Favorite Unheralded Character Actor

[Bloozcat]

William Fichtner is another good one.
Black Hawk Down
The Perfect Storm
Armageddon

Just a few off the top of my head...

I remember seeing an interview with Jack Elam, one of the westerns most famous character actors. In it he described the progression of a character actor.
(Paraphrased) First, you struggle to get a part, any part. Then if they like you, the next time they'll say, "Get that strange guy with the weird eyes. You know who I mean." Then the next time they say, "Get Jack Elam for the part." And finally once you're known and making good money they say, "Get a Jack Elam kind of guy for the part."

[ShortBuSX]

I find that the uglier the actor the better character actor he is.
For example: Forrest Whitaker, John Malkovich or even Steve Buscemi
I dunno if Id call any of them "unheralded"...but they are excellent "character actors".
But in my book John Malkovich is the best.

[Glacies]

But in my book John Malkovich is the best.

I still have his SNL episode on DVR. Will have to watch that this week. Got hancock in from netflix tonight though, gonna give that a whirl.