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Most minor character actors are used up by a TV show and then spit out - never making it to the bigs. This is sort of like hoe millions of High Schoolers play Football or Baseball, but only a few make it to the collegiate level, and of those who do, only a few of them make it to the prows.
Challenge:
Name an actor who was a minor reoccurring character on a TV series who made it to the bigs.
Example of who is not an example: "Will Smith" Although he was on a TV show, he was never a minor character, he was the star.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
When I saw "George Clooney" I was about to hit the buzzer because I thought you were going to say "E.R." I didn't know he was on FOL? Thanks.
Also, while looking up Clooney, I was surprised to see that "Molly Ringwald" was also a minor character on that show. I don't know if she counts as a "star" though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
IMO, Kelsey Grammar, Yes.
Ron Howard, No (he starred in the show). However, he was a (relatively few time) RO character on both "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" and "Dennis the Menace" so, that would make him a Yes, I think.
Jim Neighbors, Yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
Halle, Yes.
Woody, No (he starred).
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
Nope. Sorry, these definitely don't fit the category.
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Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
Not a reoccurring character.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
I agree... ^^^ IMPO, although technically true, I don't think we should consider two appearances as reoccurring.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
He starred in "The Wire" even in the first season, but it is a moot point because he did reoccur in a few earlier series. So, he is in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
My reading of Leonardo Decaprio's credits says that he was in all 12 episodes of Parenthood - which was before Growing Pains. That is a regular cat member. Maybe not billed before the titles, but still not reoccurring. To me a reoccurring character is someone who shows up in a series more than twice, by less than 1/2 to 3/4 of the shows. Was his first work as a recurring, or as star of the show - single appearances in episodes wouldn't count (a la Robert Redford in Twilight Zone)? I think it is really that simple.
I also think that being a full cast member in a show and then later being a reoccurring does not fit this category. An example would be someone who was a lead character, and then 10 years later made a guest appearance in a couple episodes. Take someone like Caesar Romero, he starred in all episodes of "Passport to Danger" which to a lot of people is an unknown show. but later he reoccurred in 22 of the 120 Batman episodes, but you certainly wouldn't call him a nobody or upstart at this point.
The perfect person in this category is someone you would barely notice in a series, and then see him starring in a movie later and saying, "I think I have seen him before." Then a few days later noticing that he played a red shirt on three or four Star Trek episodes.
You say George Clooney is listed in the credits as a main cast role in "Facts Of Life," I cannot say, I have never seen that show. But looking at George's credits in IMDB shows him in only 17 of 202 episodes. 17 Episodes over three seasons. Just from that listing, I cannot see him as a star of that show. And as I said earlier, it is the first show with 3+ credits that determines if he fits the category. In this case he would...
But lets also discuss "E/R," which I also did not know existed... and when someone (was it you) mentioned this earlier, I thought they were speaking of the other "ER" where he starred as Doug Ross. Sorry about the confusion.
Leah Remini: Yes, She was a ROC in "Who's the boss." but then we rub up against the (admittedly arbitrary) 2 episodes issue, so that would disqualify her as ROC in Who's The Boss, but in "Living Dolls" she was in all episodes which is also not ROC. By the rules of this game, she would have been a star from the beginning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
Of course it is... I stated such several times in this thread.
But just like anything based on opinion that does not stop you from suggesting someone and others agreeing or disagreeing.
To be fair most of your posts were a statement of fact which in reality were only opinion. Only a couple of times did you mention it was your opinion.
This is a fun thread and it is cool to see the responses as long as you're not stating as fact what is and isnt a recurring character versus a star.
To be fair most of your posts were a statement of fact which in reality were only opinion. Only a couple of times did you mention it was your opinion.
This is a fun thread and it is cool to see the responses as long as you're not stating as fact what is and isnt a recurring character versus a star.
The only thing opinion in this thread is the definition of "made it", "star" and "reoccurring." All the rest of my posts ARE based on fact; reporting on the number of appearances an actor made in a series.
Glad you are (were?) enjoying the thread, I was too. Of those posts you listed, which are the ones where I am factually wrong and/or did not state it was opinion?
Last edited by blktoptrvl; 06-06-2017 at 05:47 PM..
My reading of Leonardo Decaprio's credits says that he was in all 12 episodes of Parenthood - which was before Growing Pains. That is a regular cat member. Maybe not billed before the titles, but still not reoccurring. To me a reoccurring character is someone who shows up in a series more than twice, by less than 1/2 to 3/4 of the shows. Was his first work as a recurring, or as star of the show - single appearances in episodes wouldn't count (a la Robert Redford in Twilight Zone)? I think it is really that simple.
I also think that being a full cast member in a show and then later being a reoccurring does not fit this category. An example would be someone who was a lead character, and then 10 years later made a guest appearance in a couple episodes. Take someone like Caesar Romero, he starred in all episodes of "Passport to Danger" which to a lot of people is an unknown show. but later he reoccurred in 22 of the 120 Batman episodes, but you certainly wouldn't call him a nobody or upstart at this point.
The perfect person in this category is someone you would barely notice in a series, and then see him starring in a movie later and saying, "I think I have seen him before." Then a few days later noticing that he played a red shirt on three or four Star Trek episodes.
You say George Clooney is listed in the credits as a main cast role in "Facts Of Life," I cannot say, I have never seen that show. But looking at George's credits in IMDB shows him in only 17 of 202 episodes. 17 Episodes over three seasons. Just from that listing, I cannot see him as a star of that show. And as I said earlier, it is the first show with 3+ credits that determines if he fits the category. In this case he would...
But lets also discuss "E/R," which I also did not know existed... and when someone (was it you) mentioned this earlier, I thought they were speaking of the other "ER" where he starred as Doug Ross. Sorry about the confusion.
Leah Remini: Yes, She was a ROC in "Who's the boss." but then we rub up against the (admittedly arbitrary) 2 episodes issue, so that would disqualify her as ROC in Who's The Boss, but in "Living Dolls" she was in all episodes which is also not ROC. By the rules of this game, she would have been a star from the beginning.
Ok.. so.. Then how do you handle, and I don't have a good example of this.. well.. MAYBE I do..
David Caruso.. 8 episodes of Hill Street Blues would probably qualify him.. but what's the 'breakout role"? NYPD Blue, where he was in 26 episodes, or CSI Miami? He was not a recurring character in NYPD Blue, he was the star. This is just to point out that you can't go by episode counts.
As for Clooney.. yeah.. There was an E/R before ER. And here's the opening of Facts. he was in the entire 7th season. He was billed as a recurring character in S8, where I think he appeared in one episode.
Most minor character actors are used up by a TV show and then spit out - never making it to the bigs. This is sort of like hoe millions of High Schoolers play Football or Baseball, but only a few make it to the collegiate level, and of those who do, only a few of them make it to the prows.
Challenge:
Name an actor who was a minor reoccurring character on a TV series who made it to the bigs.
Example of who is not an example: "Will Smith" Although he was on a TV show, he was never a minor character, he was the star.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Labonte18
Ok.. so.. Then how do you handle, and I don't have a good example of this.. well.. MAYBE I do..
David Caruso.. 8 episodes of Hill Street Blues would probably qualify him.. but what's the 'breakout role"? NYPD Blue, where he was in 26 episodes, or CSI Miami? He was not a recurring character in NYPD Blue, he was the star. This is just to point out that you can't go by episode counts.
As for Clooney.. yeah.. There was an E/R before ER. And here's the opening of Facts. he was in the entire 7th season. He was billed as a recurring character in S8, where I think he appeared in one episode.
Recurring characters are generally not billed in the opening credits.
Starring in a flop doesn't make you a success.. Quite the opposite, normally.
I would say that HSB Qualifies Caruso. As you said, he was in less than half the season eps. (I count 7) so that makes him a ROC, he later "starred" in the first seasons of NYPD Blue - that is until he self destructed. So HSB was before NYPD and he was ROC in HSB, so he is in.
Again, I asked about ROC that "made it". After they made it, for the purposes of this thread, nothing else they did matters after that. So, once again Clooney was ROC in "E/R" and a star in "ER" doesn't matter what he did after becoming a star.
Throughout the thread I have been reluctant to bring up members of famous families or those who have famous relatives. It is impossible to quantify whether this "recurring character who later made it big" was aided by their famous name, not just the reaction to their small role . It's like a built-in selling point on a thin (or non-existent) resume for a newcomer.
That's why I am ambivalent about George Clooney. Who's to say casting agents didn't hire him due to name recognition (his already-famous relatives)?
Throughout the thread I have been reluctant to bring up members of famous families or those who have famous relatives. It is impossible to quantify whether this "recurring character who later made it big" was aided by their famous name, not just the reaction to their small role . It's like a built-in selling point on a thin (or non-existent) resume for a newcomer.
That's why I am ambivalent about George Clooney. Who's to say casting agents didn't hire him due to name recognition (his already-famous relatives)?
The only famous relative I knew of was rosemary, was she still well enough known to help him, or was there someone else too?
I wouldn't say Grammar fits. He became a main cast member and had numerous A storylines devoted to his life. If Harrellson doesn't fit, neither does he, imo. In fact, Grammar is in 201 episodes to WH 200.
The only famous relative I knew of was rosemary, was she still well enough known to help him, or was there someone else too?
Considering she is still well known today, I would think the same was true 30+ years ago. She guest stared on ER where she won an Emmy, so maybe that was George's way of thanking her for helping him to get his career started. Two of her children were also in show business, so it doesn't seem like much of a stretch that her connections helped the three of them get started.
George Clooney's dad was in local news and was an evening anchor in LA around the time George started getting television roles, so he might have also gotten connections through him.
I wouldn't say Grammar fits. He became a main cast member and had numerous A storylines devoted to his life. If Harrellson doesn't fit, neither does he, imo. In fact, Grammar is in 201 episodes to WH 200.
Harrelson was hired as a main character to replace "Coach," he was never s guest or ROC. No.
Grammer was hired in the third season for 7 episodes - then got a bigger part in season 4. Yes.
Throughout the thread I have been reluctant to bring up members of famous families or those who have famous relatives. It is impossible to quantify whether this "recurring character who later made it big" was aided by their famous name, not just the reaction to their small role . It's like a built-in selling point on a thin (or non-existent) resume for a newcomer.
That's why I am ambivalent about George Clooney. Who's to say casting agents didn't hire him due to name recognition (his already-famous relatives)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl
The only famous relative I knew of was rosemary, was she still well enough known to help him, or was there someone else too?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundaydrive00
Considering she is still well known today, I would think the same was true 30+ years ago. She guest stared on ER where she won an Emmy, so maybe that was George's way of thanking her for helping him to get his career started. Two of her children were also in show business, so it doesn't seem like much of a stretch that her connections helped the three of them get started.
George Clooney's dad was in local news and was an evening anchor in LA around the time George started getting television roles, so he might have also gotten connections through him.
I think his connections got him in the door, as they say, but I don't ascribe too much to it later on.
His cousin (Miguel Ferrer), while a steady worker, had nowhere near the same success.
Of course, one could chalk that up to the genetic lottery, but regardless of how the ball got rolling, Mr. Clooney's leap to the big time is undeniable.
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