Familiar Face - Unknown Name #20 - Jack Kehler

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Jack Kehler
I think just about every FF-UN actor that I've profiled in the past is someone whose name I knew of at least peripherally prior to posting them here -- the point was that a geek who has this kind of trivial knowledge like I do is somewhat expected to know these things. The general public? Not so much.

Given that introduction, it should come as no surprise that this was not the case with Kehler. I had no idea that I was even so acquainted with him, but then in the span of a week or so, I happened to catch a bunch of his work. Don't get me wrong, the guy's done a lot of work, but he's no Steve Buscemi - clearly there was some kind of destiny going on here. So I present Jack Kehler to you:

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Point Break, The Last Boy Scout, The Big Lebowski, Men in Black II, Waterworld, Fever Pitch

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): Special, Love Liza, The Cleaner, Big Trouble, Dudley Do-Right, Forces of Nature, most every TV drama known to man over the last 15 years.

Character Specialties: I'm not so sure he's well-known enough to have a type or a specialty. He generally looks a bit schlubby and is seen more often than not playing a loser, so I guess there's that. I think he's what you might call a "working actor" more than most of the people I've profiled here - he's got a long resume, but I'd be curious to know if he's ever had so much as the third-billing in a project. Hey, the world needs ditch diggers, too.

My favorite role: No surprises here - far and away his most famous (unless I'm overlooking something) is his role as The Dude's "landlord" (Marty) in The Big Lebowski, complete with his bizarre one-man show (though, in comparison, not nearly as bizarre as Maude Lebowski's vaginal art...).

Little Known/Random Facts: Good luck finding much - he remains an unknown in this regard.

From an interview with LAist, which largely discussed his involvement with Lebowski:

Do you bowl?
Oh yeah- I'm a good bowler.

Where are your favorite lanes in LA?
It's so funny. The one that they filmed in is no longer there. It was my favorite. Shawna my wife had my 50th birthday party there. It was the one that I always loved. I was really bummed when it got taken down. Now I'll go to the one at Pico and 3rd, Bay Shore Lanes. That's a nice bowling alley in Santa Monica.

In 2004, Jack won the Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor in Love Liza (2002).

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kehler
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444940/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #19 - Eddie Marsan

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Eddie Marsan

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Sherlock Holmes, Miami Vice, Hancock, Mission: Impossible III, V for Vendetta, Gangs of New York

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): 21 Grams, Vera Drake, The New World, The Illusionist, Happy-Go-Lucky, Me and Orson Welles, loads of British television.

Character Specialties: Oddballs and cops about sums it up, I think. Marsan has a very, very distinctive look, yet it's one that's a bit hard to pin down. I wouldn't say that he's destined to play villains, but more than anything else, he's got a serious, serious look to him, despite his ability (demonstrated in Sherlock Holmes, amongst others) to play for laughs as well. Might be considered a true chameleon if it weren't for the fact that he's so recognizable.

My favorite role: I really wasn't a fan of Happy-Go-Lucky, but Marsan's role as Scott was by far the best part about it. Whereas protagonist Poppy embodied all that is optimistic and Pollyanna-ish in this world, Scott was the yin to her yang - bitter, humorless, generally angry at the world. Yet Marsan sold it; I didn't want to be in the car with his driving instructor, either - he was a road rage threat at any second.

Little Known/Random Facts: From IMDb: "served an apprenticeship as a printer before beginning his career as an actor."

From an interview with Venice Magazine: "My dad was a truck driver. My mum was a school dinner lady. Just solidly working class across the board. I served an apprenticeship as a printer, and then when I passed my apprenticeship my boss, who was an alcoholic, said “In twenty years time, you can be where I am."

From the same interview, on his time working on Gangs of New York: "That was a fantastic experience, but it almost destroyed my career. I did nine months on it, and had a great storyline with Jim Broadbent, which ended up being cut and I only had one line in the final cut. So at the end of all that, I had no work to show for it and was unemployed for a while. But I loved it. I learned a lot from working with Jim Broadbent, just in terms of how to handle yourself on a film set, a really great example."

On being a character actor, in an interview with In Contention.com: "I have friends who are leading men, and they’re only ever allowed to play leading men of a certain type,"..."But as a character actor, there’s a wider variety of projects available. On the big Hollywood films, all they care about is having their lead in place, so it’s actually easier for someone like me to slip in. And I’m happy to do so."

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Marsans
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550371/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/Eddie-Marsan/109447189073251?ref=ts

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #18 - Jon Gries

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Jon Gries

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Napoleon Dynamite, as Rusty the Homeless Guy on two episodes of Seinfeld, on LOST as Ben Linus' dad, Roger, the Liam Neeson actioner Taken, Real Genius, Get Shorty, Martin, etc., etc.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): The Astronaut Farmer, Stick It, the NBC drama The Pretender, random guest spots on TV (Chicago Hope, Beverly Hills, 90210, CSI: NY, to name a few).

Character Specialties: Greaseballs, scumbags (and dirtbags), drug addicts - basically, the cream of the crop. Some of my favorite character 'names' that Gries has had the luxury of playing: Drunk's Friend, Dope Dealer, Hood 1, B Cool, and Dirty Curt. Nice!

My favorite role: Napoleon's Uncle Rico, of course. Though it's closer than you'd think; as a Seinfeld junkie, choosing Rusty is awfully tempting ("I once knew a horse named Rusty." - Kramer). But Uncle Rico has it all - a goofy look, a quirky character, some choice, super-repeatable lines ("How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains"), the above pose...he's a pop culture icon, damnit!

I have a soft spot for Ronnie from Get Shorty as well, but it's really not all that large or memorable of a character ultimately.

Little Known Facts: From IMDb: "Does not drink milk and eats very little red meat." There's really not much else to find. Though there was this quote, from an interview done with The Onion A.V. Club:

"AVC: Which character do you identify with most?

I would say Lazlo and Uncle Rico, in some odd combination, are two that I really identify with. Lazlo has this kind of sensitivity—he's almost autistic, where he can't look people in the eyes. He's worried about their feelings, and would rather hide away. And Uncle Rico—you know, I came to things a little later. I didn't get on the ball as an actor when I was younger. So I understand how Uncle Rico feels like opportunity passed him by. Though he blames it on other people, and I more just accept it. I also had dreams of playing sports. Luckily, I found something else."

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Gries
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0340973/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jon-Gries/#/pages/Jon-Gries/103637131907?ref=search&sid=1347401336.2249069452..1

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #17 - Zeljko Ivanek

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Zeljko Ivanek

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): If you've watched any TV in the last ten years, Ivanek's face is almost certainly familiar to you. Name a show and he's probably guest-starred and/or had a recurring role on it. A short role call includes: Damages, Heroes, The Mentalist, Numb3rs, Big Love, Law & Order, LOST, 24, The Practice, and Oz. He's also been featured in such prominent films as School Ties, Donnie Brasco, Black Hawk Down and Live Free or Die Hard.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): On Broadway, where he's been a mainstay over the three-plus decades since he graduated from Yale and attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He's no stranger to independent films, either, with roles in Lars von Trier's Dogville and Manderlay, as well as Dancer in the Dark, In Bruges and Julian Po.

Character Specialties: To be honest, though I respect his work, I've never really liked Ivanek all that much, and the reason is likely due to the types of roles he gets: he's often an unlikable prick. Overwhelmingly, he's a cop or FBI/CIA type, but any kind of stern authority figure seems to work. His follically-challenged head appears to be the guilty party here; the all-over-the-place Ivanek is just 52, but it seems like I've been watching him play "older" jerks for decades. Turns out I have; he was just in his 30s, being typecasted in roles that played older than his own age.

My favorite role: See above. It's hard to pick a favorite role when you don't like the characters. I recall reading an interview with Matt Damon (sorry, I have no source) where he called Ivanek the best actor working; as you might recall, Damon was in School Ties as well, prior to his becoming a star. Ivanek's role in the Brendan Fraser coming-of-age story is one of the larger film roles that I can recall, so I'll go ahead and pick that one. His character in that Dead Poets-feeling film was an anti-Robin Williams - a strict teacher that berated and harped on the children to the point of breakdown. Those beady eyes worked wonders.

Little Known Facts: As might imagine given his name, Zeljko was not born in the United States. He was born in the former Yugoslavia and was brought to the States with his parents when he was a small child.

His name is pronounced Zhel-ko Ee-Vah-nek.

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDeljko_Ivanek
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0411964/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zeljko-Ivanek/49657054759

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #16 - Kevin Durand

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Kevin Durand

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): As one of the notorious, disgusting, dangerously insane Tremor brothers in Smokin' Aces. Durand also had a key role in ABC's LOST, and he's co-starred in 3:10 to Yuma, Wild Hogs and, most recently, played Fred Dukes, a.k.a. The Blob, in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): His film career actually started in a big hit: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, but his was a tiny role as "Bazooka Marksman Joe." Can't say I remember him there. He was also featured as "Tree" Lane in the Russell Crowe hockey flick Mystery, Alaska (not coincidentally, IMDb lists his nickname as Tree; no surprise given his 6'6" height), as a random thug in the coulda-been Road House update Walking Tall (yeah, I know it's a remake, but really, have you seen it?), and in Big Momma's House 2.

Character Specialties: With that kind of stature, it's no surprise that he plays the heavy, literally and figuratively. This does not appear to be changing in the future; I imagine his career path will either take off, sending him into action lead roles, or fall away, leaving him as the token "big guy" or villain. Time will tell if he has the acting chops to escape the box his size has put him in, but prospects thus far are pretty good.

My favorite role: It's has to be as Jeeves Tremor. Sure, the brothers are nothing without each other, and Chris Pine had the far glitzier role, but just Durand's death scene makes that role worthy of this honor. Brutal.

Little Known Facts: Born in Canada, Durand is fluent in French and was named one of Canada's funniest new Comedians in 1994.

On not being cast as Thor in the upcoming Kenneth Branaugh adaptation (from an interview with USA Weekend): "Apparently, they don’t want a 6-foot-6, 250-pound Thor, dude. But Thor is 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds! I don’t know what they’re looking for. I think they’re looking for someone prettier. Which is fine. My ego’s not crushed."

Will be playing Little John in next year's Russell Crowe vehicle Robin Hood, which has a killer cast, including Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, William Hurt, and fellow Wolverine cast member Danny Huston. Also has the starring role in Otis E., where he appears to be playing a prisoner.

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Durand
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0243806/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #15 - Brion James

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Brion James

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Blade Runner, most famously. Also, 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hrs., The Player, and The Fifth Element.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): Another Bruce Willis vehicle in Striking Distance. Any number of TV shows (Hunter, Silk Stalkings, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard), but mostly in a bunch of sci-fi or action B Movies, judging by the titles (Steel Dawn, Red Scorpion, Mutator, Scanner Cop, Spitfire, and my favorite by a country mile, Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills).

Character Specialties: Dirtbags and their cousins, scumbags. Shifty-eyed psychopaths. "From Wikipedia: "Concerning his talent for playing villains in films, he stated in an interview in Fangoria magazine, "'I consider myself a classical character actor like Lon Chaney, Wallace Beery, Charles Laughton. I always like to play bad guys. I'm real good at psychotic behavior."

My favorite role: First of all, I'm a little ashamed to say that I really haven't seen all that much of James' highest-profile work. I don't even think I've seen all of 48 Hrs. Haven't seen Tango & Cash. I've seen Red Heat, but it's been forever. Surely haven't seen the cadre of B movies. Easy as it might be to pick Leon from Blade Runner, I'm going with General Munro from The Fifth Element. For what really wasn't an essential role to the movie, he took hold of it and made it a ton of fun. A rare time where I can recall him getting a chance to smile.

Little Known Facts: Did a healthy dose of voice work (Superman and Batman animated TV shows, amongst other things).

Acted in five Walter Hill films (48 Hrs., Another 48 Hrs., Red Heat, Hard Times, and Southern Comfort).

Here's a sad story via IMDb: "[on his part in Another 48 Hrs. (1990) being heavily cut down] Total Recall (1990) came out a week before Another 48 Hrs. that summer, it made 25 million. The studio panicked. My stuff was in there until one week before the film opened. They cut 25 minutes out of that movie, a week before it opened. It went from around 140 to down to around 95 minutes. They said cut all the behavior, action, comedy, done. I lost every major scene I had. That's the last time I ever cared about a movie because I went to the press screening and it was like getting kicked in the stomach, seeing what's not there. I'm the third lead and I looked like a dress extra. All the stuff that they had in the set-up, stuff in the trailer, all those scenes were gone."

The saddest story of all, though, and one made sadder by the fact that I was completely unaware of it...James died 10 years ago come August 7th. He died of a heart attack in 1999 at the age of 54.

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brion_James
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001397/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #14 - John Carroll Lynch

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

John Carroll Lynch

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Lynch got his first professional credit at age 30 in 1993, but it wasn't until Fargo in 1996 that he gained real attention. Playing Marge Gunderson's postage-stamp designing husband probably wasn't the kind of role that one would think would propel anyone to any kind of notoriety, but the film was an unexpected cult and mainstream hit, earning $25 million stateside and picking up seven Academy Award nominations. Since then, he's been in such feature films as Gran Torino, Volcano, Face/Off, Zodiac, and of course, The Drew Carey Show, where he played Drew's cross-dressing brother.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): Recently, he's been bouncing back and forth between TV and film and, outside of Gran Torino, none of the projects have really caught on with the public. There was the unseen Benecio del Toro film Things We Lost in the Fire, the underseen HBO series Carnivale, the Fox series K-Ville and the Albert Brooks bomb Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World. He also had decent-sized roles in Gothika, Confidence, and Bubble Boy.

Character Specialties: Lynch has been a slippery one to lock down into a type, as the best character actors seem to be. He can do menacing, gullible, downright dumb, sensitive; if I had to pin him down to one phrase, it would probably be "generic white male." That's not meant as an insult, but to insinuate that when you need someone that fits the middle of the road, a guy that disappears in the crowd, with potential for a wide array of emotions, he's your man.

My favorite role: It might be tempting to say his Polish barber from Torino, but all these years later, I have to go with Norm Gunderson. He gave so much with so little screen time, and even his dopey "Ok, Margie" lines can induce a chuckle.

Little Known Facts: A couple of not-really coincidences with me, but that's about it. First of all, my sister's last name is now Carroll, so that probably helps me remember his name. Also, Lynch was born in Boulder, Colorado, where I lived form age 8 to 13. Though, in doing research on that, I also learned that Jessica Biel lived in Boulder at the same time as me, but the 12-year old version of me probably wouldn't have been too interested in the 7-year old version of her anyway.

Also, he had his garden featured in August 2008 Sunset Magazine, so he's got that working for him, which is nice.

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carroll_Lynch
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002253/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #13 - Clifton Collins, Jr.

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Special Partners in Crime edition! WaywardJam, my buddy over at Reel Whore, took my lead some months back and decided to give some love to the female versions of the FF-UNs in a feature titled "Who's That Lady?" And if there's anyone that should be giving some lovin' to the undersung ladies of Hollywood, it's the Reel Whore. Prior ladies spotlighted include Beth Grant, Jennifer Coolidge, and Jane Lynch; however, with the release of Sunshine Cleaning, Wayne saw a perfect opportunity for us to finally join forces. We've each chosen a worthy character actor - you can see mine below; to see who his is (and all prior ladies), just click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Clifton Collins, Jr.

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): He's been all over movie screens in 2009, with supporting roles in Star Trek (playing Eric Bana's right-hand man), Sunshine Cleaning (the guy missing a hand - and rest of his arm) and Crank: High Voltage. In 2005, he won accolades (and an award or two) for his performance as murderer Perry Smith in Capote, and had previously made a name for himself in dramas such as Traffic and 187.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): It looks as though he had a good-sized role, but did anyone actually see The Last Castle? Was nominated for an Emmy for his supporting role in the FX show Thief, and also appeared on a couple episodes of the FX hit The Shield. Starred alongside Brittany Daniel in both Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders and Dirty, and has starred in a handful of other smaller flicks (Road Dogz, Price of Glory). Making his way up the ranks, Collins was also seen in minor roles in higher profile pictures such as Babel, Sgt. Bilko, Poetic Justice, Menace II Society, and Dead Presidents.

Character Specialties: The 38-year old Collins is the closest thing to the next Gary Oldman that can be found in film today. He's capable of pulling off sensitive thinkers and brutal killers alike with equal aplomb, and is almost always disappearing into the role so much that it might hurt his career in the short term. His talent hasn't allowed that to happen yet, but I'm sure there are more than a few people who might look at the above picture and still not recognize the face, despite possibly having seen it a number of times. I guess you could say that his specialty is in a somewhat dark role - his often sad, sleepy eyes gear him towards playing someone that's either been hurt or has been on the delivering side of pain.

My favorite role: Perry Smith was an impressive, understated role for Collins, but I must pick his gay hitman in Traffic. Somehow, Collins made him creepy, dangerous and sympathetic simultaneously.

Little Known Facts: Is the grandson of Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez (and actor known for appearing in John Wayne films), and went by the name Clifton Gonzalez-Gonzalez as a tribute to him until Collins' father passed away in 2000. Collins is of half-Mexican descent.

His sister Veronica is a casting director, and worked on LOST and Alias, perhaps giving Clifton an easier way into Star Trek (all three projects were helmed by J.J. Abrams).

Clifton apparently likes hats. A lot. And is a fan of wearing them tilted to one side.

Is also a fan of snowboarding...and Gary Oldman (no surprise).

Has a slightly, um, different fan site set up in his honor: http://www.gilmarc.com/cliffc/index06.html

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Collins,_Jr.
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004286/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #12 - Adam Scott

[Note: this site is no longer publishing new content - please come check out my awesome new site, Man, I Love Films! http://manilovefilms.com. Thanks!]

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Adam Scott

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Adam's first big break was four episodes as a 21-year old on the tween-teen show Boy Meets World. I can only hope he wasn't playing a high schooler. After that came a six-episode stint on the excellent (and underseen) drama Murder One. He continued to bounce around TV and never-seen movies until landing a large role as the villain in the 2004 motorcycle action flick Torque, starring Martin Henderson (which is, not coincidentally, the first thing I really noticed him in, though I'm sure I'd seen him in some of his earlier TV work, such as Murder One and Six Feet Under). Since Torque, he's still been bouncing around TV and film, but it's been mostly film, and not only have the roles been bigger, but the films have been much bigger (The Aviator, Step Brothers, Monster-in-Law, The Matador).

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): Where to start? Though I haven't seen everything, I'm generally aware of most first-run wide releases (and many limited releases as well). But Off the Lip? Two Days? Seven and a Match? Ronnie (in which he starred, no less)?

Character Specialties: Smarmy jerks, plain and simple. Think roles that Matt Damon might have passed on.

My favorite role: Though I was no fan of the film as a whole, he practically stole Step Brothers right from under stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Playing the successful yuppie (jerk) to their unfulfilled slackers, he was given the chance to shine, even leading his family in an a capella singing routine.

Little Known Facts: Has co-starred with Brian Austin Green in two projects (Bleach, Ronnie).

Is good friends with Paul Rudd, who he more than a little resembles, and has been involved in three projects with him, one of which is Scott's latest gig, Party Down, a Starz channel series that Rudd is a writer and producer of.

And is it just me, or does he also resemble Karl Urban a bit?

Shares his name with an Australian golfer.

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Scott_%28actor%29
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004395/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #11 - Saïd Taghmaoui

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Saïd Taghmaoui

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): If you're an American moviegoer, your introduction to Saïd came with 1999's Three Kings, where he memorably played a sympathetic Iraqi torturer to Mark Wahlberg's U.S. soldier. Last fall, he was featured in a large role in the spy/political thriller Traitor alongside Don Cheadle, and earlier in 2008 he played a baddie in Vantage Point. (From what I know, he has a sizable role in The Kite Runner as well, but I've not seen it.) Also, he'll be playing Breaker in a little summer film called G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): Had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it in David O. Russell's Three Kings follow-up, I Heart Huckabees, as a translator. Romanced Kate Winslet in the Morrocan-set indie Hideous Kinky. Numerous French films (he's a native, after all), including the critically acclaimed La Haine, made early in his career with friend and collaborator Mathieu Kassovitz (Amelie). And in a possibly-soon-to-be-high-profile role, Taghmaoui has joined the cast of Lost; his second episode airs tonight.

Character Specialties: To American producers, he seems to have been somewhat stuck playing the sympathetic terrorist of the day, with his big, kind eyes making him too likable to be an outright villain. His Lost appearance is surely set to thankfully change those perceptions. (I'd speak to his specialties in French-language films, but I can't say that I've seen any, either.)

My favorite role: Despite the size and scope of his Traitor role, I gotta go with his Three Kings soldier ("What is the problem with Michael Jackson?").

Little Known Facts: According to Wikipedia, "He dropped out of school to become a boxer and rose as high as number 2 in his weight class in France."

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Taghmaoui
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0846548/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #10 - James Hong

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

James Hong

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Where haven't you seen him might be the better question. Hong has over 300 credits on his IMDb resume that stretch over the course of some 50+ years of acting (he also has a handful of producing, writing and directing credits). He's been a guest star on every TV show ever made (not an exaggeration) and has been featured and/or had high-profile roles in Blade Runner, Big Trouble in Little China, Chinatown, Airplane!, The Golden Child, Wayne's World 2, The Shadow, Bloodsport 2 (and 3!), and loads of other films.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): See above. It's impossible for one person to have seen him in everything he's been in, so let's just call them all high-profile, k?

Character Specialties: Every Asian stereotype under the sun, but generally seen recently as the all-knowing, wise mentor type. Also excels at being a speaker of Engrish. You name it, he can do it - and probably has.

My favorite role: Despite such a massive career, I probably get the biggest kick out of one of his smallest - that of the maitre'd Bruce in "The Chinese Restaurant" episode of Seinfeld. Clueless, friendly Bruce mistakes George's last name of Costanza for "Cartwright," is oblivious to Elaine's attempt to bribe him for faster seating, jokes with a regular customer and of course, calls out the group "Seinfeld - four!" just after the gang has grown impatient and left the restaurant.

Little Known Facts: Despite the heavy accent he can put on like a pair of comfy shoes, Hong was born in Minneapolis. Also, he unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Sulu on the original Star Trek series. Who would have been better - him or Takei?

Interestingly enough, there is a two-part "conversation with James Hong" on YouTube (really, it's just video footage of him speaking to a small gathering of fans in Houston). The quality isn't great (background noise, etc), but if you really dig the man and want to hear some life stories from a great character actor (it's about 40 minutes all told), I can't think of a better place to start.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JICAilI_4Ro
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRzmCgLz5KE

On Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hong
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393222/
Official Website: http://www.jameshong.com/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #9 - Mark Boone Junior

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Mark Boone Junior

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): There are two roles on his resume that stand out above all else, and they were brought to us by the same director: Chris Nolan. Boone stole nearly every scene of Memento that he was featured in as Burt the hotel manager, and he brought just the right combination of menace and cowardice to Batman Begins as Det. Flass that William Hootkins had brought a decade earlier to Tim Burton's Batman as Lt. Eckhardt. He's currently co-starring on the Fx show Sons of Anarchy.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): You name the small role, he's played it in a high-profile film, from "Greasy FBI Man" in Se7en to "New York Guy" in Armageddon. Other colorful names on his resume include Pool Supply Man, Taxi Driver, Angry Man, Cop #3, Mad Dog, Quarantine Guard, and Evil. However, true Seinfeld fans will recall his three-second stint as OTB Patron in "The Subway" episode. Too bad he wasn't the guy chasing after Kramer...

Character Specialties: As evidenced by his numerous generic character names, Mark obviously gives off a bit of a greasy, seedy, loser vibe. Blue collar - could be a construction worker, a plumber or a roofer. Prone to committing crimes. Once upon a time, might have gotten Tom Waits' leftovers.

My favorite role: Has to be Burt in Memento, expanded on more here.

Little Known Facts: Good friends with Steve Buscemi. In fact, I can't imagine you wanting to (I did), but here's a seven-minute video of Buscemi talking about Boone (and acting in general). Actually pretty interesting.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Boone_Jr.
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095478/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #8 - M.C. Gainey

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

M.C. Gainey

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Lost is definitely his highest profile gig. What started as a bit part (bearded and costumed) as Tom Friendly turned into a right-hand-man role to mastermind Ben Linus. Also, played Bill Paxton's bodyguard/friend in the much-maligned Club Dredd and appears to have had a decent role in Wild Hogs (which you ought to know I'll never see). Con Air.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): It appears as though Gainey has made friends with Jay Chandrasekhar and the rest of the Super Troopers gang, having appeared not only in Dredd but also in Beerfest, in a short-yet-memorable role as a rogue priest and in the Chandrasekhar-directed The Dukes of Hazzard (as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, no less). Started his career working on numerous 80s TV shows in bit parts, from The A*Team to Happy Days to Simon and Simon.

Character Specialties: Bikers. Tough guys. Tough but nice guys. Tough yet deceivingly nice guys. Can you tell he's got a great smile and - no pun intended - friendly face? Love this quote by him (from IMDb):

"With a face like this, there aren't a lot of lawyers or priest roles coming my way. I've gotta face that was meant for a mug shot and that's what I've been doing for the past thirty years. If I play a cop, it's always a racist cop, or a trigger-happy cop or a crooked cop - but by and large I play cowboys, bikers, and convicts."

My favorite role: I'm really not that big a fan of the movie, and his role is pretty damn small, but I love seeing him in Beerfest. There he is - drinking, playing poker, threatening the life and/or testicles of one of the leads when, lo and behold, we learn that he's a priest and they're both late for the funeral that Gainey is administering. Short but sweet.

Little Known Facts: Ironic that he played Rosco in The Dukes of Hazzard, as he had a small role in a 1982 episode of the original show.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC_Gainey
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0301370/

And then...

FF-UN HOF Voting Results

51 votes were cast for the Familiar Face-Unknown Name Hall of Fame voting. Taking a page from the Major League Baseball HOF voting template, the rules were as follows: a potential member must receive 75% of the votes to be inducted. Candidates that receive fewer than 5% of the votes will be removed from future ballots.

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It was close there for awhile, but in the end, just one made the cut, and none came in below the threshold. As such, the remaining nine will be on the next ballot (coming around September), along with the next eligible member (Steven Tobolowsky, perhaps?) In the meantime, please give a big hand to the inaugural member of the FF-UN HOF, Mr. Steve Buscemi.

And then...

The FF-UN HOF

No, I haven't gone acronym wild. Or poll wild. Well, maybe a little bit.

Before I go about showing you more familiar faces whose names are unknown, I thought it was high time to induct a few members into the FF-UN Hall of Fame. In other words, you should already know the names of these guys. Some have remained character actors their entire careers, but many others have gone on to bigger and brighter things - starring in their own films, larger co-starring roles, directing, etc.

Using the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame voting as a loose template, I'm decreeing that a potential member must receive 75% of the votes to be inducted. Below you'll see 10 choices for this first entry class - you can vote for up to five members. We could have as many as five inductees or as few as zero - it all depends on how the voting goes. Candidates that receive fewer than 5% of the votes will be removed from future ballots. These are the cream of the crop, so I'm really hoping no one gets dropped off. I had a list that included some lesser names, but wanted to be sure this class started off with the best, so I nixed them. Expect a new voting class in a few months.

The credentials for each candidate should speak for themselves, but I'll give you some more just in case:

Steve Buscemi
Favorite role: Carl Showalter, Fargo
Additional all-star appearances: Billy Madison, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Big Fish, The Big Lebowski
Comment(s): a shoo-in first ballet HOFer. Has been used as a character so much to the point where it has hindered his effectiveness as a character actor (distraction). Has moved on to starring roles (Interview) and directing.

Gary Cole
Favorite role: Bill Lumbergh, Office Space
Additional all-star appearances: The Brady Bunch Movie, Dodgeball, Talladaga Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, Breach
Comments: Makes up for a lack of quantity with a high, high dose of quality. His Bill Lumbergh is one of the most quoted characters of all time.

William Fichtner
Favorite role: Burke, Go
Additional all-star appearances: Contact, The Dark Night, Armageddon, Equilibrium, The Longest Yard
Comments: His role as Burke stands as one of my enduring favorites. So creepy, so effective. A personal favorite, and thanks to my mother's love of As the World Turns, an actor I've been familiar with for much of my life.

Clint Howard
Favorite role: Tobias Lehigh Nagy, Seinfeld (I never knew that character, the serial killer, even had a name)
Additional all-star appearances: Too many to mention.
Comments: Not a personal favorite, but the 49-year old brother of Ron Howard has nearly 200 credits to his resume. Like Buscemi, he's bordering, if not totally past, the point of saturation, but he certainly adds a spark to whatever project he shows up in.

William H. Macy
Favorite role: Little Bill, Boogie Nights
Additional all-star appearances: Fargo, Mystery Men, Pleasantville, Thank You for Smoking
Comments: Points are definitely deducted for Macy after his way-too nude turn in The Cooler, but even that can't negate an all-star career.

David Paymer
Favorite role: Leo Devoe, Get Shorty
Additional all-star appearances: Payback, City Slickers (x 2), Ocean's Thirteen, Quiz Show, Crazy People
Comments: A bit of a one-trick pony (weaselly schleppy guy), but he does it so well that it doesn't even matter. If you haven't seen his memorable Crazy People turn ("Hello"), you're missing out on a great one (and a forgotten, underrated comedy).

Stephen Root
Favorite role: Milton Waddams, Office Space
Additional all-star appearances: Idiocracy, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Dodgeball, Newsradio, No Country for Old Men
Comments: This TV vet remains wildly underutilized and underrated. Tremendous range. The one-two punch from Newsradio's Jimmy James to Office Space's Milton ought to tell you enough.

J.K. Simmons
Favorite role: Vern Schillinger, Oz
Additional all-star appearances: Spider-Man (x 3), Juno, Thank You for Smoking, Law & Order, The Cider House Rules
Comments: If you've seen his character on Oz, or even better, if you were introduced to him via Vern Schillinger, you know how shocking it was to see him turn up in the Spider-Man films as the brash, outspoken, angry-yet-cuddly Jonah Jameson, or even more so as Juno's sweet, caring father. If you haven't seen Oz, just watch an early episode featuring his character - if it weren't for the bald head, you might not recognize the actor.

John Turturro
Favorite role: Barton Fink, Barton Fink
Additional all-star appearances: The Big Lebowski, Do the Right Thing, Box of Moonlight, Quiz Show
Comments: Like Buscemi, a Coen brothers favorite, utilized in almost all of their films. Also like Buscemi, has so many credits to his name that he can be a distraction (see: Transformers). A favorite of Spike Lee as well, and capable of playing way too many ethnicities.

J.T. Walsh
Favorite role: Happy, Blue Chips
Additional all-star appearances: Pleasantville, The Negotiator, Red Rock West, Breakdown, A Few Good Men
Comments: The godfather of the slimy bad guy, perfected time and again. Walsh was unfortunately taken from us too soon, dying in 1998 of a heart attack at age 54. His role as the narrow-minded Big Bob in Pleasantville (co-starring Bill Macy) was a perfect role to go out on, though.

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And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #7 - Rick Gonzalez

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Rick Gonzalez

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Most likely you know Rick from Old School, where he played "Spanish," one of the lead "students" being shepherded by Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell. More recently, he's been seen in a small-yet-pivotal role in In the Valley of Elah and as a co-star on Reaper.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): I'm one of the three people (along with Mrs. Fletch and some drunken hobo) that went to the theater to see Gonzalez co-star in Pulse, a horrible horror vehicle for Kristen Bell in 2006 (hey, we were desperate at the time). He's also been featured in For Your Consideration, The Promotion, Biker Boyz, Roll Bounce, and Coach Carter.

Character Specialties: At 29 years old, he has yet to really carve out a niche for himself in Hollywood beyond a number of "ethnic" roles, but he's shown wiseass comedic chops in a number of roles to date.

My favorite role: Though it's gotten rave reviews, I've yet to see Reaper, as that is probably his beefiest role thus far. I'd have to go with Old School, and I can't really explain his appeal, but I've been seeing him more and more lately, and I'm always glad when he appears onscreen. Perhaps he'll have a meatier role in the upcoming cop drama Pride and Glory, starring Ed Norton and Colin Farrell.

Little Known Facts: He might appear tall with his fro-ed out hair, but he stands just 5'8". Is a friend of Lost's Jorge Reyes. Despite the "Spanish" moniker, Gonzalez was born in New York of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Gonzalez
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0327779/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #6 - Harve Presnell

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Harve Presnell

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): In what is no doubt his most famous role (at least in the last 40 years) as Wade Gustafson in Fargo, playing the rich father-in-law to Bill Macy's pathetic used-car salesman. "No Jean, no money!" He's also been featured in Face/Off, Saving Private Ryan, and Flags of Our Fathers.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): I was reminded of him after seeing him in two movies I saw parts of in the same day - as one of Jeremy Piven's cohorts in Old School and as a Congressman in Evan Almighty. Neither part was large, but they were typical of the near-50 roles he's had since his career as a character actor took off in 1996 following Fargo's success.

He's also been featured in films such as Patch Adams, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and Mr. Deeds, while also guesting in many a TV show, from "Frasier" to "Monk" to "ER," just to name a few. Additionally, he's had regular role on a few shows, including "Andy Barker, P.I.," "Dawson's Creek," and "The Pretender."

Character Specialties: Many of his roles have taken from his Fargo lead, placing him as rich, angry and/or powerful jerks, be they politicians, military officers, or just characters with names like Preston or Winslow or Edgar J. Hagerty.

My favorite role: It's hard not to pick Fargo. Then again, aside from his interesting past, his recent work outside of picking on William H. Macy and yelling at Steve Buscemi hasn't caught fire with pop culture. Sure, Old School and Evan Almighty made some decent money, but his were really only bit parts there. Meanwhile, his meatier work in TV on "The Pretender" and "Andy Barker, P.I." has come on shows that never made it more than a season or two.

Little Known Facts: For Mr. Presnell, this is my favorite part of the post, as it came as quite a shock to see that the man in the photo above was the same as in the videos below. Those in my age demographic may know him as a gravelly-voice, gruff old bald guy, but Harve made his name in the 60s and 70s as a stage actor and singer. He has but eight film and television credits to his name prior to 1995, but two of them are in musicals that even I had heard of.

Here you can see the 6'4" man in action, first as "Leadville" Johnny Brown ("Amies? Hell, these are our friends!") in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, then as Rotten Luck Willie in Paint Your Wagon, singing the lead for "They Call the Wind Mariah."





Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harve_Presnell
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696193/ (Be sure to check out his Bio - he's had an interesting life.)

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #5 - Richard Jenkins

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin, or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Richard Jenkins

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): Over the course of a 34 year career in film and TV, the Rhode Island resident has appeared in films by the Coen brothers, the Farrelly borthers, Clint Eastwood and David O. Russell, amongst others. His most visible role, however, was as the patriarch (and deceased) Nathaniel Fisher on HBO's Six Feet Under.

Lately, his career appears to have taken off somewhat, with a starring role (his first) in the current release The Visitor, along with a co-starring role as the father in this summer's Step Brothers. He was also featured in 2007's The Kingdom.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): Though he's become a favorite of many of the directors mentioned above, he's only been featured in bit parts throughout, with roles in Me, Myself and Irene, I Heart Huckabees, Intolerable Cruelty, The Man Who Wasn't There, and Flirting with Disaster. Earlier in his career, he was featured on many TV cop shows, from Spenser: For Hire to Kojak to a role in the famous "Smuggler's Blues" episode of Miami Vice.

Character Specialties: Cops, judges and quirky dads seem to be the role of choice designated for Jenkins, as his resume is littered with titles such as "Detective," "Sheriff," "Agent," and "FBI."

My favorite role (new to this feature): Though I haven't mentioned the film by name, the still you see above is from an uncredited bit part he had in There's Something About Mary, where he played Ben Stiller's psychiatrist early in the movie. As Stiller's Ted drones on about his high school shenanigans with Mary, Jenkins oh-so-quietly sneaks back into his office, fresh from lunch and complete with a napkin tucked into his shirt. After Ted mentions a rest area in passing, Jenkins' psychiatrist, seeing an opportunity to offer some analysis, tells him "you know, highway rest areas are homosexual hangouts...they're the bathhouses of the 90s."

"Oop - time, she's up." The full scene can be viewed here.

Little Known Facts: I don't really have anything great that can't be found below, but here's an interview/piece that the New York Times did recently.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jenkins
On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420955/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #4 - Cliff Curtis

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans (like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin) or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Cliff Curtis

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): The New Zealand-born Curtis has been a force in high-profile dramas and action pics lately, with his last five completed projects reading as such: 10,000 B.C., Live Free or Die Hard, Fracture, Sunshine, and The Fountain. He was also in a stream of big-budget movies at the turn of the century, being featured in Training Day, Blow, The Insider and Three Kings, amongst others. Curtis is already a full-blown star in his native land, and he looks to be breaking through stateside.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): His feature debut was in the Academy Award-nominated The Piano, and he's been in the highest profile Kiwi movies not associated with Peter Jackson over the years, with roles in Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider.

Character Specialties: The 39 year-old is one of the most versatile actors in the business, particularly when it comes to nationalities he can portray. As such, it's hard to nail down a character specialty. I'd say that he's generally cast as a the voice of reason, a solid smart buddy to the star, or a tough (outside of his role in Once Were Warriors, where he played a rapist).

Little Known Facts: Where to begin? This, from IMDb, is probably the best place to start:

"In Hollywood, Cliff Curtis has played a range of different roles and ethnicities in films. He plays a Colombian in Blow , an Arab in Three Kings and The Insider, a Latino in Training Day and Runaway Jury, and a drug dealer of ambiguous ethnicity in Bringing Out the Dead. However, he is probably best known for his role as Paikea's father Porourangi, in Whale Rider."

Also...He has been featured in two different projects titled Fracture...He was a producer of last year's Eagle vs. Shark, which starred Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement...Is of Maori descent...high profile streak continues with this summer's Crossing Over, which stars Harrison Ford, Sean Penn and Ashley Judd.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Curtis
On IMDb: http://imdb.com/name/nm0193295/

And then...

Familiar Face - Unknown Name #3 - Kevin Corrigan

Call them what you want - character actors, "That Guy(s)," scene stealers - I don't care. This is a regular feature where I spotlight one performer, whether they be longtime veterans (like J.K. Simmons or Barry Corbin) or a fresher face just making their way up the stardom ranks. For previous FF-UNs, click here.

Today's Familiar Face-Unknown Name:

Kevin Corrigan

Where You've Seen Him (high profile): I can't speak for you, but my introduction to Mr. Corrigan was in True Romance, where he played one of the mafioso gunmen that busted into Lee Donowitz's penthouse suite in the film's climax (he's the one that did the DeNiro impersonation: "You talkin'a me? You talkin'a me?"). By then, he was on his way to becoming an indie staple, with featured parts in Living in Oblivion, Slums of Beverly Hills, and Trees Lounge, mixing in some big-budget flicks along the way, such as The Departed and Bad Boys.

Where You've Seen Him (not-so-high profile): he wrote 1997's Kicked in the Head, and has had a number of bit parts in TV shows, dramas, comedies - you name it. He's had small parts in several beloved indies over the years, from Walking and Talking to Henry Fool to Buffalo '66. For several years, he played Donal Logue's brother on the Fox sitcom Grounded for Life, was the hotheaded "Mark" in last year's Superbad, and plays a convenience store clerk in this month's Definitely, Maybe.

Character Specialties: Corrigan is pretty versatile, using his Irish-Puerto Rican looks and Bronx upbringing to portray a number of nationalities on film. He often plays a somewhat spacey, possibly drugged out weirdo/slacker, but has the dramatic chops to play a heavy and the comedic ones to play parts such as "Eliot," Natasha Lyonne's boyfriend (of sorts) in Tamara Jenkins Slums of Beverly Hills. He's often cast as the brother or uncle or cousin, but I guess his father roles are soon to come, as he turns 39 this year.

Little Known Facts: He is a frequent Michael Rappaport conspirator, as they've co-starred in eight projects, according to IMDb (Chain of Fools, Illtown, Kicked in the Head, Kiss of Death, The Pallbearer, Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground, True Romance and Zebrahead.)

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Corrigan
On IMDb: http://imdb.com/name/nm0180984/

And then...