Great character actors go unsung no longer. For the second year running the Carney Awards are recognizing the performers whose faces we know from well-remembered bit parts in films and television but who rarely get the awards recognition typically reserved for leads.
This year will honor Steve Buscemi, known most recently for his work on “Park Bench With Steve Buscemi” and “Boardwalk Empire,” but who has played memorable character parts since the ’80s in films including the Coen Brothers’ original iteration of “Fargo,” their “The Big Lebowski,” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs.” Also on the list of honorees this year is 2016 Emmy nominee Jonathan Banks, who found mainstream fame after starring as Mike Ehrmantraut on “Breaking Bad” and now the spin-off of the acclaimed series, “Better Call Saul.”
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Gary Cole, who in addition to his screen work, has a substantial voiceover career playing parts on popular animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” “F is for Family,” and “Archer,” will also be recognized alongside Michael Peña, who’s been working steadily on various film and TV series since ’94 and will be given the Up and Coming award.
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Receiving the Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award is the long-time character actor and definition of what it means to be a household face, Dan Hedaya. He’s appeared in “Mulholland Drive,” “A Night at the Roxbury,” “The First Wives Club,” “The Addams Family,” and countless other projects. He was nominated for a guest actor Emmy for “NYPD Blue” in 1994.
The ceremony for the awards, named after the late Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor Art Carney, will be held Oct. 30 at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills with Fred Willard set to host.
“Without this body of actors, every film and television show would fall flat,” said producer Jim Katz, in a statement. “They deserve to be in the spotlight and honored as the best of the best.”
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