Character actors often steal the show, but I believe they are undervalued. Most of us don’t realize what their contributions are, how much they add to films and television series, but we can’t imagine the stories without them.

I’m a character actor. In my professional life I try to be as supportive as possible for each project, but my clients are usually in the lead role. When I’m not working I’m a prankster. The best pranks balance being funny and causing minimal harm.

I’ve been acting for 20 years and pranking for 15.

I got into acting because I was always playing characters with my friends and family. It was natural for me to play someone else.

I enjoy playing challenging characters because it gives me a chance to do something different than what people expect of me as a person.

My favorite kind of character is one that’s completely different from what people expect of me, because then there’s more surprise value when they see it.

It’s hard to choose one favorite character that I’ve played; maybe the role that comes most easily to me is the evil villain. People seem to think I’d be good at evil villains because I’m kind of scary looking, but really all it takes is putting on a

What makes a good character actor? What makes someone not just a good actor, but someone who can bring a bit of spark to the more mundane parts of the film and tv world, someone who can add a little bit of life to the background?

It’s not easy. There’s an obvious reason for this: character acting is about being unobtrusive. A character actor has to be able to blend in with their surroundings; they’re often part of an ensemble cast and rarely get much dialogue, so they have to be able to convey emotion without saying much. The best ones have the ability to tell a story without even speaking.

And yet there are some people who seem able to do it effortlessly – you see them in film after film, and you might even recognise their faces if you saw them on the street, but you probably wouldn’t be able to name them in a million years.

Paul O’Brien is one such person. In over fifty years he’s appeared as a character actor in more than twenty-five different films, from Oscar-winning blockbusters like “Apollo 13” and “The Aviator” to various low-budget horrors and thrillers which shall remain nameless here. In between movies he can usually be found working on television

I’ve been a character actor for about twenty years, and I’ve played all kinds of roles. A good character actor’s life is always interesting, because you never know what kind of part you’re going to get to play next! The best thing about being a character actor is that you’re able to change your look, your persona, even your voice so much that people don’t recognize you in every role.

I love playing the characters that are a little bit off – the ones who are quirky or eccentric. I especially love it when they have an unexpected sense of humor, like my role as Larry in “The Big Bang Theory”.

Recently, I had the opportunity to play a more serious character – the lead role in an indie film called “A Good Man.” It was a challenging but very rewarding experience. Being able to sink my teeth into such meaty material was a real gift for any actor.

People often ask me whether I prefer my work on stage or on screen. I always say that I don’t have a preference – it’s all just acting. On stage, you play to live audiences every night and take direction from the director during rehearsals. In film or television, you can spend months working with an excellent director who gives you detailed notes

There are two kinds of actors, says one veteran character actor, “lead players and character players.” The lead player is the star, the one who gets top billing and the lion’s share of all the good parts. “Character players, on the other hand,” he adds, “are called in to give the leads something to bounce off of. Character players make leads look good. Character players enhance a picture or a TV show. You may not know their names, but you recognize them when you see them.”

He should know: He’s been one for more than thirty-five years. And although he has never been a lead — even if he’d wanted to be, he concedes that with his dark complexion he never would have gotten a shot at it — he has played so many memorable roles that you’d recognize him in an instant:

1) Mr Neelix from Star Trek

It’s a great opportunity for an actor. It’s always nice to be a character actor, because you’re always the new person in town, and it’s always fun to play with other actors. But the thing I’m going to remember most about the whole experience is that I had a lot of fun. I learned so much. You know, it was just really a blast to have this great cast of characters and to be able to go from one scene to another, and just having so much fun with the whole thing.

I always tell people that if you want to be an actor, you have to be like a sponge, because it’s a job where you’re constantly learning new things. And that’s what I did throughout my career. I read every book I could get my hands on about acting and the business, and then I went out there and tried it out for myself. And when I got done with all of that, I told myself that I would never stop learning how to do it better.

We don’t have a lot of Hollywood stars coming to town, but we are no stranger to character actors. We sit down with one to talk about his life in film and the theatrics of character acting.

A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters. The term, often contrasted with that of leading actor, is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. In a literal sense, all actors can be considered character actors since they all play “characters”, but in the usual sense it is an actor who plays a distinctive and important supporting role.

Character actors may be asked to play characters outside their comfort zone and range for a variety of reasons:

– the role requires it (for example, if the character is from a different country)

– the role requires an unusual physical trait

– the actor is marketed as such

– the actor has built up a reputation for playing certain types of characters

– there was not enough time to cast an appropriate star for that particular role

– there was not enough budget to hire an appropriate star for that particular role

“After working with him in the theatre, I’ve learned that the best thing I can be as an actor is present and open, ready to play and collaborate.” He pauses and looks into his coffee mug. “And I’ve also learned not to take myself too seriously. If you can keep laughing while you’re working, you can never really fail.”