The Ten Most Prolific Actors of the Last Five Years

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (63)

When the idea to put together a list of the 10 most prolific actors over the last five years occurred to me, I figured: Nic Cage — Bam. Number one. John Travolta, Christopher Walken, and maybe DeNiro would round out the top five. After spending a few hours on iMDB, I was surprised to learn that none of those guys even broke the top 20. Most of the top 10, in fact, are made up for faces you know better than the names — character actors. People you see everywhere you look, but rarely give a second thought to.

The criteria was as follows: Voice work counted (on films), as did cameo appearances, and television movies. However, appearances on television series did not count, which makes many on the list even more impressive considering how many credits they had excluded because they were on TV. Only credits from 2004 - 2009 were counted.

Honorable mentions: Bruce Willis, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, John Hill, and Donal Logue.

10. Robert Patrick

9. Gary Cole

8. Morgan Freeman

7. Stephen Root

6. JK Simmons

5. Vinnie Jones

4. Justin Long

3. Samuel Jackson

2. Jane Lynch

1. Danny Trejo

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Comments

Wow. I did not know that.
'The more you know.'

Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 15, 2009 4:21 PM

Huh, I thought Samuel L. Jackson would be #1.

I'm one surprised MOTHERFUCKER!

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at September 15, 2009 4:25 PM

Cole was a surprise to me. I feel like I've only seen him in a handful of things ever... but then I don't get to the movies as much as I used to.

I had a theory at one point (back when I had the movie channels) that they would arrange programming based on the character actors. It always seemed that while the leads and genres would change, the same character actor or group of character actors would show up multiple times on a given day.

Posted by: Eep at September 15, 2009 4:27 PM

Oh yay for Stephen Root!

Posted by: Ruckus at September 15, 2009 4:29 PM

J.K. Simmons and Stephen Root are phenomenal in every way.

Posted by: Julie at September 15, 2009 4:30 PM

I'm just going to put this out there: That's a fucking awesome list! I like every one of those people. Although, if you take voiceover work out of the equation, Freeman & Jackson would both probably fall right of the list.

Posted by: admin at September 15, 2009 4:30 PM

I think I've mentioned this before, but Morgan Freeman is what I imagine God's voice sounds like.

Posted by: Nicole at September 15, 2009 4:31 PM

Jesus Christ...talk about money whores. They're like high paid escorts. Actually, I'm sure escorts make better money then some of them.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at September 15, 2009 4:32 PM

In a post about who has made the most apperances in the last ten years you could have included some freaking numbers.

Posted by: EricD at September 15, 2009 4:32 PM

Sooo, it's bad for genuinely hardworking actors to make money for doing work? Whaa?

Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 15, 2009 4:33 PM

I'm not really surprised that Jane Lynch is on the list. I'm just surprised she's Nr. 2.

I've seen her in bit parts everywhere on TV, and must say I really enjoy her work.

Danny Trejo I may not have seen everywhere of late, but I really enjoy watching him work as well. (Especially when he works w/ Cheech Marin.)

Posted by: UncleJR at September 15, 2009 4:35 PM

Who knew so many parts called for a giant, terrifying Mexican?

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at September 15, 2009 4:43 PM

I thought Elijah Wood would be on the list somewhere. He's in almost everything.

Posted by: BWeaves at September 15, 2009 4:49 PM

Mr. Trejo gets so much work because he is a Mexican, not a Mexican't.

Posted by: henchman for hire at September 15, 2009 4:52 PM

Giant? Ripped maybe, but he's 5'7".

Posted by: Eep at September 15, 2009 4:53 PM

Who knew so many parts called for a giant, terrifying Mexican?

Perhaps it's not the number of parts, but the fact that all parts for giant, terrifying Mexicans are required by law to be given to Danny Trejo.

PS - I love Danny Trejo.
PPS - I never figured he was giant? Terrifying, bien sur, but not tall.

Posted by: MM at September 15, 2009 4:54 PM

Hey EricD, because god forbid you might actually have to go look for some things yourself. Here's a little rundown that took me all of about two minutes. I only did the top three. Sue me if you like.
Samuel L. Jackson-35
Jane Lynch-80
Danny Trejo-80

Posted by: DeistBrawler at September 15, 2009 4:55 PM

5-foot-7? Aw, man. In my mind, he was like 6-foot-8 and 280lbs.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at September 15, 2009 4:56 PM

john hill? or jonah hill?

Posted by: sodafilms at September 15, 2009 5:05 PM

Sweet fancy Moses!!

After IMDBing Danny Trejo, I see that he was born in 1944. He's older than my mom. He's in his mid-60s. He's older than Sylvester Stallone.

And he's still ripped, terrifying, and doesn't look like a plastic surgery human growth hormone nightmare.

And he's still working his ass off.

All hail Danny Trejo!

Posted by: MM at September 15, 2009 5:06 PM

I bet Samuel L Jackson's in this; he's in everything...

/Family Guy'd
//Hope I'm not shun on here
///Much love for Office Space

Posted by: Robby at September 15, 2009 5:07 PM

Hate to break it to you, but I think 5-7 is stretching it. I helped him find his way around Washington DC a while back, and he was positively French Presidential.

5-5, maybe 5-6.

really nice guy, at least so it seemed for the minute or two we spoke.

Posted by: morganew at September 15, 2009 5:11 PM

A movie with that Top 10 as a cast would rule.

Posted by: Fredo at September 15, 2009 5:11 PM

One woman? One?
And I thought all actresses waited for kids till they were at least 40 exactly because they were aiming for prolific...
I mean, one????????????????

Posted by: The Gemeinderat at September 15, 2009 5:15 PM

Jane Lynch? Really? I've seen her in a couple Apatow crew movies, but I didn't think...

#2? Really?

Posted by: commanderfunky at September 15, 2009 5:23 PM

The Gemeinderat, I was thinking the same thing.

Does that mean there are a greater variety of character actresses, or that there are more parts for men in general? (I wrote "male parts" first, and then giggled to myself and changed it...) My hunch is the latter, but I haven't done any actual data analysis.

Posted by: Phaeolus at September 15, 2009 5:23 PM

Im a huge fan of J.K Simmons, so much so that while I was studying in America (Im a brit)I walked past him in the Sherman Oaks mall and was overcome with the biggest, for lack of a better word, 'Squee' I have ever felt. I wanted to run up to him and beg him to let me buy him a coffee and discuss 'Oz' for a few hours but was paralysed with Starstruckedness (its a word I swear!)
Instead I think I loudly whispered 'Hes one of the greatest actors on TV!' to my friend and I swear I saw him smile slightly.
Glad to see him on this list or any list for that matter.

Posted by: nieve at September 15, 2009 5:27 PM

My that's a douchey looking photo of Justin Long.

I guess I know where you guys stand as afar as he is concerned.

Posted by: yocean at September 15, 2009 5:43 PM

I'm surprised Banks didn't crack the top 5. It seems like she's in everything.

Posted by: John W at September 15, 2009 5:47 PM

@ Nicole
I *think* Morgan F really was the voice (and/or personage) of God
in that Bruce Almighty flick.

And who is Stephen Root again?

Danny Trejo is somewhere between 5'5" - 5'7". That's damn near 'shrimpy'.
But I certainly wouldn't say that to his face [big laugh]. Aren't all movie
people short?

Sorry. Real bad headache. Too lazy to check sources / numbers / ect.

Posted by: Ms MoMo at September 15, 2009 5:49 PM

TREJO!!!

Posted by: Nadha at September 15, 2009 5:49 PM

I love Stephen Root. So very, very much. Everything he does is just gold, and I will never stop loving his work on King of the Hill, which is some of the best voice work in the history of animation. Oh how I'll miss Bill Dauterive. The bit he did in True Blood really showed me that this guy will do ANYTHING. I love him so.

Jane Lynch is pretty badass, too. I'm glad she gets so much work.

Posted by: figgy at September 15, 2009 6:15 PM

re - Robert Patrick - couldn't happen to a nicer guy. My wife met him when he was shooting a film in Texas several years ago, says he was very sweet and bought some art from the art therapy show she was curating near where they were shooting. 'Course, she thought he was hot even before that. ;-)

Posted by: christophrlucas at September 15, 2009 6:19 PM

Yay Jane Lynch!

Posted by: NoDice at September 15, 2009 6:20 PM

Compiling a list of actors who have worked a lot isn't random. Also, what the fuck is the story with the top of the page? You replaced your banner with an ad? You people make me sick.

Posted by: jbrader at September 15, 2009 6:24 PM

Id love to see a film where these play a bunch of jobbing actors ie themselves. It could just be one long scene of them all just giving each other shit.

Everyone would call Morgan Freeman the voice of God and always take the piss out of him for having a natural echo...

Vinnie Jones would be really posh and make claims that he never played football in his life.

Robert Patrick and Gary Cole would in this world actually use their acting for their real passion which would be using their cop faces to help them in their sleuthing.

Danny Trejo would be a broadway dame like a madder elizabeth taylor

No one would remember Justin Long's name cus he is the new guy but theyd keep on calling him the names of actors who died young...

JK Simmons would have dreams of rapping for a career and claim that he was the inspiration for Ice, Ice, Baby.

Im stuck on Stephen Root's role but as usual he'd be infinitely watchable.

Jane Lynch would be difficult but she might be Justin Long's mum and she always gives him shit for getting her into acting.

Oooh forgot Sam jackson but there could just be loadsa references telling you to wait for the cameo.

Posted by: jim of the lower case at September 15, 2009 6:26 PM

This list makes me unreasonably happy. I like all these actors and all of them deserve all the work they can get.

It's nice to think that Stephen Root et al. are rolling in the dough.

Posted by: Jerce at September 15, 2009 6:36 PM

I got one for you jim of the lower case

Robert Patrick and Gary Cole play police detectives (JK Simmons would be their chief) after two brothers and gang leaders Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson. Naturally Freeman would be the leader, Jackson his jackass younger brother that just likes to kill people. During their search for the brothers the detectives will have to talk to Vinni Jones playing a pimp/drug dealer and Justin Long, a gun smuggler/snitch. Stephen Root will be a former gang leader for a rival gang, while Jane Lynch will be a business woman who is the actual leader of the gang, using Freeman and his men as a tool to lower the property value in certain areas of town so she can buy it all up to build a strip mall. Danny Trejo will be her right hand man, just because Trejo in a suit all business like will make the motherfucker even more intimidating.

Wait, does that sound like its been done before?

Posted by: DeistBrawler at September 15, 2009 6:47 PM

Morgan Freeman would play a tough as nails police Lieutenant named Truman Castillo, in charge of a Vice unit. Vinnie Jones would be the international smuggler they are trying to arrest. Two years before he had two cops killed during a failed undercover operation (played by Robert Patrick and Gary Cole in Flashbacks). Now, a new detective from NY named Tyler Tubbs played by Sam Jackson (who happens to be Cole's character brother) joins the unit and partners with hard drinking Detective Brad Crockett, played by Justin Long to finally bring down the international smuggler and avenge his brother.

Danny Trejo would be a fast talking Cuban snitch.
JK Simmons, plays the politically motivated Police Commissioner.
Stephen Root plays Crockett's former lover with whom he has an adopted child.

Jane Lynch plays sassy Puerto Rican cop, Tina Sanchez..

We could call it: Tampa Heat

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at September 15, 2009 7:08 PM

I can dig a few of those dudes.

Posted by: Cindy at September 15, 2009 7:14 PM

BarbadoSlim

I like it, it has Hollywood Blockbuster potential...however, Justin Long as "hard drinking Detective Brad Crockett." That actually made me laugh out loud. Because Justin Long having a role that is even remotely manly just screams bad idea. Ah, but if he used the voice he used in Zack and Miri that would be fantastic.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at September 15, 2009 7:19 PM

Can danny trejo talk at the speed of a fast talking snitch?
Snitches love talking fast its how they avoid being caught. The faster their speed the more truth to their claims. Unless of course its a golden snitch. They are silent apart from a low buzzing sound but then they are also notoriously difficult to catch. Catching one will solve the case or end your thinly veiled game of Aussie rules football on broom sticks.

If Tampa Heat was a cop show it would need it's initials before the title so the public know it can be trusted.

Posted by: jim of the lower case at September 15, 2009 7:23 PM

Morgan Freeman would have to be two days from retirement... And Justin Long would probably have to have a quirk to be taken seriously as a geek maverick detective... I suggest crippling addiction to puppeteering.

Posted by: jim of the lower case at September 15, 2009 7:28 PM

Knock me over with a feather. I too would have guessed that Nic Cage would be in there somewhere.

Yay for the honorable mention of Bruce Willis, though! I love him. I might need to watch The Fifth Element tonight.

Posted by: stardust savant at September 15, 2009 8:05 PM

DANNY.

FUCKING.

TREJO.

He's a Mexi-can.

That is all.

Posted by: Sean at September 15, 2009 8:14 PM

And yet I've only seen two movies with Trejo. Who knew I was so racist? Oh, that's right, I did.

Posted by: SaBrina at September 15, 2009 8:44 PM

Michael Madsen has 24 flicks in various stages of completion / post production as of right now. I am fairly certain they will all be the very same character he has played in his previous 176 films, but sometimes you just need consistency, am I right? At any rate, my money is on him owning this list next year (sadly, probably the only thing he'll own).

Posted by: Prophet of doom. . for men at September 15, 2009 8:45 PM

Samuel L. Jackson-35
Jane Lynch-80
Danny Trejo-80

Hold on a second. These better not be the numbers Dustin used, because then Lynch and Trejo should be TIED. God, the fucking patriarchy around here, with the men and penises and the abs and the slighting of females on random lists.

Posted by: SaBrina at September 15, 2009 8:49 PM

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Posted by: Jessie at September 15, 2009 9:28 PM

saBrina: Those figures include TV shows, which aren't counted for the purposes of this list. About 1/3 of Lynch's credits were attributed to TV series.

Posted by: Dustin Rowles at September 15, 2009 9:48 PM

So who is that in the header photo?

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at September 15, 2009 9:51 PM

So, including the honorable mentions allows you to lead the article with a photo of Elizabeth Banks.

This is a move in the finest journalist tradition, as exemplified by Allen Neuharth, former CEO of Gannet and creator of USA Today who (allegedly) said in an editorial review of a front page featuring a comely college cheerleader:

"If you're going to put a picture of an all-American girl on the cover, get her tits above the fold."

Words to live by. Nicely done, sir. Nicely done.

Posted by: BierceAmbrose at September 15, 2009 10:10 PM

Thanks, Dustin. I figured those weren't the actual counts, but I like breaking out the angry feminist once in a while.

Posted by: SaBrina at September 15, 2009 10:10 PM

That's Elizabeth Banks? Huh. She looks like Sarah Alexander in that photo.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at September 15, 2009 10:15 PM

I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Banks, but that header photo looks nothing like her. I scanned the comments trying to figure out who that was.

Posted by: Lillie at September 15, 2009 11:15 PM

Of course Trejo is #1. He knows the score...he gets the women...he kills the bad guys. And he will do septic and sewage for 125 a day.

They just fucked with the wrong Mexican.

Posted by: Rubble44 at September 15, 2009 11:43 PM

some of these character actors should really make more dough, they are often a billboard for a movie. when i see trejo is in something, i automatically think 'fun b-flic' as opposed to 'direct to video drek'

pajiba should make a random list of b-stars from hipster-moviegeek/over-the-top/genre trashing films

Posted by: idleprimate at September 16, 2009 12:23 AM

wow. one female. that's a stretch.

Posted by: jubilat at September 16, 2009 12:41 AM

Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Stephen Root and JK Simmons are amongst my favourite actors.

This is a fun list.

Posted by: Daniel Hall at September 16, 2009 1:15 AM

Grats DeistBrawler on earning your google merit badge. But it doesnt change the fact that he wrote a post specifically about how often these people are showing up in movies then failed to site any facts.

Posted by: EricD at September 16, 2009 4:39 AM

That's a good list. Yay JK Simmons!
If Gary Cole is on there, I'm surprised Mark Sheppard and James Marsters aren't. Those guys keep turning up with guest spots in lots of random shows, like Cole. Or John Billingsley, come to that.

Yes, Trejo is a shortarse, I saw him at a signing event. Still wouldn't mess with him, though. The man looks tough!

Posted by: Tarn at September 16, 2009 5:19 AM

I agree Lillie, the header picture actually looks like Amy Smart!

Posted by: hh at September 16, 2009 6:21 AM

Posted by: happyone11 at September 16, 2009 11:27 AM

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The Ten Most Prolific Actors of the Last Five Years

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