The Clint Howard Honorary "That Guy" of the Month Award Goes To. . .

David Paymer.

Who? [That's what you're supposed to say with one of these -- it's what makes him a "That Guy"].

Here's where you probably know him: the V.U.P. in Ocean's 13. He's the one reviewing Al Pacino's hotel for the coveted Five Diamond Award, and who gets the bedbug treatment and the "Susan B. Anthony" (the huge slot machine jackpot gift) in the end.

[Ah! Now I know where I've seen him before -- that what you're supposed to say now.]

Saw him in David Mamet's Redbelt last night (good flick, interesting character story, little bit of a forced and bit-too-brief denouement -- give it a solid 4 out of 5). Paymer's becoming one of the Mamet Players, with roles also in Spartan and State and Main.

Here's also where you may have seen him: City Slickers, Quiz Show, Get Shorty (played the guy who swindled the airline company insurance when he didn't get on the plane that crashed), The American President, Amistad, and Payback (the one where Mel Gibson plays an anti-hero). So the guy works (there's 132 acting roles listed in his IMDb page). He even received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for playing Billy Crystal's brother in Mr. Saturday Night (which almost disqualifies him for the "Clinty"). However, he did have a role in Howard the Duck, which I think evens everything out.

However, the true reason to award this month's Clinty to David Paymer is because he must be the only actor in the world to lose an acting gig to Howie Mandel (for "St. Elsewhere"). That must of stung. Here's hoping this month's Clinty will heal those deep and lasting wounds.

"That Guy" of the Month

This new every-once-in-a-while feature will celebrate the unappreciated character actor. You know, "those" guys you spend half the movie thinking, "where have I seen that guy before?" The patron saint of "those guys" is, of course, Clint Howard -- though now that he's won an MTV movie award he has transcended the label.

This month I choose to celebrate Anthony Michael Hall. It's been an interesting journey for Mr. Hall, from Brat Pack performances in 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science -- he was also the original Rusty in the Vacation movies -- to playing Bill Gates in the TV movie The Pirates of Silicon Valley to a seminal "that guy" performance in The Dark Knight as Mike Engel, the Wayne Enterprises lawyer/accountant who figures out Bruce Wayne's secret and inspires the best line of the movie from Morgan Freeman ". . . and your plan is to blackmail him?"

So here's to you, Anthony Michael Hall. Thanks for giving hope to Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and Emilio Estevez (outside of Mighty Ducks 4).

UPDATE: Okay, according to the comments section, I have (1) wrongly indentified the part that Mr. Hall (or is it Mr. Michael Hall?) played in The Dark Knight (he played the reporter who broke the accountant's story) and (2) not credited him for a television role he has played for 6 years on the USA network. So, an inauspicious beginning for this feature. In future posts, I pledge to only get one major thing wrong. You have my word.