Unknown Actor Appreciation: Christopher McDonald

Actor: Christopher McDonald

Age: 55

You know him from: Thelma & Louise, Grumpy Old Men, Quiz Show, Happy Gilmore, Flubber, The Perfect Storm, Spy Kids 2

I want to punch Christopher McDonald in the face. Hard. And that's a compliment. He plays smarmy and condescending better than most people I've seen. It's almost too good a fit- I often wonder what type of guy he is in real life. I doubt he deserves a punch.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Xander Berkeley

Actor: Xander Berkeley

Age: 54

You know him from: Over 170 (!) productions, including Sid and Nancy, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Candyman, Apollo 13, Heat, Air Force One, Amistad, and Taken

I hadn't realized just how many roles Xander has played over the years. I certainly enjoyed watching him take a blade through the head in Terminator 2, though. Mostly, I'm distracted by Berkeley's eyes, which always seem as bloodshot as Ben Browder's (Farscape).

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Cliff Curtis

Actor: Cliff Curtis

Age: 41

You know him from: Rapa Nui, Once Were Warriors, Three Kings, The Insider, Training Day, Whale Rider, Sunshine, Live Free or Die Hard

I'm an unabashed fan of Cliff Curtis, even if now and then I forget his name. A native of New Zealand, his portrayal of Porourangi in Whale Rider is in perfect union with the performances of Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rawiri Paratene. It's a magical film, and remains one I can't watch with dry eyes. Beyond this performance, however, Curtis also shines brightly in a wide array of blockbusters. Watch him now! His next role is Firelord Ozai in The Last Airbender.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Richard Jenkins

Actor: Richard Jenkins

Age: 63

You know him from: Silverado, Sea of Love, Absolute Power, Snow Falling on Cedars, The Core, The Kingdom, The Visitor

He was nominated for a best lead actor Academy Award for The Visitor, yet somehow his name slips your mind. Richard Jenkins more than earn his way onto this list with a long series of roles, and a familiar face.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: William Fichtner

Actor: William Fichtner

Age: 53

You know him from: Strange Days, Contact, Armageddon, Black Hawk Down, Blades of Glory, The Dark Knight, Prison Break

Fichtner is often chosen for morally ambiguous roles, which he plays quite well. Do you like him? Do you hate him? He allows for both, at times in the same character. I've decided to like him. Your results may vary. Either way, although his name may slip your mind, his performances won't.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: David Morse

Actor: David Morse

Age: 56

You know him from: St. Elsewhere, Twelve Monkeys, The Rock, Contact, The Green Mile, Disturbia, The Hurt Locker

Yes, it's him. You know, that guy. David's calm, reassuring demeanor makes him a perfect choice for supporting roles. He's like your uncle Fred, but drinks less. And he always has your back.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Glenn Morshower

Actor: Glenn Morshower

Age: 51

You know him from: Everything, including Under Siege, The River Wild, Air Force One, Godzilla (1998), JAG, CSI, Black Hawk Down, both Transformers movies, and Friday Night Lights

Face it, Morshower has played nearly every military and law enforcement role in the last 25 years- at least those not played by Raymond Cruz. And, like Cruz, he's also found his way into a slew of sci-fi shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Enterprise, The X Files, Babylon 5, and Quantum Leap. Way to go!

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Raymond Cruz

Actor: Raymond Cruz

Age: 48

You know him from: The Rock, A Clear and Present Danger, Alien: Resurrection, Training Day, The Closer

In military and law enforcement roles, Cruz is a familiar face. I'm having a tough time seeing him as nearly fifty years old now, though. Sheez, am I getting old, too? Raymond also has managed to play small roles in two of my favorite sci-fi shows, The X-Files and Deep Space Nine.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Billy Drago

Actor: Billy Drago

Age: 63

You know him from: Pale Rider, The Untouchables, Guncrazy, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr, The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Few actors creep me out to the extent Billy Drago does. His look, his voice, and his actions in film combine in some odd way to keep me on edge. He's just... off. Odd. Unsettling. For no better example, watch the scene in The Untouchables where Drago's character, Frank Nitti, tells Eliot Ness, "...your friend died screaming like a stuck Irish pig." It's downright creepy.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Name: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Age: 59

You know him from: The Last Emperor, License to Kill, Rising Sun, Mortal Kombat, The Phantom, Pearl Harbor, Planet of the Apes (2001), Elektra, Memoirs of a Geisha

For 24 years, Tagawa has been the "Oh, it's that guy!" of Japanese-American actors. With a physique as impressive as his stage presence, Cary-Hiroyuki makes quite an impression. He's also credited with creating a martial art, Chuu-Shin, influenced both by Japanese and Native American cultures.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Delroy Lindo

Actor: Delroy Lindo

Age: 57

You know him from: Malcolm X, Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Ransom, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Core, Sahara

Delroy's size and commanding presence make him a perfect choice for detective or military officer roles, both of which he has played many times over the years. Eric's guilty pleasure alert: Check out an early Lindo part in The Blood of Heroes, a science fiction movie which also features Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Tcheky Karyo

Name: Tcheky Karyo

Age: 56

You know him from: The Bear, La Femme Nikita, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Bad Boys, Goldeneye, The Messenger, The Patriot, The Core, and any other production needing a French character (and can't afford Jean Reno)

Tcheky is truly international. Turkish/Greek by birth, he was raised in France, and began his long film career in 1982. I've liked him in nearly everything I've seen him in, even if I didn't enjoy the movie itself. Not quite as ubiquitous as Jean Reno, he nonetheless fills a similar role in American productions.

Uknown Actor Appreciation: Richard Libertini

Actor: Richard Libertini

Age: 77 (Today! Happy birthday, Richard!)

You know him from: A long string of television shows, The In-Laws, All of Me, Awakenings, Nell

Libertini's television resume reads like a best-of list from several decades. Highlights: That Girl, Mary Tyler Moore, The Jeffersons, Quincy, Bionic Woman, Soap, Bob Newhart, Laverne and Shirley, Moonlighting, Family Man, Murphy Brown, Lois and Clark, Murder She Wrote, Deep Space Nine, Law and Order, Monk, Numb3rs, Supernatural. Good lord! Richard Libertini, you have just been appreciated!

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Vincent Schiavelli

Actor: Vincent Schiavelli

Age: 61

You know him from: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Amadeus, Ghost, Batman Returns, Man on the Moon

Schiavelli's character acting skills have been second to none for decades. Beyond memorable film roles, he also has managed to brighten the small screen in an impressive array of popular television series. Highlights include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Miami Vice, The X-Files, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Burton Gilliam

Actor: Burton Gilliam

Age: 71

You know him from: Blazing Saddles, Gator, Back to the Future Part III, Evening Shade, Wild Bill

His name might not ring a bell, but Burton Gilliam's squinty-eyed grin and Texas twang are impossible to forget. His smile has shone in over 80 film and television roles, mostly as cowboys or small-town characters.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Mickey Jones

Actor: Mickey Jones

Age: 68

You know him from: Any film needing a biker, trucker, or mechanic- including National Lampoon's Vacation, Starman, Total Recall, Sling Blade

It's everyone's stereotypical biker, Mickey Jones! From beard to boots, Mickey's place on this list is obvious. He's instantly recognizable to most movie fans, yet until today, I didn't know his name. Thanks, Mr. Jones, for taking the "Fat Biker" role on The Rockford Files in 1979, and never turning back.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Ronny Cox

Actor: Ronny Cox

Age: 71

You know him from: Deliverance, Taps, Robocop, Total Recall, The Agency

I love to hate Ronny Cox. He plays bad so well that it's tough to accept how likeable he seems in real life. Brandishing a trademark sneer, Cox dares even the toughest hero to stand in his way. As a real-life musician, Ronny is equally at home with guitars and banjos, and has earned a reputation as a likeable, charismatic performer.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Bruce McGill

Actor: Bruce McGill

Age: 59

You know him from: Animal House, MacGyver, Timecop, Courage Under Fire, The Insider, Cinderella Man

In 1978, Bruce McGill played in a little film called Animal House, and has been knocking around Hollywood ever since. His broad smile and increasing waistline have appeared in over 130 film and television productions, working with an impressive array of leading men and women.

Unknown Actor Appreciation: David Warner

Actor: David Warner

Age: 68

You know him from: Time After Time, Time Bandits, TRON, Star Trek films and television, Titanic, Planet of the Apes (2001)

To Star Trek and genre fans, David Warner is far from unknown. His name may not ring such a bell with the rest of the world, however. Never one to turn down a bit role or chance to add his voice to animation, Warner is a veteran of nearly 200 productions. Not to be confused with Malcolm McDowell!

Unknown Actor Appreciation: Marshall Bell

Actor: Marshall Bell

Age: 67

You Know Him From: Everything from Total Recall to Starship Troopers to Rescue Dawn

No matter how many years and roles pass, I always picture Bell with Kuato sticking out of his chest in Total Recall. He's a veteran of more than 100 productions, often as a military man. He was sliced up in Nightmare on Elm Street 2, smeared by a hopper bug in Starship Troopers, and whacked by a robot in Virus. What's not to like?