We’ve all had it happen. There you are watching your newest favorite shows & a new character pops up on the screen. The actor looks maddeningly familiar, but there is just no placing him.
Straight to IMDB you go to see who it could possibly be, only to see that he has been involved with some of your all-time favorites throughout the years. New fall shows bring endless numbers of faces that you just can’t place. Here are a few of the newest kids on the block…
EION BAILEY:
You know him as:
August W. Booth on Once Upon a Time
You might recognize him from:
Dawson’s Creek, Fight Club, or Almost Famous
Eion Bailey may have made a lasting impression this season on Once Upon a Time playing the ever endearing but troubled, August W. Booth (aka Pinocchio), however, you may be surprised to know that he has had small roles in a remarkable number of projects over the last 15 years, including his very first: a bit part on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Even his 2 episode stint on Dawson’s Creek as Jen’s heinous ex-boyfriend from New York ranks low when you check out the laundry list of great roles he has played, including: Jann Wenner from Almost Famous, Ricky from Fight Club, and a recurring role as Jack Scanlon on ER.
JOSEPH MORGAN:
You know him as:
Klaus Mikaelson on The Vampires Diaries
You might recognize him from:
Immortals, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, or Alexander
Joseph Morgan has taken quite a bite out of the vampire craze with his portrayal of the power hungry Original, Klaus, on The Vampire Diaries.
His knack for choosing complex villains also lead him to make quite an impression in Tarsem Singh’s Immortals last year, playing the twisted traitor, Lysander.
It seems that his soft features and intense eyes have won him a fair share of villain roles, but his small role as William Warley in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World proved he could play the upstanding sailor. Acting the villain seems to be more his style, in any case.
GABRIEL MANN:
You know him as:
Nolan Ross on Revenge
You might recognize him from:
The Bourne Trilogy, Mad Men, Summer Catch
Playing second fiddle to Emily Van Camp in ABC’s new hit show, Revenge, Gabriel Mann has stolen our hearts as Nolan Ross; the best (and possibly only) friend of the real Amanda Clarke. It may be hard to believe that 11 years ago, he was playing friend to Freddie Prinze Jr. in Summer Catch.
It may be even harder to place the buzz-cut sporting Mann in The Bourne Identity & The Bourne Supremacy, where he plays the assistant to a federal agent.
Also, four short years ago, Mann was almost unrecognizable in Mad Men during 4 episodes of the show’s second season where he stuns as a doting friend of Betty Draper.
JOSH DALLAS:
You know him as:
Charming on Once Upon a Time
You might recognize him from:
Thor or Doctor Who
The love interest to one of the most beloved fairytale characters of all time, Josh Dallas has charmed us all as Snow White’s Prince Charming on ABC’s Once Upon a Time.
You might be interested to know that he has humble beginnings as Node 2 in one episode of Doctor Who’s fourth season, a role where he was literally just a pretty face. Check out episode 8 “Silence in the Library,” and see if you can spot him.
He has also recently seen in the role of Fandal, the guy with the hair, in the 2011 superhero origin story Thor. Reports have claimed that the hair will be returning in Thor 2, but the face under it will no longer be Josh Dallas.
MATT PROKOP:
You know him as:
Ethan on Modern Family
You might recognize him from:
High School Musical 3 or Hannah Montana
The adorable college boy that wooed the Dunphy girls on Modern Family this year is none other than Matt Prokop.
The young lad began his career on the set of Hannah Montana in 1×23, playing a jock inviting Lily & Miley to a party. He then went on to win the role of Jimmie ‘The Rocket’ Zara in High School Musical 3, where he acted the youngster vying for Sharpay’s attention & underclassman friend to Troy. It was suggested that he could take up the leading male role in further installments of the series before it was decided that HSM3 would be the series’ swan song. Be sure to look for Matt in Chris Colfer’s writing & producing debut Struck by Lightning, showing at film festivals this summer & hopefully in theatres sometime this fall.
MAX GREENFIELD:
You know him as:
Schmidt on The New Girl
You might recognize him from:
Greek or Gilmore Girls
This past fall, Max Greenfield wormed his way into our hearts as Schmidt, the adorable douchebag on Fox’s The New Girl.
Before he was the wily & lovable roommate to Jess, Max showed us all his softer side as Michael, the flamboyant French TA & boyfriend to Calvin Owens on Greek.
And, in case you didn’t spot him, in 2008 he popped in for an episode of Gilmore Girls to play Dean’s drunken friend at his bachelor party. Check him out in 4×04 entitled “Chicken or Beef?” & watch him in the background; he was stealing the scene long before The New Girl.
What do you think? Who are your favorite surprise actors that you’ve noticed are from another series?
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