The unsung heroes of cinema. Part 1.

You recognise their faces but you aren't quite sure where from. You see them and go "HIM!! I see him in everything" and then you forget them. There's a fleeting recognition that disappears as soon as they die in, usually, violent ways. These are the actors that if, IF, you notice them, don't turn up in the opening credits of a film. In fact you'll have to do some pretty lengthy searching of the closing scrolling credits to find them. 

Thomas Rosales Jr

The go to guy in the 80's and 90's when films need a shifty looking criminal type, a soldier, a cartel goon, a prisoner, basically anyone who was going to be onscreen for about 2 minutes before dying. Plus he was also a stuntman so when you see him you know shits about to go down any second. He's been killed onscreen dozens of times. By Arnie ( more than once), Nic Cage, Van Damme, Robert De Niro, the legend that is Chuck Norris, Robocop and of course by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He's started his career dancing in the diner in Happy Days and the last thing i saw him in was the last series of Bosch getting the face kicked off him in a pub. 40 plus years of getting bounced around the place. Fair play. Check out his IMDB profile here. What a career.

And yes, i am aware that the very existence of this post shows that I've watched way too many films over the years but fuck it. #nerdandproud

Clockwise for top left - Con Air, L.A Confidential, Commando, U.S Marshalls

His greatest hits

Gets his armed chopped off by Arnie in Commando
Shot in the head by Jean Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier
Stamped on by a T-Rex in Jurassic Park 2
Gunned down by a hockey mask wearing De Niro in Heat
Beaten up by Kevin Spacey AND Russell Crowe in LA Confidential.

Coming soon

Al Leong!