That Guy From That Thing: Great Character Actors Everyone Recognizes

“Hey! It’s that guy from that thing! I don’t know their name, but I know their face!”

Everyone who has watched more than one TV show or movie has said that to their neighbor at least once, and for good reasons. Fans fall in love with characters more than they do the actors. That’s why the overwhelming majority of successful, professional actors aren’t movie stars. Rather, they’re character actors, people who have distinctive qualities despite the less flashy parts offered them.

The best character actors have to combine the qualities of a movie star with a working-class day player. They must have a striking look and a persona that grabs attention. However, they can’t take up too much attention from the stars and must be able to sink back into the ensemble and let the show go on.

It’s a hard balance to maintain, but these greats can pull it off.

1. Lance Reddick

Lance Reddick first caught the attention of most watchers by playing the prim but subversive Lieutenant Cedric Daniels on the acclaimed HBO series The Wire. With his sharp eyes and tall frame, Reddick allowed Daniels to command attention with just a look. But he also displayed a softness when interacting with his subordinates and even a sly sense of humor.

All of these qualities made Reddick a delight whenever he showed up. He brought a similar sense of authority to characters such as Special Agent Broyles on Fringe and Chief Irvin Irving on Bosch. But it might be his performance as the loyal Charon, the concierge of the Continental Hotel in the John Wick franchise, that best captures Reddick’s charisma.

In addition to his film and television roles, Reddick did regular voice work for the Destiny video game franchise. Reddick died in March 2023, leaving behind a rich and varied body of work.

2. Judy Greer

How great is Judy Greer? She’s so great that film fans produced t-shirts that declare “Judy Greer Should Have Been the Lead”. With her high-pitched voice and lanky frame, Greer has often played uptight and annoying characters in sitcoms, legendary figures such as Kitty Sanchez on Arrested Development or Bridget Schmidt on Two and a Half Men.

But it’s her movie roles that win Greer the biggest support. Greer broke out in the 1999 black comedy Jawbreaker, in which she portrayed Fern Mayo, the dorky outsider who becomes alluring foreign exchange student Vylette. Since then, she’s had memorable parts in The Village, 13 Going on Thirty, as well as the Jurassic World and Halloween franchises.

In each of these parts, Greer shows impeccable comic timing and the ability to find sympathy even in the most annoying characters. However, casting directors too often give her worried mom or best friend parts, ignoring the demands of the t-shirt and failing to give Judy Greer the lead.

3. Stephen Tobolowsky

With a career that stretches over fifty years and 200 movies, Stephen Tobolowsky has been a mainstay of American screens, even if most don’t know his name.

When casting directors need someone to play an annoying figure or a stick in the mud, Tobolowsky is the first name on their list. Starting with Keep My Grave Open in 1977, Tobolowsky had several insignificant or unmemorable parts in film and television, including appearances in Mississippi Burning and Thelma & Louise. But that all changed when he played the obnoxious Ned Ryerson, aka Needle Nose Ned or Ned the Head, in Groundhog Day.

Since then, Tobolowsky cornered the market as a guy who says irritating things like “bing,” stealing scenes in Deadwood, The Goldbergs, and other sitcoms. But as demonstrated by his role as the forgetful Sammy Jenkins in Christopher Nolan’s noir Memento, Tobolowsky can do so much more than just irritate.

4. Tony Todd

Unlike most of the actors on this list, Tony Todd has starred in a popular horror franchise, albeit one from the 90s. Todd thrilled and terrified viewers of the 90s as the titular monster of the Candyman series, a vampiric and romantic figure with a hook for a hand. Candyman opened Todd to regular horror movie work, including small appearances in the Final Destination franchise as the knowing mortician Bludworth.

A towering man with a rich, booming voice, Todd makes for a great authority figure, as he’s played Sgt. Warren in Platoon, Captain Darrow in The Rock, or General Benjamin Juma in season seven of 24. Trekkies might also know him as Kurn, the wayward Klingon brother of Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

For all of his imposing qualities, Todd also possesses kind eyes and general sweetness, which he put to great effect playing the older Jake Sisko in the heart-breaking episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, “The Visitor.”

5. Stephen Root

“I believe you have my stapler.” Anyone who worked a dead-end white-collar job in the 2000s heard that line one thousand times but never delivered with as much comic menace as Stephen Root brought to his character Milton on Office Space.

Root knows a thing or two about weirdos, whether it’s the sweet but empty-headed Bill on King of the Hill or cult leader Arthur Parsons in the horror hit The Empty Man. Whenever directors need a regular guy who’s just a bit off, they can turn to Root.

It’s no wonder that Root has a list of memorable characters that any actor would envy, ranging from the blind music producer in O Brother Where Art Thou to Barry Berkman’s pathetic handler on Barry to the photographer who purchased Chris Washington’s (Daniel Kaluuya) body in Get Out.

6. Clancy Brown

Most of the actors on this list do voice performances as well as live-action, but few have a career as bifurcated as Clancy Brown. Filmgoers know him as the tall, imposing figure with a solid jaw and a mean stare. He’s the knife-throwing drill sergeant in Starship Troopers, the bullying jailkeeper in The Shawshank Redemption, and Viking Lofgren in Bad Boys.

But any kids listening to Brown act will recognize him as Spongebob Squarepants’s money-loving boss Mr. Krabs or Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor in Superman cartoons. Teens may recognize Brown’s voice as that of the fiery Surtur in Thor: Love and Thunder or Savage Opress in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

No matter where it’s from, chances are that every film and TV watcher knows Clancy Brown from somewhere.

7. Bill Camp

Is Bill Camp English? Is he American? Is he Australian? Is he playing a good guy? A bad guy? Something different altogether?

The answer to all of those questions is usually, “maybe,” no matter what part Camp takes. The Massachusetts-born Camp is a master at rumpled, glaring figures who seem to come from nowhere but stay in the memory. Like many on this list, Camp devoted the first half of his career to the stage, making just the occasional screen performance.

But whenever he does drop by a movie or TV show, he makes an impression. Camp brought a strange menace to observer David Burton in the most surreal episodes of The Leftovers, made viewers question their loyalties as the lawyer Howie Solomon on The Outsider, and added gravitas to a comic book movie as Detective Garrity in Joker.

8. Luis Guzmán

“Sports and cheese, let me answer any questions about sports and cheese,” the contestant Luis tells his teammates on the quiz show What Do Kids Know? By themselves,, those words don’t stand out in the overheated drama Magnolia. But because they come from a character played by Luis Guzmán, the audience can’t help but notice.

With his distinctive face and likable energy, Luis Guzmán became a favorite for directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Soderbergh. Even when he gets cast in a tough guy role, like the violent Chino in Soderbergh’s Out of Sight, Guzmán projects such warmth on screen that he can’t help but win over viewers. That quality has helped him land roles such as Gomez Adams on Wednesday or El Cid on Oz.

No wonder that the characters in Community chose Guzmán as the subject for their statue at Greendale Community College.

9. Walton Goggins

Like so many on this list, Walton Goggins knows how to keep viewers on his character’s side, no matter what he does. And make no mistake, Goggins plays characters who do some nasty things.

Most people took notice of Goggins when he played criminal Boyd Crowder on Justified. But even before that, the Alabama-born actor caught attention for his role as Detective Shane Vendrell and the crime series The Shield. Between these two performances, Goggins booked a lot of roles as charming criminals, in movies such as Predators and Django Unchained. However, he has done a lot of work on Danny McBride comedies, co-starring in Vice Principles and playing Baby Billy Freeman on The Righteous Gemstones.

With a main role as the Ghoul in the upcoming Fallout TV series, Goggins looks like he’s ready to extend his bad guy streak.

10. Michael Stuhlbarg

If anyone made it to the end of the 2017 romance Call Me By Your Name without crying, the monologue delivered by Michael Stuhlbarg breaks the dam. As his character delivers a supportive, understanding, but never condescending bit of advice for his son, the audience starts to lose it. But not Stuhlbarg, a complete professional who applies the right emphasis to his weighty words.

Contrast that performance to his follow-up with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino, dropping by as a redneck cannibal in the bizarre Bones & All. Stuhlbarg’s soft blue eyes and wide smile are still in place, but he’s turned them ravenous.

Despite the difference between the two characters Stuhlbarg gives them the same intensity and belivability that he embodies in all his roles. Whether he’s playing a jealous colleague of Stephen Strange in the Marvel movie Doctor Strange, a kind-hearted alien in Men in Black III, or a flummoxed suburbanite in the Coen Brothers comedy A Serious Man, Stuhlbarg makes the audiences believe in the character.

11. Danny Trejo

After a wayward youth in crime and gangs, Danny Trejo became a substance abuse counselor. When one of his clients, a Hollywood actor, called for help resisting temptations on the set of the 1985 movie Runaway Train, Trejo came to visit and encourage him. All it took was one glance for director Andrei Konchalovsky to see a striking figure, and he put Trejo on screen.

Konchalovsky wasn’t wrong. With his scowling face and tattoo-covered chest, Trejo cuts an intimidating figure. He played heavies in a range of action movies, from cheapies like Maniac Cop 2 to bigger budget fare, including Heat and Con Air. Trejo also gets to do some kids fair from time to time, playing Uncle Machete in the Spy Kids movies (and starring in the not-for-kids Machete and Machete II), as well as appearances in The Muppets Most Wanted.

So grateful is Trejo for the shot he received back in the 80s, that he works with as many first-time filmmakers as he can, hoping to share his success with others.

12. Zahn McClarnon

In all honesty, any member of the cast of the comedy Reservation Dogs would fit on this list, as the fantastic comedy featured great under-appreciated Native actors. But of the regular cast members, Zahn McClarnon might have the widest reach.

McClarnon has been a working actor since his teen years, starting by doing voice work on the first English dubs of the Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbor Totoro and appearing in television shows such as Baywatch and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. McClarnon gained more notice in the 2010s, first playing Chief Mathias and the Western series Longmire and then as the enigmatic Hanzee Dent on the second season of Fargo.

In both of those roles, McClarnon demonstrates his ability to play characters who keep their feelings close to their chest. With just a smirk or, as with his character Deputy Big on Reservation Dogs, a confused look, McClarnon points to depths of emotion below the surface.

13. Jennifer Coolidge

Younger viewers might best know Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid, one of just two characters to bridge the gap between seasons one and two of the HBO black comedy The White Lotus. However, Coolidge has a long history of scene-stealing that stretches back further than the hit show.

Coolidge made her screen debut in one of the most iconic episodes of Seinfeld, playing the titular reluctant back-rubber in 1993’s “The Masseuse.” However, she found her true grove with smart portrayals of pretty dumb people, as Stiffler’s mom in the American Pie series, wise manicurist Paulette Bonafonté in Legally Blonde, and voicing the cross-eyed waitress Lazy Susan on Gravity Falls.

While her characters might not always be the sharpest, Coolidge never fails to deliver a cutting line with precision and, sometimes even grace.

14. Bryan Tyree Henry

Bryan Tyree Henry is one of the most exciting performers working today, an actor who ups the quality of any project he joins. For evidence, one need look no further than Joker or If Beale Street Could Talk, two movies where Henry appears in just one scene, but changes the temperature of the entire project.

But for the full experience, look at the performances that Henry has put in for bigger projects or in leading roles. Henry voices the frustrated but sympathetic Officer Morales, father of superhero Miles Morales, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. As rapper Paper Boi on Atlanta, Henry portrays a man thrust into sudden fame. And he brings some much-needed energy to the human characters in big CG movies such as Eternals and Godzilla vs. Kong.

With such a range of characters in his filmography, it’s just a matter of time before Henry gets more leading roles.

15. Beth Grant

Any would-be comedian on TikTok thinks they can pull off a sassy southern lady or an uptight mom. But filmmakers who need a professional for the job, someone who can find notes of humanity in even the broadest take, turn to Beth Grant.

Grant made the most of small but memorable parts in movies such as Rain Man and Speed, conveying far more energy and pathos than most would expect from such minor characters. As her credits added up, Grant’s offers grew more substantial, leading to a tragic turn as Carla Jean’s Mother in the Coen Brothers’ bleak No Country for Old Men and a reoccurring favorite on The Mindy Project.

Grant’s delivery of the line “Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion,” from the 2001 cult movie Donnie Darko, should be enough to land her on a list of all-time greats. But as the examples above show, she’s capable of so much more.

16. Stephen McKinley Henderson

The epic sequel Dune: Part Two may have no shortage of characters, but fans of Denis Villeneuve’s first take on the Frank Herbert book couldn’t help but notice the absence of the human computer Thufir Hawat. It’s not just Hawat’s ability to do breath-taking calculations in his head that attributed to the loss, but also actor Stephen McKinley Henderson’s gentle take on such an unusual character.

Of course, Henderson excels at making weirdos feel inviting. After spending years studying at Juilliard and the North Carolina School of the Arts, Henderson performed on stage, earning multiple Tony Award nominations. Outside of reoccurring appearances as Judge Marc Kramer on Law & Order, Henderson stayed away from the screen until the 2010s, when he started popping up in Lincoln, Fences, and The Newsroom.

Although now in his 70s, Henderson shows no signs of slowing down, contributing to the 2024 Alex Garland movie Civil War and filming an adaptation of the Amiri Baraka play The Dutchman.

17. Jason Mantzoukas

Those who don’t follow podcasts or sketch comedy may not recognize the name Jason Mantzoukas, but they might know his voice, and not just from the commercials he’s done. The raspy-voiced and energetic comedian commands instant attention when he pops up as the braggart Jay on Big Mouth, the superhero Rex Splode on Invincible, or the lovable Tellarite Jankom Pog on Star Trek: Prodigy.

A mainstay of the improv comedy scene based around the Upright Citizens Brigade, Mantzoukas thrives on injecting chaos into even small cameos in movies and TV shows. When he tells the titular killer that time is ticking away in John Wick: Chapter 3 or hassles the citizens of Parks & Recreation as obnoxious cologne magnate Dennis Feinstein, viewers can feel the scene dynamics shift.

Although Mantzoukas doesn’t always get to show off his range, only playing a major character in a comedy such as The House, he’s always a welcome sight or sound.

18. Tzi Ma

Born in British Hong Kong, character actor Tzi Ma moved to the United States at the age of five and worked in his parents’ restaurant. However, he found his calling not in food service, but in front of audiences. Most viewers first took notice of Ma when he played Chinese security officer Cheng Zhi on the action series 24 or as the worried Chinese consul Solon Han in 1998’s Rush Hour.

However, Ma’s best work comes when he uses his quiet screen presence to maximum effect. His character Tao on the Western series H-ll on Wheels or Japanese General Hidehisa Onoda on The Man in the High Tower helped flesh out the fictional worlds, while he adds emotional depths by playing loving but concerned fathers in the live-action remake of Mulan and the TV series Kung Fu.

19. Shea Whigham

Shea Whigham has been playing small but fantastic parts in TV shows and movies for so long, that it’s hard to say when audiences first noticed him. It might be as sheriff turned gangster Eli Thompson on Boardwalk Empire. Perhaps as stick-in-the-mud Agent Stasiak in the Fast & Furious franchise. Some younger fans might first notice him as the voice of Captain Stacy, father of Spider-Woman Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Whigham’s first roles came in the late 90s when he showed up on ER and in movies such as the Joel Schumacher war picture Tigerland. He first received awards attention for the metaphysical drama Take Shelter, where he played the understanding neighbor of a troubled Ohio man.

That mixture of salt-of-the-earth grit and extraordinary circumstances continues to win Whigham fans, even to this day. With more appearances in the Mission: Impossible franchise and a recurring role on The Righteous Gemstones, Whigham’s profile seems ready to grow.

20. Aparna Nancherla

A stand-up comedian and writer by trade, Aparna Nancherla took a circuitous route to “that guy” status. While writing for variety shows such as Conan and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, Nancherla made infrequent but memorable appearances in memorable skits. When asked to play a character, she stays close to home, portraying the struggling comedian Anaya on Crashing or a snarky computer programmer on Mythic Quest.

None of this should suggest that Nancherla is incapable of pushing herself. Despite the ridiculous name of her character from the animated series BoJack Horseman, Hollyhock Manheim-Mannheim-Guerrero-Robinson-Zilberschlag-Hsung-Fonzerelli-McQuack, the show allowed Nancherla to play pathos and anger. As Pella Bhat in the ill-fated comedy Space Force, Nancherla brought a surprising edge to her sarcastic scientist.

21. Rob Morgan

Rob Morgan represents one of the odder categories of modern actor, someone with range and charisma, but almost always acts in Netflix productions. The most famous of these productions is Stranger Things, in which Morgan portrays Officer Powell of the Hawkins Police Department. As two-bit criminal Turk Barrett, Morgan had a reoccurring superhero character, dropping by in Daredevil, The Punisher, and The Defenders.

However, viewers of Morgan’s best Netflix project, the historical drama Mudbound, cannot help but wish for more for him. Morgan turns in a complex and layered role as a Black sharecropper whose son comes to ruin, grounding what could be a simple pedantic figure in real human emotions.

Appearances in shows such as Lawman: Bass Reeves and Winning Time, in which he plays the father of superstar Magic Johnson, keep Morgan in the public eye but still haven’t given him the acting challenge he deserves.

22. John Ortiz

In the 2015 biopic Steve Jobs, Ortiz gets the ultimate “That Guy” role. He plays journalist Joel Pforzheimer, who sits in the background of the movie’s three major scenes, always catching attention but never demanding it for himself.

As Pforzheimer, Ortiz showed off one of his greatest strengths as an actor, a warm presence that makes the viewer trust his characters, even if they know nothing about them. But that’s far from his sole gear as an actor. Ortiz may be best known for playing the menacing Arturo Braga in 2019’s Fast & Furious, who counts among one of the most striking villains in the flashy franchise. He’s played similar hardened characters in movies such as Carlito’s Way or Ridley Scott’s American Gangster.

From welcoming to terrifying, from capturing the screen to floating into the background, Ortiz can do it all.