TVSquad: "Eight Character Actresses You Should Know"

[JamesG]

Eight Character Actresses You Should Know
by Jane Murphy
posted May 16th 2010


Where have I seen her before?
The answer: everywhere.


Here are eight of the hardest working character actresses on TV. We present two quartets of women whose faces, at least, are familiar.

After reading this, you won't be excused from calling any of them "Oh, her!"






1. Alison Brie





Classically trained at CalArts and still in her 20s, Brie specializes in "uptight and highly strung."

She plays the prim Annie on "Community", but might forever be known as the sensible wife Pete Campbell doesn't deserve on "Mad Men".


Like a true character actor, Brie knows that the physicality of her roles is what helps her distinguish between the two.

"Trudy has a different walk, she has a different voice. Annie carries herself differently, walks faster, does some things higher pitched, you know," she told TV Squad earlier this year.









2. Archie Panjabi





Her tough-as-nails role as Kalinda on "The Good Wife" is a total 180 from her work as silly Pinky in Bend it Like Beckham.

Before crossing the pond, she guest-starred on the original "Life on Mars" for BBC One.









3. Kate Burton





It's ironic that the daughter of one of the most famous actors of all time would be flying under the radar, but Richard Burton's daughter tends to inhabit supporting roles ("The Good Wife", "Rescue Me".)

Indelible (and an Emmy-winner) as Alzheimer's patient Dr. Ellis Grey on "Grey's Anatomy", Meredith's mother and mentor.









4. Suzy Nakamura





Most recently seen on "Castle" as a super-intense reality show star and prime suspect, Nakamura was Kat's principal on the just-canceled "10 Things I Hate About You".

Perhaps her best role to date: Inger, the most hilariously mental of Ted Danson's patients on ABC's group therapy sitcom "Help Me Help You".









5. Melinda Page Hamilton





The straw that stirred the martini in "Mad Men's" third season. Meet the real Don Draper's wife, who accepts a payoff and keeps the many secrets of Dick Whitman (Jon Hamm as Whitman and, well, "Don Draper.")

"Big Love" fans saw Hamilton as Malinda this year.

In 2006, she received raves starring in Bobcat Goldthwait's controversial cult comedy Sleeping Dogs Lie (AKA Stay.)









6. Merrin Dungey





Just cast in the new season of "Hung", Dungey has punched up punchlines in "The King of Queens" and most recently in ABC's appreciated but little-seen "Better Off Ted".

In the early '00s, she aced a rare dramatic role on "Alias" as Sydney's confidante Francie.

She also played Dr. Naomi Bennett in the backdoor "Private Practice" pilot on "Grey's Anatomy", a role that went to Audra McDonald when the series was picked up.









7. Lois Smith





Turning 80 this year, she got her start opposite James Dean in East of Eden.

While still working in features (Sweet Land and the current Please Give), she's one of TV's grande dames.

Portrays the granny on "True Blood" and has guest starred on all three "Law & Order" shows, including a "Criminal Intent" appearance as the mom of a deranged forger, played by Stephen Colbert – yes, Stephen Colbert.









8. Amy Sedaris





Bronzed and cross-eyed as incurable floozy Jerri on Comedy Central's beloved "Strangers with Candy".

Infinitely more attractive when guesting on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "The Middle".

She's also David Letterman's 21st century Teri Garr – a frequent guest who cracks him up – as well as the sister of humorist David Sedaris.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/16/ei...u-should-know/

[Retro4Life]

Wow, I am totally out of it. The only one I know is Sedaris and she kind of scares me, lol.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Wow, I am totally out of it. The only one I know is Sedaris and she kind of scares me, lol.

So I take it that you don't watch "Mad Men", "Big Love", "Castle", "True Blood", "The Good Wife", "Grey's Anatomy"...?

[Retro4Life]

Originally Posted by JamesG

So I take it that you don't watch "Mad Men", "Big Love", "Castle", "True Blood", "The Good Wife", "Grey's Anatomy"...?

No.

I don't get HBO so that rules out True Blood and Big Love. No interest in Grey's Anatomy, never heard of The Good Wife...but...I have heard good things about Mad Men and I know I should tune in. Likewise Castle, since I enjoy Fillion's work.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

No.

I don't get HBO so that rules out True Blood and Big Love. No interest in Grey's Anatomy, never heard of The Good Wife...but...I have heard good things about Mad Men and I know I should tune in. Likewise Castle, since I enjoy Fillion's work.

For me I watched "Grey's" when it first started and lost interest around 3rd-4th Season; I currently don't watch it as well as the spin-off "Private Practice".


Regarding HBO... that's why there's DVDs lol.

I love "Castle" and "Mad Men".. great shows.

[Retro4Life]

Originally Posted by JamesG

For me I watched "Grey's" when it first started and lost interest around 3rd-4th Season; I currently don't watch it as well as the spin-off "Private Practice".


Regarding HBO... that's why there's DVDs lol.

I love "Castle" and "Mad Men".. great shows.

I watched one episode of Grey's Anatomy about four years ago. I'm no prude but it was just ridiculous; a show about doctors that do little more than have sex and talk about having sex.

I hear ya on the DVDs. If I ever get enough time there's a ton of stuff out there I need to pick up.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

I watched one episode of Grey's Anatomy about four years ago. I'm no prude but it was just ridiculous; a show about doctors that do little more than have sex and talk about having sex.

I hear ya on the DVDs. If I ever get enough time there's a ton of stuff out there I need to pick up.

Well it's good to hear you're not a prude because if you thought "Grey's Anatomy" had a lot of sex... wait until you watch "True Blood".

[Retro4Life]

Originally Posted by JamesG

Well it's good to hear you're not a prude because if you thought "Grey's Anatomy" had a lot of sex... wait until you watch "True Blood".

LOL, yeah it wasn't the sex I objected to so much as the idiocy of having a show that is ostensibly about doctors ending up being more of a bedroom farce. I've gone to a lot of doctors over the years and very few of them looked like Patrick Dempsey or Katherine Heigl.

[catlover79]

I've never had ANY doctors who look like Patrick Dempsey or Katherine Heigl. Lois Smith is an actress I'm familiar with. I remember her appearance on SVU, as the mother of a mentally-challenged girl who had been raped and became pregnant. She was also Helen Hunt's Aunt Meg in my brother's favorite movie, Twister.

[Marvo301]

Much like Retro4Life the only one of these actresses I'm familiar with is Amy Sedaris. Unlike Retro4Life I am a fan of Amy's work. In fact just this past week I saw an episode of "My Name Is Earl" in which Amy played a cat woman who became a love interest for Earl's brother Randy. It was going well until Randy realized she was treating him like a cat instead of like a person. Anyways Amy was absolutely brilliant in the part. No one plays off beat, unusual, or "different" characters better than Amy Sedaris!