mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
There are some actors that have their role, the character actors who play the same character in every movie and TV show they appear on. We chose 14 of our favorite character actors. See if you can match each actor to their typical role with just their name and face.
Comments (15)
Comment
Darn, I mixed up the tough cop and the tough doctor. 12/14 ain’t bad though.
posted by Tricia on 2-26-2008 at 11:23 am
That was a little lame. It was way too easy and you gave away the answers in the clues.
posted by S on 2-26-2008 at 11:43 am
Not easy for me. I think I’ve only SEEN two of these people before.
posted by Miss Cellania on 2-26-2008 at 11:58 am
I agree with S. I knew all but 2 of them, and with the clues I guessed those two right. But they are great actors, I especially love Judy Greer, Luis Guzman, J.K. Simmons and Bob Balaban.
Good quiz though!
posted by Scott on 2-26-2008 at 12:01 pm
Score: 86% (12 out of 14) I mixed the two movies I haven’t seen, Idiocracy and Full Metal Jacket; the prez and army dude. It was pretty easy with the clues.
posted by sm on 2-26-2008 at 12:11 pm
I also got 12 out of 14. I mixed up Chino and the president guy. Guessed on a lot of them; only actually knew a couple.
Yay me
posted by M on 2-26-2008 at 12:23 pm
R. Lee Ermey’s role in Full Metal Jacket was as a Marine Corp drill instructor not Army.
posted by Amanda on 2-26-2008 at 12:48 pm
How can you do a character actor list without Steve Buscemi and Gary Oldman?
posted by Tonberry2k on 2-26-2008 at 1:22 pm
Hmmm. . . I *thought* I knew those guys. I’m embarrassed to post my score.
posted by Lebetho on 2-26-2008 at 3:07 pm
Terry Crews in “White Chicks” cracked me up.
Who could forget Stiflers mom.
14 out of 14
posted by Don on 2-26-2008 at 5:46 pm
Great quiz, Jason. Unfortunately, I didn’t do too well (and I did need the clues to help places the people I recognized).
posted by K on 2-26-2008 at 7:08 pm
Great quiz, even if I think you missed the boat a bit with Farina — I haven’t checked IMDB, but I would bet he plays mafia-type bad guys at least as often as he plays cops.
posted by Max on 2-27-2008 at 9:13 am
11 out of 14 for me.
posted by MikeTrig on 2-27-2008 at 11:17 am
While I did score well, I’m not sure I would characterize (sorry for the pun) J.K. Simmons as a character actor, at least using your definition (plays the same character in everything they do).
While he was a blustery exec in Spiderman, I know him first as the insightful and rather subdued psychologist on Law and Order. Recently he was the quiet and reasonably down to earth dad in “Juno”. I know he was in Oz, but not much about his character. The only other blustery character of his I can think of is the Tigers’ manager in “For Love of the Game.”
Maybe I’m wrong and have limited knowledge of his work.
posted by Caley on 2-27-2008 at 12:33 pm
All I have to say is that I was surprised, and glad, to see Judy Greer in there. I went to college with her (she is super nice) and happy to see that she is getting enough work to be on a list of well(ish) known character actors.
posted by Karen on 2-27-2008 at 4:45 pm