Most famous living character actors

[moviflicilm]

Character actors tend to be more anonymous names than the huge leading movie stars we are accustomed towards. We all remember the marque names of Tom Cruise or Will Smith, the average moviegoer likely doesn't recognize the wisecracking villain in one of their huge blockbuster hits. Many of these actors are known as "that guy" or "that gal", being more familiar by audiences through their frequent appearances than carrying a movie on their own.


Of all those who are consider "character actors" who are the most famous names, recognizable enough that you can put their names above the title of a movie, have enough fame to occasionally star in a picture or two, can host Saturday Night Live?

[Elgie]

*looks up Coen Bros. regulars*

[LegacyCosts]

Most famous? Idk, best character actors working today is a more interesting question so I'll pick those

Michael Shannon
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO
John Goodman
Paul Dano
Willem Dafoe

[Shingster]

Christian Bale is essentially a character actor who became a leading man, he never plays "himself" and always gets lost in the characteristics of the person he's playing if the film is a biopic.

[aiman04]

Do your really mean character actors or method actors?

Character actors are more specific to stylistic roles i.e. Johnny Depp. Method actors are more to realism and emotions i.e. Daniel Day Lewis.

[Rzzzz]

Iggy!

[moviflicilm]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Do your really mean character actors or method actors?

Character actors are more specific to stylistic roles i.e. Johnny Depp. Method actors are more to realism and emotions i.e. Daniel Day Lewis.

Character actors are not the leading actors of the movie. Johnny Depp and Daniel Day Lewis are both leading men, not character players.

[ben6543]

Bruce Campbell

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by moviflicilm

Character actors are not the leading actors of the movie. Johnny Depp and Daniel Day Lewis are both leading men, not character players.

I thought not necessarily. Maybe you're right, but I've been seeing people calling Depp a character actor. Day Lewis is a method actor, never said he's a character actor.

[filmbuffTX]

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Adam DeVine

Zach Galifianakis

[Mystic]

Paul Giamatti

[lud]

[lud]

Not all of them are alive,but hey.

[Michael24]

Lot of great ones but my personal favorite:

[Elgie]

Michael Stuhlbarg, modern American cinema’s source of fatherly advice.

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by Michael24

Lot of great ones but my personal favorite:

He was amazing in Dead Man....

[DR Herbert West]

Jeffrey Combs
Tim Thomerson

[Shingster]

I see we've reached that stage where the topic of the thread gets completely ignored and we simply list character actors, no matter how obscure!

[Aloha from Hawaii 73]

No mention of Walken , for shame

[moviflicilm]

Originally Posted by Shingster

I see we've reached that stage where the topic of the thread gets completely ignored and we simply list character actors, no matter how obscure!

I've been disappointed in users just listing character actors without considering for fame, at most of the answers. We also get the usual suspect who thinks a character actor automatically is some versatile master of the craft.