Royal Dano's face is probably more recognizable than his name. And even that is tough because he looked and acted differently in practically every role. The one link to familiarity was the quirky, oddball characters he usually played.
He was never the leading man. And quite often his role was smaller than supporting. However, it was his ability to make a minor character memorable is what contributed to so many movies and televisions shows being better than they would have been with a lesser actor.
No matter the medium, or size of the role, Royal Dano owned his moments in the spotlight. From Abraham Lincoln in the television show Omnibus, a bizarre anthology series from the early days of television, to Farmer Green in the cult comedy/horror film, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, one is always surprised at the amount of intensity one actor could add to a character which only occupied a few scenes.
From The Rifleman to Gunsmoke, and The Red Badge of Courage to Moby Dick, with literally hundreds of other equally memorable performances rounding out his career, Royal Dano is genuine "royalty" in the world of the Not Very Famous...but should be.
I think Royal Dano's biggest accomplishment when it comes to acting is his accurate portrayal of Abraham Lincoln whom he voiced for a Disney attraction. I can't remember what it's called but it DID feature some historic figures in the presentation. You should also see Royal Dano in "Red Headed Stranger". He's the bad guy in that one. I guess all in all Royal was a good actor. It's too bad he doesn't get the respect and credit he deserves. The younger generation might not know who he is but I do. We need more actors like Royal. Because they don't make actors like that anymore. Thank you for your service in the movie industry, Royal. It's been nice knowing ya.
ReplyDelete