There was a lot of excitement online this week about the announcement that Walton Goggins would be joining season three of hit television show The White Lotus.
Although he could not be described as a bona fide Hollywood star, the American actor has garnered a legion of fans and won critical acclaim ever since breaking out as redeemed career criminal Boyd Crowder in TV show Justified.
In industry terms, “character actor” is the phrase used to describe stars like Goggins. Character actors work consistently in acclaimed films and shows alongside A-list names, but never break out into leading man or woman status. Most prefer it that way.
Here are some of the best character actors working today …
1. Hiam Abbass
The multilingual Palestinian actress and director has worked solidly in Arab and French cinema since the 1980s, making her debut in the TV movie La nuit miraculeuse.
Her recent role as the complex and layered Marcia Roy, the third wife of media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox) in the multi-Emmy-winning Succession brought Abbass to a wider audience.
From her role in the Oscar-nominated 2005 Palestinian film Paradise Now to playing Ramy Youssef’s mother in Ramy, Abbass likes to mix things up. “Don’t stagnate,” she told The Guardian about her approach to work. “Don’t be certain about things, you never know. The road is still so long.”
While she's thrived in
2. Luis Guzman
With an instantly recognisable face and accent, the Puerto Rican actor has parlayed his natural scene-stealing presence into a four-decades-long career that shows no signs of slowing down.
Turns in award-winning films, including Carlito’s Way, Boogie Nights, Out of Sight, Traffic and Magnolia showcase Guzman's dramatic acting chops, but there’s also plenty of comedy on his CV, including his role as Gomez Addams in the recent Netflix hit Wednesday.
“I just really commit to the work,” he told the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. “I’m there to complement the work and complement the people I’m working with.”
3. Jane Lynch
It was her turn as the win-at-all-costs gym teacher Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy show Glee that really put Lynch on the map, despite having been acting for more than 20 years.
A favourite of director Christopher Guest, she has appeared in his mockumentaries Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.
The five-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner is a small-screen stalwart, with recurring roles in Two and a Half Men, The L Word and Criminal Minds.
More than holding her own opposite Meryl Streep as Dorothy Cousins in 2009’s Julie & Julia, Lynch can now be found as the feisty Sazz Pataki in Only Murders in the Building.
4. Poorna Jagannathan
Although she trained in acting when she was younger, it wasn’t until her early 30s that the American actress of Indian descent moved into the entertainment industry, after an early career in advertising.
Since appearing on Law & Order in 2004, Jagannathan has been a familiar face on the small screen, racking up credits in shows such as House of Cards, The Blacklist, Better Call Saul, Ramy and Big Little Lies.
Introduced to a Gen Z audience as Devi Vishwakumar’s mother Nalini in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix show Never Have I Ever, her turn as the family matriarch was described as a “revelation” by Mashable, which added: “She puts forth one of the best portrayals of Indian-American mothers we’ve seen.”
5. Benedict Wong
The actor got his start in classic British shows Last of the Summer Wine and The Bill, only much later stepping on to the global cinematic stage as the sorcerer Wong in 2016’s Doctor Strange. He went on to reprise the role a further six times in MCU sequels and spin-offs.
Despite having Marvel on his CV, Wong remains committed to putting his preferences first, following up with roles in the Black Mirror episode Hated in the Nation and as Wallace the Necromancer in vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows.
6. Allison Janney
From roles in teen classics 10 Things I Hate About You and Juno to acclaimed hit shows such as the West Wing and Oscar-winning films I, Tonya and American Beauty, Janney has rarely been out of work.
An actress who is only a letter T away from being an Egot winner, she has maintained character-actress status for decades, working consistently but staying under the radar.
The American, who is 1.83m tall, credits her height with her coveted position in Hollywood, telling NPR: “It helped me in certain parts. It’s made me definitely more of a character actress in terms of my love of doing comedy.”
7. Colman Domingo
The American will be familiar to fans of the stylised Gen Z show Euphoria, for which he won an Emmy in 2022 for his role as Ali Muhammed, the AA sponsor and mentor to Rue (Zendaya).
However, theatre – Shakespeare in particular – remains the actor and playwright's first love and he has portrayed Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Lysander in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream among others.
Of his recent Golden Globe nomination for Rustin, Domingo said: “I feel like all the lights are shining on me right now in this industry and they see me for what I’m doing.”
8. Jennifer Coolidge
Depending on who you ask, Coolidge will forever be “Stifler's mom” from the 1999 film American Pie; Elle Woods’s favourite manicurist, Paulette Bonafonte, in Legally Blonde; or soup-loving trophy wife Sherri Ann Cabot in Best in Show.
More recently, she has won accolades for her role as the self-absorbed heiress Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus.
“She is often classified as a 'character actor', a term that can have a lot of subtext in the entertainment business but almost always means ‘rarely, if ever, the lead’,” said the LA Times. “But Coolidge’s cultural footprint is larger than that, rivalling many performers who are considered leads.”
9. Paterson Joseph
Acting almost seems like a hobby to the English actor, who most recently starred as villainous chocolatier Arthur Slugworth in Wonka.
An award-winning author and the Chancellor of the UK’s Oxford Brookes University, Joseph’s evolution can be charted by fans from his beginnings as Alan Johnson in surreal sitcom Peep Show via Doctor Who to Fleabag.
Roles opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in 2000s The Beach and Charlize Theron in 2005’s Aeon Flux sit easily on his CV, alongside stage roles, including Othello and King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 2pm:
Elina Svitolina (UKR) [3] v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) v Belinda Bencic (SUI [4]
Not before 7pm:
Sofia Kenin (USA) [5] v Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Maria Sakkari (GRE) v Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [7]
Court One
Starting at midday:
Karolina Muchova (CZE) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) v Dayana Yastermska (UKR)
Petra Martic (CRO) [8] v Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) v Anett Kontaveit (EST)
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
Company%20Profile
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Signs%20of%20%20%20%20%20%20%20heat%20stroke
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Januzaj's club record
Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals
Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals
Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
