Film

That Guy... Who Was in That Thing

Name: That Guy... Who Was in That Thing
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2012
Cast: Željko Ivanek, Craig Fairbrass, Xander Berkeley, Bruce Davison, Timothy Omundson

Drama

A documentary about the working actor in Hollywood—the ones you recognize instantly but whose names escape you. Sixteen character actors open up about the auditions, rejections, small breaks and daily indignities that make up a real career in film and television. It's funny, unglamorous, and deeply human.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you have ever paused a rerun to shout the name of the actor who played the sheriff's deputy, and want the working life behind those faces laid out with humor and candor.

Skip it if you want a tight, polished documentary with a clear arc; this is a loose run of anecdotes from actors talking about auditions, near misses and the grind, and it can wander.

What it asks of you: It runs about eighty minutes, sits in talking-head interviews, and moves at a conversational pace, so it rewards patience more than close attention to structure.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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But Heavy material about exploitation and trauma; some viewers find the subject matter—children in an abusive system—difficult to sit with.

Overnight2003

Director Tony Montana gets a dream deal to make his indie film with a major studio. Then everything collapses spectacularly. A masterclass in hubris, delusion, and the machinery that grinds away artists.

But It's a takedown of a real person, and the tone is cruel. If you prefer docs that treat their subjects kindly, this will feel mean-spirited.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse1991

The behind-the-scenes story of Apocalypse Now—how Coppola's ambition, ego and perfectionism nearly destroyed a film, a cast and himself. A masterpiece about the price of genius and the limits of control.

But It's long, somewhat dated in presentation, and assumes you care about the production of a 1979 film. The narrative can feel scattered.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from That Guy... Who Was in That Thing

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

F for Fake1973

Both films are about people pretending, performing, or revealing themselves on camera—but Welles flips it inside out, questioning whether documentary itself can ever be honest.

Orson Welles deconstructs truth and performance by making a documentary that is partly hoax. It's playful, intellectually dazzling, and fundamentally about what we believe when we see it on screen. A meditation on authenticity that's more relevant now than ever.

But It's experimental and formally unconventional; it doesn't feel like a normal documentary. Some find it pretentious. You have to be willing to sit with ambiguity.

The Toys That Made Us2017

Each episode traces how a beloved toy was created, marketed and became culturally unstoppable. Nostalgic without being sentimental; generous with interviews and behind-the-scenes detail.

But It's essentially a very slick advertisement. If you're skeptical of Netflix documentaries that glamorize consumer goods, this won't convince you otherwise.

Springsteen & I2013

Bruce Springsteen fans film themselves describing what his music means to them. It's oddly moving—a portrait of an artist through the lens of his devotees, which is sometimes more honest than the artist's own story.

But If you don't care about Springsteen, this has nothing for you. Even fans may find the fan-focused approach saccharine.

The Business of Being Born2008

Ricki Lake explores the medicalization of childbirth in America and advocates for midwifery. Provocative, personal, and challenges systems you probably never thought to question.

But It's argumentative rather than balanced; skeptics will feel it cherry-picks evidence. The subject matter is visceral and not for everyone.

Wordplay2006

A documentary about the New York Times crossword puzzle and the obsessive people who love it. Charming, cerebral, and full of people who are genuinely delighted by their own obscurity.

But It's a niche film about an even more niche hobby. If crosswords bore you, this won't change your mind.

Gaga: Five Foot Two2017

Lady Gaga without the stage makeup, dealing with chronic pain, heartbreak and creative block. Surprisingly intimate for a celebrity doc; she's vulnerable in ways that feel earned rather than performative.

But It's fundamentally a celebrity portrait; some find the access itself a form of calculated marketing. It doesn't fundamentally critique fame, just shows its costs.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil2008

Two aging heavy metal musicians chase the success that eluded them in the '80s. Funny, touching, and a love letter to people who refuse to grow up or give up on what they love.

But The music is genuinely bad. If you can't laugh affectionately at terrible metal, the whole film will feel like mockery dressed as kindness.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer2017

Like character actors, this film is interested in what happens to people when they're not the center of the story—how ordinary men cope with extraordinary violation of their small, careful worlds.

Yorgos Lanthimos constructs a slow-burn psychological thriller about a surgeon whose son befriends a mysterious boy. Methodical, unsettling, formally precise. It's about damage, complicity, and the cracks in respectable lives.

But Extremely slow-paced and emotionally cold. The dialogue is stilted, which is deliberate but alienating. Some viewers find it tedious rather than hypnotic.

Muscle Shoals2013

Both celebrate the uncredited, behind-the-scenes people who made entertainment possible—the studio musicians, the engineers, the character actors who held scenes together without anyone remembering their names.

The story of a small Alabama recording studio that became a temple of American music—how a place, not a star, shaped icons. It's about working people creating greatness in anonymity, magic emerging from humble circumstances.

But It's a love letter to its subject with little critical distance. If you prefer docs that interrogate rather than celebrate, the unambiguous admiration might feel uncomplicated.