Recently, I opened a webpage titled "Greatest Character Actors of all time".
With all due respect to the people listed, as some of them are very good, I feel that the persons putting the list together are ignoring the classic character actors of the past.
This old movie lover (I am 73 as of this post) has seen some of the best character actors in the older movies.
Do you have a link to the listing? I would be interested in seeing it.
Here are three of my favorites that I would definitely use the word "great" to describe:
Ned Beatty
Strother Martin
R. Lee Ermey
Said this elsewhere on here before but it was truly incredible to see Ned Beatty in Network after associating him for a long time with Otis in Superman!
shareUnfortunately, I did not keep the link. I did however, find some other sites that also listed great character actors and they hit the nail on the head with their lists.
Just Google "Greatest Character Actors in history".
Again, nothing against today's character actors, but without the fine work of those past artists, there might never have been an Oscar category for "Outstanding Actor in a supporting role".
No problem and I agree with your sentiment. I'd like to see your choices for great character actors... with your age and your original post, I get the feeling that you've watched a lot more films than I have and I would enjoy seeing who you'd choose.
Someone else I thought of after making my original post this morning that I thought was a great character actor was the late (great) J.T. Walsh. It's a real shame he passed away at such a young age, but he was in several movies that I really enjoyed watching when I was younger and he was great in all of them.
Walsh was great playing the smarmy a$$hole.
My favorite role he did was Sergeant Major Dickerson in "Good Morning Vietnam".
As to my choices for best character actors?
A couple of names off the top of my head - Margaret Hamilton and Walter Brennan.
Yes! Margaret Hamilton...seller of Maxwell House coffee! 😀 I remember it blew my mind as a teenager when I found out that she was The Wicked Witch Of The West. Great actress for sure.
I don't know much at all about Walter Brennan, except for his mention in "Good Morning Vietnam!" (And I agree with you that Walsh was great in that movie also!)😀 Just as a frame of reference, I'm 55 and I really don't have the film (and actor/actress) knowledge that a lot of people here do. I really feel like a "student" here and find it interesting when people share their knowledge here. I should do some research on Walter Brennan and see some of his films (if I haven't already...I don't believe I have).
Thank you for sharing your choices!
You're welcome.
shareMy favorite character actor was probably Don Knotts. When I think of character actors though, Paul Lynde is usually who comes to mind first because he was on so many things.
shareI loved both of those guys. Paul Lynde was from Mt. Vernon, OH, just outside of Columbus, and I believe is buried there. I've thought about making a trip up to Mt. Vernon later this Fall to see his grave. I remember watching "Hollywood Squares" with my family as a kid and Lynde was so great on that show.
shareThat sounds like it could be an interesting trip. My favorite role of his was as Dr. Dudley on The Munsters. I guess Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis and Yvonne de Carlo could also be on the list of great character actors.
shareYes...I should probably think of Herman Munster whenever I think of Fred Gwynne, but I can't help but think of his role as the judge in "My Cousin Vinny." 😀
And Yvonne De Carlo...I can't help but think of her in "The Ten Commandments." She was so strikingly beautiful in that role, IMO.
Speaking of "My Cousin Vinny" and other character actors...Bruce McGill is another great one. My favorite role of his is Walter Hagen in "The Legend Of Bagger Vance" (which is probably my all-time favorite movie). But he's another great character actor, IMO.
Gwynne was in "Car 54, Where Are You?". Grandpa Al Lewis was in it also.
Tabarnac mon vieux, t’es plus âgé que mon père!!
shareAnyone remember this guy?
https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/henry-silva-one-of-cinemas-ultimate-badasses-has-passed-away/l-intro-1663373156.jpg
Yea! Silva was great at being subtly threatening and creepy.
shareThe Boss (1973)
https://mondo-digital.com/dileo4big.jpg
Killer Kane
shareThe Italian Connection (1972)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjBiMDY3YWItMGViMi00MTM2LTk2Y2MtNWQ1NTU3OWU0NmUzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTE4MDg3NTIz._V1_.jpg
Sharky's Machine (1981) https://www.imfdb.org/images/3/38/Buggybilly.jpg
shareYes!!!
shareAlmost Human (1974)
https://youtu.be/2d4xq9Nyn0s?si=59nDE0qdMU1a5ZE_
He had me complete fooled for a long time. I had no idea he was born and raised in NYC.
shareYour right. Check out this from Wikipedia.
“Silva was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on September 23, 1926.[4] He was the son of Jesus Silva and Angelina Martinez, and was of Sicilian and Spanish descent.[4][5][note 1] His father, a sailor from Italy, abandoned the family when he was young, and he grew up in Spanish Harlem with his mother.[4] He did not learn to speak English until he was 8-years old.”
Can't believe it's been 4 years since this thread here
https://moviechat.org/general/General-Discussion/5ffa92e64eaf7d4a7121c7a6/list-three-of-your-favorite-character-actors
Asking greatest vs favorite is a bit different. In the above thread I said
Robert Morley
Brian Dennehy
John C. Reilly
Honorable Mention
Robert Loggia
Denholm Elliott
Wolfe Morris
Interesting...I don't know Robert Morley or Wolfe Morris, but know the other four you mentioned and they were/are great indeed!
shareYou've probably seen Robert Morley in something, check his credits...Wolfe Morris, though, I don't think he ever made the transition from England to Hollywood. My fave role of his must be as Thomas Cromwell in the 1970 miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
shareTo anyone who might be interested, there are several wonderful books available on Amazon by the author Rupert Alister concerning old Hollywood and in particular character actors.
They are titled "The Name Below The Title" and they are quick, but thorough, reads and they're available inexpensively on Kindle.
I'll give a shout out to Charlie Lane and Jenette Goldstein.
Everyone knows their face, but not their name.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/charles-lane--148759593930534855/
https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/vasquez-aliens-display.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=480&h=&dpr=2