That Actor Whose Name You Don’t Know: Mark Margolis

It’s still mind-boggling to realize that an actor that’s so prolific as Mark Margolis can be so easily recognized by appearance but many upon many people won’t know his name. This could be called the ‘judging a book by the cover’ syndrome, save for the fact that Mark actually is a great actor and has proven it many times over. From his early days to the current era Mark has played a great many characters whose look never changes that much, since he almost always looks like he sucked on a lemon right before he went on screen. No offense to the man, he’s a great actor and that’s meant with as much love as possible since he has a very distinctive look and it works in a number of ways. But the fact is that he does have a very pinched look to him and it only increases when he looks angry since it’s like watching his face cave in on itself or narrow to the point of being able to cut glass. If you can’t take the jokes then stop reading, because seriously, some folks in Hollywood do have very distinctive looks that are easy to comment on. It’s not punching up or down, in fact, it’s not even an attempt at shadowboxing, it’s an explanation of why he works so well as so many different characters.

There are some parts that he’s taken on that have been a little more memorable even if they’ve been a little shorter than others, such as the role he took in Scarface as Alberto The Shadow. Looking at him in that movie it didn’t feel as though he was all that useful since the guy in the shades with the shotgun at the end of the movie appeared a lot more menacing. Plus, Alberto didn’t get that great of an end since right before he could detonate a bomb that had been set under a target’s car, Tony Montana put a bullet in him, ruining the plan because the target’s wife and children were in the same car. Say what you want about Tony Montana, and there’s a lot to say, but he had at least one line he wouldn’t cross. To be fair though Alberto was a guy that apparently didn’t have any limit he wouldn’t cross and as a result was definitely more at risk than many of those in the movie, since those willing to cross the lines that others won’t are dangerous in their own right, but they also become targets since they’re seen as lower than pond scum to other people.

One of his fun roles was as Mr. Shickadance in Ace Ventura, even if it was a small one. Come on, the line that Ace gives when Mr. Shickadance says his name, “Yes, Satan?”, is still pretty funny. Tack onto that the fact that the character was kind of a miserable human being and it makes things even funnier since the landlord was trying to get his rent but was also someone that came off as a bit nosy and perhaps even a little suspect. In a lot of movies, he’s played a minor role or has been something of an extra or has been stuck in a cameo role that has seen him come and go as needed. But wherever he goes, Mark is usually quite masterful in his role since his delivery and the manner in which he’s asked to act tend to be perfect for the movie and for the moments that he’s given. To be fair, he is one of those that people tend to describe as ‘that guy that played in this movie’ since the need to recognize someone’s name is kind of secondary unless they’re a big-name A-lister that is difficult to forget. Mark is hard to forget to be honest, but that comes simply because he puts on such a good show that he sticks in the memory and makes an impression.

Obviously one of his best roles by far in recent times has been Hector Salamanca from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul since the notorious individual has been one of the cruelest and most despised characters from either franchise and yet he’s one of the most recognized and loved as well. It’s been said in so many different ways and I’ll keep saying it, the actor that can make people react and come to hate or love their character is the one that is doing their job, but the one that can actually make people appreciate a character that is so vile is one that has transcended the craft in a way that’s hard to do. Mark is definitely one of those that feels as though he doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves, but he still manages to do the best he can with each role.