Did This Character Actor Act As That Character?

Ooh, It’s Them: A Toast To Character Actors

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Ooh, It’s Them: A Toast To Character Actors

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Character actors: You know ’em when you see ’em. Even when you’re not sure of their names, you’d know their faces anywhere. They play the scene-stealing servers, the shifty serial killers, the disgruntled police chiefs and bus drivers, the thankless mothers, best friends, and teachers. Our best character actors are defined by their prolific careers, popping up in dozens upon dozens of projects, a testament to their talent and professionalism.

But not every role is a breakthrough. For every standout guest spot, there are countless minor appearances with credited character names that read like afterthoughts. In this quiz, we celebrate those parts. We plucked choice parts from the filmographies of some of our favorite character actors’, and then mixed in made-up roles. Can you discern the real ones from the impostors?

Which roles did these prolific actors NOT play?

We’ll give you three roles each performer inhabited and one we made up. Can you pick out the fakes in their extensive filmographies?

Which of these roles did Colman Domingo NOT play?

Young Jake, Outcast

Older Paul, A Long Walk

Father Dunbar, The God Committee

Pastor West, Without Remorse

Yes! Young Jake is a fiction. No, Young Jake is a fiction. Which of these roles did Jason Mantzoukas NOT play?

Cuban Soldier in Dream, American Dad!

Hobo Oracle, Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie

Bad Santa No. 1, The Night Before

Mad Coach Rogowski, Bad Teacher

Yes! There is no Mad Coach Rogowski. No, there is no Mad Coach Rogowski. Which of these roles did Lois Smith NOT play?

Ma Adams, A Foreign Affair

Miss Abigail, Riding in Cars with Boys

Spurs O'Brien, Strange Lady in Town

Diedre 'Dippy' Jones, Impulse

Yes! There's no Miss Abigail. No, there's no Miss Abigail. Which of these roles did Becky Ann Baker NOT play?

Judge Marylin Cipriani, Big Little Lies

Deputy Erica Schmidt, Person of Interest

Special Agent Pamela Grant, Criminal Minds

Chancellor Frieda Schulz, Madam Secretary

Yes! Special Agent Pamela Grant just kind of sounds like a thing, doesn’t it? But it isn’t. No, but Special Agent Pamela Grant just kind of sounds like a thing, doesn’t it? Alas, it isn’t. Which of these roles did Bill Camp NOT play?

Balding Typist, J. Edgar

Painter God, Joan of Arcadia

Mr. Jolly, Lincoln

Desk Trooper, Reservation Road

Yes! Balding Typist? A mere fraud. No. Balding Typist? A mere fraud. Which of these roles did Judy Greer NOT play?

Kitty, Uncle Frank

Kitty Cohen, Bride Wars

Kitty Walker, The Village

Kitty Sanchez, Arrested Development

Yes! Kitty Cohen is the impostor Kitty. No, Kitty Cohen is the impostor Kitty. Which of these roles did Dale Dickey NOT play?

Ruby Jenkins, Why Women Kill

Sissy Hickey, A Very Sordid Wedding

Cummie Barrow, Bonnie & Clyde

Darla Stubbs, Into the Wild

Yes! Darla Stubbs is too on-brand to be true. No, Darla Stubbs is too on-brand to be true. Which of these roles did Stephen Root NOT play?

Judge Mike Reardon, Justified

Judge Harry Garner, Rectify

Judge Murphy Wicks, The Good Wife

Judge Hector “The Hangman” BMW, Idiocracy

You judged right! Harry Garner is made up. You judged wrong! Harry Garner is made up. Which of these roles did Luis Guzmán NOT play?

Bald Man, A Series of Unfortunate Events

Gooch, Roadies

Toadie, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams

Chucho, Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Yes! Toadie didn’t throw you off. No! Toadie threw you off. Which of these roles did Beth Grant NOT play?

Bag Lady, Insatiable

Cat Lady, Dollface

Church Lady, Teenage Bounty Hunters

Woman With Hair But No Beard, A Series of Unfortunate Events

Yes! She’s a church lady and a cat lady, but she’s no bag lady. No! She’s a church lady and a cat lady, but she’s no bag lady. Which of these roles did Elizabeth Marvel NOT play?

Sylvia Moon, Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Tonya Honeycutt, Pretty Bird

Mrs. Jolly, Lincoln

Abel’s Mom, Admission

Yes! Who even remembers Admission? No! Who even remembers Admission? Which of these roles did Isiah Whitlock Jr. NOT play?

Scott Rivers, Cars 2

Man Getting a Cab, Cagney & Lacey

Dog No. 10, She’s Gotta Have It

River Scott, Cars 3

Yes! River Scott is real, but Scott Rivers? Nonsense. No! River Scott is real, but Scott Rivers? Nonsense. Which of these roles did John Carroll Lynch NOT play?

Varlyn Stroud, Carnivale

Moses Buggs, Paul

Sergeant Plonder, Dead Men Can’t Dance

Harlan Guntry, The Good Doctor

Yes! Harlan Guntry sounds right but is wrong. No! Harlan Guntry sounds right but is wrong. Which of these roles did Rob Morgan NOT play?

Hap Jackson, Mudbound

Guy in Crowd, Blue Bloods

Dakota, Mud

Cleveland, Greyhound

Yes! Dakota from Mud isn’t a thing. No! Dakota from Mud isn’t a thing. Which of these roles did Fred Melamed NOT play?

Shlomo Goldberg, Dan Is Dead

Howard Mankiewicz, Trial & Error

Darryl Streep, Comedy Bang! Bang!

Glen Klose, Now We’re Talking

Yes! He has played Glen Klose but not Darryl Streep. Go figure! No! He has played Glen Klose but not Darryl Streep. Go figure!

Did This Character Actor Act As That Character?

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