It’s time to try out a new feature here at The Drug of the Nation. Episodes of TV shows are filled with tons of “that guys” – character actors, tv veterans, up and coming actors, main characters from other shows looking to branch out. At “Who Are Those Guys” we’ll go through a season of a show and point out notable actors and actresses who appeared in that show over the course of the season, what role they played in the show, and where you may have seen them before. There’s obviously going to have to be some discretion in the choices, as there’s more than enough noteworthy actors and actresses in any season of a show to write about, so please let me know if I miss a personal favorite in the comments. Because there are so many, we’ll focus only on actors appearing for the first time in the season, and we’re not including main cast members.
Our first instance of “Who are Those Guys” will take on the recently finished season 4 of Justified.
Episode 1 – “Hole in the Wall”
Pattan Oswalt – On Justified, he’s Constable Bob Sweeney, a semi-competent, paranoid, old acquaintance of Raylan’s who didn’t get to be a cop, but is instead trying to make a name for himself as a constable, though no one takes him seriously. Oswalt is best known as a stand up comedian but has started acting more recently, starred as an obsessive New York Giants fan in Big Fan and playing a well-regarded supporting role in Diablo Cody’s Young Adult.
Joseph Mazzello – True believer preacher and snake handler Billy St. Cry in Justified, Mazzello was one of the leads in World War II miniseries The Pacific (character was Eugene Sledge) and played Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz in The Social Network.
Lindsey Pulsipher – Pulsipher played Cassie St. Cyr, preacher Billy’s more world weary sister. She appeared in History Channel’s mini-series Hatfields & McCoys, but had her biggest role previously as Crystal Norris in True Blood. Norris portrays a redneck werepanther who Jason Stackhouse falls in love with which causes Jason to get entangled in her wacky clan.
Chris Chalk – Chalk is Jody Adair, a criminal Raylan agrees to find and bring in in exchange for some of the bond money. Chalk has been quite the hot TV actor of late, appearing in the last couple of years as Gary Cooper in The Newsroom and brainwashed marine Tom Walker in Homeland.
Ron Eldard -Former army buddy of Boyd Crowder in Iraq, Colton Rhodes. Eldard previously was a main cast member in a couple of failed shows, Blind Justice, and Men Behaving Badly, but may best be known for his recurring role as a paramedic early in the run of ER.
Episode 2- “Where’s Waldo?”
Beth Grant – Grant played Waldo Truth’s widow, known simply as Mother Truth, who had another man pretending to be her ex-husband. Grant had recurring roles on Coach and Jericho but can most notably be currently seen on The Mindy Project as cranky clerical assistant Beverly.
Episode 3 – “Truth and Consequences”
Julia Campbell – Campbell plays Eve Munro, the psychic ex-wife of the mysterious Drew Thompson. A long-time TV veteran, she might be best known for playing John Lithgow’s serial killer Arthur Mitchell’s wife during the fourth season of Dexter.
Michael Graziadei – As Mason Goines, he’s a Detroit mob henchman who kidnaps Eve Munro. He played Constance’s lover, Travis Wanderly in the first season of American Horror Story.
Episode 5 – “Kin”
Gerald McRaney – he plays crotchety old long-time criminal Josiah Carn, who gets harassed by Raylan. McRaney is a TV legend who starred in Major Dad and Simon & Simon and more recently appeared in recurring roles in Deadwood, Jericho, Mike & Molly, and House of Cards.
Bonita Friedericy – She portrayed hill person Mary, cousin to Raylan’s mom. The six viewers of Chuck will know her better as Brigadier General Diane Beckman, a high ranking official in the NSA.
Romy Rosemont – Boyd’s lawyer, Sonya Gable, she goes on to orchestrate a plot to kidnap Josiah Carn. She got her biggest TV role in the past couple of years playing Carole Hudson, Finn’s mother on Glee. She’s also married to Stephen Root.
Mike O’Malley – Nicky Augustine, high ranking member of the Detroit mob, who is out to find Drew Thompson. Mike O’Malley has done in a lot in his career, early on hosting Nick game shows Get the Picture and Guts, and starring in the shockingly long running Yes, Dear, and appearing frequently as Kurt’s dad Burt in Glee.
Episode 6 – “Foot Chase”
Lew Temple – Temple is one of the two goons who kidnap McRaney’s Josiah Carn. Walking Dead fans know him as former prison inmate Axel, who hits on Carol a few times.
Episode 7 – “Money Trap”
Sam Anderson – He plays unscrupulous and condescending businessman Lee Paxton who tries to get Boyd to do his bidding. This is extremely unlike his best known character, soft-spoken dentist Bernard, from Lost. He also played recurring cardiologist Jack Kayson on ER and villainous lawyer Holland Manners on Angel.
Michael Gladis – Murderer and fugitive Jody Adair’s buddy and aspiring filmmaker Kenneth. Gladis portrayed the chief in the first season of Eagleheart but is much better known for playing pretentious copywriter Paul Kinsey in Mad Men.
Shelley Hennig – Hennig plays the fantastically named Jackie Nevada, a sorority sister of Jody Adair’s wife, and a potential target for Adair who Raylan must protect. A former Miss Teen USA, Hennig starred as responsible witch Diana in the one season of The Secret Circle on the CW.
Ned Bellamy – Gerald Johns, another one of the nefarious businessmen trying to get Boyd to do favors for him. He’s had small roles in a number of shows, but myself and the three other Treme watchers will recognize him as Vincent Abreu, the father of the man killed during Katrina whose case Toni Bernette is investigating.
Episode 8 – “Outlaws”
Matthew John Armstrong – A hitman who dresses like a cop to easily take out his targets, Raylan defeats him in a match of quick draw. This one’s a stretch, but people who made it to the end of the first season of Heroes may vaguely remember the character Ted Sprague, played by Armstrong, a person with the ability to create radiation, who poses dangers to society and accidentally radiation poisons his wife.
Episode 9 – “Get Drew”
Daniel Buran – He plays Nicky Cush, the former owner of whorehouse Audrey’s, who is now a paranoid conspiracy nut. Buran played villainous werewolf pack leader Marcus Bozeman who gets into fights with both Alcide and Sam on True Blood.
Episode 10 – “Decoy”
John Kapelos – Kapelos is Nicky Augustine’s second in command, Picker, who issues him advice. He’s been on TV for years, but I know him best as Jerry’s possibly drug-addled accountant in episode The Sniffling Accountant on Seinfeld, as well as janitor Carl Reed in The Breakfast Club.
Epsidoe 13 – “Ghosts”
Troy Ruptash – He plays Dominic, one of the goons sent to hold Winona hostage, in the last episode of the season. His best known role to me is a tiny one, as the real Don Draper whose identity Dick Whitman stole, in flashbacks in first season Mad Men episode Nixon vs. Kennedy.
Television, the Drug of the Nation 