What is a character actor?

Answer by  Brett (7986)

Character actors are actors which you see in a number of different movies, in various roles, but all in a minor capacity. Some examples are Maury Chaykin and Clint Howard.

Answer by  Brett (7986)

A character actor is somebody who plays "minor" roles in films, and a lot of them. There scenes in total usually last about a quarter of the film, but essentially, they play somewhat of a significant role in the film. A good example is Maury Chaykin, who passed away this week. He appeared in over 150 films.

Answer by  alanmueller (83)

A character actor is an actor that plays different characters through out their career. Usually recognizable by looks but not name. Charles (Charlie) lane is a good example.

Answer by  rxbandit1987 (244)

A character actor is someone who takes on the complete persona of the person they are portraying. An example of this would be Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight". He got so into the role he may have even thought he was the Joker. Another example is Johnny Depp playing Hunter Thompson. He took on every aspect of his persona.

Answer by  pieface (273)

Character Actors typically play that same part in different movies and are recognizable but lack recognizable names. Steve Buscemi of Armageddon fame, always the kind of creepy, crazy, quirky guy. This is not limited to bit actors, well-known John Wayne is known almost exclusively for his roles in westerns.

Answer by  Brett (7986)

A character actor is somebody who appears in a lot of movies, but in supporting roles, rather than the leads. There are many character actors (haven't you ever heard: I know that person has been in a lot of movies, but I don't know who he is). One of the most popular is Maury Chaykin.

Answer by  wwgt (7)

So as I understand the above statements, a character actor is defined by: a secondary role in the film , amongst other minor characters, and not the main protagonist of the film