Character actor
A character actor is an actor who predominantly performs supporting parts, often in similar roles throughout the course of a career. While some actors aspire to leading man or leading lady status, many notable actors have had enduring careers in less prominent, but important and memorable character parts.
Stereotypically, character actors lack some of the physical attributes associated with stars. A character actor may be very short or very tall, heavy or thin, balding, or simply unconventional-looking. Many older actors and actresses find their access to lead roles limited by age as well. Some character actors simply have distinctive voices or foreign accents which limit their suitability for most leading roles. Some character actors have specific talents that are required in genre films, such as horsemanship or swimming ability. Many up-and-coming actors simply find themselves typecast in character roles due to an early success with a particular part or in a certain genre.
See stock character and commedia dell'arte for more on this theatrical tradition.
Many character actors have, however, gained star status and have become widely known lead actors. Other character actors have developed a cult following with a particular audience as well. A hallmark of many great character actors is that their names are not widely known yet they are instantly recognizable as familiar faces on the screen.
Some character actors play essentially the same character over and over, as with Andy Devine's humorous but resourceful sidekick, while other actors, such as Sir Laurence Olivier have the capacity of submerging themselves in any role they play.
Examples of "character" roles include:
Notable character actors
