Classic Character Actor: Don Knotts

I came to Don Knotts by way of Matlock. In Season 3, he moves in next door to Matlock, playing basically an older version of Barney Fife.

After watching Don Knotts on Matlock, I put myself through a time wrap and checked out The Andy Griffith Show, and there was Don Knotts, absolutely fall-down hilarious.

The thing that impresses me so much about Don Knotts is his versatility. I've written elsewhere that we American media aficionados should be careful of assuming that British-Is-Always-Better. However, there is one thing that British television does do par excellence. Both American and British comedies will often have a comic character who is the butt of all the jokes. In American television, it seems like these characters are ALWAYS the butts, ALWAYS stupid, ALWAYS ridiculous. In British television, these characters will also often be right.

Red Dwarf accomplished this flexibility with Rimmer, played by Chris Barrie (which I wrote about here). The Andy Griffith Show astonishingly accomplishes this with Don Knotts. He's odd, quirky, occasionally vainglorious, romantic, sensitive, shrewd, and, most of all, intrinsically sweet and kind.

One of my favorite episodes is "Andy on Trial." Barney's boasts to a girl get Andy in trouble. The moment Barney realizes what has occurred, he immediately corrects the misinformation that he inadvertently passed on. His serious--yet entirely in character--monologue at the end of the episode always impresses me. Like so many actors from this era, Don Knotts was a remarkably multi-faceted actor.

And some of my favorite parts of The Andy Griffith Show occur when Barney and Andy play music (Andy Griffith was a music guy before he was an actor guy; like with many of these early television shows, the actors go back to Broadway and/or music). Although Barney is supposed to be a "bad singer" (several episodes have him trying to join the local choir), his nasally voice and harmonica work perfectly alongside Andy's guitar and what has been described as Andy's "low tenor and a soft baritone."

Some of the most touching moments in Matlock occur when the two men kick back in the living room and pay tribute to those bygone days when they sang together on Andy Taylor's porch.

Sci-Fi Cameos: Braving the Stigma

If you watch television long enough, you begin to realize that there are different acting tracks. For example, actors on mystery shows continually do mystery shows; actors on sci-fi shows continually do sci-fi shows. This is probably partly due to recommendations between casting directors and partly due to the "resume" that an actor builds up over the years.

Sci-fi and fantasy are far more respectable now than they used to be, but for years, every actor in Hollywood wanted to break into "real" television or movies, i.e. drama. Hence, Shatner and Nimoy's desperate attempt, after Star Trek: The Original Series, to lose the "captain" and the ears. (Nimoy did a far better job gracefully accepting the inevitable; Shatner has sort of come around.)

It would not be until Jonathan Frakes that an actor would frankly admit, "This is exactly the career I want." (DeForest Kelley felt the same way--he just wanted the work--he just never said so very loudly.)

However, despite its rise in respectability, sci-fi and fantasy still have a stigma--as they do in higher education. The days of trying to separate genre sci-fi from "literary" sci-fi are beginning to fade, but the issues are still there. Patrick Stewart was able to (partly) break free of the Star Trek "stigma" because (1) he'd had a fairly strong pre-Star Trek career; (2) his fans were willing to let him go (in fact, Trekkies are rather proud of Stewart's Shakespearean proclivities); (3) he's British, and British television is a smaller world that allows for greater flexibility, not because it is inherently flexible but simply because Dr. Who actors need to be able to do Agatha Christie and costume dramas (even Hugh Laurie could probably go back to doing Austen if he really wanted).

Still, I have always held a special place in my heart for those non-sci-fi track actors in Hollywood who show up on sci-fi shows. Granted, sometimes they just need the work, but sometimes, they really do love sci-fi and voluntarily make appearances.

Kelsey Grammer: Star Trek: Next Generation, "Cause and Effect." He took the part of Captain Bateson while he was doing Cheers, a year before Frasier. To continue the fun, Frasier episodes include a boatload of Star Trek references. In general, the Trekkie on Fraiser (Noel) is the butt of those jokes, but the sheer number of jokes reflects a profound knowledge of the franchise.

Wayne Brady: Stargate SG-1, "It's Good to Be King." I get a kick out of Wayne Brady's willingness to do just about anything from Whose Line Is It Anyway to Robot Chicken to How I Met Your Mother. He really does seem to have fun no matter what. He doesn't even sing on SG-1; he just plays a bad guy!

Whoopi Goldberg: Star Trek: Next Generation. The story of how Whoopi Goldberg told LeVar Burton she wanted to be on Trek but he didn't think she was serious until she kept insisting has been told elsewhere (and better). It is still impressive that she appeared so consistently on the show. Star Trek: Next Gen, despite various faults, has remarkable casting (and is the Star Trek that I've invested in the most).

Speaking of Star Trek, two actors with wonderful voices (and long television careers) who show up throughout the franchise are James Sloyan and Alan Scarfe. But then, they've done everything.

Another wonderful sci-fi guest star is Saul Rubinek. He may be better known, now, for his work on Leverage, but he did appear in one of Next Generation's classic episodes "The Most Toys." He also does a great job in SG-1's "Heroes."

I rather adore Alan Rachins (Dharma's dad on Dharma & Greg). He's another working actor. He's appeared in a wide range of material from L.A. Law to Lois & Clark to SG-1. He wants to work, so he works. He doesn't turn up his nose at doing a voice for the Spectacular Spider-Man!

James Cromwell could have stuck to the drama circuit if he'd like but he did several Star Trek: Next Generation episodes in the early 1990s and from that point on, more and more sci-fi shows appear on his C.V. (and of course, he IS Cochran!).

Ending where I started, another Cheers/Frasier alumnus, Bebe Neuwirth makes a guest appearance on Star Trek: Next Generation in the very funny episode "First Contact." No, she doesn't play the scientist. She plays the utterly obsessive "fan" (who wants to sleep with an alien: Riker). The role is hilarious because Neuwirth plays it straight. And she doesn't act anything like Dr. Sternin!

British Character Actor: Selina Cadell

Selina Cadell is one of those actresses who pops up over and over again in BBC material from Poirot to Miss Marple to Jonathan Creek to you-name-it. She is probably best known, at least in the United States, for her performance as the neck-brace-wearing Mrs. Tishell in Doc Martin.

She is one of those actors that can do just about anything, although she usually does comedy, and do it well and unpretentiously and consistently. I adore actors and actresses like this. In truth, if I was an actor, I'd want this type of career--consistent, decent work rather than all the hoopla of stardom

Cadell does do comedy most often, and she does quiet sardonic humor better than most people. I encountered her first in Miss Marple's Pocket Full of Rye as Mary Dove. She has a great voice--very crisp--and in this Agatha Christie drama, she manages to effortlessly convey her utter contempt for her employees.

As Mrs. Tishell, she is unbelievably hilarious. Her performance is understated, almost off-the-cuff, making her comments even more hilarious. Like Martin Clunes, she has spot-on comedic timing.

Apparently, she recently appeared in a new Father Brown, which I am quite anxious to get my hands on. I am sure she will be in many, many shows to come! In the meantime, I do recommend her as Caroline Sheppard in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The part calls for comedy and pathos, and she does both excellently. 

Why I Still Miss Michael Moriarty on Law & Order

Matter-of-fact Michael Moriarty as A.D.A. Ben Stone

Michael Moriarty played Ben Stone on the first four seasons of Law & Order. I love mystery shows (I'm a mystery addict!) and Law & Order supplies a truly awe-inspiring number of mystery stories (20 seasons!) but after Moriarty left, Law & Order just wasn't the same for me. I rewatch the first four seasons quite often. I rarely watch anything from the later seasons.

I was sad when Richard Brooks left; I was disappointed when Chris Noth left. But Michael Moriarty's departure was the make-or-break moment for me. Unfortunately, the adorable Steven Hill (Adam Schiff), the gentlemanly Jerry Orbach (Lennie Briscoe), and the regal Carolyn McCormick (Dr. Elizabeth Olivet) weren't enough to keep me watching. (If Fred Dalton Thompson had showed up earlier, he might have been.)

Michael Moriarty played Ben Stone as a man passionately and seriously committed to the law--to him, law is a workable way to solve problems of justice. He has a unrelenting sense of moral rightness that nevertheless never morphs into self-righteousness.

In "Wages of Love," for example, Stone decides to take manslaughter off the table, forcing the jury to choose between acquittal and murder. When Adam and Robinette comment on how nervous he is, Stone replies, "I never done anything this potentially stupid before."

Moriarty delivers the line with wry self-awareness. There is something highly endearing about his dry, almost staccato delivery. He comes across as achingly real as do the first four seasons of the show.

In contrast, Waterston (and every other Law & Order D.A. except the underused Courtney Vance) comes across as overly dramatic. I CARE! I FIGHT AGAINST WRONG! I WANT TO GET THE BAD GUYS! So much angst and heart-ache and angry yelling. *Sigh.*

Moriarty as Stone was fully capable of portraying wrath without histrionics. In one of best episodes of the first season, "Sonata for Solo Organ," he shows his dissatisfaction with various characters in crisp, non-melodramatic ways:

Defense attorney: What's it going to take to make you happy, Stone?
EADA Ben Stone: The Mets in the Series, peace on Earth, and Dr. Reberty in Danamorra.

Joanna Woodleigh: If you prosecute him, he’ll die. I know he will. And for what? Mr. MacDaniel is going to be a very wealthy man.
Ben Stone: With only one kidney.
Joanna Woodleigh: Just like I have, Mr. Stone. The hope is we’ll both live long and happy lives.
Ben Stone: Please believe me, I’m glad you’re healthy again. I know how close to death you were. But, Ms. Woodleigh, do you really think your father would have acted any differently, if you had needed a heart instead of a kidney?

The other nice thing about Stone is that he can convey warmth without, again, yelling or doing the sad eyes thing. One of my favorite examples comes again from Season 1, "The Troubles," when Stone elicits testimony from a British woman whose husband and children were killed by a terrorist bomb. After she finishes, he uncurls her hands and presses his palms to hers; it is very touching.

Another favorite example comes from "Skin Deep" in Season 3, starring the excellent Claire Danes, Stone listens to this teenager's heart-breaking story of misuse by an older man. Stone is no pushover--he's perfectly willing to put kids in jail. In this case, he recognizes how cruelly the girl was treated. When her lawyer asks that she be remanded for treatment, he bobs his head, seemingly too choked up to talk.

These touches of gentleness are quiet, demonstrative rather than DEMONSTRATING. With Waterston, I always feel like I'm being lectured. With Moriarty, I feel like I'm watching a real guy work through the political and ethical and practical problems of his case.

I really miss Michael Moriarty. I think he defined the first seasons of Law & Order. Without him, the show was never quite as direct or gritty or strong.

Great Character Actor: Alicia Coppola

Alicia Coppola shows up in a lot of mystery shows--therefore, I see Alicia Coppola quite a lot. She's been an exasperated good guy on Monk; a ruthless vindictive wife on Law & Order: Criminal Intent; a heartless villain on CSI:LV; she's shown up on NCIS and JAG and even Star Trek: Voyager.

What I like most about Coppola is that no matter what part she is playing, she IS that part. There's no bleeding through from other parts. In contrast, whenever the very talented John Glover shows up on a show, he is always creepy, strange guy with an agenda. Every time.

But Coppola as a villain is entirely villainous; as vindictive, entirely vindictive; as innocent, entirely innocent. I never think of other roles while she is on the screen although I certainly recognize her!

My favorite Coppola role is Lt. Cmdr Faith Coleman on NCIS and JAG. Coleman is an intelligent, self-possessed attorney who keeps an immaculate desk and very sharp pencils. There's a great scene between Coppola and Michael Weatherly ("Unsealed") where Dinozzo teases Coppola:

Tony: Is that your idea of a sharp pencil? You know which one I’m talking about. Not gonna poke anyone’s eye out with that one.

As Tony is leaving, Coleman picks up a fistful of pencils and checks their tips. "Now, that's funny!" Tony calls from the door, but Coleman just shrugs, satisfied that all her pencils are indeed quite sharp.

And I like to see actresses with freckles. It somehow makes them so endearing and relatable!

Great Character Actor: Jerry Hardin

I have always had a fond place in my heart for the working actor, writer, artist, musician--you know, not the BIG, FAMOUS, ON THE COVER OF PEOPLE celebrity, but the actor with the consistent, long-ranging career. For example, one of my all-time favorite actors is Gary Jones who played Sgt. Walter Harriman on Stargate SG-1. He had about 1-2 lines per episode (in one commentary, he mentions that he was reading a book when the camera started rolling, but it worked into the episode). See, that's the kind of career I would want in Hollywood--a good, fun job that earned me a decent income while letting me do a little bit of what I loved.

Jerry Hardin (1929 - ) is way at the top of my list. He has this raspy voice with a Southern accent. He plays villains, sweetie-pies, and odd-balls, all with charm and a dry manner. He was Deep Throat on X-Files (several episodes), the next-door farmer in Lois & Clark (one episode). Famously, he was Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) in Star Trek: TNG's "Time's Arrow" (in which Brent Spiner and Hardin steal practically every scene). I first became aware of him in Star Trek: TNG (then backtracked some of his earlier performances). He shows up in Scarecrow & Mrs. King, JAG,  The Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: Voyager. Basically, if it has been on television, he's done it. (But not Columbo or Stargate SG-1 unfortunately.)

I think I like him best in X-Files (it's hard to choose!). As Deep Throat, he employs his special brand of ultra-dryness more than in his other roles--in which he acts more riled and clueless (but always, always, always charming). As Deep Throat, he conveys the perfect mix of ambiguity, amusement, detachment, and fear that fits Carter's direction; he also plays well opposite Duchovny and William B. Davis (Cigarette Smoking Man).

Not to mention, the character's name is perfect: after all, that voice! Hardin definitely earns the term: unforgettable character actor.