Character actor

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File:Ernie Weckbaugh & Claude Rains.jpg
Actor Claude Rains (right) was sometimes a leading actor, sometimes a character actor, often cast as a sophisticated, sometimes "morally ambiguous" man.[1]

A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.[2][3][4][5] The term, often contrasted with that of leading actor, is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation.[6] In a literal sense, all actors can be considered character actors since they all play "characters",[7] but in the usual sense it is an actor who plays a distinctive and important supporting role.[1][8]

A character actor may play characters who are very different from the actor's off-screen real-life personality, while in another sense a character actor may be one who specializes in minor roles. In either case, character-actor roles are more substantial than bit parts or non-speaking extras.

The term is used primarily to describe television and film actors, as opposed to those in the theater.[9] An early use of the term was in the 1883 edition of The Stage, which defined a character actor as "one who portrays individualities and eccentricities".[10] Actors with a long career history of playing character roles may be difficult for audiences to recognize as being the same actor.[5]

Overview

File:The Wizard of Oz Margaret Hamilton Judy Garland 1939.jpg
Character actress Margaret Hamilton (left) in real life was a "sweet, gentle woman" who even taught kindergarten prior to working on Broadway and Hollywood, which was different from her on-screen persona of the Wicked Witch in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.[11]

In contrast to leading actors, they are generally seen as less glamorous.[5][7][12][4] While a leading actor often has the physical attractiveness considered necessary to play the love interest,[13] a character actor typically does not. In fact, some character actors are known for their unusual looks. For example, Chicago character actor William Schutz's face was disfigured in a car accident when he was five years old, but his appearance after reconstructive surgery helped him to be distinctive to theater audiences.[14] Generally, the names of character actors are not featured prominently in movie and television advertising on the marquee, since a character actor's name is not expected to attract film audiences.[15] Some character actors have been described as instantly recognizable despite their names being little known.[16]

During the course of an acting career, an actor can sometimes shift between leading roles and secondary roles.[13] Some leading actors, as they get older, find that access to leading roles is limited by their age. Sometimes character actors have developed careers based on specific talents needed in genre films, such as dancing, horsemanship, acrobatics, swimming ability, or boxing.[17] Many up-and-coming actors find themselves typecast in character roles due to an early success with a particular part or in a certain genre, such that the actor becomes so strongly identified with a particular type of role that casting directors and theatrical agents steer the actor to similar roles. Some character actors are known as "chameleons", able to play roles that vary wildly, such as Gary Oldman.[18] Some character actors develop a cult following, like the fans of Star Trek or The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Character actors tend to play the same type of role throughout their careers,[1] like Harvey Keitel as tough and determined, Christopher Lloyd as an eccentric, Claude Rains as sophisticated, sometimes morally ambiguous men, Abe Vigoda as an aging criminal,[19] Fairuza Balk as moody goth girls, Doug Jones playing non-human creatures, and Forest Whitaker as composed characters with underlying volatility.[1] Ed Lauter usually portrayed a menacing figure because of his "long, angular face" which was easily recognized in public, although audiences rarely knew his name.[20] Character actors can play a variety of types, such as the femme fatale, gunslinger, sidekick, town drunk, villain, hooker with a heart of gold, and many others. A character actor's roles are often substantially different from their real-life persona.[4] Good character actors are rarely out of work, and they often have long careers that span decades.[4] They are often highly regarded by fellow actors.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Top 25: Great Character Actors. Digital Polyphony.
  2. ↑ Oxford Dictionaries, character actor, Retrieved 7 August 2014, "...An actor who specializes in playing eccentric or unusual people rather than leading roles...."
  3. ↑ Macmillan Dictionary, Character actor, Retrieved 7 August 2014, "...an actor who plays unusual, strange, or interesting characters instead of being one of the main characters..."
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 A Practical Guide to Working in Theatre{{#if:Foreman|, Foreman}. A & C Black(2009). ISBN 9780713687675
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 28 April 2013, The New York Acting School, Ten Best Character Actors of All Time, Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be almost unrecognizable from part to part, and yet play many, many roles convincingly and memorably. .."
  6. ↑ Busting on the 'Cult Buster'. New York Daily News(13 January 2004). Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Good cop, bad cop and Jack Irish, Knox, David(4 April 2014).
  8. ↑ Jon Polito: That Guy From That Thing (Who You Definitely Know), Pockross, Adam. Yahoo! Movies(28 March 2014).
  9. ↑ Stephen Tobolowsky, Discovery, What does it mean to be defined as a character actor? Template:Webarchive, Retrieved 7 August 2014, "In theater, they almost never use the term "character actor." ... leading actors have two names, like, Captain Jack Sparrow ... Richard KimbleTemplate:Sndparts I play ...Officer Johnson"
  10. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., character, n., 19.
  11. ↑ Hats off to the Wicked Witch of the West and Margaret Hamilton. Los Angeles Times(28 May 2010).
  12. ↑ James McAvoy: 'There will be people who walk out of the cinema I'm sure. The Guardian(21 September 2013).
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jude Law's new stage: Maturing lead, character actor. USA Today(January 4, 2014).
  14. ↑ William Schutz 1961-2009: Veteran character actor on Chicago theater scene. Chicago Tribune(28 May 2009).
  15. ↑ James Rebhorn: Remembering the Quintessential Character Actor. Chicago Tribune(23 March 2014).
  16. ↑ Oh, That Guy: 15 Character Actor Villains You Love To Hate. Indiewire(3 July 2013).
  17. ↑ Tom Quinn, boxer and character actor, dies at 79. The Washington Post(22 January 2014).
  18. ↑ Gary Oldman: the 'jobbing actor' whose Oscar recognition is long overdue, Butler, Mark. inews.co.uk(March 5, 2018).
  19. ↑ Abe Vigoda, Beloved Character Actor, Dead at 94(26 January 2016).
  20. ↑ Character actor Ed Lauter dies. USA Today(17 October 2013).
  21. ↑ A Leading Character Actor. The New York Times(20 October 1985). Retrieved 7 August 2014.

Further reading

  • Quinlan's Illustrated Directory of Film Character Actors{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Batsford Press(1995). ISBN 0713470402
  • Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting{{#if:Voisin|, Voisin}. BearManor Media(2009). ISBN 978-1-59393-342-5

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