A character actor is an actor who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead, plays the role of the Protagonist in a film or play Character actor roles can range from bit parts to secondary leads. A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead, plays the role of the Protagonist in a film or play However, character actors often play supporting roles: characters who do not undergo a major change in the course of the plot, and whose role is less prominent than that of the leading actors.
While some actors aspire to leading man or leading woman status, many notable actors have had enduring careers in less prominent, but important and memorable character parts. A frequent trait of character actors is that their names are not widely known yet their faces or voices are instantly recognizable to movie fans: Brad Dourif, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, William Fichtner, Chris Ellis, Richard Jenkins, or Barry Fitzgerald are some examples, despite the fact that some of these actors played the occasional lead part. Bradford Claude Dourif (born March 18 1950 is a BAFTA -winning and Academy Award - and Emmy -nominated American film and television John Michael Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an American Actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi (bʊˈsɛmi born December 13, 1957) is an Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American Christopher Walken (born March 31 1943 is an American Film and Theatre Actor. William Edward "Bill" Fichtner (born November 27, 1956) is an American Supporting actor, often credited as William Fichtner Chris Ellis (born April 14, 1956) is an American actor with parts in movies such as My Cousin Vinny and Days of Thunder Richard Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American stage film and television Actor. Barry Fitzgerald (10 March 1888 - 14 January 1961 was an Academy Award winning Irish stage film and television actor
Some character actors play essentially the same character over and over, as with Andy Devine's humorous but resourceful sidekick or Dennis Farina's tough cop/gangster. Andrew Vabre "Andy" Devine ( October 7, 1905 - February 18, 1977) was a rotund raspy-voiced American Character actor Dennis Farina (born February 29, 1944) is an American film and television actor
See stock character and commedia dell'arte for a discussion of related theatrical traditions. A stock character is one which relies heavily on cultural types or names for his or her personality manner of speech and other characteristics Commedia dell'Arte ( Italian: "the comedy of artists" is a form of Improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century
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Reasons people become character actors
There are many reasons people might become character actors. Actors may also simply seem better suited to character roles than to leading roles. Another fact worth noting is that while any film has a handful of leading roles, it may also require dozens of smaller supporting roles, and that there are arguably more opportunities for professional success as a character actor than as a movie star.
- By choice.
- Actors may find character work because they are seen as typecast (strongly identified with, or only suitable for certain types of roles), often due to an early success with a particular role or genre; J.T. Walsh crafted a career of playing villainous characters, and Steve Buscemi has made a career of playing scheming characters and offbeat villains. For other meanings see Typecasting. Typecasting is the process by which a film TV or stage Actor is strongly identified with a specific James Thomas Patrick Walsh ( September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American Character actor known for his roles Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi (bʊˈsɛmi born December 13, 1957) is an Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American
- Character actors may lack some of the physical attributes associated with movie stars: they may be regarded as too tall, too short, unattractive, overweight, or somehow lacking an ephemeral "star quality". For other uses including various songs titled "Movie Star" see Movie star (disambiguation.
- Some actors may have a style or presence that overwhelms or threatens to upstage other actors; thus an often perceived necessity to limit their screentime which in effect often gives more power and value to their performances. Christopher Lee may be the most well known example of this. Christopher Frank Carandini Lee CBE, CStJ (born 27 May 1922 is a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated Saturn Award-winning English Actor
- Actors may be deemed too old or too young for leading roles (see ageism). Ageism is Stereotyping and Prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age
- Actors from marginalized or minority groups (such as certain ethnic or racial groups or women) might be barred from roles for which they were otherwise suited.
- Actors from outside of the U. S. may be famous in their own countries, but find their roles limited in the U. S. for any number of reasons (see Marcel Dalio, Cantinflas and Jet Li). Marcel Dalio, born Israel Moshe Blauschild ( 17 July 1900 in Paris, France &ndash 20 November 1983 in Paris Fortino Mario Alfonso Moreno Reyes ( August 12, 1911 &ndash April 20, 1993) was a Mexican comedian and actor Li Lianjie (born April 26 1963 better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese martial artist (Kung fu Actor, Wushu champion
- Some character actors have distinctive voices or accents which limit their roles. Actors such as James Earl Jones, Tim Curry, Gilbert Gottfried, Selma Diamond and Julie Kavner have been able to turn this to their advantage, often in voice-over work. James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American Actor of Film and stage well known for his deep basso Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946 is an English Actor, Singer, Voice actor, and Composer, as well as having a career as a Gilbert Gottfried (born February 28 1955 in Brooklyn New York) is an American stand-up comedian and Actor whose most salient Selma Diamond ( August 5, 1920 - May 13, 1985) was an Emmy Award -nominated comic actress and Radio and Television Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1951) is an American Emmy Award -winning actress, perhaps best known for providing the voice of The term voice-over refers to a production technique where a non-diagetic voice is broadcast live or pre-recorded in Radio, Television, Film,
- Sometimes character actors have developed careers because they had specific talents that are required in genre films, such as dancing, horsemanship or swimming ability.
- The stars of a movie that fails badly at the box office are often considered part of the reason it failed, and they may have trouble finding work later. Character actors are almost never blamed for these failures, and can continue to find work relatively easily.
Additionally, it is believed that some character actors have had the potential to become mainstream leading actors, but deliberately refrained from taking leading roles for various personal reasons.
Crossover actors
Some character actors have eventually gained star status and have become widely known, or perhaps even become lead actors. Examples include Lon Chaney, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Hopper, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Johnny Depp, Alan Arkin, Gary Oldman, Robert Duvall, David Morse, John Malkovich, Ed Harris, Paul Giamatti, Christopher Walken, and Jeff Goldblum. Lon Chaney ( April 1 1883 &ndash August 26 1930) nicknamed " The Man of a Thousand Faces," was an American Robert Mario De Niro Jr (born August 17 1943 is a two-time Academy Award -winning American Film Actor, director and producer Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8 1937 His brother Ronald is a lawyer and economist Dennis Lee Hopper (born May 17, 1936) is an Academy Award -nominated American Actor and Film -maker Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award -winning American actor and author Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26 1959 is an American actor and Film director. John Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26 1934 is an American Actor and director. Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958 is an English actor writer director, producer, Voice-over artist and occasional Musician who Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an American Film Actor and director who has won an Academy Award David Morse is a name that can refer to David A Morse, the former Director-General of the International Labour Organization David Morse (actor John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an Emmy Award -winning two-time Academy Award -nominated American Actor Edward Allen "Ed" Harris (born November 28 1950 is a four-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning American actor writer and director Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award -nominated and Emmy Award -winning American Actor Christopher Walken (born March 31 1943 is an American Film and Theatre Actor. Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (born October 22, 1952) is an Academy Award -nominated American actor However, many actors such as Harry Dean Stanton, M. Emmet Walsh and Michael Lerner have nevertheless earned acclaim for their character roles. Harry Dean Stanton (born July 14, 1926) is an American Actor. Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American Character actor who has appeared in over 100 Film and Television Michael Lerner (born June 22, 1941) is an Academy Award -nominated American Character actor.
Other character actors have developed a cult following with a particular audience as well, such as the fans of Star Trek, Doctor Who or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of Pop culture. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 musical Comedy film that parodies Science fiction and Horror films.
However, character actors are not limited to only seasoned performers, but also can refer to film directors who have either made the crossover to acting or worked in front of the camera before, such as John Huston, Sydney Pollack, Paul Mazursky, Mark Rydell and Tim Blake Nelson to name a few. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. John Marcellus Huston ( August 5 1906 &ndash August 28 1987) was an American Film director and Actor. Sydney Irwin Pollack ( July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American Film director, producer and Actor. Paul Mazursky (born April 25, 1930) is an American Film director, Screenplay writer and Actor. Mark Rydell (born March 23, 1934 in New York City) is an American Actor, Film director and producer. Tim Blake Nelson (born November 5, 1964) is an American director, Singer and Actor.
Examples of character roles
See also
- For a list of notable character actors, see List of character actors
- List of fat actors
External links
SideKick was an early Personal Information Manager (PIM Software application by Borland launched in 1983 under Philippe Kahn The town drunk (also called a tavern fool) is a Stock character, almost always Male, who is Drunk more often than sober. A scene stealer is a character in a Film or Dramatic performance that dominates the audience's attention often through Charisma, Humour In theater the confidant (feminine confidante, same pronunciation character is usually someone the lead character confides in and trusts Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee.Dictionary
character actor
-noun
- A supporting actor who specializes in playing more eccentric or unusual roles
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