This was the case with "that guy" James Rebhorn, who died on sunday at age 65 after a career full of excellent supporting roles in movies such as Scent of a Woman, Independence Day, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Meet the Parents. In order to recognize Mr. Rebhorn, and other great actors like him who've never received their due, I've created a list of my 25 Favorite Character Actors, or "that guys". The only criteria I utilized was that none of the actors on the list could have been nominated for an Academy Award. This eliminated many great Character Actors such as: Stanley Tucci, Chris Cooper, Catherine Keener, Patricia Clarkson, and others, but left more room for those truly under-aprecciated supporting stars. Without further ado, here are my Top 25 "That guys" (and girls). Enjoy!
25) Margo Martindale
"That girl" from: Million Dollar Baby, Paris, Je T'aime, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, August: Osage County, The Savages, The Hours, Dead Man Walking, Win Win, 28 Days, Practical Magic
24) John Leguizamo
"That guy" from: Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, Ice Age Franchise, Spawn, The Fan, The Lincoln Lawyer, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Carlito's Way, Executive Decision, Chef
23) Dan Hedaya
"That guy" from: Clueless, The Usual Suspects, The First Wives Club, Dick, A Night at the Roxbury, Rookie of the Year, Mulholland Dr., In & Out, Ransom, Daylight, To Die For, The Addams Family, Blood Simple
*Love him as Cher's dad in Clueless. "Cher, get in here" "Get out of my chair!"
22) Judy Greer
"That girl" from: 13 Going on 30, The Descendants, The Wedding Planner, Adaptation, Love & Other Drugs, The Village, What Women Want, 27 Dresses, Love Happens, Carrie, Three Kings, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
*The ultimate BFF. She can play shy girls, nice girls, and mean girls equally well.
21) Joe Pantoliano
"That guy" from: Bad Boys 1 & 2, The Matrix, Memento, The Fugitive, U.S. Marshalls, The Goonies, Daredevil, Congo, Baby's Day Out, Midnight Run, Empire of the Sun, La Bamba
20) J.T. Walsh (1943-1998)
"That guy" from: Breakdown, The Negotiator, A Few Good Men, Good Morning Vietnam, Sling Blade, Executive Decision, Nixon, Outbreak, Miracle on 34th Street, The Client, Blue Chips, Backdraft
*The villain of the 90's. The perfect man to prosecute Santa Claus. That look of his was terrifying!
19) Jane Lynch
"That girl" from: The 40-Year Old Virgin, Wreck-it Ralph, Role Models, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Julie & Julia, For Your Consideration, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Paul
*Perfect comedic sidekick. A regular in the Christopher Guest movies.
18) Brian Cox
"That guy" from: Troy, Her, Adaptation, Zodiac, X2: X-Men United, Manhunter, RED, The Ring, The Ringer, The Campaign, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 25th Hour, Match Point, Fantastic Mr. Fox
*The original Hannibal Lecter. Excellent at playing any intellectual. Also makes a great bad guy.
17) Hank Azaria
"That guy" from: The Birdcage, Along Came Polly, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Godzilla, The Smurfs, The Simpsons Movie, Love & Other Drugs, Anastasia, Year One, Mystery Men, Heat
*Tremendous voice actor. Love him in The Birdcage and Along Came Polly. "Happy like hippo"
16) Christine Baranski
"That girl" from: The Birdcage, Mamma Mia!, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Chicago, Cruel Intentions, Bowfinger, Addams Family Values
15) Luis Guzmán
"That guy" from: Traffic, Boogie Nights, Carlito's Way, Punch-Drunk Love, Waiting..., Anger Management, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Maldeamores, Turbo, Yes Man
*A P.T. Anderson favorite. Great comedic actor. And he's Puerto Rican, just like me.
14) Wallace Shawn
"That guy" from: Clueless, Toy Story Trilogy, Manhattan, The Princess Bride, The Incredibles, Admission, My Favorite Martian, My Dinner with Andre, House Arrest, Vegas Vacation, Duplex
*The voice of "Rex" in the Toy Story Trilogy, one of my favorite movies of all time.
13) Stephen Root
"That guy" from: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Office Space, No Country for Old Men, Finding Nemo, Cedar Rapids, The Lone Ranger, Just Friends, The Company You Keep, J. Edgar
12) Gary Cole
"That guy" from: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Office Space, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Pineapple Express, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, The Brady Bunch 1 & 2, The Gift, I Spy, Hop
*There's even a TV movie in his filmography from 2006 titled "That Guy", playing a character named Gary. Oh, the irony! Love him as Ricky Bobby's dad in Talladega Nights.
11) Bruno Kirby (1949-2006)
"That guy" from: When Harry met Sally, The Godfather: Part II, City Slickers, Donnie Brasco, Stuart Little, Good Morning Vietnam, The Basketball Diaries, This is Spinal Tap, Hoffa, Sleepers
*Loved him as "Jess" in When Harry met Sally, one of my favorite films.
10) Kathryn Hahn
"That girl" from: Bad Moms, Captain Fantastic, We're the Millers, Wanderlust, Our Idiot Brother, Revolutionary Road, Step Brothers, A Lot Like Love, Anchorman, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
9) M. Emmet Walsh
"That guy" from: Blade Runner, Blood Simple, My Best Friend's Wedding, Serpico, Slap Shot, The Jerk, Ordinary People, Silkwood, Fletch, Back to School, A Time to Kill, Calvary, The Iron Giant
8) William Fichtner
"That guy" from: The Dark Knight, Heat, Black Hawk Down, Armageddon, The Longest Yard, The Lone Ranger, Elysium, Date Night, Blades of Glory, Crash, The Perfect Storm, Pearl Harbor
*Who needs Batman? When you need a tough "that guy" you call Mr. Fichtner. He almost singlehandedly saves Gotham City from the Joker's mayhem in the opening scene of The Dark Knight.
7) James Rebhorn (1948-2014)
"That guy" from: Meet the Parents, My Cousin Vinny, Independence Day, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Scent of a Woman, Silkwood, Regarding Henry, Blank Check, The Game, Far From Heaven
*"I'ts only a game Focker!" I love this line. One of the funniest moments in a very funny film.
6) David Morse
"That guy" from: The Negotiator, Disturbia, The Green Mile, Contact, The Hurt Locker, The Rock, World War Z, 16 Blocks, Proof of Life, Hounddog, Dancer in the Dark, 12 Monkeys, The Good Son
5) Harry Dean Stanton (1926-2017)
"That guy" from: Alien, The Avengers, Paris Texas, The Green Mile, The Last Temptation of Christ, Pretty in Pink, Escape From New York, Private Benjamin, Down Periscope, Rango, Lucky, Repo Man
4) John Turturro
"That guy" from: The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Transformers, Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing, Mr. Deeds, Secret Window, The Taking of Pelham 123, Quiz Show, Jungle Fever
*A Coen brothers favorite. Simply one of the best!
3) Steve Buscemi
"That guy" from: Fargo, Con Air, Ghost World, Armageddon, Reservoir Dogs, Monster's Inc., Monster House, Mr.Deeds, The Big Lebowski, Rampart, The Messenger, Pulp Fiction, Billy Madison
*"I'm glad I called that guy." - This is what "Billy Madison"(Adam Sandler) says after Buscemi's character saves his life. It's also what every director probably says after having worked with Steve Buscemi.
2) John Carroll Lynch
"That guy" from: Zodiac, Crazy Stupid Love, Shutter Island, Face/Off, Volcano, Gran Torino, Paul, Love Happens, Things we Lost in the Fire, Gothika, The Good Girl, Gone in 60 Seconds, Fargo
*I believe he deserved an Oscar Nomination for the 3-minute interrogation scene in Zodiac. Chilling! Of course, he couldn't be more lovable in Fargo. He's basically the perfect husband. I love this guy!
1) John Cazale (1935-1978)
"That guy" from: The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter
*The ultimate "that guy". He only acted in 5 feature films, and all 5 were nominated for Best Picture, 3 of those winning the top prize. But poor Fredo, always being passed over, never received any love from the Academy.
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