A long-standing cultural debate is – what defines a character actor? Plenty have described it before, and some other writers have created similar lists with narrow definitions. But, ultimately, an agreed upon definition is that a character actor is someone who isn’t the lead actor, and regularly plays interesting or eccentric characters.
Character actors have been a part of film history since the beginning. And during that time, there has been a long list of historical performers who have etched their mark on the craft.
People like John Cazale, whose brief and remarkable career, included roles that left indelible impressions on the industry and culture. And then there is Claude Rains, who is one of the greatest character actors ever, and was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. In a similar vein is Angela Davis, perhaps best known for Murder, She Wrote, and was nominated for three supporting actress Academy Awards. They eventually gave her an honorary Oscar in 2014 for lifetime achievement.
Today, there are even more actors who are character actors, sometimes disappearing entirely into the film, unrecognizable to audiences. It can be difficult to stand alongside today’s Hollywood stars, especially under the spotlight that shines so brightly publicly and privately.
While that spotlight may shine bright on the stars, these are the actors who excel as incredible modern character actors.
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7 Stephen Root
HBO
Stephen Root has been active in movies and TV for decades. With his earliest credited role being in Crocodile Dundee II in 1988, Stephen Root quickly established himself as an actor not only with chops, but one who could melt into any role. He had roles in Home Improvement, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and L.A. Law. His major break came in the role of Milton in the cult classic Office Space, followed immediately by a long run as a regular on NewsRadio. His success would continue with a decades-long run voicing Bill on King of the Hill, as well as roles in Finding Nemo, Dodgeball, The West Wing, and True Blood. Root continually has more than five credits every year, and most recently can be seen in Barry as Monroe Fuches.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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6 Andy Serkis
Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios/Penguin Books
Andy Serkis has made motion capture an art form has shown artistic range beyond his iconic portrayal of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and again in The Hobbit trilogy. He’s directed, he’s voice acted, he’s produced; but it’s his acting range that has allowed him to become a prolific character actor. It wasn’t until 2001 that his star rose in the industry when The Fellowship of the Ring was released. But, it was his performance as Gollum, alongside Samwise and Frodo, in The Two Towers that caught the attention of the world.
There were so many people within the industry fighting for his inclusion as an Academy Award nominee, but the motion capture aspect made him ineligible. After the Middle Earth sagas, he would again lend his motion capture skills in King Kong (2005), the new Planet of the Apes films, The Adventures of Tintin, and as Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In the past few years he’s appeared in the MCU as Ulysses Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther. Most recently, you can see him as Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman (2022).
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5 Kathryn Hahn
Disney Platform Distribution
Kathryn Hahn is a wonderful example of a character actor whose success and skill has led to her becoming a lead actress in films and TV. And yet, despite a few lead performances, Hahn continues to find supporting roles where she not only delivers a standout performance, but also can steal the scene. She got her start on the crime drama Crossing Jordan, and then found a lot of success in comedic supporting roles in movies like How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, We’re the Millers, and Bad Moms. Hahn carries tremendous talent, and she has translated that into other memorable performances on shows like Transparent, Parks & Recreation, and scene-stealing moments on WandaVision. Her role as Agatha Harkness was so good, and loved, she received an Emmy nomination, and Disney announced that she’ll be getting her own MCU show Agatha: House of Harkness.
4 Allison Janney
Touchstone Pictures
There are examples, like Kathryn Hahn, where the lines between leading star and supporting star are blurred. Allison Janney is a prime example of this, too. She has been nominated for and won major awards for her acting. Her wins include an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for I, Tonya. She’s won SAG, and Emmys for her work on The West Wing. Her career began in 1991 with small roles, but it was no time flat before she had her breakthrough role as C.J. Cregg in The West Wing. She would go on to appear in numerous films and shows a year, including: American Beauty, The Hours, Finding Nemo, Juno, and The Help, before her award-winning role as LaVona Golden in I, Tonya.
Outside of The West Wing, Janney has had a lot of success on television as well, including Mom and numerous guest appearances. Janney has an ability to blend into the role, displaying a range that the best of actors hope for. She’s a remarkable talent, and can lead, support, and steal any scene she’s in. Her most recent film, To Leslie, co-starred fellow list character actor Stephen Root and received phenomenal reviews.
3 Alfred Molina
New Line Cinema
Few have been mastering the character actor role as long as Alfred Molina has. His star rose while starring in shows in the West End, before making his feature film debut as Satipo, the ill-fortunately facially-spiked betrayer, and partner of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Molina continued acting on stage and screen in parts that established him as a dominant presence, but rarely of the lead. In 1997, his drug-induced manic performance in Boogie Nights absolutely changed the film for the better, stole the scene from Mark Wahlberg, and became beloved by fans. He would notably go on to star as Doctor Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2, and have roles in Angels & Demons, Rango, Monsters University, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and others.
As a voice actor, he has taken his talents to shows like Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, video games, and many radio performances and audiobooks. And, of course, credit given where due, for not only being playful with his persona, but willing to be absurd, like his children’s theater critic for Funny Or Die. Most recently, he reprised his role as Doc Ock in Spider-man: No Way Home, showcasing his renowned range and ability to flip between good and bad instantly.
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2 J.K. Simmons
J.K. Simmons is about as good as they come for actors, let alone character actors. He’s appeared in more than 200 roles since he began his career in 1986, and in that time has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe. While he may not blend into the roles and disappear behind the make-up — he’s certainly a “that guy” for many people — he is capable of playing just about any character, with an incredible amount of range. People remember him from his performances on TV in Law & Order, the white supremacist Vernon in Oz, Will Pope on The Closer, and countless voiceover work in shows like The Legend of Korra and BoJack Horseman.
He found success in film playing J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy, and in memorable roles in films like Juno, Burn After Reading, and Up in the Air, before crushing the away circuit as Terence Fletcher in Whiplash in 2013. Like others on our list, he’s habitually in multiple credits per year, and now keeps busy in commercials for Farmers Insurance. He was most recently seen reprising his role as JJ, along with Alfred Molina, in Spider-Man: No Way Home,even though he’s also been a DC guy.
1 Tilda Swinton
Walt Disney Studios
Maybe it’s something about the MCU that attracts character actors like Molina and J. K. Simmons, after all; it attracted Tilda Swinton to the role — albeit controversial — of The Ancient One in Doctor Strange. It was a role she’d reprise again in subsequent appearances in other MCU films, but it’s an example of her ability to transform herself to the role. And like others on this list, Swinton is an Academy Award winner, a prize she swept, among others, for her role in Michael Clayton in 2007. Swinton isn’t one to shy away from a blockbuster, and she always finds remarkable roles in independent films.
She’s worked on The Deep End, Vanilla Sky, and Adaptation. She scared kids as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia series. She’s become a constant, like others, for Wes Anderson, appearing in four of his films, with a fifth on the way. Swinton has an ability to swing for the fences, and also deliver quiet and delicate moments on screen. She can be sensitive, evil, and loving. And all the while, when she wants to, can disappear into the role, captivating audiences at every turn.
