Character Actor Tributes on Huffington Post: Beth Grant

Posted on March 19, 2013 at 3:53 pm

I’m a huge fan of character actors and always try to feature them in my reviews. I highly recommend the documentary shown on showtime about male character actors called “That Guy….Who Was In That Thing.” So I was really glad to see that Huffington Post is doing a new series on those character actors, starting with Beth Grant. I had the pleasure of meeting her once and could not resist reciting one of my favorite of her movie lines back to her, from “Donnie Darko:” “Sometimes I question your commitment to Sparkle Motion.” Despite that, she was extremely kind and gracious.

Here’s a brief film I made of her dancing at the Critic’s Choice Awards.

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“That Guy” — Showtime’s Documentary About Character Actors

Posted on October 13, 2012 at 3:59 pm

I have a special affection for character actors. They have to create a character and move the story forward without having the luxury of time and the audience’s primary attention, and they have to do it without overshadowing the star. So I was delighted to see Showtime’s tribute to character actors, a documentary called, “That Guy….Who Was in That Thing.” Candid interviews with actors who all look familiar but not instantly recognizable, who might be mistaken for someone you went to school with or once saw at a family reunion cover touchy subjects like auditions, being a guest star on a show where the stars do not think it is worthwhile even to introduce themselves, going for months without a job, family and financial stress, being stuck with a lot of technical talk or exposition, and the pure joy of having the opportunity to perform. It’s On Demand through November 13 and well worth a look.

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Stephen Tobolowsky on the Life of a Character Actor

Posted on October 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

You may not know his name, but you know his face. He’s this guy:

Bing!

Stephen Tobolowsky has appeared in movies from “Spaceballs” to “Thelma and Louise,” “Memento,” and “Freaky Friday” and television series like “Glee” and “Deadwood.” He is best remembered as the obnoxious Ned Ryerson in “Groundhog Day.” He has written a new book about his adventures in acting called The Dangerous Animals Club, and talked about it in a delightful interview with Terry Gross on “Fresh Air.” He is very funny explaining how the star parts get both first and last names in the credits — and sometimes even a title like Dr. or Detective, or Captain Jack Sparrow while the parts he plays usually get just one name or just a description: train passenger, or, worse, train passenger #4, or worst, “butt crack guy,” an actual role he actually played. Tobolowsky is an insightful and very witty observer of Hollywood, but more important, he is an actor who brings everything he has to every part he plays.

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MVP of the Week: Ray McKinnon

Posted on October 14, 2011 at 1:57 pm

As I have often said, I love character actors, and I am delighted to see one of my favorites in three movies that are now in theaters. You know Ray McKinnon’s face — probably from “The Blind Side,” where he plays the high school football coach. I first noticed him in “O Brother Where Art Thou” as the man who plans to marry George Clooney’s ex-wife, played by Holly Hunter. He also appeared in “Apollo 13” and in the television series “Sons of Anarchy,” “Justified,” and “Deadwood.” And he’s an Oscar winner for his short film, “The Accountant.”

McKinnon plays a teacher in Dolphin Tale. In “Take Shelter” he has one brief scene as the main character’s brother who awkwardly tries to provide some support. And in “Footloose” he plays the uncle of the kid who just wants to dance. McKinnon always brings a lot to his roles. He never plays a caricature. In “Footloose” it is nice to see him get a chance to show courage, loyalty, and humor. He has another movie coming out this year, “The Last Ride,” about Hank Williams Sr, the legendary country star who died at age 29. I look forward to it.

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Beth Grant

Posted on September 7, 2009 at 3:51 pm

Two awful movies released last week, “Extract” and “All About Steve,” give me an opportunity to discuss one of my favorite topics, character actors. One of the best appears in both of them, the wonderful Beth Grant. Character actors are those people who seem vaguely familiar, but don’t often get mentioned in reviews or photographed on red carpets. They play the family members, best friends, thorns in the side, co-workers, explainers, or, often, the fiances/fiancees who get dumped so that the big romantic arc of the movie can reach a successful conclusion.

Beth Grant works steadily and often plays high-strung, picky types, as in “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Donny Darko.” Her appearances in these two most recent films provide some of the very few bright spots. I especially liked seeing her in “All About Steve” in a less straight-laced role.

Here is one of her most famous scenes, from “Donnie Darko:”

I was lucky enough to meet her at the Critic’s Choice awards in January of 2007. I made a short video of her dancing at the party afterward. She was gracious and completely charming.

So, cheers, Beth Grant! I hope you’re in a better movie next time, but know whether it is as good as “Donnie Darko” or as awful as “All About Steve,” you will never let me down.

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