Bald, bad complexion, menacing, sandpaper voiced, beady-eyed actor - who are you?
June 25, 2011 1:59 PM   Subscribe

Bald, bad complexion, menacing, sandpaper voiced, beady-eyed actor - who are you?

I thought this guy was on "Breaking Bad" but after scouring all of the episode cast listings on IMDB I couldn't find him. The actor in question is bald, beady-eyed with a bad complexion, a voice that sounds sandpapery and just screams "evil" and usually plays some form of henchman. He may not have been on "Breaking Bad" but I've seen him as a henchman/cleaner/bad guy in some form of fish-out-of-water drug dealing show/movie before. I thought he might have been on "The Wire" or "The Sopranos" but doesn't appear to be listed in the episode credits.

In keeping with the vagueness I seem to remember this guy having this line in a movie/show when asked about drug dealing/illegal activity by a naive person involved in his illegal activity - "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a businessman."

Apologies for being so vague but this has been driving me batty today!
posted by playertobenamedlater to Media & Arts (76 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mr. Svenning?
posted by humboldt32 at 2:10 PM on June 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


You might be thinking of Danny Trejo. He's not bald, but he's got the bad complexion, he was in Breaking Bad, and he has played bay guy/henchman in lots of movies and series.
posted by bjrn at 2:11 PM on June 25, 2011


Oh, checking out that quote, I found "I'm not your problem. I'm a business man." which is said by Christopher Walken in the role of Frank White in King of New York.
posted by bjrn at 2:14 PM on June 25, 2011


The guy who plays the cleaner on Breaking Bad is Jonathan Banks.
posted by Addlepated at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2011


Oh, here's a great monologue from him - Half Measures.
posted by Addlepated at 2:21 PM on June 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: It's none of the guys mentioned, sadly. The guy I'm thinking about looks like a much more menacing version of Billy Ripken.
posted by playertobenamedlater at 2:24 PM on June 25, 2011


Clint Howard?
posted by mudpuppie at 2:27 PM on June 25, 2011


Vinnie Jones?
posted by (alice) at 2:31 PM on June 25, 2011




Michael Chiklis?
posted by carmicha at 2:36 PM on June 25, 2011


Jackie Earle Haley?
He wasn't in Breaking Bad but he was is Breaking Away.
(Not usually bald, though)
posted by Glinn at 2:55 PM on June 25, 2011


Could he be my friend Michael Shamus Wiles?
posted by Vaike at 3:10 PM on June 25, 2011


Messed that up, sorry: Michael Shamus Wiles
posted by Vaike at 3:11 PM on June 25, 2011


J K Simmons?
posted by jessicapierce at 3:12 PM on June 25, 2011


Ray Liotta?
posted by Room 641-A at 3:13 PM on June 25, 2011


Zeljko Ivanek of True Blood, Damages, Oz, 24, Homicide?
posted by bcwinters at 3:27 PM on June 25, 2011


Lance Hendriksen?

Michael Ironside?
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:28 PM on June 25, 2011


Slaine?
posted by milkrate at 3:31 PM on June 25, 2011


Tommy Lee Jones?
posted by seawallrunner at 3:32 PM on June 25, 2011


The always menacing Daniel Benzali?
posted by Iosephus at 3:50 PM on June 25, 2011


Response by poster: Daniel Benzali is like an older version of the guy I'm thinking about.
posted by playertobenamedlater at 4:08 PM on June 25, 2011


I assume you aren't looking for Dean Norris, who plays the DEA agent on Breaking Bad, right?
posted by mullacc at 4:14 PM on June 25, 2011


Response by poster: Correct, the guy I'm thinking about plays a dude with a very dark and dry sense of humour, not a jovial loudmouth like Hank.
posted by playertobenamedlater at 4:20 PM on June 25, 2011


Edward James Olmos?
posted by aloiv2 at 4:23 PM on June 25, 2011


Ben Kingsley?
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 4:29 PM on June 25, 2011


Response by poster: Should have mentioned this earlier - he's a white American and is probably is his early 40s.
posted by playertobenamedlater at 4:33 PM on June 25, 2011


He's a bit older than that, but John Malkovich almost fits the bill and has pretty much that line in "In the Line of Fire".
posted by GeckoDundee at 4:41 PM on June 25, 2011


Sorry, scratch that. On searching, it's actually Clint Eastwood's line (though Malkovich's character pretends to be a businessman).
posted by GeckoDundee at 4:45 PM on June 25, 2011


Peter Stormare? As soon as you mentioned Ripken, the eyes reminded me of him.
posted by notquitemaryann at 4:47 PM on June 25, 2011


Miguel Ferrer?
posted by moons in june at 4:48 PM on June 25, 2011


I've got to throw this out there, just based on looks: Vin Diesel?
posted by Room 641-A at 5:12 PM on June 25, 2011


(alice) mentioned Vinnie Jones, but I didn't recognize him from the imdb page... here's him as Bullet Tooth Tony in Snatch.

"And the fact that you've got 'Replica' written down the side of your guns, and the fact that I've got 'Desert Eagle point-five-oh' written on the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence. Now … f**k off."
posted by Tom-B at 5:52 PM on June 25, 2011


His usual onscreen persona doesn't really fit, but all of the photos you're responding to make me think of Pruitt Taylor Vince.
posted by so_gracefully at 6:07 PM on June 25, 2011


Billy Zane?
posted by misha at 6:26 PM on June 25, 2011


Paul Ben-Victor?
posted by TheRedArmy at 6:27 PM on June 25, 2011


Michael Chiklis?
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:30 PM on June 25, 2011


Response by poster: A cross between Daniel Benzali and Michael Chiklis.
posted by playertobenamedlater at 6:33 PM on June 25, 2011


Kind of a stretch other than in the looks department: Michael Cerveris?
posted by bcwinters at 6:42 PM on June 25, 2011


The picture of Jonathan Banks above is about 10 years old.

Jonathan Banks today.

Is that possibly him?
posted by tzikeh at 6:51 PM on June 25, 2011


Hang on -

Terry O'Quinn?
posted by tzikeh at 6:55 PM on June 25, 2011


Robert LaSardo?
posted by tzikeh at 6:57 PM on June 25, 2011


How about Wade Williams? (I'm really enjoying this, by the way)
posted by bcwinters at 6:59 PM on June 25, 2011


Response by poster: Not Jonathan Banks or Terry O'Quinn, those guys don't look they'd eat your soul like the guy I'm talking about.

Robert LaSardo is an awesome dude, but not the one I'm looking for unfortunately.
posted by playertobenamedlater at 6:59 PM on June 25, 2011


Do his characters kill people? Work alone, or with others? Are you sure it's drugs? Can you picture someone who was with him in a scene at some point?

Man, now *I'm* going crazy.
posted by tzikeh at 7:09 PM on June 25, 2011


Blake Shields? It's a stretch, but he was a bad guy on heroes, etc.

And John Malkovich is older, of course, but he does say, "i'm a businessman" in In The Line of Fire and he is the ultimate evil creepy dude. But he is usually head creepy dude, not a henchman.

Could you be thinking of another show, like Treme?
posted by misha at 7:12 PM on June 25, 2011


Jason Statham?
posted by amyms at 7:16 PM on June 25, 2011


Oh! Greg Antonacci was in the Sopranos and is in Boardwalk Empires on HBO!
posted by misha at 7:17 PM on June 25, 2011


Response by poster: I've seen this guy as a lieutenant/righthand man of an evil dude. I really wish I could remember what I saw this guy in 'cause it's driving me crazy!
posted by playertobenamedlater at 7:17 PM on June 25, 2011


Oops my "Jason Statham" link went to Ross Kemp. Jason Statham's not bald, he's got stubble.
posted by amyms at 7:21 PM on June 25, 2011


How about John Polito?
posted by Glinn at 7:29 PM on June 25, 2011


Robert Davi?
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:30 PM on June 25, 2011


Michael Rooker?
posted by Glinn at 7:34 PM on June 25, 2011


Kojak?
posted by yoyo_nyc at 7:40 PM on June 25, 2011


Paul McCrane?
posted by bondcliff at 7:52 PM on June 25, 2011


Lawrence Bayne?
posted by amyms at 7:55 PM on June 25, 2011


Eric Winzenried?
posted by amyms at 8:05 PM on June 25, 2011


We must know!
posted by Glinn at 8:07 PM on June 25, 2011 [1 favorite]


Maybe the Bald of Evil page at TV Tropes will help?
posted by Room 641-A at 8:27 PM on June 25, 2011


Argh, I can picture the guy the OP's talking about. Y'all need to concentrate on the beady eyes thing. Think black eyes, or really dark brown. Not a pretty guy. Slopinging back forehead. Completely bald (or shaved head, funny shaped head, not a handdsome head). I'd say closer to 55 (of course, I might have thought up a completely new evil balding guy with a bad complexion!) Acne damaged skin. I picture him in super cheesy bad guy roles along the lines of Austin Powers (but not in that movie -- just cheesy over the top type roles -- maybe James Bond).

Sorry, this isn't helpful at all!!
posted by bluesky78987 at 10:42 PM on June 25, 2011


It's "that guy"
posted by sleeping bear at 12:34 AM on June 26, 2011


Ok, this has been bugging me all night. Is the guy tall and not slightly built and does he have prominent light-colored lips and are his eyes small, black and really deeply set? Cause this is who I'm picturing... And of course I don't know his name... Always plays baddies.
(off to try to find out his name)
posted by likeso at 1:44 AM on June 26, 2011


Best answer: I finally figured out who the actor in question was (Dan Moran) and where I had seen him (FX's "Lights Out").

IMDB Page

Headshot

Sorry for driving everyone insane with this!
posted by playertobenamedlater at 4:41 AM on June 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


Nope, not who I was thinking of. So now I've got my own name-that-face niggle to worry at. Heh.
posted by likeso at 5:56 AM on June 26, 2011


playertobenamedlater...? I'm here to eat your soul. What a curious post. Someone forwarded this to me, so I felt I should answer. The last show I worked on was Lights Out, but FX has canceled the show. There were some nasty things in store for my character, but will never see the light of day. I myself am battling Parkinson's disease, so you probably won't see my bald, sloping head around much anymore. Very amusing thread to read.
posted by rudan49 at 12:46 PM on June 27, 2011 [151 favorites]


Welcome, Dan! Good to see you.
I'm so sad to hear about your health... will you be able to do any work at all, or are you just too shaky and hurting?

Also, Meta.
posted by likeso at 1:02 PM on June 27, 2011


Just watched your demo reel, Dan. You've done some great work.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:12 PM on June 27, 2011


Your scenes in Happiness never fail to crack me the hell up.
posted by hermitosis at 2:16 PM on June 27, 2011


So awesome you turned up in this thread Dan! Welcome to Metafilter! (Would like to suggest what I think is the best hospital in NYC, to suggest NYPresbyterian Hospital for your treatment and or the Dept. of Neurology at Columbia Pres. Hospital and online support groups, like this one or this if you're in Brooklyn.)
posted by nickyskye at 2:17 PM on June 27, 2011


Dan, "I'm here to eat your soul" is probably the best opening line anyone at this website has ever had. Seriously awesome. Welcome!
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:18 PM on June 27, 2011 [14 favorites]


Wow, thanks all for the care and advice. I hope casting people can see beyond the PD to cast me in more roles, but most are very short sighted. Plus, I'm over 50 and the roles diminish. Just the nature of the beast. I had hoped to act until I drop, but we shall see. I'm concentrating on my writing right now, and a production of Beckett's "ENDGAME" with another actor here in NYC who also has PD.... Should be trippy. Thanks to nickyskye for the advice, but I'm with a tremendous doctor at NYU Parkinson's Center named Dr. DiRocco.. Top notch. Again, thanks for the mice words. But, can someone explain this site? Are people from all over the world? Can you just ask any question in the world here? Hip me, if you will.
posted by rudan49 at 1:33 AM on June 28, 2011 [3 favorites]


Hip me, if you will.

I wonder if this might be the new "Administrator! Please hope me!"

(in-joke)

There is a wiki that explains a lot of things.

And recently a Beckett thread on The Blue.

Stick around, there are lots of nice people here. And, yes, from all over the world.

Can you just ask any question in the world here?
This is a slightly more complicated question to answer. You can ask any question that can be answered - questions that are open-ended ("What's your favourite tree!?") are not well liked. With extreme, as they say, prejudice.

Best wishes for Endgame.
posted by Grangousier at 2:08 AM on June 28, 2011


I only joined in February, so I'll still a newbie (n00b) here - but I'll kick things off.

This is the question section of the online community blog called MetaFilter. It was created in 1999 by Matt Haughey, and started off with pictures of cats in scanners. (Cats are still very popular here.) It is based in the US, so the language is English and the majority of members (I think around 70%) are American, but MeFi has members of many nationalities and ethnicities around the globe. The politics are generally left-leaning and atheist members are very vocal, but there are enough right-leaning and religious members that there are good discussions. Sometimes. ;) Among the 50,000-some-odd members, around 13,000 are active, posting interesting finds on Internet to the blue, MeFi section. Discussion ensues, which can get heated. The site is moderated, but with a light touch. Only nasty personal attacks - and double posts - get deleted. You can use colorful language of any stripe and though the c-word is frowned upon, I have seen it used and undeleted.

If the discussion gets too heated, it may get taken to the gray, MetaTalk section, where things are even less moderated and metacommentary takes place, and where the site itself and functionalities are also discussed. And there can be much silliness.

Here, in this green question section, called AskMetaFilter, you can indeed ask any question you like. MeFi members include doctors, musicians, plumbers, psychologists, writers, particle physicists, translators, truck drivers... AskMe is more heavily moderated to keep the comments on task = answering the poster's question. But folks can ask very personal questions, involving deeply felt issues, so the mods are also quicker to delete a comment that seems aggressive or snarky.

There are also sections dedicated to Music and Projects and Jobs and IRL (In Real Life, for meetups), and also sister sites like MetaChat, but I've rambled on long enough. Here's a link to the "About" section, but there's more information in the wiki entry and on the Wikipedia page.

Stick around awhile, Dan. You'll like it.
posted by likeso at 2:10 AM on June 28, 2011 [4 favorites]


(didn't mean to step on your answer, Grangousier! and hoping other members-of-long-standing aren't annoyed at my presumption and will show up to fill in the blanks :)
posted by likeso at 3:13 AM on June 28, 2011


Response by poster: Wow, talk about crazy.

Dan - My memory was a bit hazy when I posted this or I would have described you a bit differently. My apologies for getting a few things wrong in your description for the question (i.e. bad complexion, beady-eyed). I'm also sorry I failed to mention how totally bad ass and menacing you were on "Lights Out"; I really looked forward to seeing where your character was going to go had the show continued on. Regardless, you, Holt, Stacy, Elizabeth Marvel and Pablo Schreiber really did a great job on that show.

By the way, your line from "Happiness" - "You're right, you're right. It's too late" - gets a lot of mileage from me at work. Take care, be well and don't be a stranger around Metafilter!
posted by playertobenamedlater at 4:28 AM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


Welcome to MetaFilter, Dan! I hope you don't mind, but I've just added you to What a Face, my Tumblr gallery of character actors with interesting faces.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:00 AM on June 28, 2011


I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack. So, I looked around the site, checked out a few people, fell down some rabbit holes, but overall I think this is a pretty cool site. So I'll be around...
@faint of butt - not at all do i mind... some terrific actors in your gallery. Some pretty frightening ones too..
@ playertobenamedlater - thanks, I have also gotten some mileage off that line in Happiness. As for LIGHTS OUT that really hurt when FX canceled as we were going to see a lot more of Gus in Season 2.
@grangousier - thanks for the leads and advice on the site. The beckett thread has a great interview with Beckett and John Lennon, if it's even real. Very funny.

Thank you to all, I am now a member .
My favorite tree is the Weeping Willow.

Dan
posted by rudan49 at 7:06 AM on July 3, 2011 [7 favorites]


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