Think what you will, but I've often thought of 'characters actors' as those men and women who aren't tasked with creating a fully-fledged screen persona in a full two-hour movie but instead are asked to do it in 5 or 10 or 15-minutes (at best) of film time ... and that, my friends, is a rare gift, indeed.
But M. Emmet Walsh was one of the screen's very best character actors. He'd show up faithfully for his 5 or 10 or 15-minutes of work, and -- within a matter of seconds -- slip into that person he was supposed to be up in the lights, elevating the work by his presence alone. Whether it was Drama or Comedy -- Mystery or Fantasy -- he could quite literally become a different person for the purposes of any number of projects; and I've no doubt his legacy -- well over an astonishing 200 different screen roles -- will be the subject of study for those who engage in such efforts for years to come.
Granted, he may not have been known for his appearances in the realms of the Fantastic -- that fragile space wherein I and my readers spend the bulk of our time -- but he did have a couple items worthy of mention. I'll list those of the greatest significance below.
In 1971, he enjoyed a background-style role in Escape From The Planet Of The Apes for 20th Century Fox.
In 1982, he played 'Bryant,' the presiding police presence who called Rick Deckard back onto active duty aboard Ridley Scott's SciFi/Drama Blade Runner for Warner Bros.
In 1985, he stepped into the rebooting TV world of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone for a single episode appearance.
In 1986, he faced off against one of the screen's deadliest smaller menaces when Critters came a'callin' for New Line Cinema.
Also that same year, another TV anthology gave him the call, and Walsh performed admirably for Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories.
Of course, there are a few more -- there always are -- but I don't want to dilute what could be your very own deep dive into the man's incredible resume. Take a gander at his profile on IMDB.com, and remember where you saw him last ... maybe even where you liked him most ... and cherish in the memory of a great talent who gave so much of himself to even the tiniest role. It's an incredible job he did.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Walsh.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
But M. Emmet Walsh was one of the screen's very best character actors. He'd show up faithfully for his 5 or 10 or 15-minutes of work, and -- within a matter of seconds -- slip into that person he was supposed to be up in the lights, elevating the work by his presence alone. Whether it was Drama or Comedy -- Mystery or Fantasy -- he could quite literally become a different person for the purposes of any number of projects; and I've no doubt his legacy -- well over an astonishing 200 different screen roles -- will be the subject of study for those who engage in such efforts for years to come.
Granted, he may not have been known for his appearances in the realms of the Fantastic -- that fragile space wherein I and my readers spend the bulk of our time -- but he did have a couple items worthy of mention. I'll list those of the greatest significance below.
In 1971, he enjoyed a background-style role in Escape From The Planet Of The Apes for 20th Century Fox.
In 1982, he played 'Bryant,' the presiding police presence who called Rick Deckard back onto active duty aboard Ridley Scott's SciFi/Drama Blade Runner for Warner Bros.
In 1985, he stepped into the rebooting TV world of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone for a single episode appearance.
In 1986, he faced off against one of the screen's deadliest smaller menaces when Critters came a'callin' for New Line Cinema.
Also that same year, another TV anthology gave him the call, and Walsh performed admirably for Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories.
Of course, there are a few more -- there always are -- but I don't want to dilute what could be your very own deep dive into the man's incredible resume. Take a gander at his profile on IMDB.com, and remember where you saw him last ... maybe even where you liked him most ... and cherish in the memory of a great talent who gave so much of himself to even the tiniest role. It's an incredible job he did.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mr. Walsh.
May he forever rest in peace.
-- EZ
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