They Were Everywhere
The biggest movies of the 1990s belonged to stars like Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Harrison Ford, but VHS shelves were populated by another class of performer. These character actors and actresses appeared constantly, playing bosses, cops, parents, villains, neighbors, doctors, and wonderfully memorable weirdos.
Screenshot of James Rebhorn in 'Scent Of A Woman' (1992), Universal Pictures
M. Emmet Walsh
Few actors could make an ordinary supporting role feel more lived-in than M. Emmet Walsh. During the decade, he turned up in Narrow Margin (1990), White Sands (1992), A Time to Kill (1996), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), and Wild Wild West (1999).
Screenshot from Wild Wild West, Warner Bros. Discovery (1999)
Oliver Platt
Oliver Platt became almost impossible to avoid during the 1990s, and that was a good thing. He appeared in Flatliners (1990), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Beethoven (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), A Time to Kill (1996), and Lake Placid (1999).
Screenshot from Flatliners, Columbia Pictures (1990)
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside already had an imposing screen presence when the decade began. He played the villainous Richter in Total Recall (1990), then appeared in movies including Free Willy (1993), The Next Karate Kid (1994), Major Payne (1995), and Starship Troopers (1997).
Screenshot from Total Recall, TriStar Pictures (1990)
Ronny Cox
If a 1990s movie needed an authoritative man you probably shouldn't trust, Ronny Cox was an excellent choice. He opened the decade memorably as Cohaagen in Total Recall (1990), then appeared in Captain America (1990), Murder at 1600 (1997), and Forces of Nature (1999).
Screenshot from Captain America, 21st Century Film Corporation. (1990)
John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley brought an unmistakable intensity to supporting roles. His 1990s movie résumé included Point Break (1991), Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), On Deadly Ground (1994), Seven (1995), The Rock (1996), Nothing to Lose (1997), and Office Space (1999).
Screenshot from Office Space, 20th Century Fox (1999)
Bill Cobbs
Bill Cobbs had the kind of face that instantly suggested wisdom, authority, or both. During the decade he appeared in New Jack City (1991), The Bodyguard (1992), Demolition Man (1993), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), and That Thing You Do! (1996).
Screenshot from Demolition Man, Warner Bros. Pictures (1993)
David Paymer
David Paymer could slide effortlessly between comedy and drama. Movie renters saw him in City Slickers (1991), Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Quiz Show (1994), Get Shorty (1995), The American President (1995), Amistad (1997), and Payback (1999).
Screenshot from Mr. Saturday Night, Columbia Pictures (1992)
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky practically defines the phrase "character actor." During the 1990s, he appeared in Bird on a Wire (1990), Thelma & Louise (1991), Sneakers (1992), and Groundhog Day (1993), where his relentlessly cheerful insurance salesman Ned Ryerson became unforgettable.
Screenshot from Thelma & Louise, MGM (1991)
James Rebhorn
James Rebhorn specialized in men who seemed respectable, powerful, officious, suspicious, or some combination of all four. His extraordinary 1990s run included My Cousin Vinny (1992), Scent of a Woman (1992), Carlito's Way (1993), Independence Day (1996), and The Game (1997).
Screenshot from Scent of a Woman, Universal Pictures (1992)
Steven Weber
Television audiences knew Steven Weber as Brian Hackett on Wings, but movie renters encountered him too. During the decade he appeared opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female (1992) and turned up in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). He also played Jack Torrance in ABC's 1997 television miniseries The Shining.
Screenshot from Single White Female, Columbia Pictures (1992)
Beth Grant
Beth Grant became one of Hollywood's most dependable supporting players, often making a strong impression with relatively little screen time. Her 1990s movies included Flatliners (1990), Child's Play 2 (1990), Speed (1994), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), and A Time to Kill (1996).
Screenshot from Flatliners, Columbia Pictures (1990)
Mike Starr
Large, imposing, and instantly recognizable, Mike Starr was frequently cast as tough guys, criminals, and working-class characters. The 1990s gave him memorable parts in Goodfellas (1990), Billy Bathgate (1991), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), and James and the Giant Peach (1996).
thepaparazzigamer, Wikimedia Commons
Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano was already an established character actor, but the 1990s kept him extremely busy. He appeared in The Fugitive (1993), Baby's Day Out (1994), Bad Boys (1995), Bound (1996), and U.S. Marshals (1998), among numerous other movies.
Screenshot from The Fugitive, Warner Bros (1993)
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller possessed a special gift for playing men who could irritate you almost immediately. During the 1990s, audiences encountered him in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), Bingo (1991), Wayne's World (1992), Calendar Girl (1993), Stuart Saves His Family (1995), and Pushing Tin (1999).
Screenshot from Wayne's World, Paramount Pictures (1992)
CCH Pounder
CCH Pounder's commanding presence made her equally convincing as an authority figure, professional, or formidable adversary. Her 1990s movie work included Postcards from the Edge (1990), RoboCop 3 (1993), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995), and Face/Off (1997).
Screenshot from RoboCop 3, MGM (1993)
Glenne Headly
Glenne Headly could make supporting characters feel as important as the people at the center of the story. She began the decade as Tess Trueheart in Dick Tracy (1990), then appeared in Mortal Thoughts (1991), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), and 2 Days in the Valley (1996).
Screenshot from Mortal Thoughts, Columbia Pictures (1991)
Luis Guzmán
Luis Guzmán seemed purpose-built for the 1990s wave of eccentric crime movies. He appeared in Carlito's Way (1993), The Cowboy Way (1994), Boogie Nights (1997), Out of Sight (1998), The Limey (1999), and Magnolia (1999), becoming increasingly recognizable with every role.
Screenshot from The Cowboy Way, Universal Pictures (1994)
William Fichtner
William Fichtner arrived in movies relatively late but wasted little time becoming ubiquitous. His extraordinary second half of the decade included Heat (1995), Strange Days (1995), Contact (1997), Armageddon (1998), and Go (1999), frequently playing intense men under considerable pressure.
Screenshot from Armageddon, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (1998)
Philip Baker Hall
Philip Baker Hall had been acting for decades before 1990s audiences started seeing him everywhere. He played Sidney in Hard Eight (1996), appeared in The Rock (1996), then delivered memorable supporting performances in Boogie Nights (1997), The Truman Show (1998), and Magnolia (1999).
Screenshot from Hard Eight, The Samuel Goldwyn Company (1996)
William H. Macy
William H. Macy went from dependable supporting player to one of the decade's most recognizable character actors. He appeared in Benny & Joon (1993), The Client (1994), Fargo (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Pleasantville (1998), and Magnolia (1999).
Screenshot from Magnolia, New Line Cinema (1999)
J.T. Walsh
J.T. Walsh was so convincing as unpleasant authority figures that seeing him in the cast could immediately make you suspicious. His 1990s credits included Misery (1990), Backdraft (1991), A Few Good Men (1992), The Client (1994), Sling Blade (1996), and Breakdown (1997).
Screenshot from Breakdown, Paramount Pictures (1997)
Joan Cusack
Joan Cusack was famous enough to earn major award nominations, yet she remained one of the decade's great supporting weapons. She appeared in Toys (1992), Nine Months (1995), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), In & Out (1997), Arlington Road (1999), and Runaway Bride (1999).
Screenshot from Toys, The Walt Disney Company (1992)
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Shawn needed only a few minutes onscreen to make a movie more memorable. During the 1990s he appeared in Shadows and Fog (1991), The Cemetery Club (1993), Clueless (1995), and Toy Story (1995), providing the voice of the insecure dinosaur Rex.
Screenshot from Clueless, Paramount Pictures (1995)
Dan Hedaya
Dan Hedaya was another master of the instantly recognizable supporting performance. His 1990s movie credits included Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), The Addams Family (1991), Rookie of the Year (1993), Clueless (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), and A Night at the Roxbury (1998).
Screenshot from The Addams Family, Paramount Pictures (1991)
Bob Balaban
Bob Balaban's wonderfully understated delivery made him perfect for academics, executives, professionals, and nervous authority figures. During the decade, he appeared in Alice (1990), Little Man Tate (1991), Bob Roberts (1992), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and Cradle Will Rock (1999).
Screenshot from Waiting for Guffman, Sony Pictures Classics (1996)
Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti wasn't yet the leading man audiences would later know, which makes spotting him in 1990s movies especially entertaining. His supporting credits included Sabrina (1995), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Man on the Moon (1999).
Screenshot from Man on the Moon, Universal Pictures (1999)
Allison Janney
Before becoming a household name through The West Wing, Allison Janney quietly accumulated the kind of movie résumé that makes old VHS-era films fun to revisit. She appeared in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), The Associate (1996), Primary Colors (1998), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), and American Beauty (1999).
Screenshot from Miracle on 34th Street, Twentieth Century (1994)
Parker Posey
Parker Posey became so closely associated with 1990s independent cinema that she earned the nickname "Queen of the Indies." Movie renters encountered her in Dazed and Confused (1993), Party Girl (1995), Waiting for Guffman (1996), You've Got Mail (1998), and Scream 3 (2000) at the end of the decade.
Screenshot from Dazed and Confused, Universal Pictures (1993)
Gary Cole
Gary Cole finished the decade with two roles that perfectly demonstrated his character-actor range. He appeared as the quietly menacing Wayne in A Simple Plan (1998), then became the passive-aggressive nightmare boss Bill Lumbergh in Office Space (1999), creating an enduring comedy character.
Screenshot from Office Space, Twentieth Century Fox (1999)
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Before becoming one of America's most acclaimed actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman was the familiar supporting guy turning up everywhere. His 1990s films included Scent of a Woman (1992), Twister (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Happiness (1998), and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).
Screenshot from Scent of a Woman, Universal Pictures (1992)
Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi became considerably more recognizable than the stereotypical anonymous character actor, but his 1990s résumé epitomizes the phenomenon. He appeared in Miller's Crossing (1990), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Fargo (1996), Con Air (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), and Armageddon (1998).
Screenshot from Miller's Crossing, Twentieth Century (1990)
Xander Berkeley
Xander Berkeley was seemingly everywhere before many viewers learned his name. His remarkable 1990s run included Internal Affairs (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Candyman (1992), A Few Good Men (1992), Apollo 13 (1995), Heat (1995), Air Force One (1997), and Gattaca (1997).
Screenshot from Candyman, TriStar Pictures (1992)
Bruce McGill
Bruce McGill had already been working for years when the 1990s supplied another parade of recognizable roles. He appeared in The Last Boy Scout (1991), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Cliffhanger (1993), A Perfect World (1993), Timecop (1994), Courage Under Fire (1996), and The Insider (1999).
Screenshot from My Cousin Vinny, Walt Disney Studios (1992)
Michael Jeter
Few character actors could shift from eccentric comedy to heartbreaking drama as effortlessly as Michael Jeter. Moviegoers saw him in The Fisher King (1991), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Waterworld (1995), Air Bud (1997), Mouse Hunt (1997), Patch Adams (1998), and The Green Mile (1999).
Screenshot of Michael Jeter from 'The Green Mile' (1999), Warner Brothers
Dale Dickey
Dale Dickey wouldn't become truly ubiquitous on movie screens until later, but her distinctive face began appearing during the 1990s. Her early film roles included Regina in The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), Judith in Running Wild (1995), and Jenny in The Journey of August King (1995).
Richard Riehle
Richard Riehle was practically built for the age of VHS rentals, usually appearing as the cop, official, boss, or exasperated working guy who somehow felt instantly familiar. His 1990s credits included Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Of Mice and Men (1992), The Fugitive (1993), Free Willy (1993), Casino (1995), Executive Decision (1996), Mercury Rising (1998), and Office Space (1999), where he memorably played disgruntled employee Tom Smykowski.
Of Mice and Men (4/10) Movie CLIP - Candy's Old Dog (1992) HD by Movieclips
David Morse
David Morse could play decent, dangerous, wounded, or quietly intimidating characters without ever seeming to repeat himself. After The Indian Runner (1991), he appeared in The Good Son (1993), The Crossing Guard (1995), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Rock (1996), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Contact (1997), and The Green Mile (1999), where he played corrections officer Brutus "Brutal" Howell.
Screenshot of David Morse in 'The Green Mile' (1999), Warner Brothers
John Carroll Lynch
John Carroll Lynch's movie career was still relatively new when he suddenly became one of those actors viewers recognized even if they couldn't immediately supply his name. His movie career began with Grumpy Old Men (1993) and The Cure (1995) before playing Marge Gunderson's wonderfully supportive husband Norm in Fargo (1996). He then appeared in Beautiful Girls (1996), Volcano (1997), Face/Off (1997), Mercury Rising (1998), Pushing Tin (1999), and Anywhere but Here (1999).
Screenshot of Frances McDormand and John Carroll Lynch in 'Fargo' (1996), MGM
Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn spent the 1990s quietly assembling an astonishing résumé of authority figures, government officials, fathers, and put-upon regular guys. He appeared in Blue Steel (1990), The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), Hot Shots! (1991), Chaplin (1992), Dave (1993), Nixon (1995), Chain Reaction (1996), Godzilla (1998), Small Soldiers (1998), and Stir of Echoes (1999).
Screenshot of Kevin Dunn in 'Dave' (1993), Warner Brothers
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