We all remember the Cary Grants, George Clooneys, Al Pacinos, Robert DeNiros and Brad Pitts - and as wonderful as they all are, a great film they do not make - at least not on their own. Likewise, when it comes to making a difference, or working on an action, not everyone can get the glory. And a solid team is always stronger than one person working alone.
In honor of this, I give you - the Top 10 Actors Consistently in Supporting Roles. Often called character actors, the men below all did their part in smaller roles to make many films much more memorable.
Of course there a ton I didn’t mention - contribute to the discussion and leave your vote in the comments section. And if you want to learn how you can be a team player and TakePart, 
and sign up here at TakePart.com to join actions and meet folks you can work with and support in making the world a better place.
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1. Ned Beatty : His first role, in Deliverance (1972), set the stage for Ned Beatty to become someone that would entertain us quite frequently. With smaller roles in films that include Network, Superman, All the President’s Men, He Got Game and most recently Charlie Wilson’s War, Ned Beatty is one of the best examples of how being a team player can make the team (in this case “the movie”) something truly amazing. Below is a clip from his great performance in Network.
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2. Walter Brennan : Perhaps best known for his roles in The Westerner, Kentucky, Come and Get it and Sergeant York (he won best supporting Oscars for the first 3), Walter Brennan may not be a household name, but he is definitely a household face (esp in the 30’s,40’s and 50’s). He’s in the clip below and I’ll give you a hint - he’s the one that isn’t Bacall or Bogart.
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3. Martin Balsam : He’s been in a ton of movies, but Martin Balsam first stole my heart as Milton Arbogast in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. His walk up Norman Bates’ stairs is perhaps one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema. But of course he’s done more than just walk up the wrong staircase. Beyond Psycho, Balsam had great turns in 12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Martin Scorsese’s remake of Cape Fear among many other films.
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4. Alfred Molina : If you don’t know his name, I guarantee you know his face (you did see Spiderman 2 right?). My favorite Alfred Molina appearances are from Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, Raider’s of the Lost Ark, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, and his Boogie Nights (for which there is an amazing clip below).
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5. Ward Bond : Among his most memorable roles are John L. Sullivan in Gentleman Jim (1942), Det. Tom Polhaus in The Maltese Falcon (1941) John McIvers in Johnny Guitar and the Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnson Clayton The Searchers (1956) (clip below). Good friend of John Wayne and John Ford, Ward Bond made a lot of movies much more enjoyable. Despite his involvement in 1950’s blacklisting in Hollywood, Bond made a lot of great contributions to the screen.
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6. Frankie Faison : As of late, Faison entertained us as Ervin Burrell on The Wire (a testament to ensemble acting if there ever was one) but he’s been around a long time, popping up here and there to make a film better. Notable film roles include appearances in Do The Right Thing, Coming to America and all 3 of the Hannibal Lector films (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon). The clip below is a Season 3 recap of The Wire - so don’t watch if you haven’t seen it!
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7. Luis Guzman : Best known for his appearances in Paul Thomas Anderson’s films, Guzman has made his mark all over the place, including in Fast Food Nation, The Limey and Traffic. His performances always stand out - don’t believe me, watch the two below!
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8. William Sanderson : I first got to know who William Sanderson was when I fell in love with Deadwood and his performance as E.B. Farnum. After that I noticed him in more and more movies, including Blade Runner, Coal Miner’s Daughter and Raggedy Man. The clip below is one of my favorite scenes ever.
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9. Andy Devine : With a high pitched raspy voice you’ll never forget, Andy Devine always makes me laugh. You may recognize him from How the West Was Won, Stagecoach, The Red Badge of Courage and my favorite Andy Devine film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. A clip from Liberty Valance is below, Andy comes in towards the end, you won’t be able to miss him!
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Known as the man with the sad eyes, you have almost definitely seen Schiavelli in a film. Beyond his work with Milos Forman in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Taking Off, Amadeus and The People vs. Larry Flynt, Schiavelli also had roles in The Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Better Off Dead, Batman Returns and Ghost - for which there is a clip below (try to ignore the dubbing):
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Honorable Mention : Chris Cooper - Who doesn’t love Chris Cooper? Truth be told I had a hard time narrowing the list down and had to include him and the clip below.
