Actor trends

[trekgeezer]

Brad Pitt can act and proved it as the cockeyed mental patient in 12 Monkeys, the movie that also proved Bruce Willis can act.

There are people who constantly play pretty much the same character. In classic films they always used people like Walter Brennan (played a funny old coot since he was in his 30's).  They were called character actors, need a funny old coot get Walter.  Need an asian sorcerer or wise man get Mako. These guys can do other stuff, but pretty much get cast for what they do best.

[AndyC]

You're right, quite a few show business careers have been built on one basic character. Still, if we start turning the discussion toward favourite character actors, this could turn into another "that guy" thread.

Of course, if we want to start compiling a list, I'd be happy to add Vincent Shiavelli as the creepy droopy-faced guy, Bob Tessier as the biker/thug, Ben Stein as the boring guy, Mickey Jones as the large, bearded redneck, and Michael Berryman as the creepy mutant guy.

There's plenty more. Who are your favourites?

[SadClown]

Cary Elwes is a great knight on a white horse guy......
Vin Diesel is a good rebel w/out a cause guy....
Kathy  Bates is a good "b***h".. i love her

[JohnL]

>IMDB says the girl is his daughter as well, but I vaguely remember a scene at
>the end when the Deborah Van Valkenburgh character retrieves the girl and she
>mentions Lambert to the girl, who says that he wasn't her father. Possibly she
>says he was "a creep" who kidnapped her.

Possibly, but given her age, she might not have known he was her real father. Maybe he only recently found out about her, and took her from her mother.

[peter johnson]

I was lucky enough to work with Mako on Oz -- very very nice man --
* * * * *
Jack Palance!  Jack Palance!!  Jack Palance!!
Before Chirstopher Walken, if you needed creepy, boy-howdy but Jack was your man!
Sometimes that "pattern" thing, also known as typecasting, can get in the way of your art.  Peter Lorre was a highly skilled actor with great range, but it took him almost 20 years after "M" to be able to do comic roles and not hysterical psycho criminal-types.  He plays the M guy in Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, etc. etc.
Edward G. Robinson was also capable of great sympathy and comic delivery -- see Scarlet Street -- but after the gangster/mob boss in Little Ceasar, guess what he played for the next 20 years?
Hey, you can type-cast me any day, just remember where to send the paychecks!!
peter johnson