Ted Levine

When The Silence of the Lambs came out, it was Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster that received all of the awards and acclaim, but it was Ted Levine's brave performance as Buffalo Bill  that proved to be the scariest parts of the movie.

Based on that film alone, the talent of this actor is obvious. And why he ended up featured today on this blog instead of starring in the next big Hollywood drama is a question that will forever linger on my mind.

Probably best known by the mainstream public as Captain Stottlemeyer on Monk, that role doesn't really showcase the depth and creativity that Ted Levine can and has brought to his many film and television characters.

My guess is that after his breakout role in The Silence of the Lambs, Hollywood wanted to type cast him as a crazy. Ted Levine has since spent a career playing against that type and if you see any of his work, especially Georgia, Wonderland or the HBO movie, From the Earth to the Moon, you will realize that Buffalo Bill was just one of many wonderful roles that this talented actor has played, and the reason he's featured today on Not Very Famous...but should be.

Jeremy Slate

From biker films to soap operas, Perry Mason  to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and a couple of run-ins with John Wayne, Jeremy Slate was an actor that not only appeared in everything, but stood out as well.

From the late 1950's to the early 1990's, this wonderful actor steadily worked in major television shows and movies. And even though he played a wide variety of roles, he seems to be remembered most for his westerns and biker films like the original True Grit, various episodes of Bonanza and Gunsmoke and the drive-in classics, Hell's Angels '69, The Mini Skirt Mob and The Born Losers.

His villains were viciously likeable and his good guys were flawed, which always made for great drama and sometimes campy fun. In the early 1980's he reinvented himself as a soap opera actor appearing for eight years on One Life To Live before going back to movies and television shows like The Lawnmower Man and his final guest starring role in an episode of My Name is Earl.

He was never a household name, but his work (and there is a lot of it) has stood the test of time. His films and television guest starring performances are worth seeking out and when one views his career, it will become very evident why Jeremy Slate is the pick a the day for Not Very Famous...but should be.

David Morse

David Morse is well known within the industry, but his name never seems to be on the lips of the mainstream public. Why? Good question.

He's hard to miss as the crippled bartender in his very first movie, Inside Moves, as well as Doctor Jack Morrison in his first television show, St. Elsewhere. He starred in Sean Penn's powerful first two directorial features, The Indian Runner  and The Crossing Guard,  as well as memorable roles in The Green Mile, Dancer in the Dark and The Hurt Locker.

On the smaller screen, he's had two Emmy nominations. One for his recurring role on House, and the other for playing George Washington in the HBO miniseries, John Adams. Not to mention critically acclaimed performances off Broadway and on.

So why is David Morse not on the lips of movie and television lovers everywhere? That one is a head scratcher. I guess in the minds of the masses, a team player with a good, solid acting presence, takes a back seat to being an acting-on-the-surface movie star. Congratulations Mister Morse. You've made your profession proud.

Merritt Butrick

In 1989, with a promising career ahead of him, actor Merritt Butrick died from AIDS at the young age of 29. Some say it was drug use, others say it was his lifestyle. However, the only true fact worth arguing over, is that if he had not been sick, his career may have gone far.

He's most remembered for the critically acclaimed, but little seen high school themed sitcom from 1982, Square Pegs, as the new wave geek, Johnny Slash. In that series, Merritt Butrick consistently upstaged his co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Tracy Nelson and Jami Gertz. Had the show caught on, his character most likely would have gained mainstream status and like Fonzie on Happy Days, just might have turned into the star of the series.

He also appeared as Captain Kirk's physicist son, David Marcus in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, as well as the hillbilly son of Barbara Hershey in another critically acclaimed, but little seen project called Shy People.

At the time of his death he had recently received critical praise on stage for his role as a male prostitute in the play Kingfish. It's likely that he would have returned to films or television and eventually graduated to more adult roles. But like so many talented actors that have died at a young age - we'll just never know.

Brenda Vaccaro

Brenda Vaccaro is one of those Broadway actresses from the 1960's that went on to guest appearances in television, then landed a memorable supporting role in an Oscar winning film, which lead to more obscurity in television and movies that most people have never heard of.

This is the life of a working actor and Brenda Vaccaro is one of the many that has paid her dues and rewarded her audiences with consistently solid work that the masses have not seen. That Oscar winning film was Midnight Cowboy and that was followed by an equally good performance in the less popular, I Love My Wife, and then like so many gifted artists before and after her, she never quite made it to the star level.

Instead, she made average television shows like Banacek and forgettable movies like Capricorn One a little better than they should have been. With her husky voice and earthy portrayals, Brenda Vaccaro stands out in everything she does. Why she never became a bigger star is something I'll never understand.

In 1975 she was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Once Is Not Enough, but the fact that the movie itself wasn't very good did not help in getting her on the Hollywood A-list. Brenda Vaccaro is still working and if you should happen to see her name in the credits, you should stick around to watch her performance. Chances are you'll be impressed.

Michael Wright

Michael Wright is quite possibly the most underrated actor working today. His gritty, streetwise characters are so convincing it's hard to believe that he's actually just an actor playing a role. And I'm not just talking about a couple of movies. He's been working in front of the camera since 1979.

The main reason that's he's not more well known is most likely because he's never really been in a box office or television ratings hit. He's come close. Especially with his portrayal of Eddie King, Jr. in The Five Heartbeats. Had that film been a box office success, it's likely that more mainstream work would have followed.

He's also been seen on the small screen as well with regular roles in the mini-series, V and the HBO prison drama, Oz. The bottom line is that Michael Wright is an actor, not a movie star. He's often billed fifth or sixth, but don't let that fool you. His work is every bit as memorable as the person whose name is in front of the title.

So if you happen to be looking for some energetic, serious acting by a hard working professional, check out the work of Michael Wright. Just make sure that The Five Heartbeats and Robert Altman's little seen, Streamers, are at the top of your viewing list.

Richard Jaeckel

If you're looking for an actor that had both The Dirty Dozen and Baywatch on his resume, than you need to look no further than Richard Jaeckel. With over fifty years in television and movies, this overlooked character actor succeeded in a business that many can't find steady work in. And had he not died of Cancer in 1997, chances are he would have continued doing solid work in both mediums for many more years.

His roles were often supporting or smaller, even though they seemed much bigger. This may have been due to his boyish face and stocky build, which provided a much needed contrast to the good-looking, acting-on-the-surface, perfect body types that have always polluted the industry.

However, he had more than just an interesting look. He had the talent to go with that and his subtle charm and easy going way always managed to tug at your heart whether he was playing a good guy or bad. From his early work in Guadalcanal Diary and Come Back Little Sheba,  to his Oscar nominated performance in Sometimes a Great Notion, Richard Jaeckel proved that you didn't have to be a movie star to stand out in a picture. And stand out he did. Time and time again.

Any person either starting out, or still hanging on in the business can only benefit from watching the work of Richard Jaeckel. What they will find is an actor that put what was needed to make the scene work ahead of his own ego. And in doing that he made his own performance and the projects he was in, much better.

Stanley Kamel

Stanley Kamel is probably best known as Dr. Charles Kroger, the psychiatrist from Monk, and while that role probably gave him his most mainstream visibility, it was his talent as an actor that kept him employed.

With the exception of just a couple of films, Stanley Kamel spent most of his forty years in the business on television in supporting guest starring roles that ranged from the soap opera, Days of Our Lives  to Hill Street Blues  and Cagney and Lacey  to Beverly Hills 90210. And it was through his many guest starring roles in television that he showed the entertainment profession what being a working actor really meant.

I still remember his guest starring role in several episodes of LA Law as the gay man who killed his sick lover to relive his suffering, and that was some twenty years ago. And whether he played a good guy or bad, he was just as memorable in every role he played - large or small.

Unfortunately, this wonderful actor is no longer with us. He died suddenly of a heart attack on April 8, 2008. And while mainstream fame never found him, audiences that stumble upon his work never forget. Stanley Kamel is truly what being an actor is all about. He did his job. He did it well and he quietly moved on to the next project. The quality and volume of his work that he left behind says it all.

Daniel Stern

Daniel Stern's face is more recognizable than his name. And to look at his early work it's hard to figure out why he is not more well known. His film career started with a bang with a very funny supporting role in the Oscar nominated coming-of-age film, Breaking Away. From there one would have thought that bigger roles would follow, but he spent the next couple of years with very small roles in little seen films like Starting Over and A Small Circle of Friends.

It wasn't until several years later with another supporting role in the film Diner, that Daniel Stern was noticed once again.. And from there it looked like his career would soar with wonderful  performances in films like Blue Thunder and C.H.U.D.

That didn't happen, but it did eventually lead to some more exposure in the popular films, City Slickers, Home Alone and both of their sequels. From there he went on to probably his most famous role - that of the narrator on the popular television show, The Wonder Years.

All of his work is proof that he is not only a great second banana, but also worthy of carrying a film with his quirky likeable characters. Why he isn't working in more mainstream movies or starring in a television series is the real question though, and the reason Daniel Stern is Not Very Famous...but should be.

John Beck

Like so many actors before him, John Beck was first seen on television guest starring in many top programs of the time like Bonanza and Mission Impossible. Then in the early 1970's after supporting roles in Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, Woody Allen's, Sleeper and the futuristic thriller, Rollerball, he appeared to be on his way to movie stardom.

And the movie that was supposed to make him a star was The Other Side of Midnight. Unfortunately for John Beck, there was this other film called Star Wars  that came out around the same time and stole all of the focus.

It was then back to television for John Beck where he continued guest starring on television shows and eventually landed the lead role in the forgettable prime time soap opera, Flamingo Road. It was another prime time soap opera a few years later called Dallas  that would give him his most exposure. Unfortunately his character, Mark Graison, was killed off and he never became the household name that many thought he would be.

His career is a typical one in Hollywood. He, like so many other good actors had the looks and the talent to become a major star and for one reason or another they were never able to stay on the A list for very long, which makes John Beck the pick of the day for Not Very Famous...but should be.

Cliff Gorman

They say that timing is everything and that couldn't be more true than in the career of Cliff Gorman. He was a huge Broadway star, but when they made a film of his hit stage show, Lenny, Hollywood decided to go with a better known actor named Dustin Hoffman, instead of the man that originated the role.

Hoffman is great in this film about Lenny Bruce, but chances are, Cliff Gorman would have been just as good, if not better had he been given the chance. Instead, we just have to live with the "what if's" and wonder what wonderful roles this very talented actor might have had because of that movie.

Instead, Cliff Gorman spent the majority of his career in forgettable made-for-television movies, like Terror on Track 9 and The Forget-Me-Not Murders. And although he did a lot of television work, it was his film roles that gave us a glimpse into how good he must have been on the Broadway stage.

Cliff Gorman is no longer with us, but one can check out his work in The Boys in the Band, An Unmarried Woman and Night of the Juggler to see this overlooked talent in his prime. And if you're really curious as to how he might have been in the movie, Lenny,  you can see him in a small role as a Lenny Bruce type character in Bob Fosse's All That Jazz.

Ever Carradine

Although she's not as well known as her famous father, grandfather or uncles, Ever Carradine is just as talented. And the fact that she is recognized by her various roles on television and not by her name, qualifies her to be featured today on this blog.

She could pass as a sister to Uma Thurman not only with her quirky look, but by her talents as well. And while her famous doppelganger many have had more opportunities, Ever Carradine is equally memorable in the supporting roles she has brought to the small screen.

The problem is not her talent. What's kept her from being more well known is the fact that her best work was in the shows, Once and Again and Commander in Chief, which not many people saw. Her recurring roles in Veronica's Closet  and Party of Five had a fan base, but gave her characters a lot less depth then she was given in her larger roles.

Whatever the size of the role or the quality of the piece, this talented actress delivers time and time again. And all it takes is for one major hit for audiences to discover this truly hidden gem. And when they do, they will understand why Ever Carradine is Not Very Famous...but should be.

Pete Duel

Pete Duel had a pretty big fan base for a little over a year in 1971 when the television western, Alias Smith and Jones was a top rated program. And at the peek of his and the shows popularity, he stunned his fans by committing suicide.

Some blame alcohol, others depression, but all we really know is that Pete Duel had the talent to be a major star. This is not only evident in Alias Smith and Jones, but in all of his work prior to that. He not only had good looks, but he had the charisma and talent to make up for any other short comings he may have had.

He showed promise in a supporting role in the movie, Hell is for Heroes, but it was television that really embraced him with major roles in the short lived shows, Gidget  and Love on a Rooftop, as well as his dramatic guest starring roles in other popular shows of the time like The Bold Ones and Marcus Welby, M.D., just to name a few.

It's hard to predict what might have been, but anyone familiar with the work of Pete Duel knows that he could have and most likely would have been a big star, making him the pick of the day for Not Very Famous...but should be.

Barnard Hughes

Barnard Hughes was one of those "seen-the-face, don't-know-the-name" kind of performers. He was a working actor that jumped between television, movies and the Broadway stage throughout his fifty years in show business. And although theatre audiences knew him best, it's his work in movies and television that will live on.

He was a leading actor on the stage, and even though he starred in some movies like A Hobo's Christmas and Da, he just wasn't the leading man type. Not that Barnard Hughes didn't have the talent, he was just a more natural fit in supporting parts that ranged from the recurring role of Father John Majeski  in All in the Family  to Dr. Walter Gibbs  in the movie Tron.

Whether his roles were large or small, it was his charm that he brought to his characters that made them memorable. This couldn't be more evident than in Midnight Cowboy, where he played the tragic victim of a confused male prostitute played by Jon Voight. Or in the television show, Lou Grant, where his performance as a senile judge earned him an Emmy.

Like so many of the wonderful character actors, Barnard Hughes is no longer around, but thanks to Netflix, Hulu, cable television and satellite, this amazing talent can still be discovered by both current and future generations. And what a discovery they will find.