Marc's Achievements: Wednesday Night Ramblings - December 23 2015

The saddest part of the Oscars ceremony every year is the in memoriam segment. Seeing actors and filmmakers who died in the past year. These are reminders of the movies and tv shows we loved and the memories they brought us. This year it seems like there were a lot of “That Guy” actors who died. These are the people who generally play smaller characters but ones that are recognizable. In many ways they are my favorite actors. They make the most of their limited screen time and give us lasting memories. Everyone will remember Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Lee, but not necessarily these character actors. So let’s take a moment to look back at some “That Guys” we lost.

Fred Thompson

Best known as Trudeau, the head of the airport in Die Hard 2: Die Harder, he also played an admiral in Hunt for Red October and the Sherif in Sinister. He had a look that conveyed authority. In addition to being an actor, he was also a politician. He was a senator for Tennessee and ran for the Republican Party nomination in 2008.

Daniel von Bargen

One of the colorful characters from Seinfeld, he played George’s boss Kruger in the later seasons. He had a knack for playing both comedic as well as serious roles. He was in Super Troopers and Malcolm in the Middle on the comedic side but was also in Shaft and The X-files in more serious parts.

Ellen Albertini Dow

Not a name many will recognize, she was the rapping grandmother in The Wedding Singer. She did a lot of TV roles over the years. In a interesting coincidence, perhaps her other biggest movie role was in Wedding Crashers. She was the cool grandmother a lot of people wish they had.

Mary Ellen Trainor

Trainor has the distinction of having been a part of the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon franchises. She was a news anchor in Die Hard and was Riggs’s constantly suffering psychiatrist. She was a staple of 80s TV and movies and can be seen in many other projects such as Goonies and Cheers.

Robert Loggia

One of the greatest “That Guy” actors of all time, Loggia had a face that was immediately recognizable. Probably best known as Frank Lopez in Scarface, he played the General in Independence Day, the guy who danced with Tom Hanks on the piano in Big, the asshole grandfather in Over the Top, the list goes on and on. He has over 200 acting credits to his name. The man was an institution and he will be greatly missed.

Lego Jurassic World