As one of the great character actors working today, Gary Coles film and television roles have featured many fan-favorite and acclaimed performances across an incredible range of projects. Cole is the kind of actor that fans instantly recognize from any number of roles. As a sign of his versatility, he may be best known for a chilling villain performance just as often as he is recognized for a hilarious comedic turn. However, there are some movies and TV shows from his career that stand out as the best and the best display of his talent.
Cole has held his own against some truly great comedic actors over the years, such as Ben Stiller, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell. However, he is also menacing or sternly serious in movies on the small screen and on the big screen. He made his mark on a number of hit series and even helmed some projects himself. With such an impressive career, Gary Cole’s best movies and TV shows are truly exceptional.
10
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Like Mike Brady
Gary Cole is one of the best comedic actors when it comes to playing ridiculous roles with hilarious sincerity. This is perfectly shown in one of his most underrated movies, The Brady Bunch Movie. Based on the beloved sitcom of yesteryear, the film takes a look at the unconventional family formed when single father Mike Brady (Cole) marries single mother Carol (Shelly Long), creating a blended blended family that makes for a hectic household. .
what makes The Brady Bunch Movie Such a smart TV adaptation is that it fully embraces the fact that the show, its tone and its style are outdated in the 1990s. The show takes place in the ’90s, but the Brady family looks like they stepped out of the ’70s with their fashion and demeanor making them a family of oddballs. Cole is especially hilarious in delivering the cliché father-knows-best role with a straight faceAs the movie shows how stupid it seems now.
9
Entourage (2004-2011)
as Andrew Klein (12 episodes, 2008-2010)
Vincent Chase, a young and talented actor, embarks on his Hollywood journey surrounded by his loyal friends from Queens. His inner circle includes Eric, his devoted manager; Johnny Drama, his supportive but fame-seeking half-brother; Turtle, his fun-loving and resourceful friend; And Ari Gold, his strong-willed agent. Together, they navigate the complexities of the entertainment industry, balancing career aspirations with personal relationships, and facing the ups and downs of fame with camaraderie and resilience.
- Figure
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Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven, Debi Mazar, Perrey Reeves, Rex Lee, Rhys Coiro, Gary Cole, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Scott Caan
- Release date
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July 18, 2004
- Seasons
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8
- creator(s)
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Doug Elin
Throughout his career, Gary Cole has shown an ability to connect the cast of an ongoing series and fit right into the fold of the story. Such was the case with EntourageWhat was already a hit comedy series on HBO when Cole signed on for the fifth season. Loosely based on the Hollywood experiences of Mark Wahlberg, the series follows up-and-coming movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) as he embraces the life of luxury while bringing his childhood friends along for the ride.
Cole joins the show as Andrew Klein, a former friend of Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) who joins his agency. What started as a simple guest-starring role blossomed into being a series regular in the series. Cole mixes intensity and comedy with Andrew’s wild storylines, which include an affair with a fellow agent and his battle with addiction. However, despite the serious subject matter, the show always maintained its sense of fun and wish-fulfillment throughout.
8
American Gothic (1995-1996)
Like Sheriff Lucas Buck
American Gothic
- Figure
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Dylan Bruce, Elliot Knight, Maureen Sebastian, Antony Starr, Megan Ketch, Gabriel Bateman, Stephanie Leonidas, Justin Chatwin, Virginia Madsen, Jamie Sheridan, Juliet Rylance
Gary Cole’s first starring role on television is also one of his most overlooked projects. American Gothic is a dark supernatural thriller that Cole stars as Sheriff Lucas Black, a seemingly friendly and helpful small-town sheriff who is actually a sadistic killer backed by evil forces. The series focuses on a young boy with a dark connection to Black, who, together with his allies, seeks to bring down the sheriff.
The series was perhaps ahead of its time with the dark and twisted storylines kicking off right from the first episode. The show lasted only one season before it was cancelled, despite positive reviews from critics, especially regarding Cole’s performance. However, in the years since it ended, American Gothic Has gained a cult following as well as a reputation as a show that ended too soon.
7
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Like Cotton McKnight
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is a 2004 comedy directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and starring Vince Vaughn. Vaughn plays Peter La Fleur, the owner of a struggling gym that has fallen behind on payments. But after White Goodman (Ben Stiller) threatens to buy his rival’s gym, Peter and his gang enter a dodgeball tournament to raise money.
- Director
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Rawson Marshall Thurber
- Release date
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June 18, 2004
- runtime
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92 minutes
The sports comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is one of many examples of Gary Cole managing to stand out in a comedy with a stacked ensemble of oddballs. Dodgeball It stars Vince Vaughn as the easy-going owner of a gym for average people who are being run out of business by an aggressive fitness guru (Ben Stiller). In order to raise money to save the gym, Vaughn and his loyal customers form a team to enter a dodgeball tournament in the hopes of winning the cash prize.
Although Vaughn and Stiller are hilarious and the dodgeball sequences are great moments of slapstick comedy, The highlight of the movie is the tournament comedy provided by Gary Cole and Jason Bateman as two mismatched announcers. While Batman’s Pepper Brooks is a dark-witted and unpredictable color commentator, Cole is just as funny in playing his character of Cotton McKnight as if it were a pivotal moment in sports. While there are always talks of Dodgeball 2 It wouldn’t be the same if Cole and Batman didn’t return.
6
Pineapple Express (2008)
Like Ted Jones
Seth Rogen helped create the story and screenplay for this 2008 comedy-action film, along with Judd Apatow. Starring Rogen and James Franco, the story follows a pair of marijuana enthusiasts who witness a murder by corrupt police officers and are forced to run for their lives.
- Director
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David Gordon Green
- Release date
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August 6, 2008
- runtime
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111 minutes
Gary Cole has the rare opportunity to showcase his intimidating side as a villain while also starring in a goofy comedy. Pineapple Express Comes from the mind of Seth Rogen and serves as a mix of an action movie throwback and a stoner comedy. Rogen plays a trial server who accidentally witnesses a mob hit involving corrupt police officers. Then he goes on the run with his dark-witted but kind-hearted drug dealer (James Franco).
Cole plays Ted Jones, the drug lord who goes looking for the two half-baked heroes. Cole adds an appropriate menace to the movie, as do the action sequences in Pineapple Express are legitimately impressive. However, the movie is also laugh-out-loud funny, with Rogen and Franco showing off their hilarious chemistry and Danny McBride delivering a breakout performance as drug dealer Red, who can’t seem to die.
5
Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Like Reese Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (English: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) is a 2006 comedy directed by Adam McKay, with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Ferrell plays a successful NASCAR driver who almost loses his family, best friend and his career when a French Formula One driver tries to take his number one spot in the world of racing.
- Release date
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August 4, 2006
- runtime
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108 minutes
Gary Cole is able to steal laughs from even the funniest actors in Hollywood, as evidenced by the hilarious sports comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Will Ferrell stars as Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver whose rapid rise to fame in the sport has led to him becoming a massive success while also adding to his ever-growing ego. However, all this is put in jeopardy with the arrival of a Formula One driver (Sacha Baron Cohen) who seeks to end Ricky’s reign at the top.
Cole is hilarious as Reese Bobby, Ricky’s reckless gang father Which pops in and out of his life and also inadvertently inspires him to be a racer in the first place. Cole is certainly a lot of fun as the wild character and he fits perfectly into the hilarious hijinks of the movie. Ferrell also delivers another terrific comic performance and has particularly great chemistry with John C. Reilly in their first collaboration together.
4
The West Wing (1999-2006)
As Vice President Bob Russell (22 episodes, 2003-2006)
In Aaron Sarkin’s classic political procedural, President Josiah Bartlett’s (Martin Sheen) senior staff face the daily challenge of helping run the country from the West Wing of the White House. The series features an ensemble cast that also includes Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff and John Spencer.
- Release date
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September 22, 1999
- Seasons
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7
The West Wing is another excellent series that Gary Cole effortlessly stepped into while it was already underway. Created by Aaron Surkin, The West Wing is a behind-the-scenes look at the White House staff under President Jed Bartlett (Martin Sheen). Together they deal with international crises, assassination attempts, and re-election campaigns, while also doing their best to better America in their own way.
Cole joined the series in season 5 as Bob Russell, who becomes the second vice president of the United States under BartlettAnd the actor does a great job of playing the complicated character. Russell is not the most effective or skilled politician, but there is a charm in him knowing that and using his particular strengths to support his career. The series is a wonderfully written drama that offers an exciting look at the political world, even if it is an idyllic one.
3
A Simple Plan (1998)
As Vernon Bokowski/FBI agent Neil Baxter
A Simple Plan centers on three men who discover a crashed plane filled with over four million dollars in cash. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film stars Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Bridget Fonda. Their decision to keep the money leads to unforeseen consequences and moral dilemmas, ultimately unraveling their lives. Based on the novel by Scott B. Smith, the film explores themes of greed, deception and the human condition.
- Release date
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December 11, 1998
- Figure
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Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda, Brent Briscoe, Jack Walsh, Chelcie Ross, Becky Ann Baker, Gary Cole
- runtime
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121 minutes
After delivering the iconic Evil Dead Movies and before he kicked off the Spider-Man trilogy, Sam Raimi delivered one of his best and most underrated movies with the crime story A simple plan. The movie stars Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton as two brothers who happen upon a plane that crashes in the woods with a bag of money inside. Presented with this new wealth, the brothers construct a plan to keep the money secret, only for it to spiral out of control with deadly consequences.
Cole appears only in the climax, playing Vernon Bokowski, the man who comes to the small snowy town in search of his lost money. immediately, Cole adds a sense of menace to the final moments of the movie, and he gives a memorable villainous performance with the limited screen time he has. Raimi crafts a brilliantly dark crime story with an underlying sense of humor that makes it feel like a Coen Brothers movie.
2
Veep (2012-2019)
as Kent Davison (55 episodes, 2013-2019)
When former US Senator Selina Meyer becomes Vice President of the United States, she finds that it is less than what she had hoped for, and more of what she was warned it would be.
- Release date
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April 22, 2012
- Seasons
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7
- Showrunner
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Armando Iannucci
While Gary Cole is the kind of actor who can be appreciated in many TV shows of any genre, his best series was the hilarious political satire Veep. As if you iconic turn on Seinfeld That’s not enough, Julia Louis-Dreyfus delivers another legendary TV performance as Selina Meyer, who starts the show as the ignored and overlooked Vice President of the United States of America. Then, she uses every dirty trick and shady deal she can think of to grab an ounce of power she can.
Along with Louise-Dreyfus’ amazing performance in the lead role, the cast of Veep is outstanding, with a colorful ensemble of characters that show the hilarious dark side of politics. Cole joined the show in the second season as strategist Kent DavisonFit perfectly in the figure. Cole is hilarious playing the character who is described as cold and robotic but has so many laugh-out-loud moments.
1
Office Space (1999)
Like Bill Lumbergh
Office Space (English: Office Space) is a satirical comedy film by Mike Judge, the creator of Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill. Peter Gibbons, the film’s protagonist, is overworked, underpaid, and over it all as his job continues to wreak havoc on his personal life and mental health. One day during a hypnosis session, Peter’s therapist dies with hypnosis and leaves Peter in a perpetual state of calm, where he is no longer bothered by the trivial elements of the world. With a changed outlook and a devil-may-care attitude, Peter’s newfound love of life contrasts with the rest of the world and the hustle and bustle evident in American work culture.
- Director
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Mike Judge
- Release date
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February 19, 1999
- runtime
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89 minutes
Office Space is one of those comedies that was a box office bomb when it was initially released, but has since grown into a cult classic and is now viewed as one of the funniest movies of the 1990s. of King of the Hill Creator Mike Judge, Office Space Star Ron Livingston as a man working in a soul-crushing corporate job with mundane tasks and micro-managing bosses who decides to take a new approach by simply not caring about his job anymore.
Office Space is filled with hilarious quotes and colorful characters, so it’s all the more impressive that Gary Cole steals the entire show as Bill Lumbergh, the intrusive and painfully boring office supervisor. Cole gives a perfect comedic performance, creating this totally unique yet completely recognizable character. From the way he sips his coffee to his constant use of “Yaaaaaaaaaaah…“, this is Cole’s best performance and a comedic gem.