character actor

British  

noun

1. an actor who specializes in playing odd or eccentric characters

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Example Sentences

Whether it’s the senior analyst, the aging character actor, or the middling sports columnist at a financial newspaper, one must never underestimate a youthful competitor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Back in the late 1950s and 1960s, my dad was a popular character actor who appeared on dozens of TV shows, including “Bonanza,” “I Dream of Jeannie” and “The Twilight Zone.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Co-star Dylan O’Brien also proves himself once again to be one of the best actors of his generation: a former teen heartthrob who now operates more like a chameleonic character actor.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

And while Madigan is a beloved, Oscar-nominated character actor, she’s not necessarily what many — at least those with power in Hollywood — would consider a major, ticket-selling movie star.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2026

The little man, it seemed, had been a character actor and, from his own testimony, one of ability beyond the appreciation of a flippant present.

From The Tempering by Buck, Charles Neville