The Ficht

Seamus and I are both unabashed fans of character actors. Okay, maybe we’re abashed fans, but this is a great time for them. Two fantastic character actors (I’m looking at you, Messrs Hoffman and Giamatti) have been granted starring roles in major Hollywood movies (in Mission Impossible 3 and Lady in the Water) and nominated for Oscars (for Capote and Cinderella Man). Long-time under-the-radar character actor David Strathairn has also been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Good Night, and Good Luck. The common factor among all three of these men is that they play creepy really well. Maybe that’s why we like them. Anyway, one of my favorite character actors who happens to play creepy oh so well has been slithering his way into the forefront of public conscience.

I’m writing of course about William Fichtner. Fichtner currently stars in the ABC show Invasion, which at first glance is just another Lost rip-off, but it’s actually pretty effective sci-fi.  Fichtner’s the star of the show, as the corrupted Sheriff Tom Underlay, who, it has been revealed, is actually an alien. No big surprise there; look at that head! What’s great, though, about the show is that each episode seeks to change your opinion about Underlay, and Fichtner is a worthy actor for changing your opinion. He seems like a good guy, right? But he also seems capable of much evil. (Gary Cole, another awesome character actor, treaded the same water as the evil-ish Sheriff Lucas Buck in American Gothic, which was also a Shaun Cassidy show.) And that’s really Fichtner’s strength. Whenever I see him in a movie, I think “Oh, shit, this dude’s gonna be trouble.” But then he’s so nice and so handsome that I change my mind and then Whoomp! The Ficht causes a whole mess of evil!

Well, Fichtner fans, get ready. He’s got a starring role in Ultraviolet, the new movie from Kurt Wimmer, the director of Equilibrium. You may remember Fichtner had a role in Equilibrium, too. I’m already planning to hate/love/hate his character. Look at those evil glasses! So you don’t like Milla Jovovich. That’s cool. But go support a talented character actor and feel free to contact us with your thoughts on his performance.

Watch Invasion on Wednesday nights on ABC (just after Lost)

Go see Ultraviolet on March 3rd.