' ' Cinema Romantico: 5 Actors Who Should Be In Everything

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

5 Actors Who Should Be In Everything

I was listening to the most recent episode of Ryan McNeil’s superb Matineecast and while there was much enjoyment and much information to be gleaned within its hour-plus, one sort of offhand remark, as is so often the case, struck my fancy. In discussing the Steve Carrell-starring magician opus “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”, Ryan made mention of co-star Alan Arkin and remarked that Arkin should be in everything.

That, as it had to, totally got me to thinking: what actors/actresses should be in everything? Today I crack the case.

5 Actors Who Should Be In Everything


Bruce McGill. Most recently glimpsed as Edwin Stanton, “Lincoln’s” Secretary of War, McGill has been acting since the year I was born. Mostly (always?) seen in supporting parts, he is not so much a chameleon as a utility man, willing to lend wherever and do whatever is necessary to make a finished film crackle. I don't necessarily go into a movie thinking "Gee, I hope Bruce McGill is in this" but every time I leave a movie featuring Bruce McGill I think "Why isn't he in everything?"


Mark Ruffalo. You know how back in your party-going days (apologies to those still in their party-going days) there was always that one dude who was at EVERY party? Like, even if you saw him, said goodbye, left the party and cut across town to this other party, he would somehow have already materialized at this other party? Mark Ruffalo is that guy but for actors. If you bought a ticket for a heavy-handed drama but then theater jumped the rest of the day and saw a rom com and an action adventure on the high seas of yore, he would somehow be in all three movies. Make that, he should be in all three movies, because he should be in everything.


Hope Davis. Adept, beautiful, charming and quirkily charismatic, it makes absolutely no sense to me why Hope Davis is not a Star's Star (which, of course, is precisely why it makes complete sense to me). If I ran Hollywood, Hope Davis would be Julia Roberts. And I would decree that Hope Davis should be in everything.


Kevin Corrigan. I confess I am possibly blurring the line between Actors Who Should Be In Everything and Actors I’m Always Happy To See. But then doesn't every film need that ne'er-do-well miscreant lurking in the shadows and off to the side? Or, at the very least, a shady copier repairman or a Proust-loving garbageman or an off-kilter bartender or the unemployed dude just sitting on the stoop? Of course it does. And that's why Kevin Corrigan should be in everything.


Marisa Tomei. Plain and simple and without discussion, Marisa Tomei should be in everything. No, no, no. You clearly don’t understand. Marisa Tomei should be in E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

My work here is done.

6 comments:

Andrew K. said...

The party going analogy works for Ruffalo because he also has this easy charm about him that makes it seem as if he's just slightly stoned most of the time. (see The Kids are All Right, You Can Count On Me)

Lexi said...

You forogt Eric Stoltz! Oh wait, he is already in everything, or at least he was in the 80s... And I agree with Ruffalo and Tomei, that would be fine by me!

Nick Prigge said...

Andrew: He does have a stoner's kinda drawl, doesn't he?

Lexi: Eric Stoltz is in everything, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean he SHOULD be in everything.

Alex Withrow said...

Love this. Bruce McGill is one of my favorite actors. He's such a beast in Mann's The Insider. Crushes that movie.

Hope Davis is another gem, all the time, every time.

And Marisa. That dear, sweet Marisa. What a doll.

Derek Armstrong said...

Don't forget that Bruce McGill is also in Animal House as D-Day.

Kevin Corrigan is totally a Proust-loving garbageman. My introduction to him was as the guy Catherine Keener refers to as "the ugly guy" in Walking and Talking ... naturally, he eventually hears this description of himself accidentally left on an answering machine message by Anne Heche.

Nick Prigge said...

Alex: Oh, that scene in The Insider is a revelation. I've written this before but when I saw it in the theater I'm pretty sure I didn't breathe while it was happening. If a man had only that in his canon he could to his grave happy, but lucky for us he has so much more.

Vance: I confess I'm not a huge Animal House fan. But I do remember him being in it.

See, that's why Kevin Corrigan is so brilliant! He's willing to take "ugly guy" parts. Respect.