That Guy!

Tom Maguire
27 Sept 2004

We here at the Film Basement have long-appreciated the work of not just the big-name actors, but also of the bit players, character-actors if you will, who've played endless thugs, bad guys, clerks, police sergeants, and newspaper vendors over the years. These are the actors whose name you don't know, but whose face you recognize immediately. Often such actors are used in the same type or role again and again. There are some actors you see so often as the Chief of Police, that when you see them selling the Hero an ice cream cone, something feels wrong. Others are just reliable faces that can be used as "filler people" in any slot. We feel that these unsung actors deserve their moment in the spotlight, free from the shadows of the Name Talent they so often support.

This month: Holmes Osborne

Typical Roles: dad

Most Famous Role: Donnie Darko's dad

Most recently seen in: Anchorman

Holmes Osborne has lead an amazing life. His father and pregnant mother survived a plane crash in the Andes Mountain of South America and gave birth shortly after to young Holmes. Surviving mainly on Llama milk and salted airline snacks, they were rescued six months later by a passing group of hiking Buddhist Monks. With the tale of his incredible survival retold to him over and over as a youth, Holmes became deeply religious and shortly after college founded his own Buddist Temple in Los Angeles. He became intimate with many celebrities and this lead naturally to small roles in films of those he has shown the path of spiritual enlightenment. An expert in several forms of martial arts, Holmes also teaches acting to orphaned South American youths in several cities across the US. When his schedule clears, Holmes says that he would really like to try directing.*

Where you've probably seen him

Election                Bring It On
Identity                That Thing You Do
Donnie Darko

Where you probably haven't seen him

Nice Girls Don't Explode
Domestic Disturbance

Check out Holmes Osborne's full list of credits at The Internet Movie Database.
And an excellent interview from 2002 at Centerstage.net

*Ed. note
Fabricated information in this article is for entertainment purposes only.