Who is that Actor? The Not-so-Famous, Obscure Actors..

‘I love that actor!  Wasn’t he on Boston Legal?  What’s his name?  Didn’t she used to have her own show? Can you name him/her?  (Answers below if you get stumped.)

Just last week he had a guest appearance in the wildly popular “Manhattan” (Manhattan Project was the code word for the development of the A-bomb)  In 1999, He appeared in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Bad Girls” as a morbidly obese demon named Balthazar. He wore a large padded suit and extensive make-up for the role, and the character’s repulsive, villainous nature contradicted many of his earlier roles.  Recently, He has become known for his role as Jerry “Hands” Espenson on the television series Boston Legal. For playing Espenson, he won an Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 and was nominated for the same award in 2007. He remained with the series through to its finale in 2008.  In 2009, He joined CSI: Miami as the new medical examiner, Dr. Tom Loman. He appeared throughout the show’s eighth, ninth and tenth seasons as a recurring character. 2013, also he appeared as guest star in Harry’s Law.  Answer: (nosnemelC, naitsirhC)

‘Why is Trish writing about obscure actors?’  Because these are the unsung heroes that take our scribbles and make them something memorable and exciting.  They are the vehicle that takes our writing to the audience.  Do you think most people that watch movies, videos, or television ever think,  “What GREAT writing that is!”  Noooo.  They might think how much they love a particular actor, and wonder who he/she is.  Ever since I kept seeing Ben Johnson in movies like “American Graffiti” I have been fascinated by, not the great names; the easily recognizable names of Hollywood, but the actors that had built a long career in the shadow of the famous actors.  (Ben Johnson was finally honored with an Oscar for The Last Picture Show)

And speaking of  “Manhattan” …..you’ve seen this actor for decades in obscure roles until he landed the lead in the small screen hit.  He (born May 4, 1947) is an American stage, film, and television actor. He began his career in theatre at the Trinity Repertory Company and later made his film debut in 1974. He appeared in supporting roles in many films produced during the 1980s and the 1990s before landing in lead roles in The Visitor and The Cabin in the Woods. On television, he played the role as the deceased patriarch Nathaniel Fisher on the HBO funeral drama series Six Feet Under. He also co-starred with Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love. Answer:  (snikneJ,drahciR)

And probably one of my all time favs, this actress has been working her whole life.  We love her but she was pretty obscure until the HUGE hit, The Big Bang Theory.   Oh, yeah, maybe some of us remember her on the TV show “Blossom” BUT, did we know her name?

In 1990, she was tied to two television pilots, Fox’s Molloy and NBC’s Blossom.  She had a major part in the Woody Allen comedy film Don’t Drink the Water in 1994.  Between 1995 and 2005, Bialik mostly did voice-over work for cartoons, such as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and Recess.  She appeared in the feature film Kalamazoo? (2005) and appeared in three episodes of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm as Jodi Funkhouser, the lesbian daughter of a friend of Larry David.She joined the cast of The Big Bang Theory as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. Her first appearance was in the season 3 finale as a potential love interest for the character of Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). In Season 4, she began as a recurring character playing Sheldon’s “friend that’s a girl, but not a girlfriend.” Answer: (kilaiB, miyaM)

Her character, Amy Farrah Fowler has won the hearts of her fans with her wordless looks at Sheldon when he is being particularly obtuse.  She’s one of those rare ones that don’t, for a few seconds, need us, the writers!!!
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