BewilderedSociety.com

In honor of the death of J.T. Walsh, who died on February 27, 1998 and was the greatest ‘that guy’ in modern cinema, BS.com presents the 10 best ‘that guy’ actors currently working in cinema. How does one become a ‘that guy’? Well, fametracker.com interesting, if not underupdated database of that guys might be a good way to start. The bottom line is that a ‘that guy’ is an actor who appears in enough movies where his face is recognizable but his name will escape the average moviegoer. William H. Macy, Chris Cooper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly and Paul Giamatti were all ‘that guy’ before becoming moderate, award nominated and winning stars.

10. William Fichtner - A classic that guy, but one on the constant verge of being William Fichtner and not just that guy. However, he makes the top ten now because he was in last years The Dark Knight completely due to his that guy status. The director, Christopher Nolan, wanted to cast someone in the role of the bank manager as a tribute to the movie Heat, and settled on William Fichtner. How did he settle on Fichtner over DeNiro, Pachino, Jon Voight, Val Kilmer and other that guys like Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert and Tom Sizemore? I think it’s because Fichtner is so recognizeable and yet so unknown that, rather than saying “Hey it’s the guy from Monk (Levine), 24 (Haysbert),  who was arrested for beating up his girlfriend (Sizemore)”, they just recognize Fichtner as that guy.

William Fichtner can currently be seen on Fox’s Prison Break.

9. Clark Gregg - Clark Gregg is a ‘that guy’ who is breaking out. He wrote and directed Choke, a movie starring Sam Rockwell, who is too much of a non-that guy to be on the list, but only because he’s moved on to a starring role ‘that guy’. Gregg’s big role in 2008, however, was in Iron Man, basically playing the same role as he did on The West Wing. He played the by the books agent who repeats a gag line twice that sets up the brillent S.H.I.E.L.D. punchline to close the film. With any hope he’ll be in Iron Man 2.

Clark Gregg can currently be seen on CBS’s The New Adventures of Old Christine

8. Glenn Morshower - Glenn Morshower is a classic that guy, always appearing as a military officer, secret service agent. Something about his Texas accent oozes credibility, even when he’s on the wrong side of the fight, such as in Good Night and Good Luck. Morshower has been working since 1976, and constantly lending credibility to minor roles as law enforcement, military or other authority figures. In 2008 he wasn’t seen much onscreen, with the exception of his brilliant and critically lauded guest stint on Friday Night Lights. But he was busy off screen, returning to 24, signing up deals to appear in Men Who Stare at Goats, which stars a who’s-who of Hollywood, and Transformers: Rise of the Fallen, a who’s-who of Michael Bay/Stephen Spielberg movies. And yes, he also had a recurring role on The West Wing.

Glenn Morshower can currently be seen on Fox’s 24.

7. David Morse - In 2007, David Morse would have topped this list. He was fresh off an Emmy-worthy run on House, was the best thing about the unexpected hit Disturbia, and seemed to be on the verge of breaking out after years and years of lower billing. People were actually starting to learn the name David Morse. And then–nothing. He released two movies in 2008, neither of which got any attention. His biggest role in 2008 was as George Washington on John Adams. Morse will probably remain in his role as the possibly untrustworthy guy for the rest of his days, though he will play it with cunning skill.

6. Clifton Collins, Jr. - You know that face, don’t you? Maybe it’s from his stunning turn in Capote. Maybe it’s from his recurring roles on Alias, Thief or The Shield. Maybe it’s because he sort of looks like someone you know, only with sadder eyes. Collins Jr. didn’t exactly have a huge 2008, but he would have if Star Trek had been released on schedule. Collins, Jr. has nine movies scheduled for release in 2009, and is bound to be noticed in at least one of them (though he may be behind heavy make up in Star Trek). My guess is the fanboys will eat him up in Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

5. Xander Berkeley - I understand that in real-life, Xander Berkeley is a nice guy. However, in every single role he’s ever been in he’s been some kind of asshole, from the mild-and-understandably-prick he plays in Taken to his traitor, Gary Oldman aiding secret service agent uber-jackass in Air Force One. Berkeley makes the list because Taken was a hit worldwide, and is still racking in the dough in America (it led the best February in the history of the movies). Berkeley has six movies coming out in 2009 and is a shoe-in to be playing a jerk in all of them.

4. Bruce Greenwood - No ‘that guy’ list would be complete without Bruce Greenwood. He is so big of a that guy that he makes the list despite the fact that the only thing anyone really saw him in last year was the Star Trek trailer. He regularly plays historical figures or people pretending to be historical figures, including the President of the United States in the latest National Treasure movie. I suggest that he next develop a biopic of Franklin Pierce, so that way he’s a that guy playing a ‘that President’.

3. Don S. Davis - To be fair, Don S. Davis probably didn’t have a year deserving to be on this list. But this long time character actor and ‘that guy’, who you might recognize from The West Wing, Stargate, Twin Peaks, A League of Their Own, the Look Who’s Talking movies, and countless other roles as high ranking military officers and local law enforcement officers died on June 29th of last year, and earns a spot for his overall body of work rather than his specific work for the year. His final theatrical role in The Uninvited, is still playing in a few movie theaters across the country.

2. Mark Strong – He’s so much of a ‘that guy’ that I almost forgot to include him on the list. He stunned as Hani in Body of Lies, becoming the only credible part of a movie directed by Ridley Scott and featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. That’s right. Mark Strong out-acted Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, by leaps and bounds. While the movie felt flat and two-dimensional, he was well rounded and believable. Over the last two years he’s also appeared in Stardust, Sunshine, Babylon A.D., RocknRolla and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Not only did Mark Strong have a terrific 2008 on-screen, but off-screen he penned deals for major supporting roles for Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, and Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood adaptation. If things go right, in a couple years Mark Strong could go from “Who?” to “Who’s Who.”

1. Richard Jenkins – How much of a that guy is Richard Jenkins? Well, when they had actors talk about the nominees during this years ceremony, Adrian Brody started his speech on Richard Jenkins with “if you google Richard Jenkins resume”… (you can see it here). That’s right, not only is Adrian Brody an idiot for including how he figured out who the hell Richard Jenkins is in his speech, but he also used Google when he could have easily typed Jenkins name into imdb. Ah, but Richard Jenkins had quite the 2008! He was in a Coen Brothers movie, a Will Ferrell movie and was nominated for an Oscar over Clint Eastwood.  He’s currently working on five movies and if Hollywood has it’s way people might actually learn his name and stop having to google or imdb him. But for now, he remains a ‘that guy’, which is not as dubious as it seems, unless Adrian Brody decides that ‘googling you’ is the best way to honor you.

Who did I overrank? Who did I miss? Sound off in the comments.

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