Patricia Abbott (pattinase): My Favorite Supporting Actor

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

My Favorite Supporting Actor

Although he had had the occasional leading man role (BLUE CAR) David Strathairn is basically a supporting actor. In the recent film, Lincoln, his was my favorite performance. What supporting actors are memorable to you? Am I the only Strathairn fan?

26 comments:

George said...: You're not a lone with admiration of David Strathairn. I love his performances! Paul Giamatti is another of my favorite supporting actors.; 8:55 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Giamatti gets starring roles too. But I think he is better as a supporting actor.
I think Strathairn's only one was in BLUE CAR-and what a scary movie that was.; 8:58 AM
Anonymous said...: No, of course not. We've been watching him for years, since his debut in his college classmate John Sayles's RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS 7. (Also remember him in Sayles's PASSION FISH and CITY OF HOPE.)

I agree with George on Giamatti, most recently seen in WIN WIN (even his starring role was a 'character actor' role) and THE IDES OF MARCH.

Jeff M.; 8:59 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Yes, that's the thing with Giamatti. He is too quirky to play the lead in most movies. Liked him in Barney's Version too. He was great in a supporting role in COSMOPOLIS. I may be the only person who saw it though. Love the Secaucus 7.; 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...: Ed Lauter
J.T. Walsh
Elisha Cook, Jr.
Harry Dean Stanton
Henry Jones
M. Emmet Walsh
Fred Ward

Jeff M.; 9:05 AM
Deb said...: I love Paul Douglas, a supporting actor from the 1930s and 1940s. Although he did have some starring roles, for the most part he excelled in "lovable lugs."; 9:07 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm a big fan of SECAUCUS 7 too. And yes to BARNEY'S VERSION. I thought Dustin Hoffman worked well as his father.

Jeff M.; 9:08 AM
Dana King said...: Straithairn is among the best. (EIGHT MENOUT, LA CONFIDENTIAL, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK(thought that's a lead, too), A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, and even a few episodes of THE SOPRANOS.)

Tony Shalhih is another favorite of mine. People think of him as Monk, but he did excellent work in THE SIEGE, was very funny in WINGS, and steals the movie in THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE.

JUSTIFIED has recycled a number of supporting actors from DEADWOOD into guest roles. (Jim beaver, W. Earl Brown, Sean Bridgers, Ray McKinnon, Peter Jason.)

It's easy to overlook how good many of these actors are because they have no star persona of their own; they become whoever the part requires. Ray McKinnon, for example, played Reverend Smith in DEADWOOD, then was almost unrecognizable as a hit man in JUSTIFIED.

Another example of how good these unsung actors just popped into my mind. Jeremy Davies, who played the coward Upham in SAVING PROVATE RYAN, is now on JUSTIFIED as Dickie Bennett. I didn't even recognize him until The beloved Spouse and I had decided he had to be a toothless redneck in real life, not even acting, and I looked him up.

To me, these are "real' actors. They have a job and they do it, well, every time.; 9:11 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Very well, Jeff.
I remember him, Deb. I think he had the lead in a Judy Holiday movie once. But lovable lug was his forte.; 9:12 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: A great list, Dana. JUSTIFIED and some of the other cable shows have done a great job of using them. Network shows seem to shy away from anyone who will take the light away from the stars.; 10:21 AM
Ron Scheer said...: Straithairn is excellent; you're right. We are currently enjoying season 5 of THE WIRE. Fun to see Clark Johnson again, after his role as Det. Lewis in HOMICIDE. Another favorite is Wendell "Bunk" Pierce.

There are so many in westerns. Jack Elam, for sure.; 10:48 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Love Jack Elam. Wrote a story about him once.; 11:05 AM
Anonymous said...: Speaking of JUSTIFIED, FX is finally rerunning the third series (started overnight yesterday) before the new series starts in January, so we can finally catch it. We foolishly thought they'd show the ones we missed while we were away last winter but they never did.

I remember your Jack Elam story very well. We just him in his great comic role in SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF for about the tenth time.

Ron, Clark Johnson is doing a lot of directing now (HOMELAND, PERSON OF INTEREST, THE WALKING DEAD) and Wendell Pierce is in TREME. Of course, Clarke Peters seems to be everywhere. We just saw him in PERSON OF INTEREST as well as his major role in TREME.

Jeff M.; 11:20 AM
Prashant C. Trikannad said...: Never heard of David Strathaim. I like watching Stanley Tucci, especially in THE TERMINAL and SHALL WE DANCE. Ernest Borgnine is another favourite, as is Donald Pleasence, Hector Elizondo, Brian Dennehy,Don Ameche, and Charles Durning; 11:39 AM
Al Tucher said...: My sister thinks Strathairn is the hottest item in Hollywood.

My own favorite supporting actor is Stephen Tobolowsky. His range is tremendous, but he's especially good at soulless corporate villains.

Which also reminds me of J.T. Walsh.; 1:32 PM
Gerard said...: I'm drawing a blank on this topic.

A former big name who now does smaller roles (or straight to video lead roles) is C. Thomas Howell. Howell does a great job at playing Dewey on Southland.; 1:47 PM
Anonymous said...: Was it deliberate or coincidental that no women have been mentioned? Because there needs to be a mention of the great Thelma Ritter.

Jeff M.; 1:53 PM
James Reasoner said...: Ward Bond
Frank Faylen
John Qualen
Percy Helton
John Fiedler
Strother Martin
Bruce McGill
Clark Duke; 2:24 PM
Anonymous said...: CLAUDE RAINS.; 2:46 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: Guess we were taking actor in its old form. These are all great. Claude Rains was somewhere between. I am thinking of Mr. Skeffington, I think.; 4:03 PM
Anonymous said...: Can't believe I forgot Strother Martin.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."

Jeff M.; 4:23 PM
Gerard said...: Actresses?

Amy Sedaris.
Kristin Schaal from 30 Rock; 4:36 PM
James Reasoner said...: Jane Darwell
Thelma Ritter; 4:57 PM
Erik Donald France said...: Nah, I like him also. Thought he was the spitting (and segar-chomping) image of Seward, certainly. . .; 6:33 PM
Naomi Johnson said...: I glommed onto Strathairn when he played Sid Hatfield in MATEWAN. He was excellent.; 7:53 AM
Cap'n Bob said...: Royal Dano
Slim Pickens
Gabby Hayes
Iron Mike Magursky
Harry Lauter
John Dehner
R. G. Armstrong
Charles Napier
Alan Napier
Kent Smith
Hugh Beaumont
Lloyd Nolan
and many of the ones mentioned above.; 11:06 PM