Everyone is familiar with the leads of many of the classic TV shows going back throughout history, like Carrol O'Connor and All in the Family, Alan Alda and M*A*S*H, Peter Falk and Columbo, and Raymond Burr and Perry Mason. But these and many other shows wouldn't have been the success they were without the contributions of the supporting roles in these shows, and the actors who played them.
This list will address my five favorites throughout the years. I'm not claiming they are the five best, but five I particularly like. Some I'm sure you have heard of, and others you might not of. So here we go, in no particular order:
1. Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot in Get Smart
Most people agree that Get Smart was undoubtedly one of the funniest shows in TV history, and is one of my personal all-time favorites. In fact it's #3 in my top 10 favorite TV sitcoms blog. Don Adams as Agent 86 rightfully gets most of the attention for the comedy in the show. But the show also features many other agents in bit roles that are crucial to the show's comedic success. One such character is Hymie the Robot, played brilliantly and hysterically by actor Dick Gautier.
Hymie looks human but internally is a wired robot. His mannerisms are mostly robotic, so all of the commands he's given he takes very literally. Which makes for some very funny interactions with Adams. An example: "Hymie, give me a hand", after which Hymie would physically remove his hand and give it to Smart.
Gautier plays Hymie very stoic without emotion, i.e. deadpan, which I'm sure wasn't easy for him if you've ever watched him out of character on game or talk shows. He's quite the goofball, which I'm sure led to many funny bloopers and second takes on Get Smart. Hymie only appeared in six episodes of Get Smart, but they are worth keeping an eye out for.
2. Larry Drake as Benny Stulwicz in L.A. Law
Right in the middle of his seven year stint as the mentally challenged office clerk Benny Stulwicz in the popular series L.A. Law, Larry Drake made a movie called "Darkman" where he played the most evil, detestable villain imaginable. I was familiar with him as Stulwicz, so when I saw him in Darkman in the theater during the summer of 1990, I was shocked. I couldn't believe this was the same actor I saw until that point play a sensitive, kind, innocent and lovable office clerk who you can't but be drawn to and root for. If you didn't know Drake wasn't mentally challenged in real life, you would have bet your last dollar that he was. His portrayal was that good. And for the role, Drake won two well-deserved Emmy awards.
3. Anthony LaPaglia as Simon Moon in Frasier
LaPaglia only made eight appearances in the comedy show Frasier as the alcoholic brother of Daphne Moon, but they were all memorable. Playing intoxicated in nearly every screen appearance, LaPaglia's portrayal was hilarious. and made a funny show even funnier whenever he was on. And even though he was in only eight episodes, he was nominated for three Emmy's for the role, winning once.
4. Adam Arkin as Adam in Northern Exposure & Dr. Stanley Keyworth in The West Wing
Adam Arkin is no doubt one of the most underrated, or at least underappreciated, TV character actors from the past 30 years. He's one of those actors that you recognize when you see him, but never knew his name. Son of well known actor Alan Arkin, Adam made a name for himself in various TV roles, but two in particular that stand out to me. As Adam in Northern Exposure, Arkin played a recluse who lived deep in the woods outside of Cicely, Alaska. Initially thought of as a legend or myth, Adam was accidently discovered by one of the town's residents, and exposed to the townsfolk. After that, Adam would periodically appear in public, despite his dislike of people, which is why he became a recluse to begin with.
So with his hidden identity revealed, Adam was almost always bitter, harsh and sarcastic, but in a very funny way. And that's mainly because of the top notch writing that came out of Northern Exposure. During it's five year reign, the show was nominated for it's writing four times, winning an Emmy once in 1992. The show was also nominated for a Best Drama Emmy four years, winning once in 1992 as well. Arkin himself was nominated in 1993 for an outstanding guest actor Emmy for his role as Adam, despite only appearing in 10 of the shows 110 episodes.
In 2000, Arkin would appear four times in the Emmy winning show, The West Wing, as Dr. Stanley Keyworth, the secret, psychiatrist to the White House, specifically the Deputy Chief of Staff and the President of the United States, Josiah Bartlett, played by another of my favorite actors, Martin Sheen. Both were victims of an assassination attempt at the end of the first season. Several times during those four episodes, we got to sit in on several therapy sessions, which were expertly written by the multi-award winning writers of the show. The appealing part was that Keyworth was not a simple yes sir, you're right sir push over. He was not intimidated by either man, particularly the President, but instead was very honest, and very blunt with the Bartlett if he didn't think he was being honest or beating around the bush. This made for some pretty intense scenes. Bartlett, initially thought the approach as being disrespectful of the office of the President, but slowly began to appreciate Keyworth's tact and gall. To the point where a mutual respect grew between the two, to the point where they could have been friends if the situation was different.
5. Bruce Weitz as Lt. Mick Belker in Hill Street Blues
Crazy, nutty, unpredictable, odd yet likeable. That would just about describe Lieutenant Mick Belker from the Hill Street precinct on the ground-breaking police show, Hill Street Blues. Although there were many police shows on TV prior to Hill Street Blues' premiere in 1981, none were as gritty, violent, realistic or suspenseful as Hill Street. The show turned out to be a trend setter, with successful shows like NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and non-police shows like L.A. Law, ER, and the West Wing following in it's footsteps using the same kind of formula.
Belker, played by Bruce Weitz, is a detective in the Hill Street precinct who tended to be a loner when working on cases, partially because no one wanted to work him and all of his quirks. But that's how he preferred it as well. His forte whenever he was in a squirmish with a suspect was to bite them. That should tell you something! Belker also had a soft side to him, which made him hard not to like. And Weistz did a great job conveying all of this on the screen. So much so that he was nominated six times for the role, winning once in 1984.
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