Character Actors & Actresses

Although he won two Tony Awards amid a career of mostly playing cops and lawyers, Brian Dennehy is perhaps best remembered as Big Tom, father of Chris Farley's Tommy Callahan, in 1995's "Tommy Boy."

One of Dennehy's early film roles was in 1979's "10," starring Bo Derek. Later, in "Tommy Boy," Derek played Dennehy's on-screen wife.

Timothy Omundson has found work playing characters with physical limitations on such series as "American Housewife" (2016-2021), "New Amsterdam" (2018-2023), and "This is Us" (2016-2022), where he plays Kate and Toby's neighbor, Gregory.

FUN FACT

Paul Dano was originally cast in the small role of Paul Sunday but was then moved into the additional role of Eli Sunday after the original actor who'd been cast, Kel O'Neill, was fired two weeks into production.

In the early 1980s, Margo Martindale worked at the Actors Theater in Louisville, Kentucky, alongside future Oscar winner Kathy Bates. 

Martindale joined the cast of "Justified" (2010-2015) in season two, winning an Emmy Award for Supporting Actress in a Drama for her performance.

Character actor Leland Orser's brief but mesmerizing appearance in 1995's "Seven" stole the scene from Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. His committed performance demonstrates how a strong character actor can elevate a scene.