There are always those actors whose name you don’t remember but you know their face well enough to say just where you’ve seen them and what they’ve starred in, and Erick Avari is one of the more famous among them since the guy has a list of credits that takes a while to read through. It also would appear that acting was something he might have predestined to do since his father ran two movie theaters and his great-great-grandfather was one of those that helped to pioneer Indian cinema. It’s true, his life could have gone in a lot of different directions, but those that appreciate his contributions to the entertainment industry are likely grateful that he took this road and is still one of the more capable individuals that can support his fellow actors while providing the type of support that is needed to make one movie or TV show a little better. It is kind of evident that he’s been fit into very stereotypical roles over the years as he’s had to play a person of Indian heritage quite often. But there have been many roles that have allowed him to mask the accent that he’s affected in others, and he’s been just effective either way since his talents include being able to take on the character he’s playing in a manner that a lot of people have willingly accepted.
Some of the roles he’s taken on over the years have been easier to remember than others since he’s been around for so long that he’s filled a lot of spots and some have been fleeting since they’ve lasted for only an episode or a brief spot in a movie. As Kasuf in Stargate alongside Kurt Russell and James Spader and an impressive supporting cast he was definitely effective since he played the leader of his people who was fully ready to kowtow to anyone that appeared to be more powerful than his tribe. Yet when he was finally shown the truth of the ‘power’ behind the beings that had subjugated his people for so long he did manage to stand up and lead his tribe in a revolt against the forces of Ra, thereby upending the status quo and taking back their world. Of course in the books that wasn’t the final say, since upending the power structure comes with the unfortunate downside of having to form a new structure, and since the pitfalls of taking power are often catastrophic or at the very least problematic, the show that came after, which Erick was a part of for a while, wasn’t a blockbuster hit but it was popular enough with fans for a while. The point behind Stargate was that without knowledge or the desire to acquire it, people were very easy to rule, as Ra found out.
Another great role that he played was one that could have seen him become a future bad guy, but in all actuality, the character of Cecil in Mr. Deeds, which was in fact a goofy but still funny movie, was someone that wasn’t bad but was definitely used to his privilege. The thing about Cecil is that he came off more like the unfortunate partner to the villainous Chuck Cedar since Cecil wasn’t a bad guy, but he had the misfortune of working with a guy that was true slime and thought that his money made up for it. This is evidenced by the fact that throughout the movie Cecil is actually quite polite with only a few moments in which he’s actually seen to be a little rude. He also gets along quite well with Deeds since he does have a genuinely nice demeanor, and by the time it comes around to Emilio being revealed as the true heir to the $40 billion dollar fortune left behind by Deeds’ uncle, who is actually Emilio’s father, Cecil is actually a sympathetic character who is best kept around since he is a genuine individual that can be seen as an asset and friend. This is what Erick can do to be quite honest since his range is quite impressive since he can appear bumbling and kind of ignorant, as well as arrogant, when the moment calls for it, but his intelligence is never brought into question when he shows what he can do.
To be labeled as ‘that guy’ isn’t really much of an insult since there are names that stick out and those that don’t in the entertainment industry. For some reason ‘Brad Pitt’ sticks out, while ‘Erick Avari’ doesn’t stick in peoples’ memory that often. But his face and his many different roles are hard to forget since he is one of the more memorable individuals that has been a part of the business for so long. So really, being ‘that guy’ is more of a neutral term that can be built upon.
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