defies the ravages of time. Somehow never truly young, he could never really grow old.

  • Bruno Kirby

    With his distinctively high-pitched, raspy voice and often agitated performances, Bruno Kirby was one of the most instantly recognizable character actors in film and on television. He broke into TV with a recurring role on the comedy drama "Room 222" (ABC, 1969-1974), and began working in film with small parts in efforts like "Cinderella Liberty" (1973), before gaining wide exposure in Francis Ford Coppola's Academy Award-winning sequel to his Mafia family epic, "The Godfather, Part II" (1974). Kirby enjoyed diverse, if sometimes brief, portrayals in the features "Where The Buffalo Roam" (1980), "This is Spinal Tap" (1984), and "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987). It was, however, for two separate roles - in each of which he played Billy Crystal's best friend - that Kirby would be most remembered: in the oft-quoted romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally" (1989), followed by "City Slickers" (1991). He continued to work extensively, returning to the mob in such projects as "Donnie Brasco" (1997), and as a high-profile defense attorney in the made-for-TV movie "American Tragedy" (CBS, 2000), before succumbing to the effects of leukemia in 2006. Kirby's highly regarded career served as the perfect reverse illustration to the age-old theater axiom that there are no small roles, only small actors. By all accounts, Kirby never gave a small performance in his regrettably brief life.

  • Clive Revill

    A well-respected stage actor, Revill has been cast in TV and films either in comic parts, usually as a stuffy, pompous Englishman, or in villainous roles. Born and raised in New Zealand, he moved to London after graduating from college and studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school. Revill made his stage debut on Broadway in "Mr. Pickwick" (1952) and then returned to England to join the Ipswich Repertory Theatre from 1953-55. Between 1956 and 1958, he worked at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company at Stratford-on-Avon where he appeared in "Julius Caesar," "Measure for Measure" and "The Tempest," among others. Revill came to the attention of Broadway audiences when he recreated his London stage role in "Irma La Douce" (1960-61) and for his performance as Fagin in the hit New York production of "Oliver!" He earned Tony nominations for his work in both, but lost the film roles to Jack Lemmon and Ron Moody respectively. Revill played Sheridan Whiteside in "Sherry" (1967), the short-lived musical version of "The Man Who Came to Dinner," and later toured the USA in the 1980s in both "The Pirates of Penzance" and "Drood."

  • Harold J. Stone

    Harold J Stone was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. In his early acting career, J Stone appeared in such films as "The Harder They Fall" (1956) with Humphrey Bogart, the Paul Newman dramatic biopic "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956) and the Henry Fonda crime feature "The Wrong Man" (1956). He also appeared in the Lee J. Cobb crime picture "The Garment Jungle" (1957), "The Invisible Boy" (1957) with Richard Eyer and "House of Numbers" (1957) featuring Jack Palance. He continued to act in productions like the historical feature "Spartacus" (1960) with Kirk Douglas. He followed this recognition with roles in the horror feature "X" (1963) with Ray Milland and "Girl Happy" (1965). J Stone was nominated for an Outstanding Single Performance By an Actor In Primetime Emmy Award for "The Nurses" in 1964. In the latter half of his career, he tackled roles in "The Seven Minutes" (1971), the Jack Albertson drama "Pickup on 101" (1972) and the Joe Don Baker action film "Mitchell" (1975). He also appeared in the action movie "The McCullochs" (1975) with Forrest Tucker. J Stone more recently acted in "Hardly Working" (1981) with Jerry Lewis. J Stone passed away in November 2005 at the age of 92.

  • Irene Tedrow

    A venerable character actress, Irene Tedrow appeared in an incredible number of films and TV series, almost invariably in supporting roles. She was a founding member of the Old Globe Theater, and most of her early roles cast her as the ingénue. During World War II, she was a featured actress in radio dramas and had a regular role in the comedy "Meet Corliss Archer," a role she reprised on television in 1951, after a series of bit parts in films. For the rest of the 1950s and 1960s she made regular appearances in a wide range of TV shows, usually as a supporting player. Shows she appeared in during that time include the iconic family comedy "Leave It to Beaver," the western "Rawhide," and the spooky sitcom"The Addams Family." She had recurring roles on the melodrama "Peyton Place," the comedy "Father of the Bride," and most notably, as neighbor Mrs. Lucy Elkins on the TV adaptation of the comic strip "Dennis the Menace" from 1959 to 1963. She also appeared in films such as the classic western "The Cincinnati Kid" and the original "Parent Trap" in 1961. In the 1970s and 1980s she continued appearing in many TV series and reached career milestones with two Emmy nominations for work on the issue-oriented show "James at 16" and the historical miniseries "Eleanor and Franklin."

  • Danilo Bertazzi

    Danilo Bertazzi (born 23 February 1960 in Chivasso, Piedmont) is an Italian character actor, voice-over artist, presenter and entertainer perhaps best known for his role in the television program Melevisione on Raitre (as Tonio Cartonio) from 1999 to 2004 and his roles in Trebisonda (as Danilo) from 2006.

  • Thomas McCarthy

    Thomas Joseph McCarthy (born June 7, 1966) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actor who has appeared in several films, including Meet the Parents and Good Night, and Good Luck, and television series such as The Wire, Boston Public, Law & Order, and the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of Saint Maybe. McCarthy has received critical acclaim for his writing/direction work for the independent films The Station Agent (2003), The Visitor (2007), Win Win (2011), and Spotlight (2015), the last of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, won McCarthy the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director. Additionally, McCarthy co-wrote the film Up (2009) with Bob Peterson and Pete Docter, for which they received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. McCarthy also wrote the film Million Dollar Arm (2014) and served as a director and executive producer for the Netflix television series 13 Reasons Why (2017).

  • David Ashton

    David Ashton (born 10 November 1941 in Greenock) is a Scottish actor and writer. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, 1964–67, he has acted in a wide variety of film, television, theatre and radio roles. He has also developed a parallel career as a writer of fiction, film and television screenplays and plays for theatre and radio. His radio play The Old Ladies at the Zoo, which starred Peggy Mount and Liz Smith, won the Radio Times Drama Award in 1985.

  • Bill Cobbs

    Stalwart African-American player who has lent his comfortably weathered features and world-weary demeanor to many supporting roles on stage and screen, Cobbs convinces whether playing stubborn yet dignified fathers, melancholy denizens of bars and pool halls, or sympathetic authority figures. A latecomer to acting, Cobbs began in community theater in his native Cleveland while working as a car salesman. He moved to New York where he worked with the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company. He made his Broadway debut in "The First Breeze of Summer" and later appeared in Anthol Fugard's "Master Harold...and the Boys" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

  • Florence Bates

    Florence Bates didn't set out to become an actress; from her degree in mathematics to her career as an attorney, performing seemed to be the farthest thing from her mind. But after moving to Los Angeles to open a bakery, she auditioned on a whim for the role of Miss Bates in a theatrical adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma," nabbed the part, and found a second home on the stage during the 1930s. Alfred Hitchcock cast Bates as Mrs. Van Hopper in his moody 1939 drama "Rebecca," establishing her as a go-to actress for eccentric, high-society characters in dozens of films throughout the 1940s and early '50s.

  • Eugene Roche

    Actor and original Ajax soap pitchman Eugene Roche began acting in the early 1960s with a guest appearance on the series "Naked City." Throughout that decade, he continued to guest star on TV in shows like "Route 66," "The Reporter," and "The Catholic Hour." His most notable role came in 1972 when he played POW Edgar Derby in the adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Slaughterhouse-Five." Roche furthered his career as a character actor in the late '70s and early '80s by making the guest rounds on television, landing a recurring role on the spoof series "Soap" and picking up supporting roles in films like Oliver Stone's "W," the critically acclaimed "Foul Play," and "Eternity." Viewers could also have seen him in the role of Senator Dietz on the Emmy-winning action series "Airwolf" in the mid-'80s. Roche continued his prolific career as a supporting actor in television series during the 1990s with recurring roles in "Lenny," "Julie," and "Dave's World." His roles in the 2000s grew fewer as his health declined but he did take the occasional guest spot on TV series like "7th Heaven," "The Division," and "The Guardian" before his death, after a heart attack, in 2004.

  • John Quade

    John William Saunders III (April 1, 1938 – August 9, 2009), better known by the stage name John Quade, was an American character actor who starred in film and in television. He was best known for his role as Cholla, the leader of the motorcycle gang the Black Widows in the Clint Eastwood films Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980).

  • Ned Glass

    Ned Glass was a character actor most known for playing nebbishy, neurotic, or mischievous characters with a thick New York accent. In the 1930s, Glass worked mostly in vaudeville and on Broadway as both an actor and a director, until 1937 when his next-door neighbor Moe Howard of the Three Stooges offered him a small and uncredited role in a Three Stooges short film, "Nutty But Nice." Glass went on to take three more uncredited roles in three other Three Stooges films. He made his mark in 1950s television, mostly in variety shows and sitcoms, such as his many roles on "The Jackie Gleason Show," above all in the program's "The Honeymooners" sketches (precursors to Gleason's sitcom "The Honeymooners"); and on "The Phil Silvers Show," with a recurring role as quartermaster Sergeant Pendleton. One of Glass's most notable film roles came in the Academy Award-winning musical "West Side Story," an updated New York City version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." His character, Doc, an archetypical old-guard New Yorker who runs the local drugstore, served as a mentor and conscience to main character Tony; Glass delivered a memorably poignant and pivotal performance. In 1969, Glass was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his recurring supporting role as Sol Cooper, the widowed landlord to the title character on the sitcom "Julia," one of the first television series to feature an African American woman, Diahann Carroll, in a leading role.

  • Terry Kiser

    A seasoned journeyman comic and light dramatic character player whose credits span daytime and primetime TV, Broadway and features, Terry Kiser earned a boost when he was cast as the dead-but-still-partying boss in "Weekend at Bernie's" (1989). Prior to that, Kiser worked on such daytime dramas as "The Doctors" (NBC, 1962-83) and "The Secret Storm" (CBS, 1953-74) while he studied at the Actors Studio. He had a supporting role in Neil Simon's 1974 Broadway comedy "God's Favorite" and began a lucrative career as a commercial pitchman, earning three Clio Awards. Kiser's feature debut came with the role of a preacher in Paul Newman's "Rachel, Rachel" (1968), starring Joanne Woodward. Migrating to L.A., he appeared in dozens of TV episodes and in the short-lived series "Rollergirls" (NBC, 1978), as manager for a women's roller derby team. In 1984, he landed a recurring role as Al Craven on the NBC sitcom "Night Court" (1984-92) as well as another recurring role, as Victor Hitler, on the NBC police drama "Hill Street Blues" (1980-87), for which he earned an Emmy nomination. Kiser was also in the syndicated sketch comedy "Off the Wall" (1986) and Carol Burnett's much anticipated return to variety "Carol & Company" (NBC, 1990-91). On the big screen, Kiser offered a humorous turn as the swinging father of an overachieving son in "Rich Kids" (1979) and played numerous small roles in features like "All Night Long" (1981), "Making Love" and "Six Pack" (both 1982). Kiser was Bernie Lomax in "Weekend at Bernie's" and the sequel, "Weekend at Bernie's II" (1993), in which Bernie was possessed by a zombie curse and danced his way through the Caribbean.

  • Molly Conlin

    Molly Conlin is an English child actress, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Dotty Cotton.

  • Roberts Blossom

    Roberts Blossom was an American actor who appeared in "Home Alone," "Reuben, Reuben," and "Another World."

  • Pam St. Clement

    Pam St Clement is an actress who appeared in "EastEnders (UK)," "Hedda," and "The Bunker."

  • Harry Shannon

    Harry Shannon was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Shannon started his acting career landing roles in such films as "Tear Gas Squad" (1940), "Gambling on the High Seas" (1940) and the comedy "Sailor's Lady" (1940) with Nancy Kelly. He also appeared in the George Bassman musical comedy "Too Many Girls" (1940), the Mickey Rooney dramatic biopic "Young Tom Edison" (1940) and "Parole Fixer" (1940). He kept working in film throughout the forties, starring in "San Quentin" (1946), the crime feature "Night Editor" (1946) with William Gargan and the mystery "Crack-Up" (1946) with Pat O'Brien. He also appeared in "Dangerous Years" (1947). In the latter half of his career, he continued to act in the Howard Duff action film "Roar of the Crowd" (1953), the Sterling Hayden western "Kansas Pacific" (1953) and the Vittorio Gassman action movie "Cry of the Hunted" (1953). He also appeared in the crime flick "Witness to Murder" (1954) with Barbara Stanwyck and the William Holden dramatic adaptation "Executive Suite" (1954). Shannon was most recently credited in "Wagons East!" (1994) with John Candy. Shannon was nominated for an Outstanding Achievement In Music and Lyrics Primetime Emmy Award for "The Gift of Life" in 1982. Shannon passed away in July 1964 at the age of 74.

  • Dewey Robinson

    Dewey Robinson was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Robinson started his acting career landing roles in such films as "Enemies of the Law" (1931), "Cheaters at Play" (1932) and "The Painted Woman" (1932). He also appeared in "The Big Broadcast" (1932) with Stuart Erwin, "Law and Order" (1932) with Walter Huston and "The Woman From Monte Carlo" (1932). He kept working in film throughout the thirties, starring in "His Night Out" (1935), "Dangerous Waters" (1936) and the Joe Penner comedy "New Faces of 1937" (1937). He also appeared in "The Toast of New York" (1937). Toward the end of his career, he continued to act in "The Ghost Ship" (1943), "The Chinese Cat" (1944) and "Dillinger" (1945) with Lawrence Tierney. He also appeared in "Fashion Model" (1945) and the drama "The Lady Confesses" (1945) with Mary Beth Hughes. Robinson more recently acted in the Charlton Heston crime feature "Dark City" (1950). Robinson passed away in December 1950 at the age of 52.

  • Peter Vaughan

    British actor Peter Vaughan enjoyed an especially distinguished career over nearly six decades, making his screen debut in Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps," and ending it on HBO's juggernaut "Game of Thrones." Born Peter Ewart Ohm on April 4, 1923, in Wem, Shropshire, UK, before his family moved to nearby Wellington. He first developed a taste for acting when reciting a poem to his elementary school class. As a teenager, he joined the Wolverhampton Repertory Theater; he was an experienced stage actor by the time World War II struck. He served Britain as a second lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Signals, seeing combat in Normandy, Belgium, and the Far East. After the war, he decided to return to acting, taking on the stage name Vaughan. His first film role was an uncredited turn as a police officer in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "The 39 Steps" (1959). A few years of similarly small parts followed, until he scored the lead role in a b-noir picture called "Smokescreen" (1964). British critics panned his performance in "The Naked Runner" (1967) alongside Frank Sinatra. Following a small role in Sam Peckinpah's controversial thriller "Straw Dogs" (1971), Vaughan made his television debut on the sitcom "Porridge" (BBC One, 1974-77) as "Genial" Harry Grout. Though he only appeared on three episodes and the 1979 film adaptation, this would prove to be one of Vaughan's most popular roles in the UK. He went on to co-star in the 1980 adaptation of "The French Lieutenant's Woman," alongside Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, before taking part in Bill Murray's adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel "The Razor's Edge" (1984). Vaughan maintained his presence on British TV, co-starring in an adaptation of "Bleak House" (BBC, 1985), while also appearing in Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" (1981) and "Brazil" (1985). Vaughan took on his biggest film role as the father of Anthony Hopkins' stoic butler in the Merchant-Ivory production "The Remains of the Day" (1993). His most acclaimed television role followed, with a highly acclaimed turn as an Alzheimer's patient in "Our Friends in the North" (BBC Two, 1996). Vaughan's most high profile role was also his last: from 2011 to 2015 he portrayed Maester Aemon on "Game of Thrones" (HBO, 2011-). Peter Vaughan died on December 6, 2016, at the age of 93.

  • Jack McGee

    In portraying the quintessential blue-collar Irish-Catholic, veteran character actor Jack McGee has brought an authenticity to his roles that's tough to match. For inspiration, he has needed to look no further than his own background. Born and raised in New York City, McGee was one of eight children in a working class family in the South Bronx. As if that wasn't tough enough, he was the youngest, which may have led him to work that much harder to get noticed. By high school, he was a football player and also president of his senior class. He soon developed an interest in performing, and one of his first efforts was as a background vocalist for the 1960s rock band, "The Young Rascals." In order to make ends meet as an actor, McGee became a firefighter for New York City in 1977. As it happened, his first part was in the 1987 firefighter movie, "Turk 182," starring Timothy Hutton. Moving to Hollywood in 1986, he went on to appear in hundreds of films, television movies and regular series. His classic working stiff features landed him countless roles as cops, carpenters, and the occasional bartender. Notable movie roles include a mischievous Santa Clause in the 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th Street," a baseball pitcher in "Coyote Ugly' (2000) and infamous Chicago Mayor Richard Daley in "Thirteen Days" (2000). On television, McGee did his share of "L.A. Law," "Murphy Brown," and "X-Files" appearances, before landing a semi-regular part on ABC's "NYPD Blue" as a desk sergeant. After that, he appeared in studio fare such as "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blond," and the edgy independent drama, "Crash," from writer-director Paul Haggis. But McGee's most memorable role has promised to be Chief Jerry Reilly on FX's edgy firefighter drama, "Rescue Me." The cutting edge show, produced by and starring Denis Leary, focused on the personal lives of the men - and woman - of the beleaguered engine company in post 9-11 New York City. McGee, as "the Good Chief," brought his customary thoughtfulness to the character.

  • Fran Ryan

    Fran Ryan was an actress who appeared in "Days of Our Lives," "Gunsmoke," and "Murder, She Wrote."

  • Jesse White

    Often remembered as one of the iconic Maytag Repairmen from the long-running ad campaign, Jesse White first took to the stage in an amateur production at 15. He eventually worked his way up from vaudeville and burlesque to legitimate theater, and by 1943, he was on Broadway as a brusque sanitarium orderly in the fantasy-infused drama "Harvey," which centers on a man whose best friend is an invisible 6-foot-tall rabbit. When the hit play was adapted into a film seven years later, White reprised his role and worked opposite movie mega star James Stewart. Between the play and the film, White was now a recognizable talent in Hollywood, and he went on to appear in a string of films before breaking into television with a variety of one-off roles. White would ultimately appear in 160 TV and film productions over a career that spanned five decades, but it was his part as the perennially bored Maytag Repairman for which White became best known. White was offered the role of the unneeded Repairman after an ad exec saw his deadpan comedy bit as a monotone-speaking yet cantankerous janitor in the 1967 Don Knotts/Leslie Nielsen space program comedy "The Reluctant Astronaut." The next year White became the face of Maytag and went on to reprise the role of the loveable and lonely mascot in ads until 1988, after which he became a Maytag consultant. White worked steadily in TV and film until his death from a heart attack in 1997.

  • Christopher Allport

    Before his unexpected death in a skiing accident in 2008, Christopher Allport had established himself as a prolific and familiar television performer. He cut his teeth with a regular role on the long-running daytime soap opera "Another World" (1973). The actor impressed Hollywood with his performance, and he never wanted for work again. Throughout the 1970s, Allport was busy, making constant guest appearances on the most popular TV series of the day. Among a great many others, he had one-off roles on the Korean War saga "M*A*S*H*" (1975) and a 1978 episode of the private eye procedural "Barnaby Jones." The subsequent three decades were equally busy for Allport; he popped up on such hit programs as "Dynasty" (1987), in a recurring part on the popular nighttime soap, and on the cop saga "NYPD Blue" (2002). His last TV appearance was on an episode of the 1960s drama "Mad Men" (2008). Although he was primarily a television actor, Allport made appearances in movies from time to time. He appeared in William Friedkin's 1985 violent crime thriller "To Live and Die in L.A." and the supernatural thriller "Jack Frost" (1997).

  • Ron Feinberg

    Ron Feinberg was an actor who appeared in "Brian's Song," "The Missiles of October," and "Thunder and Lightning."

  • James Barton

    James Barton was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Barton began his career with roles in the John Wayne drama "The Shepherd of the Hills" (1941), the dramatic adaptation "The Time of Your Life" (1948) with James Cagney and "Yellow Sky" (1948) with Gregory Peck. Barton made film his next project, appearing in the June Haver musical comedy "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady" (1950), "Wabash Avenue" (1950) with Betty Grable and the historical feature "Golden Girl" (1951) with Mitzi Gaynor. He also appeared in the Bing Crosby comedy "Here Comes the Groom" (1951) and the Fred MacMurray western "Quantez" (1957). Later in his career, Barton acted in "The Misfits" (1961). Barton passed away in February 1962 at the age of 72.

  • Len Lesser

    Blessed with a craggy face, a New York accent and a talent for both drama and comedy, Len Lesser was a busy character actor who essayed numerous tough guys, thugs and oddballs in a richly varied career in film and on stage and television that lasted over five decades. He received his showbiz start during the era of 1950s live television before graduating to feature films like "The Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962). His onscreen versatility led to larger roles in 1970s classic features like "Kelly's Heroes" (1970) and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976), but he was perhaps best remembered as Jerry Seinfeld's bizarre Uncle Leo on several seasons of "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998). Apart from a financial windfall earned through syndication, Lesser's role secured him wider exposure and more work as he entered his seventh and even eighth decades, and unquestionably raised the degree of respect afforded to a character actor of his pedigree.

  • Edward Rigby

    Edward Rigby (5 February 1879 – 5 April 1951) was a British character actor.

  • Lorna Fitzgerald

    Lorna Fitzgerald is an actress who appeared in "EastEnders (UK)."

  • Michael Ripper

    Michael Ripper was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Ripper began his acting career with roles in such films as "The History of Mr. Polly" (1949) with John Mills, the dramatic comedy "Your Witness" (1950) with Robert Montgomery and the crime feature "The Secret People" (1952) with Valentina Cortese. He also appeared in the Robert Morley dramatic sports film "The Rainbow Jacket" (1954), the Alastair Sim comedy "Wee Geordie" (1955) and the dramatic adaptation "Richard III" (1955) with Laurence Olivier. He continued to work steadily in film throughout the fifties, appearing in "Steel Bayonet" (1957), the Joyce Grenfell comedy "Blue Murder at St. Trinian's" (1957) and "Enemy From Space" (1957) with Brian Donlevy. He also appeared in "Woman in a Dressing Gown" (1957). Toward the end of his career, he tackled roles in the suspenseful adaptation "The Phantom of the Opera" (1962) with Herbert Lom, the thrilling adaptation "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" (1965) with Richard Burton and the Frankie Howerd comedy sequel "The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery" (1966). He also appeared in "Inspector Clouseau" (1968) with Alan Arkin and the Christopher Lee horror film "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" (1969). Ripper last appeared in "Jeeves and Wooster, Series II" (PBS, 1992-93). Ripper passed away in June 2000 at the age of 87.

  • Sammee Tong

    Sammee Tong was an actor who appeared in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "Mickey," and "Bachelor Father."

  • Michael Q. Schmidt

    Michael Quentin Schmidt (born April 20, 1953) is an American film and television actor and fine arts model. According to Film Threat, he "has become a much-in-demand presence thanks to his versatility and his willingness to take roles to wild extremes".

  • Rhys Williams

    Rhys Williams leapt into a series of acting roles--in many cases, quite literally. The Canadian worked on various productions as a stunt man and an actor, and on numerous occasions combined both roles. He first appeared in the low-budget 1995 thriller "Man with a Gun," starring Michael Madsen as an assassin hired to kill the woman he loves. Following this appearance, Williams won a string of one-offs or small recurring roles in TV productions. These include "Highlander," an adaptation of the 1986 film of the same name about a race of eternal Scottish warriors, and a TV movie version of the classic Truman Capote true-crime drama "In Cold Blood," both released in 1996. The following decade saw Williams branching out into stunt work. His first stunt assignment was on yet another TV movie adaptation, "The Robinsons: Lost in Space" (2004), a re-imagining of the classic 1960s science fiction series. Following that, he stunt-doubled for star Nick Cannon in "Underclassmen," a mystery set in a private school. Williams spent the next years working as either a stunt man or an actor. He sometimes blended the two, in such efforts as the 2010 Greek myth update "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and the phantasmagorical science fiction TV series "Fringe" (2010).

  • Hope Summers

    Hope Summers was an actress who appeared in "Rosemary's Baby," "Foul Play," and "The Andy Griffith Show."

  • James Villiers

    James Michael Hyde Villiers (29 September 1933 – 18 January 1998) was an English character actor and a familiar face on British television. Villiers was particularly memorable for his plummy voice and ripe articulation. He has been credited with originating the use of the word "luvvie" to describe members of the acting profession.

  • Oliver Clark

    With a legacy of laughter-inducing roles, Oliver Clark was known for his rich movie career. Early on in his acting career, Clark landed roles in various films, including the drama "The End of the Road" (1970) with Stacy Keach, the dramedy "The Landlord" (1970) with Beau Bridges and the George C Scott comedic adaptation "They Might Be Giants" (1971). He also appeared in "The Great Gatsby" (1974), "Dynamite Woman" (1976) with Claudia Jennings and the musical drama "A Star Is Born" (1976) with Barbra Streisand. He continued to act in productions like the comedy "The Last Married Couple in America" (1979) with George Segal and "Deadhead Miles" (1982). He also landed a role in the miniseries "Hanging By a Thread" (1978-79). His work around this time also included a part on the TV movie "Fame" (NBC, 1978-79). He also was featured in the TV movie "Nightlife" (USA, 1988-89). Clark most recently acted in the drama "Lost Souls" (2000) with Winona Ryder.

  • Giancarlo Judica Cordiglia

    Giancarlo Judica Cordiglia (born 30 September 1971) is an Italian actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer perhaps best known for his role in the television program Melevisione on Raitre (as Gnomo Ronfo) and his roles in RIS Delitti Imperfetti (as Capt. Bruno Corsini) films on Canale 5.

  • Paul Kent

    Paul Kent (October 13, 1930 – October 7, 2011) was an American actor and the founder/artistic director of the Melrose Theatre in West Hollywood.

  • John Ince

    John Ince, also known as John E. Ince, (August 29, 1878 – April 10, 1947) was an American stage and motion pictures actor, a film director, and the eldest brother of Thomas H. Ince and Ralph Ince.A leading man from the early 1910s, he also directed and scripted several of his own vehicles. Concentrating almost exclusively on directing from 1915 through 1928, Ince returned before the cameras as a character actor in the early years of the talkies.

  • Martin Weinek

    Martin Weinek (born 30 June 1964 in Leoben, Styria) is an Austrian actor, character actor, wine producer, entrepreneur and entertainer, perhaps best known for his role in the television series Inspector Rex (as Inspector Fritz Kunz). He also produces wine in Austria.

  • Hilly Hicks

    Hilly Gene Hicks Sr. (born May 4, 1950 in Los Angeles, California) is an American character actor.

  • Rudolph Walker

    Rudolph Walker is an actor who appeared in "10 Rillington Place," "Scarlett," and "King Ralph."

  • Donald Calthrop

    Donald Esme Clayton Calthrop (11 April 1888 – 15 July 1940) was an English stage and film actor.Born in London, Calthrop was educated at St Paul's School and made his first stage appearance at eighteen years of age at the Comedy Theatre, London. His first film was The Gay Lord Quex released in 1917. He starred as the title character in the successful musical The Boy in the same year. He then appeared in 63 films between 1916 and 1940, including five films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He died in Eton, Berkshire from a heart attack while he was filming Major Barbara (1941). According to Ronald Neame in his autobiography, some shots in the final film had a stand-in playing Calthrop's role (from the back) and a piece of dialogue was recorded using an unnamed person who impersonated Calthrop's voice. He was the nephew of dramatist Dion Boucicault.

  • Roy Glenn

    Roy Edwin Glenn, Sr. (June 3, 1914 – March 12, 1971) was an American character actor.

  • Rolandas Kazlas

    Rolandas Kazlas (May 11, 1969 in Molėtai) is a Lithuanian actor, comedian and theater director. Lithuanian National Culture and Arts prize winner in 2009.

  • Kaspar Capparoni

    Gaspare "Kaspar" Capparoni (born 1 August 1964) is an Italian actor.

  • Georgia Caine

    Georgia Caine was an American actress who appeared in "Camille," "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek," and "Juarez."

  • Harry Hayden

    Harry Hayden was an actor who appeared in "Hello, Frisco, Hello," "Kentucky," and "The Blue Dahlia."

  • Harlan Warde

    Harlan Warde (born Harlan Ward Lufkin; November 6, 1917 – March 13, 1980) was a character actor active in television and movies. During World War II, he served in Special Forces.Warde showed up in supporting roles as detectives, doctors, and ministers. Warde made five guest appearances on Perry Mason between 1958-1966, primarily in law enforcement roles, such as Assistant District Attorney Harold Hanley in "The Case of the Haunted Husband", and Sgt. Roddin in the only color episode in 1966 entitled, "The Case of the Twice Told Twist". From 1958–62, he joined Chuck Connors in The Rifleman. Warde played John Hamilton, President of the North Fork Bank. He appeared in eighteen episodes of The Rifleman, making his debut in episode 8, “The Safeguard.” Over his 40-year-career in Hollywood, Warde appeared in over 180 films and television series, including multiple westerns. Warde was cast in the historical role of future United States Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in the 1961 episode, "The Stolen City," on the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the story line, Stanton works with apothecary Zacharias Gurney (Darren McGavin) to prove that a Mexican document transferring San Francisco to a man named Limantour (Gregory Morton) is fraudulent.From 1962 to 1971, Warde was a member of the cast of the TV Western series The Virginian in the recurring role of Sheriff Brannon. Warde also appeared on The Big Valley in 1967 as a politician who is murdered in the episode entitled "Night Of The Executioner" and as Simon Winkler in "Opie and the Spoiled Kid" (1963), an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Warde's last role was in the 1979 Rockford Files episode "A Different Drummer" playing an aging father of a shady doctor.

  • Ellis Hollins

    Ellis Hollins (born 14 November 1999) is a British Soap Award-winning actor. He is best known for playing the role of Tom Cunningham in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, which he has played since he was 3-years-old. In 2006, he appeared in Alpha Male, a family film released in the United Kingdom.

  • Paul L. Smith

    Paul L Smith was an actor and producer who appeared in "Madron," "Midnight Express," and "Dune."

  • Shepard Menken

    Shep Menken's acting talents were showcased on the big screen many times throughout the course of his Hollywood career. Menken's career beginnings included film roles in "The Juggler" (1953) and "Killers From Space" (1954). Later in his career, Menken voiced characters in "Two Daddies?" (PBS, 1988-89).

  • Thomas Law

    Thomas Law is an actor who appeared in "EastEnders (UK)," "The World's End," and "Unhallowed Ground."

  • Alister Williamson

    Alister Williamson (17 June 1918 – 19 May 1999) was an Australian-born character actor, who appeared in many British films and television series of the 1960s and 1970s. A big, craggy-faced man, he would usually be found playing gruff police inspectors or henchmen in adventure series and police dramas of the period. He was also notable as a supporting player in a number of classic British horror films. He would typically be found in television series such as Adam Adamant Lives!, The Avengers, Paul Temple, Police Surgeon, Public Eye, The Saint, Softly, Softly, Special Branch, The Third Man and Z-Cars. He also made appearances in many popular sitcoms of the period, such as Please Sir!, Dad's Army, The Galton and Simpson Playhouse, George and Mildred, The Likely Lads, Man About the House and That's My Boy. In films he often appeared in the horror genre, either as policemen or landlords for companies such as Hammer Studios, Amicus and AIP throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. His credits include The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), The Evil of Frankenstein (1963), The Gorgon (1964) and The Deadly Bees (1966). In 1969 he appeared in Gordon Hessler's The Oblong Box, in which he would have his only leading role opposite stars Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. In a part originally earmarked for Price, he played the disfigured Sir Edward Markham, acting underneath a red velvet hood until the film's climatic unmasking. Unfortunately his voice was deemed unsuitable and he was redubbed for the film's release, after which it was back to a supporting role in his next horror film, The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971).

  • Emily Mather

    Tinkerbelle “Belle” Dingle is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, played by Eden Taylor-Draper. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 25 December 1998 and was originally played by twins James and Emily Mather, with the latter leaving the role in 2005. Belle has featured in many storylines throughout her time on the show such as falling down a mineshaft, killing her best friend Gemma Andrews (Tendai Rinomhota), having an affair with the village doctor; Jermaine Bailey, faking a pregnancy to prevent Jermaine from leaving after their affair is revealed, being diagnosed with schizophrenia and a relationship with Lachlan White which later ended after discovering he was a murderer.