MSU Red Cedar Message Board

A "character actor" plays unusal or eccentric people - NOT the same character in every movie. Therefore, I don't think Pesci qualifies. Also, they are usual not well-known. He's the guy or girl whom you see in a movie, and say "Hey, it's THAT GUY." but you don't know their name. Micheal Ironside is a good example. I think JT Walsh and Brion James were 2 other good ones.

Matt Dillon has turned into a decent one too.

Another one that is turning into a good one later in his career is Michael Keaton.

Still, Pesci is my favorite.

Bruce McGill is outstanding. He is one of those actors who is always working and completely disappears in his role. IMDB credits McGill with 141 roles, including significant parts in: Wildcats, The Last Boy Scout, My Cousin Vinny, Cliffhanger, Timecop, Black Sheep, Rosewood, The Insider, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Ali, The Sum of All Fears, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Matchstick Men, Runaway Jury, Collateral, Cinderella Man, Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy and Vantage Point. He should have won an Emmy for playing deranged former vice-detective Hank Weldon in my all-time favorite Miami Vice episode Out Where The Buses Don't Run. Michael Mann liked McGill so much that he cast McGill in major roles in The Insider, Ali, and Collateral.

The first time I saw McGill was as Daniel Simpson Day (D-Day) in Animal House, described as: "A tough biker with no grade point average; all classes incomplete. His later whereabouts are unknown." Among other things, he drives his motorcycle up the stairs and later plays the William Tell Overture on his windpipe.

McGill currently stars in "Rizzoli & Isles" on TNT as Det. Vince Korsak.

I love JT Walsh. He seemed to be in every major movie for several years in a row, always playing a sleazeball. He died way too young.

How about the other Walsh - M. Emmet? Roger Ebert coined the Stanton-Walsh Rule, "no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad."

Philip Seymour Hoffman (one L in Philip) is the greatest living American actor.

Charles Durning needs adding to this list

He Jumped on D Day and he threatened to shove Paul Sorvino's foot up his ass for questioning his toughness.

Charlie is is a very nice guy but not someone to to cross

If you think Gary Oldman is more of a lead actor than Joe Pesci, you're on crack.

Well the number of leading men is small, where as the number of character actors worth considering probably reaches the hundreds. So the ballot would be very long and hard to choose among...

I do think Joe Pesci is a very good actor. Note that his role in My Cousin Vinny was a leading role. And he was great in it, but Marisa Tomei more than held her own.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-ernest-borgnine-oscar-winner-has-died-at-95-20120708,0,1736052.story

This. And what is your opinion based on anyway? Italian actors over the past 15 years? Seems a bit shallow when looking at all the great actors over the past 80 years.

And effing Tom Cruise plays Tom Cruise. I can't believe that 5'6" Tom Cruise is going to play 6'5" Jack Reacher. They are going to have to bring the Munchkins out of retirement to make Cruise look 6'5". This is one movie I will boycott, regardless of the reviews.

Layoff the drugs.

Agree with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and also Ed Norton. Still think Tom Hanks for his versatility. I'm not familiar with Will Patton.