Several times while I was watching TV this past week, I came across actors who made me say, “Hey, it’s that guy!” or “Who IS that actress?!” You know, familiar faces you instantly recognize from countless shows and movies but whose names escape you. And then you obsess and can’t focus on what you’re watching because it’s making you crazy (thankfully, I identified them eventually).
Since it’s no fun being crazy alone, I thought I’d do another edition of “Who IS that actor?” See how many names you can come up with for the following actors; I’ll accept the name of a character they’ve played if you can’t remember their real ones. (Unlike the actors I saw this week, I know who these are.) I’m not going to tell you their credits because then you’d be able to look up those titles on IMDb and go down the cast lists. If you’re really stuck, you can hover your mouse over their pictures and see their initials.
Let’s see who’s the nerdiest person who always reads the credits!
20 Comments
jenforbus
April 9, 2010 at 5:20 amA, C, E, I, and K aren’t looking familiar to me at all. I’d see them and think I’d never seen them before. But the rest are ringing some bells. I’m going to ponder them and be back later – I have a day filled with meetings I can obsess over them then!
Naomi Johnson
April 9, 2010 at 5:54 amI recognize Joe Morton from Brother From Another Planet. I don’t see much TV or so many movies as I used to, so I’m hopeless at recognizing the others.
le0pard13
April 9, 2010 at 7:14 amA. Josh Logan (also played THE most evil President on the 24 series)
B. ?
C. I know that face, but drawing a blank…
D. one fine (and fine looking) actress whose name escapes me, damnit!
E. Philip Baker Hall (one great character actor)
F. ?
G. Joe Morton
H. grandma what are doing here?
I. Colm Feore (I’m pretty sure…)
J. another familiar face I can’t name
K. Ken Jeong (who had THE most memorable film entrance with THE HANGOVER)
L. Sharon Lawrence (her death in the NYPD Blue series still gets to me)
Thanks, PCN.
Christine
April 9, 2010 at 7:40 amStrong, lp13! But, then again, you and PCN are my TV and movie gurus, so I’m not surprised. ๐
Pop Culture Nerd
April 9, 2010 at 12:49 pmlp13, I didn’t know your grandma was an actor! Haha!
Christine
April 9, 2010 at 7:39 amGak! Trivial Pursuit from Hell with your coffee, anyone? ๐
Recognized all but K; could only put names or partials to 4 (and in the interest of full disclosure, their initials helped, but I abstained from imdb):
D) Anne-Marie somebody (going to guess Johnson from the initials)
G) Joe Morton
I) Colm Feore (I remembered that it was a unique name plus I had to chew on visuals in my head from The Chronicles of Riddick before it came to me)
L) Sharon Lawrence (hers was the only one that came to me immediately, thereby making me thinking that there was some hope of not failing this completely)
Of the others:
F) played the stage-mother in the movie, Center Stage
J) is currently in the HBO series, Hung
This was fun…frustrating, but fun!
le0pard13
April 9, 2010 at 10:30 amYou are too kind to me. I just looked her up with the name you mentioned, Christine. And you’re so correct! It’s Anne-Marie Johnson. Good catch! Thanks.
Eddy
April 9, 2010 at 8:44 amWithout peeking at initials or other people’s comments:
“C” has been on Criminal Minds and was Hurley’s friend at the chicken place on Lost.
“G” was the guy who invented SkyNet on Terminator 2.
And all but three of the others are familiar to me.
I suck at this.
Now, play me a commercial and I’ll identify the celebrity voice. That started for me 30 years ago when I realized that Sally Kellerman and John Houston did the voiceovers for a fourth of all the TV commercials.
Christine
April 9, 2010 at 9:02 amHa! Eddy, my husband and I play “name that voice” all the time! The latest was the voiceover for a Trane commercial – Brian nailed it as the actor who played Dr. Dubenko on ER, but neither of us could come up with his name. (Leland Orser, btw)
Pop Culture Nerd
April 9, 2010 at 12:39 pmI play that game, too! Allison Janney does Kaiser, Philip Bosco does Lexus, and Kiefer Sutherland voices B of A, I think.
Julia F
April 9, 2010 at 10:47 amLove this game!
I’m doing this without looking at other people’s answers (not an easy feat for me…. ๐ )
I know ALL these faces, but it seems like I’ll need more coffee before I can remember their names/roles. Here’s what I came up with:
b = Mary Pat Gleason
d = Anne Marie Johnson
e = was in The Loop
i = One of my favorites – Colm Feore
j = Now on Hung, I’ll get it, I’ll get it
k = Ken Jeong, now on Community (I spelled it Yeong, correcting my typo)
l = Sharon Lawrence
Julia
Pop Culture Nerd
April 9, 2010 at 12:25 pmI’m loving your answers! It’s interesting to see where you know them from, e.g. it’s the SkyNet guy vs. he’s the brother from another planet.
No one’s gotten all of them yet so keep the guesses coming!
Gina
April 9, 2010 at 12:40 pmLOL. Funny you should mention this…just had a case of I-know-that-actor when watching (again) MUSIC & LYRICS yesterday on DVD. The guy who plays Cora’s manager is the future “Mr. Shuester” on the TV show GLEE! (Notice how I don’t even use the actor’s name now….yep, know the face but not the name….*SIGH*) Recognized (but can’t place the name) all but A and K.
^_^
Pop Culture Nerd
April 9, 2010 at 2:22 pmI forgot Matthew Morrison was in Music & Lyrics! And I’ve seen it about 3 times. Those cheesy Wham!-like videos are hilarious.
Shell Sherree
April 9, 2010 at 7:30 pmAck, I recognise all but K, but aside from A Gregory Itzin {who annoyed me in The Mentalist simply because his character annoyed me so much in 24!!} and L Sharon Lawrence, I’ve drawn blanks on their names. My humble apologies to the actors!!
Pop Culture Nerd
April 11, 2010 at 4:10 pmAnswers:
A) Gregory Itzin, probably most known for playing President Charles Logan on 24 and Lisbon’s jackass boss, Minelli, on The Mentalist.
B) Mary Pat Gleason. She may not have one role she’s famous for but she’s been in everything in the last 30 years.
C) DJ Qualls. You may recognize him as Shelby from Hustle & Flow, or, like Eddy said, Hurley’s Chicken Shack friend on Lost.
D) Anne-Marie Johnson. Good call, Christine and le0pard13!
E) Philip Baker Hall, a man of a million credits.
F) Debra Monk, AKA Everyone’s Mom: Ellen’s on Damages, George’s on Grey’s Anatomy, Will’s on Glee.
G) Joe Morton. I guess he was too easy for most of you.
H) Dana Ivey. Another actor with tons of credits but no, she’s not Maggie Smith.
I) Colm Feore, who often plays political and military figures.
J) Jane Adams, currently on Hung. Has recurred as Wilson’s ex-wife on House and had a disastrous date with Jackie Earle Haley’s pedophile in Little Children.
K) Ken Jeong. le0pard13 and Julia covered where you might know him from.
L) Sharon Lawrence, apparently way too easily identifiable. Must make harder next time.
Thanks for playing!
Lisa
August 26, 2011 at 1:10 amdo you know the name of the actor who play’s ‘Steve’ in the 2011 AT&T ad for unlimited messaging? He is talking to his wife in her greenhouse? Thank you!
Pop Culture Nerd
August 26, 2011 at 1:15 amHi Lisa, I haven’t seen the commercial! I DVR all my shows so I can fast forward through all the commercials. But now I’m curious. Must track it down…
Lisa
August 26, 2011 at 1:18 amdo you know the name of the actor who play’s ‘Steve’ in the 2011 AT&T ad for unlimited messaging? He is talking to his wife in her greenhouse? Thank you!
the link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elguO9usN4Q
Tim
October 18, 2011 at 5:27 pmLooking for the same info… I believe it’s comedian/actor Dave Anthony, but looking for confirmation.