Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Chameleon Actor

I have a real story to tell you all that I've been planning all day, but I woke up early to watch the World Cup and it's catching up to me fast.  When I tell my stories, I want to do it right.  So here's a few thoughts instead.

First, I never appreciated how beautifully quiet my college is during the school year until this summer. Currently, it is a strange night when there isn't loud drumming or music leaking through my window for hours at a stretch in the late evening.  During the school year, my college takes a great pride in keeping things quiet for studying/napping students.  I think I will appreciate this fact much more after sleeping in a noisy dorm room all summer (even the room I stayed in during vacation last week was right next to an oddly noisy road and morning construction).

Second, I would like you to figure out who this actor is.  I don't care so much about his name as I do that you should really be able to place the most famous character that he's played:


The reason I'm asking is that this man, despite having played one of the most quoted characters in history, is apparently some kind of ninja (but not the same kind as Sea World).  I was recently introduced to Dead Like Me, a show that used to run on Showtime.  I knew who this actor was before I saw him because I recognized his rather distinctive name in the opening credits, but if I hadn't known this, I probably wouldn't have recognized him.  I know this to be true because everyone I know who watches the show (okay, only three people, but at least one really liked the show and had seen all of it) didn't realize who he was until I pointed it out.  Apparently he disguised himself so well in his character that he didn't even trigger any sort of nagging partial recognition feeling in any of them.  Take a look here starting at around 1:25:


If you still haven't figured it out, here's a hint - the character in question has a problem with the word "inconceivable" when it's used incorrectly.  Have most of you figured it out now?  "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die."  Apparently, what we didn't know about Inigo Montoya is that he is a master of disguise.  Also that he isn't really from Spain.  It's just so interesting to me how well a haircut and an accent change can hide a person.  I should try that sometime...

6 comments:

  1. I had the same sort of experience, but watching Criminal Minds instead of Dead Like Me. He is indeed some sort of ninja.

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  2. Hey! That's a picture of Mandy Patinkin from "The Princess Bride" "Sunday in the Park with George" and "Yentl"! I didn't know he was in "Dead like Me" (not that I watch the show). I love him! Wait that is Patinkin, yes, I'm not crazy, right?

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  3. Edit: I just noticied that there was post after your youtube video! ha ha! Sorry!

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  4. HA you already told me about this and i didn't get it until the last paragraph!

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  5. At first, I thought he was Dustin Hoffman from "Hook," only without makeup in this photo.

    Mandy Patinkin is indeed a ninja.

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