nor other Hollywood hype machines. And they’re not reality
show attention whores who are famous for simply being famous…or trying
to be famous. What they are is all too frequently the
unheralded; the people whose solidly consistent work affects and often
delights us. They’re the ones who don’t always get the credit
when the credit is due. We aim to change that.
Name: Bruce Travis McGill
Vital Stats:
– 60 years old
– 5′ 9 1/4″ tall
– From San Antonio, Texas
Notable Roles: Daniel Simpson Day, Jack Dalton, Al The Bartender, Commander Eugene Matuzak, George Tenet.
Career Hiccup(s): Guest role on Walker, Texas Ranger
Notable Quotes:
– “Ramming speed!”
– Goddammit Ricky, if I catch you fucking this machine again, I’ll break your neck!”
– “There were blanks in that gun!”
– “If she farts she’ll get ahead of the pod.”
– “God bless, Sam.”
– “Search his jock!”
– UPDATE: “Wipe that smirk off your face!”
Why We’re Saluting: A congenial everyman who’s equally adept at being a goofball and a scalawag, Bruce McGill has been sidekick, boss, bit player, comic relief and every type of supporting player Hollywood has to offer. There are catch phrases for a type of actor such as McGill: utility
player, character actor, supporting player, below-the-line. If you
seek to label McGill, one of those would probably be apt. But few
actors bring the skill, likability and distinction that McGill does to
that arena of acting. He’s made a notable career of it. Should one
ever need a blowhard, a manic caricature, a rascal, a wingman, a buddy,
or a sage in their production, it’s a good chance Bruce McGill is on a
short list for it. And judging by his resume, he’s gotten more than his share of those roles.
His career spans nearly 35 years and began when he played one of the more notable miscreants of Delta House, Daniel Simpson Day aka D-Day in Animal House. He followed that
role with appearances in Silkwood, Wildcats, The Last Boy Scout, My Cousin Vinny, A Perfect World, Courage Under Fire, The Insider, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Ali, Collateral, and W. Frequently, his roles are minor. However, no matter the size of the part, when you’ve seen McGill in a portrayal, you instantly recognize him.
Along with D-Day, McGill’s more noteworthy roles include MacGyver’s best friend and most frequent source of annoyance, Jack Dalton. McGill was Angus’ amigo for for 19 episodes over the seven-year span of the show. He got Mac in one hair-brained adventure after another, from rescuing a mutual friend in South America, to working a road gang in a search for a legendary convict’s missing money, to panning for gold. And when he wasn’t the source of the adventure, he was Mac’s loyal tag-along.
He also bookended the series run of Quantum Leap with a guest role in the pilot and the pivotal role of Al, the easygoing yet cryptic bartender in the finale. He was Van Damme’s boss in Timecop and his only ally. If it weren’t for Matuzak, Walker would have been an omelette. And he’s also portrayed former CIA Director, George Tenet, in Oliver Stone’s W. Bruce McGill does comedy, he does genre, he does it all. And he has.
Bruce McGill Homework (Click the images to get ’em via CHUD):
9 comments
Definately one of those actors I'm always happy to see pop up onscreen. As far as lines go you forgot, "Whose this? He looks like a narc!" from Into the Night.
Bonus for The Insider update.
"She rates a three on my finger scale. That means I'd cut off three of my fingers if God would let me fuck her."—The Last Boy Scout
Freakin' awesome. Wish my face could have a mustache as good lookin' as that.
Sorry, but you're sorely missing his role as a mentally unstable cop in an episode of Miami Vice. Brilliant.
I have a great love for character actors, and he's at the top. Why can't they make more films featuring just character actors? When you see a "leading man" like Keanu Reeves, you know he'll survive all the way through. Populate the film with a mega supporting cast, and it'll be great AND unpredictable.
That quote from The Insider is one hell of a moment in the movie and one of movies in general. Once used it when I met a smug person in real life. Worked like a charm. One of the hidden gems of modern cinema.
Great actor too. Always reliable.
His scene in The Insider is one of the best scenes in the film. One of the reasons I appreciate Michael Mann is that he constantly gives supporting actors some great and memorable moments in his films (Russell Means in The Last of the Mohicans, Christopher Plummer in The Insider, Dennis Haysbert in Heat…).
He was really good in that Babylon 5 episode too.
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