***H.I.T.O.G. is a blog series dedicated to memorable
actors we love, but don’t really know. You’ve seen their faces many times, but
for any given reason, they aren’t part of the mainstream conscious. Sure Gibson
or Clooney have got the fame, but these guys have the moxie. This is a tribute
to those actors and actresses whom inspire your inner “Hey, it’s that one
guy!”***
Drag Me To Hell…Night
Of The Creeps…Payback…CITY SLICKERS. David Paymer’s credit list is as impressive
as it is unique. He is the inaugural kill in Night Of The Creeps, and he takes the
butt of a gun to his noggin in Payback. Seems like a man that don’t mind taking
abuse for a paycheck.
I was relaxing recently while watching Drag Me To Hell at my
local Cineplex, and what do you know; David Paymer plays the film’s pivotal
character. No no, he isn’t the protagonist,
but the ENTIRE FUCKING reason that Alison Lohman is thrust into the belly of hell kicking and
screaming. It was Paymer’s decision to be a hard on that lead to that classic scene with Justin Long. THAT’S why I like his supporting roles, cause
he’ll send your ass to hell and say “FUCK YOU” if you don’t like it.
According to IMDB.com, Paymer is one of modern TV and
moviedom’s most sturdy and reliable character actors. He grew up in Oceanside, New York, where his
father was in the scrap metal business. His mother, a homemaker, had fled
Belgium with her family to escape the Nazis.
When his father quit the scrap metal business to pursue
music, it inspired young Paymer to give his acting dream a try. His aborted big
break came when he was cast in the TV series St. Elsewhere as Dr. Wayne Fiscus – then promptly dumped and
replaced by ‘Howie Mandel’. Luckily, his real big break was destined to be on
the big screen, as Ira Shalowitz in the Billy Crystal vehicle City Slickers. It was his role in Mr. Saturday Night that earned Paymer an Oscar nomination in 1993. He has since stared in a variety of roles
on television and in movies.
As the annoying tight-wad Jewish sidekick, Paymer’s got it
down. As the geeky brainiac, he AGAIN
makes for a perfect cast member. I’ve
seen much of his work, and have always been blown away by the magnetic presence he exudes. My opinion is that Paymer knows exactly how
far to push the envelope with his characters and exactly where to stop.
Check out all that is Paymer at:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001601/
OK, that’s it for me for now. I hope to be a constant participant in the
blogging process, and hope that someone actually reads this shit. Actually, I feel so sorry if you do, but
thanks. 🙂
You’re Fucking Out, I’m
Fucking In – Kenny Powers