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"Just go explain the situation, Miles."

If you watch LOST, or practically any other TV show, you're bound to have a moment where you say, "Where have I seen this person before?" But there are times when you don't realize somebody on the show played a small, but very memorable character in a film you saw once. In my case, that belongs to M.C. Gainey aka, Mr. Friendly, Zeke, and currently, Tom.

Gainey was recently featured on the Official LOST Podcast and the topic of his acting career was brought up. Not only has he done a lot of television work (including the beloved Adventures of Brisco County Jr), but he was also in Sideways. His character has no name other than "Cammi's husband." If you're putting two and two together, he's the naked guy that runs after Paul Giamatti's character after he retrieves the wallet. Yup, that's Mr. Friendly in all his glory.

The thing is, I re-watched the scene to see if Gainey looked recognizable compared to his character on LOST. Other than the eyes and the cheeks, you'd have no idea. The music drowns his voice out and his face doesn't get a close-up. Of course you get a close-up of another part of his body.

I'm firmly aware that most actors and actresses are only a few degrees away from one another. (Gainey and Kevin Bacon have two degrees of separation.) But I find enjoyment in seeing someone's acting career over the years in various roles, especially the bit players. Now in the case of Gainey, I'm not about to watch Con Air or Walker Texas Ranger, but it's nice to see a guy have a major role on a show instead of only being known as the Naked Guy in Sideways.

Comments

Ted said…
I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows Gainey as "Zeke." :-)

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