Somewhere out in Hollywood, far beyond the first 3-5 lines of the credits for most movies, you'll find thousands of successful working actors who don't have to worry about getting mobbed at the grocery store. We've compiled a list of a few that you'll probably recognize by sight or role, but not by name (and if you can, you're a greater movie fan than us).
William Fichtner - Mr. Fichtner played an FBI Agent in the hit show
Prison Break, and the character Darren in the recent movie
Blade of Glory, but before those roles, he appeared in a number of popular TV shows and movies. Prior to those roles, his resume also included
The Longest Yard, indie hit
The Chumscrubber, Black Hawk Down, The Perfect Storm, Armageddon, Quiz Show, and even
Baywatch.
JT Walsh - Even if you don't recognize JT Walsh by sight, he probably seems very familiar to you. Although he died in 1998, his credit include roles in
Pleasantville, Sling Blade, Executive Decision, Nixon, The X-Files, Miracle on 34th Street, Needful Things, and
Hoffa.
Reginald VelJohnson - Best known as Carl Winslow on the 90s sitcom
Family Matters, you've probably seen Mr. VelJohnson in a number of other roles. He's best known for his cop roles, and he's acted in
Die Hard (
1,2, Nakatomi Plaza, and
Vendetta),
Turner and Hooch, and
That's So Raven.
Gregory Itzin - Most recently known as the irritatingly slimy President Charles Logan on
24, Gregory Itzin has probably appeared on your television screen more times than you realize. He's shown up in
Friends, Boston Legal, The O.C., NYPD Blue, The West Wing, CSI, Star Trek (
Voyager and
Deep Space Nine),
JAG, LA Law, Matlock...Seriously, you could go on all day. His list of credits is longer than Christopher Walken's.
Stephen Root - We have six words for you: "I believe you have my stapler." Stephen Root is best known for his portrayal of Milton, the oft-abused collator in
Office Space, but you may also recognize him as Gordon in
Dodgeball, or the shady radio station guy in
O Brother, Where Art Thou.
Ellen Albertini Dow - Our personal favorite of this list, Ms. Dow is best-known for her role as Rosie the Rapping Granny on
The Wedding Singer. More recently, she starred as Grandma Mary Cleary on
Wedding Crashers, but her resume includes guest roles on literally dozens of major sitcoms.
Sister, Sister; Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; Family Matters; Quantum Leap; The Golden Girls; The Wonder Years; Mr. Belvedere; The Twilight Zone; Hannah Montana; and
6 Feet Under are just a few. For an old gal, she really gets around.
Yeah, Danny Trejo is another good one. 143 IMDB movie entries and still going.
Yeah, Stephen Root is everywhere! How about Danny Trejo?