My Favorite Quirky Actors
By Jay de Leon

Once in a great while, an actor is described as quirky. The characters they portray may run the gamut from geeky and goofy, to awkward and shy, to paranoid and neurotic, to downright sinister and psychotic. Of course, the really good quirky actors exhibit more than one symptom.

As you will notice from the list, most of these actors have had successes in leading roles, but they have found their niches playing the off-beat roles for which they have come to be identified.

Here then is a list of my favorite quirky actors and actresses.

Although he has had critical success as a lead actor and as a good guy, Steve Buscemi’s forte is playing neurotic and paranoid characters. Quentin Tarantino uses Buscemi in many of his movies. His notable roles playing troubled characters include Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs, a pedophile convict in Con Air, and Fargo. He was also in the cast of The Sopranos as Tony Soprano’s cousin and childhood friend, Tony Blundetto. Buscemi was a New York City firefighter from 1980 to 1984, before snagging his first lead role in Parting Glances in 1986.

Christopher Walken started his career as an action star. I remember seeing him in his first major role in the Deer Hunter opposite Robert De Niro, which actually won him an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. Since then, Walken has had roles in comedies, a James Bond movie, the dark Batman Returns and evenWesterns.

Any chance of cinematic normalcy died with his role as Capt. Koons in Pulp Fiction (1994), where he delivered his famous monologue about a special watch secreted in a private place. Since then, Walken’s eclectic choice of activities have included Saturday Night Live performances, kids movies, voice in computer-generated animation, off-Broadway productions and a dance musical.

Gary Busey became a leading man when he strapped on that guitar and actually sang the songs of Buddy Holly in the Buddy Holly Story (1978), earning an Oscar nomination in the process. He had hefty roles in movies after that, but found his niche as either an unsympathetic character or a murderous villain in movies such as Lethal Weapon (1987), Under Siege (1992), The Firm (1993) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).

His antics in real life may have contributed to his persona of a somewhat wild, quirky character. In December 1998, he nearly died of head injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, and in January 1999, he was arrested after a fight with his wife. He continues to star in feature films and cable TV movies and lately, TV reality shows.

Half Caucasian and half Chinese, Jennifer Tilly can be funny, scary, sexy and intense, usually all at the same time. Her body of work range from The Fabulous Baker Boys opposite Jeff and Beau Bridges, to Seed of Chucky, to the Pixar blockbuster Monsters, Inc.

She has had numerous memorable appearances on television both in popular series such as Hill Street Blues and Frasier, as well as in talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Arsenio Hall Show. As in her movie and TV roles, audiences were always in for an enjoyable and unexpected treat.

Most of you probably remember Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park. But the Jeff Goldblum role that sticks to my mind is that of the scientist whose experiment turns awry in the film The Fly. Jeff Goldblum has a distinctive physical look—dark features, lanky, a slightly distracted demeanor and chopped delivery of his lines. He made his movie debut in the movie Death Wish as one of the thugs who assault Charles Bronson’s wife.

Tim Curry was a recording artist who became a movie star and cult figure with his role as Frank N. Furter in the Rocky Horror Show. From that point on, his list of roles is extensive, in both TV and movies, mostly as a villain.&

You may remember him as Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers, Professor Oldman in Scary Movie 2, and Roger Corwin in Charlie’s Angel. Adding to his impressive resume is that of a voice artist, including roles in cartoons, animated series, computer and video games, and audio books.

I was tempted to make this a father-daughter tandem of Bruce and Laura Dern. Bruce Dern started with numerous psycho roles early in his career but managed some brilliant roles in movies like Coming Home with Jane Fonda which garnered him an Oscar Best Supporting Actor nomination, and the film That Championship Season where he was nominated for best actor award at the Berlin Film Festival.

Now in his 60’s, he has gained respectability as a talented and versatile actor.

Christina Ricci will of course be always remembered for playing Wednesday Addams in the hit film The Addams Family. Because of her unique look and unusual image, Hollywood has shunned her. This has turned out to be a blessing for Ricci, who has become a favorite of indie movies and who has been churning out critically acclaimed albeit off-beat films including The Ice Storm, The Opposite of Sex and 200 Cigarettes. A quirky career path for a quirky but talented actress.

Willem DaFoe is a star in his own right. He has starred in leading roles in blockbuster films like Platoon, Tom Clancy’s film Clear and Present Danger, and The Aviator . On the other hand, he has taken on off-beat roles such as Jesus Christ in The Last Temptation of Christ and a crossdressing FBI agent in the Boondock Saints.

His angular facial features also lend themselves to either villainous or cartoonish characters, including the Green Goblin in Spiderman and a murderous counterfeiter in the much earlier To Live and Die in L.A.

Thora Birch is probably too young, too pretty and too talented to be called quirky. But I cannot shake that image of her as a troubled, budding adolescent in American Beauty. Before that she was already a veteran child actress in movies like Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games. Now she is considered a serious actress and one of the hottest young actresses around.&

It is too early to judge her body of work, but her choice of movies after American Beauty has been generally applauded—The Hole, Ghost World and other upcoming work. It has been postulated that her savvy and dedication to the entertainment industry has been influenced by her upbringing - both her parents used to perform in the adult entertainment industry.

Mickey Rourke has had many reincarnations. He was once a solid actor, then a major sex symbol, then a washed-up professional boxer, a washed-up actor, and now back to a solid actor. He initially gained cinematic fame in cult films like Body Heat, Diner, Rumble Fish and The Pope of Greenwich Village. Controversy and critical acclaim followed with his work in 9 ½ Weeks, Angel Heart, and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.

He temporarily quit acting to become a professional boxer, got that out of his system, and went back to acting. After a shaky re-entry, he has lately done good work, including roles in Sin City and Man on Fire. He is known as a volatile personality in Hollywood, famous for his loose lips and unfettered opinions.

Tim Roth is an extremely versatile, quirky actor. That probably earned him a spot in Quentin Tarantino’s ensemble. You probably recognize him as Mr. Orange in Reservoir Dogs and the inept coffee shop robber in Pulp Fiction .

I enjoyed his performances as the foppish but lethal swordsman Archibald Cunningham who battled Liam Neeson to the death in Rob Roy and as Dutch Schultz in Hoodlum. Recently, he portrayed General Thade in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. Don’t be surprised if you see his name again in my list of favorite character actors.

So there you have it, a veritable who’s who of quirky actors and actresses. I think it is obvious that their common denominator is that they are very good at their craft as actors. A quirky actor is simply a good actor who, whether by accident or design or some twist of fate, has found his niche in unforgettable roles that demonstrate his uniqueness, versatility and quirkiness.