From The Mercury News-
Team Players: TV's Unsung Supporting Actors
by Charlie McCollum
They are the unsung heroes of American television: the supporting actors and actresses who each week make so-so dramas and comedies worth watching and make good series even better.
Some -- Allison Janney of "The West Wing," Bryan Cranston of "Malcolm in the Middle," Victor Garber of "Alias" -- eventually break through into the public consciousness and get the recognition they deserve. But for most, it's still a case of "Gee, I recognize the face but . . ." Periodically, it's worth taking a look at these performers and why they are TV's most valuable players.
CARL LUMBLY
Marcus Dixon
"Alias" (9 p.m. Sunday, Ch. 7)
• Where you've seen him: Although he's probably best-remembered as Det. Marcus Petrie on "Cagney & Lacey," Lumbly is a very familiar face on TV and in film. His recent performance as the father in an ABC remake of the classic family drama, "Sounder," was the stuff the Emmys are made for.
• Why he's an MVP: The role of Dixon wasn't easy at the beginning because he was an espionage agent working for the bad guys who actually thinks he's one of the good guys. Plus his partner and friend Sydney Bristow was constantly lying to him because she's a good agent who knows she's working for the bad guys. Dixon could have come off as the dullest tool in the box but Lumbly has made him into a totally engaging character, a decent man whose world crumbled when he found out the truth.
Team Players: TV's Unsung Supporting Actors
by Charlie McCollum
They are the unsung heroes of American television: the supporting actors and actresses who each week make so-so dramas and comedies worth watching and make good series even better.
Some -- Allison Janney of "The West Wing," Bryan Cranston of "Malcolm in the Middle," Victor Garber of "Alias" -- eventually break through into the public consciousness and get the recognition they deserve. But for most, it's still a case of "Gee, I recognize the face but . . ." Periodically, it's worth taking a look at these performers and why they are TV's most valuable players.
CARL LUMBLY
Marcus Dixon
"Alias" (9 p.m. Sunday, Ch. 7)
• Where you've seen him: Although he's probably best-remembered as Det. Marcus Petrie on "Cagney & Lacey," Lumbly is a very familiar face on TV and in film. His recent performance as the father in an ABC remake of the classic family drama, "Sounder," was the stuff the Emmys are made for.
• Why he's an MVP: The role of Dixon wasn't easy at the beginning because he was an espionage agent working for the bad guys who actually thinks he's one of the good guys. Plus his partner and friend Sydney Bristow was constantly lying to him because she's a good agent who knows she's working for the bad guys. Dixon could have come off as the dullest tool in the box but Lumbly has made him into a totally engaging character, a decent man whose world crumbled when he found out the truth.
