282 articles
Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano (Joey Pants), born 1951 in Hoboken, New Jersey, is an American character actor with 150+ credits: Cypher in The Matrix, Ralph Cifaretto in The Sopranos (2003 Emmy), Captain Howard in Bad Boys, Teddy in Memento, and Eugene in The Last of Us.
Joe Spinell
Joe Spinell (born Joseph Spagnuolo, 1936–1989) was an American character actor known for tough roles in The Godfather, Rocky, and the horror film Maniac, which he wrote and produced.
Joe Turkel
Joe Turkel (1927 to 2022), born Joseph Turkel, was an American character actor known for Lloyd in Kubrick's The Shining and Dr. Eldon Tyrell in Blade Runner.
Joe Viterelli
Joe Viterelli (1937–2004), American character actor from the Bronx who began acting in his 50s; played Jelly in Analyze This and Analyze That and gangster roles in over 40 films.
John Agar
John Agar was an American film and television actor who began in John Ford's 1940s cavalry Westerns before becoming known for 1950s science fiction films.
John Carradine
John Carradine (Richmond Reed Carradine, 1906-1988), American character actor of Stagecoach and The Grapes of Wrath, father of David, Keith, and Robert Carradine, prolific in horror films, never a star.
John Franklin (actor)
John Franklin (born 1959, Blue Island, Illinois; birth name John Paul Salapatek) is the American actor who played Isaac in Children of the Corn (1984) and Cousin Itt in The Addams Family films; later a teacher, returning in Hag (2014).
John Getz
John Getz (born 1946, Davenport, Iowa) is an American character actor known for Ray in Blood Simple, Stathis Borans in The Fly and The Fly II, and roles in The Social Network, Zodiac, The Last of Us, and The Pitt.
John McIntire
John Herrick McIntire (1907-1991) was an American character actor of westerns and crime dramas; replaced Ward Bond as wagonmaster Chris Hale on Wagon Train, played Clay Grainger on The Virginian, the sheriff in Psycho, and married Jeanette Nolan for 56 years.
John Mitchum
John Mitchum (1919–2001) was an American character actor, singer, and poet, the younger brother of Robert Mitchum, best known as Inspector Frank DiGiorgio in Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry films.
John Phillip Law
John Phillip Law (1937-2008), American actor, played Pygar in Barbarella, the title role in Danger: Diabolik, and a Soviet submariner in The Russians Are Coming; also Death Rides a Horse and The Love Machine.
John Quade
John Quade (John William Saunders III, 1938–2009), American character actor and former JPL aerospace engineer, best known as biker-gang leader Cholla in Clint Eastwood's Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can.
John Saxon
John Saxon (Carmine Orrico, 1936–2020), American actor of nearly 200 roles over 60 years; Roper in Enter the Dragon, Lt. Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Golden Globe winner 1958, nominee 1966.
Johnny Eck
Johnny Eck (John Eckhardt Jr., 1911–1991) was a Baltimore sideshow performer and film actor born with sacral agenesis; billed "The Amazing Half-Boy", he performed on his hands, played the Half Boy in Freaks (1932) and bird creatures in three Tarzan films, and became Baltimore's best-known screen painter.
Jon Polito
Jon Raymond Polito (1950-2016), American character actor with over 220 credits, known as Johnny Caspar in Miller's Crossing, five Coen brothers films, and Detective Crosetti on Homicide: Life on the Street.
Julian Richings
Julian Richings, born 1956 in Oxford, England, is a British-Canadian character actor with over 225 credits, known as Death in Supernatural, Bucky Haight in Hard Core Logo, and Three Finger in Wrong Turn.
Kathleen Freeman
Kathleen Freeman (1919 or 1923 – 2001), American character actress from Chicago; vaudeville child performer, film debut 1948, known for Singin' in the Rain, The Blues Brothers' Sister Mary Stigmata, Jerry Lewis comedies, and Shrek.
Kathleen Kinmont
Kathleen Kinmont (Kathleen Kinmont Smith, born 1965) is an American actress, writer, and director, daughter of Abby Dalton, known for Halloween 4, Bride of Re-Animator, and Cheyenne Phillips on Renegade (1992–1996).
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn (1916-1986), American character actor, son of Ed Wynn, grandson of Frank Keenan; MGM staple from 1942, Col. Bat Guano in Dr. Strangelove, Disney's Alonzo Hawk, 1978 Emmy nominee.
Ken Foree
Ken Foree (Kentotis Alvin Foree), American actor born 1948 in Indianapolis, best known as Peter Washington in Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), Roger Rockmore on Kenan & Kel, and roles in The Devil's Rejects and Halloween (2007).
Kenneth McMillan (actor)
Kenneth McMillan (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 1989), American character actor from Brooklyn; Gimbels manager turned Broadway and screen player; memorable as the Dune Baron Harkonnen; distinct from choreographer Kenneth MacMillan.
Kenneth Tobey
Kenneth Tobey (1917-2002), American character actor of nearly 100 films and seven decades; best known as Captain Patrick Hendry in The Thing from Another World (1951) and star of the TV series Whirlybirds.
Kevin Corrigan
Kevin Fitzgerald Corrigan (born 1969, Bronx, New York) is an American character actor of Irish and Puerto Rican descent, known for indie films like True Romance and Henry Fool, studio roles in Goodfellas, The Departed, and Pineapple Express, Uncle Eddie on Grounded for Life, and upcoming Reacher season 4.
Kevin Peter Hall
Kevin Peter Hall (May 9, 1955 – April 10, 1991) was a 7-foot-2 American actor who played the Predator in Predator (1987) and Predator 2, Bigfoot Harry in Harry and the Hendersons, and Dr. El Lincoln in Misfits of Science; he died of AIDS contracted from a transfusion.
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski (born Klaus-Günther Nakszynski, 1926–1991) was a German actor famous for villain roles and five combative Werner Herzog collaborations, including Aguirre, Nosferatu, and Fitzcarraldo, and for his scandalous autobiography.
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller (born 1953) is an American character actor from San Francisco with over 200 credits, known for Ghostbusters II, Wayne's World, Midnight in Paris, and recurring roles as Woody on Psych, Zachariah on Supernatural, and Dr. Boggs on Evil.
L. Q. Jones
L. Q. Jones (Justice Ellis McQueen Jr., 1927–2022) was an American character actor in Westerns and war films, a Sam Peckinpah stock-company member in The Wild Bunch, and writer-director of the Hugo-winning A Boy and His Dog (1975).
Larry Hankin
Larry Hankin (born 1937, New York City) is an American character actor, comedian, writer, and director; co-founder of The Committee improv troupe, Oscar-nominated for Solly's Diner, known as Mr. Heckles on Friends, Tom Pepper on Seinfeld, and Old Joe in Breaking Bad and El Camino.
Lawrence Tierney
Lawrence Tierney (1919-2002), American character actor from Brooklyn, Hollywood tough guy of noir classics Dillinger (1945), Born to Kill (1947), The Devil Thumbs a Ride; late revival as Joe Cabot in Reservoir Dogs, Seinfeld and Star Trek roles.
Leo Gorcey
Leo Gorcey (1917-1969), American actor, original Dead End Kid, star of the East Side Kids as Muggs McGinnis and 41 Bowery Boys films as Slip Mahoney; quit the series in 1956 after his father Bernard's death.