There’s something about a great character actor that big-name stars can’t touch. Character actors don’t give us an image of who we’re supposed to be, or who we should want to be, but who we are. And while they may not receive top billing, and most viewers may not remember their name — most are tenured members of the That Guy club — they always get the best lines, and people remember them strongest. In the circus of Hollywood, good character actors are the clowns: beneath false faces, they get paid in big smiles and belly laughs as they offer the crowd a mirror, in which they see that they’ve been the joke all along. It’s fitting that Sid Haig’s most famous role was a clown. Sid was as damn fine a character actor as there ever was, with a face yo...
