If there’s one thing classic movie fans share without question it’s a love and appreciation for character actors. This is why I’ve no doubt there’s a lot of excitement in the air about TCM’s April schedule when the Star of the Month will be actors who delight in supporting roles.
Robert Osborne wrote his last column for TCM’s Now Playing Guide for April and if that had to be the case then I’m glad it’s an homage to character actors. These working people, as I often think of them, go unheralded far too often. Having Robert send out the initial call to arms is appropriate.
You should know that the featured players scheduled on TCM every Tuesday and Thursday throughout April are some of the better known names among character actors. Still, I think spotlighting their work will allow for discussion about other favorites among the legion of actors who made movies better simply because they spoke a line or two or answered the door in a certain way.
These artists deserve as much attention as we can give them, which is why I’m happy to help spread the word about their lives and careers. As you may know I’ve co-hosted the What a Character! Blogathon for five years with Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled and Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club. To help celebrate character actors throughout April we will revisit some of the posts submitted by participating bloggers through the years. We’ll try our best to match TCM’s April schedule, but we’ve the luxury of sharing information on many more actors that the network can air and we’re delighted to give as many a shout out as possible and will be doing so across social media. Thanks to Noralil Fores and Marya Gates who manage entertainment marketing and social media for TCM and FilmStruck, for reaching out and suggesting we highlight the What a Character! entries in some way.
Now that you know how we’re answering the call we encourage you to do your part by sharing past character actor submissions across social media using the #WhatACharacter tag so we can easily find and share them as well. Easy peasy!
You can find Paula on Twitter at @Paula_Guthat, Kellee at @Irishjayhawk66 and Aurora at @CitizenScreen Similar names apply to other platforms as well. If you’ve yet to do so, be sure to stay tuned to #TCMParty @TCM_party as well. Exchanges promise to be a lot of fun during this festival of characters.
#WhatACharacter
If you’re interested in taking a look at any of the posts that have been submitted through the years, you can do so by way of any of these links.
2012
2013
2014
2015 Day 1
2015 Day 2
2015 Day 3
2016 Day 1
2016 Day 2
2016 Day 3
Many thanks to all who’ve participated in #WhatACharacter through the years!
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A gallery with character…
Be sure to tune in to TCM every Tuesday and Thursday in April!
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A LOOK BACK to how this project began…with a blogathon in 2012…
Based on a phrase borrowed from TCM the WHAT A CHARACTER! Blogathon has become one of the most anticipated blogging events of every year. Here’s what I noted after the first happening in 2012…
So thrilled was I upon completing my first-ever blogathon event as a co-host – with intuitive social media talents, Kellee of Outspoken & Freckled and Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club – that I couldn’t just close the book on it once the three-day extravaganza concluded. We hope to make this, WHAT A CHARACTER! blogathon a yearly happening. But our first foray into the world of those fabulous faces, unforgettable voices and unique talents was supreme. Entries that warm your heart and make you laugh by great bloggers who simply love these actors. It was a pleasure to be inspired over and over again.
When we kicked off the What a Character! blogathon Paula put together the following background, which we then used as our banner. I still love it!
The faces on the banner: Row 1: (L-R) Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Margaret Dumont, Edward Arnold, Albert Dekker, Ann Miller, Leon Errol Row 2: (L-R) Dan Duryea, Eugene Palette, Aline MacMahon, Charles Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Billie Burke Row 3: (L-R) Spring Byington, Walter Brennan, Hattie McDaniel, Gene Lockhart, Margaret O’Brien, Edgar Kennedy Row 4: (L-R) Eric Blore, Franklin Pangborn, Frank Morgan, Guy Kibbee, Gloria Grahame, Jane Darwell Row 5: (L-R) Judith Anderson, Edward Everett Horton, Eve Arden, S.Z. “Cuddles” Sakall, Thelma Ritter, Louis Calhern Row 6: (L-R) Charles Lane, Kim Hunter, David Wayne, Louise Beavers, Cecil Kellaway, Shemp Howard
#WhatACharacter
Once upon a screen... 
Reblogged this on Outspoken and Freckled and commented:
TCM pays tribute to Character Actors in April. As you know, my cinematic cohorts Aurora of Once Upon A Screen & Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club and yours truly have been expressing our love of character actors for the past 5 years in our own way. Aurora explains it best here:
A spotlight on character actors? Sounds like my blog/life.
The What a Character! blogathon is a true highlight of any blogging year. I certainly look forward to sharing and revisiting the wonderful tributes that have accumulated through the years.