Hey! It's That Guy!: The Fametracker.com Guide to Character Actors

I received this book as a gift, and gave another copy as a gift. I thought it was a lot of fun. It's really interesting and can be a bit addictive sometimes...

Thank you! The book made a wonderful Xmas gift for a friend of mine!

We've all got our favorites, those actors whose face we've seen a hundred times but just don't know the name. Well now a fantastic little book throws the spotlight on these famous faces in "Hey! It's That Guy!" from Quirk Books. The book profiles dozens of character actors who we've seen countless times in film and on TV but never knew their names. Sometimes the job of a character actor is a thankless one but this wonderful book finally gives many of them their due. The book is separated into chapters based on what type of role these actors generally play. And that is the thing that is was so surprising to me about the book...so many of these characters have played similar roles many times: Cops, lawyers, mobsters, prisoners, vamps, hicks, military personnel, etc... Writers Tara Ariano and Adam Sternbergh infuse the book with good-hearted humor as they introduce each actor. For example, Clint Howard is introduced as "Hey! It's that oddly menacing man-boy!" And then there is "Hey! It's that guy who you do NOT want to mess with!" when introducing silver-haired actor Frank Vincent, well-remembered for his role as mobsters in films such as Goodfella's and Casino. Each actor gets a one page profile (although some of the more noted character actors get two pages) with their most noted films and roles as well as some brief but interesting anecdotal information about them. So who can you expect to find in the book? Well how about Daniel von Bargen who has played dozens of police or military roles but who is most fondly remembered as Mr. Kruger, George Costanza's one time boss on Seinfeld. Victor Wong, who played the wise old Asian man, time and time again in films such as Big Trouble in Little China, Seven Years in Tibet, and The Last Emperor. One of my favorite character actors is Danny Trejo who has made a living playing tough guy roles, usually as a prisoner such as in Con-Air or Lock-up and also played the bartender in From Dusk Till Dawn. The book also has its own Hall of Fame, for the most distinguished character actors. The Hall of Fame members include: Vincent Schiavelli, the balding, droopy-eyed actor who has been seen in films such as Ghost, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Man on the Moon; Wallace Shawn that little, nebbish actor with the squeaky voice, perhaps best known as the voice of the T-rex in the Toy Story Films; and Edie McClurg, the red-haired body who played the school secretary in Ferris Bueller's Day off and the car rental agent who is the victim of Steve Martin's profanity-laced tirade in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. There are a few selections that are somewhat curious in that they have transcended character actor status to become full-fledged stars such as James Gandolfini and Steve Buscemi, but that's ok. This is truly a great book that any fan of TV or film will sure to enjoy. Reviewed by Tim Janson

This compact and well-written gem is a wonderful book for dipping into or reading through, with pictures and witty notes on key character actors, grouped into their comon habitat (Government, The Classroom etc). It's a joy to read, full of fascinating information and a great gift for any TV viewer or film fanatic. My only caveat would be that patners, housemates and friends of the reader may get annoyed with the constant cries of "So *that's* where I know him from!" or "Did you know?..." or "Have a look at this!" from enthusiastic readers!

Hilariously written, this book is also a must-have reference guide for any movie buff.