Character actor

See stock character and commedia dell'arte for a discussion of related theatrical traditions.

A character actor is one who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones. Character actor roles can range from bit parts to secondary leads. However, character actors often play supporting roles, for characters not subject to a major change or revelation in the course of the plot, and whose role is less prominent.

Character actors such as John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Steve Buscemi, and Kevin Bacon have built their careers around small, yet distinctive roles. Some character actors play essentially the same character over and over again, and become typecast, as with Andy Devine who often played humorous but resourceful sidekicks, Dennis Farina - tough cops or gangsters, and Joe Pesci - hot-tempered psychopaths.

Career paths

There are many reasons people might become character actors. Actors may also simply seem better suited to character roles than to leading roles. Another fact worth noting is that while any film has a handful of leading roles, it may also require dozens of smaller supporting roles, and that there are arguably more opportunities for professional success as a character actor than as a movie star. Some actors become character actors by choice. Others may find character work because they are seen as typecast (strongly identified with, or only suitable for certain types of roles), often due to an early success with a particular role or genre; J.T. Walsh and Dennis Hopper made a career of playing villainous characters, and Steve Buscemi has made a career of playing scheming deadbeats and offbeat villains. As well, some actors may become character actors because casting agents believe they lack some of the admittedly subjective physical attributes associated with movie stars: they may be regarded as too tall, too short, unattractive, overweight, or somehow lacking an ephemeral "star quality".

Some actors may have a perceived over-the-top style or presence which cannot be helped, that overwhelms or threatens to upstage other actors, which means that directors often choose to limit their screentime which in effect often gives more power and value to their performance. An example of strong screen presence is the talented Peter Greene, the New Jersey-raised actor who brings a strong vibe to the screen along with a striking, unique look. Some other well known examples include Christopher Lee due to his physical presence and distinctive voice and Malcolm McDowell due to certain idiosyncracies associated with his style dating back to A Clockwork Orange. Actors may be deemed too old or too young for leading roles; being "too old" is more of a problem for women, who may find that their range of acting jobs drops precipitously after the age of forty (see ageism). Actors from marginalized or minority groups (such as certain ethnic or racial groups or women) might be barred from roles for which they were otherwise suited. Actors from outside of the U.S. may be famous in their own countries, but find their roles limited in the U.S. for any number of reasons (see Marcel Dalio, Cantinflas and Jet Li).

Some character actors have distinctive voices or accents which limit their roles. Actors such as James Earl Jones, Tim Curry, Gilbert Gottfried, Selma Diamond and Julie Kavner have been able to turn this to their advantage, often in voice-over work. Sometimes character actors have developed careers because they had specific talents that are required in genre films, such as dancing, horsemanship or swimming ability. The stars of a movie that fails badly at the box office are often considered part of the reason it failed, and they may have trouble finding work later. Character actors are almost never blamed for these failures, and can continue to find work relatively easily.