Hey look, it's… That Guy! This month we've decided to spotlight some of our favourite actors who always stand out when they pop up on screen. So, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five That Guy/Gal Actors.
As per usual, each writer ranks their top 15 actors in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. BRADLEY WHITFORD
Bradley Whitford is one of those guys whose face audiences can instantly recognize due to appearing on their screens for decades, even if his name doesn’t always come to mind. With a career spanning over 100 projects and three Emmy wins (eight nominations), Whitford is a versatile character actor that can do it all. From starring in goofball comedies like Billy Madison to a meta horror comedy like The Cabin in the Woods, from suspense thrillers like Get Out to prestige dramas like The Post — he can inhabit a wide range of characters, which has made him invaluable to both film and especially television. In the past two years alone, he has supported Giancarlo Esposito, Colman Domingo, Keri Russell, Allison Janney, and Michael Shannon in multiple television series. He may not have the pull of a traditional leading man, but he’s That Guy you want to round out your cast with instant credibility. — Paige
4. LUIS GUZMÁN
Full transparency, we had an internal debate about whether Luis Guzmán even qualified for this list. To some, he has transcended That Guy fame to the point that he’s as known by name as someone like John Turturro or Stanley Tucci. To others, he is the quintessential That Guy — meaning, despite a wide and varied career in television and film that started in 1977, how many times have you ever seen Guzmán’s face or name on a poster? How many times has a trailer stated, “starring Luis Guzmán?” How many major awards has he been nominated for? I’d love it if more people knew this national treasure by name, and I’d love it if he got all the flowers he deserves. However, if that were to happen, I probably wouldn’t get glorious cameos and unsung supporting roles in movies ranging from Waiting… to The Salton Sea, from We’re the Millers to Boogie Nights, from The Count of Monte Cristo to The Limey. I almost certainly wouldn’t get him quietly spicing up small screen offerings like The Resort, Oz, Godfather of Harlem, How to Make it in America, or Community. So, it doesn’t matter if you point and say “Luis!” or if you point and say “Oh, it’s That Guy!” whenever he pops up on screen. He is the ultimate epitome of what That Guys bring to the table. — Quentin
3. JOHN CARROLL LYNCH
One should be able to examine a small cross-section of an actor’s roles and understand their versatility, so let’s open the IMDB rolodex and look at a snapshot of John Carroll Lynch’s career: Ted 2, The Invitation, Hot Pursuit, and a critical episode of pathos in The Walking Dead. Of note, those all came out in 2015, and it shows that no one embodies that simple idea like JCL. Over the course of a career spanning more than three decades, his ability to pop up in large projects to add a dash of gravitas or terror or whatever is needed to round out the scene is unparalleled. I could give you The Drew Carey Show as Drew’s brother, or Fargo as Marge’s husband, or suspect Arthur Leigh Allen in Zodiac, or perhaps Mac MacDonald in The Founder…and I’m not even scratching the surface. Point being, Lynch has crescendoed on a myriad of occasions to be somebody different to everyone, and while cutting an imposing figure, his chameleon-like work has helped him weave in and out of Hollywood as someone you recognize but might not be able to identify: the hallmark of a classic That Guy. — Robert
2. KEITH DAVID
I know Keith David, first and foremost, as Elroy Patashnik in Community, where he was an incredibly hilarious addition to the close-knit study group in the show. In fact, his character likely saves Community’s final seasons from completely falling off. Aside from that, he has appeared in literally hundreds of film and television series over multiple decades, including Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and John Carpenter's The Thing in the 80s, Reality Bites and There’s Something About Mary in the 90s, and ER, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Nope, and The Lowdown since the turn of the century. Furthermore, he has a wonderfully distinctive and instantly recognisable voice. You’ve probably heard him as Goliath in Gargoyles, The Cat in Coraline, Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog, The President in Rick and Morty, Flame King in Adventure Time, or Lana Kane’s dad in Archer. You know who I’m talking about, right? Keith David is a legend that people may not be able to instantly name, but they’ve seen his face and heard the booming bass of his gruff voice more times than they can count. — Katie
1. JUDY GREER
If you’ve seen The Long Walk, you most likely thought, “of course that chick is in this.” If you paid attention to the vocal performances in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, you most likely said, “wait, I know that voice.” If you watched the most recent Halloween trilogy, or Jurassic World, or the Ant-Man movies, or Arrested Development, or War for the Planet of the Apes, or Two and a Half Men, or Archer, or… well, you’ve seen or heard Judy Greer. That’s because every movie needs a sister, a mother, an ex-wife, a cousin, or just someone to remind you of the people you love because they lowkey don’t bother you when telling you what you need to hear. Greer is “The Everywoman” in your family, and she does it with so much of… whatever it is a director needs in that family member at that time, be it cute goofball, bitter burnout, or a source of loving care. Despite a resume that boasts over 170 credits across screens big and small, she doesn’t have a career-defining role; however, she’s so good at what she does, she really doesn’t need one. She is the epitome of the unexpected range and quiet skill that every That Chick hopes to possess. — Amarú
HONORABLE MENTIONS
WILL PATTON
PETER STORMARE
ANN DOWD
STEPHEN ROOT
DAVID KRUMHOLTZ