Usurpers, Scene Stealers and The Like

Alice Ghostly. She stole every scene she was in on Bewitched and Designing Women, among others.

Jo Anne Worley was unstoppable. She crushed everyone.

James Dean. Rock Hudson and Raymond Massey loathed him for this.

r1

I could see that on "Designing Women," but on "Bewitched" and "Mayberry RFD," every time she showed up, it just reminded the views how great Marion Lorne and Frances Bavier were and how much we miss them.

R4 I liked her on Bewitched. and considered her character different enough to not be a straight replacement of Marion Lorne. I've never seen Mayberry RFD, though.

The like and the such?

Agnes Moorehead

On Star Trek, you'd have DeForest Kelly badly acting on one side and Shatner overacting on the other, then Leonard Nimoy would blank them out by just raising an eyebrow.

Bronson Pinchot obliterating Eddy Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop

I didn’t know who she was at the time, but I felt Kristen Wiig stole her scenes in Knocked Up. They were the only times I actually laughed throughout that movie.

There was a scene in an episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' where Larry has one of his usual run-ins with a receptionist, but unlike the rest of the receptionists in these scenes, this one was hysterical in a very deadpan way. I wish I could remember more but I can't. She had dark hair and glasses.

bunp

Michael J Fox

Thelma Ritter

Eve Arden

Fred Willard - the male Thelma Ritter and Eve Arden

Always Eve Arden. And she didn't even have to try. The best scene stealers don't steal scenes simply by being louder or doing more than their co-stars. They're just more interesting for one reason or another.

[quote]They're just more interesting for one reason or another.

For me, it's Eve Arden's voice and inflection.

Nobody was ever to steal a scene I was in

Sandy Dennis. Stick her with tons of stars and she'll still walk away with the movie or play. You always left remembering her.

A really terrific movie-steal from Sandy Dennis is in the very funny film "Nasty Habits" which is basically a takeoff on the Watergate scandal among nuns. Great cast with Glenda Jackson, Melina Mercouri, Anne Jackson, Geraldine Page and others, but Sandy Dennis is really particularly hilarious in it.

Dody Goodman was a funny scene-stealer, especially on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman". Wonderfully funny voice.

In Rosemary's Baby, Ruth Gordon was the one to watch. You almost forgot that Mia Farrow was in the movie.

Glenda Farrell and Joan Blondell

Marjorie Manes

Yes r19! Sandy Dennis eating pizza on the bus in her nun's habit (and high top sneakers I think was great.)

Elaine Stritch (obviously) Barbara Harris Yes, Thelma Ritter, Eve Arden and Fred Willard (an odd trio!) Edgar Kennedy as directed by Preston Sturges (twice) Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor in The Palm Beach Story For us old folks.

Georgia Engel on MTM.

You can see why they kept bringing her back.

Her first two appearances are just small bits as a guest at Mary's party but she gets huge laughs.

Marjorie Mains in everything

William Demarest - especially in those great Preston Sturges comedies

Mary Boland

Helen Reddy in Airport’75

Maria Ouspenskaya in "Dodsworth". Fabulous movie -- she appears in one scene and got an Oscar nomination. (OK, Beatrice Straight got her beat by actually winning one). But still -- Maria's character is fierce!

"I AM attractive. I suppose I do fit that part of the description."

Fred Willard enters "Best in Show" about halfway through and just takes over. Plenty of wonderful other performances -- hell, Catherine O'Hara is another great scene stealer.

I don’t know what you mean.

Laura Dern in Big Little Lies.

Critters in Critters 2

You’ve got to hand it to stars like MTM, though.

Secure in her abilities, and shrewd enough to know that stepping back and letting the others shine was not only for the good of the show, but made her more relatable to the audience.

Madeline Kahn was a genius. The scene in Young Frankenstein when the monster is going to rape her and she screams "no! no! no!" and then segues into signing "ah! Sweet mystery of life at last I've found you!"

Couldn't get away with that today though.

Patrick McGoohan.

Nicholas Colasanto on Cheers.

Like a tractor beam.

McConaughey in Wolf of Wall Street- best bit in that interminable movie.

Viv Vance

It's her birthday, I hear.

[Quote] Madeline Kahn was a genius. The scene in Young Frankenstein when the monster is going to rape her and she screams "no! no! no!" and then segues into signing "ah! Sweet mystery of life at last I've found you!"

Madeline picked the song as she wanted to begin with a vowel sound. Brooks had suggested she sing "Heaven, I'm in Heaven."

[Quote] Secure in her abilities, and shrewd enough to know that stepping back and letting the others shine was not only for the good of the show, but made her more relatable to the audience.

Must be nice.

Vivian Vance this and that. God who TF is that anyway? Ethel? Long cold and dead.

Meredith Baxter Birney never stole anything. This is an endless list… I just saw Jennifer Coolidge on a show last night and you don’t look at anyone but her. She’s genius. All the old gays hate her hot young body but Jennifer Lawrence burglarized American Hustle. An old one is Cara Seymour in American Psycho. Wow she did a lot with that part.

I do have to give Jennifer Lawrence American Hustle. She was far too young for that role, but goddamnit if you couldn't look away from her every time she was on screen. She was captivating.

Alice Ghostly

Agnes Moorehead and Paul Lynde -- every appearance was a mood-lifter (except for Darrin/Durwood)

Julie Walters in everything! She is so underrated!

It's Marjorie Main

Alice Ghostley

Fred Willard was horrible in anything he did--obvious, cliched humor. Thelma Ritter stealing a scene was a work of art by comparison.

Thelma Ritter’s work really WAS always a work of art. One of the greatest actresses in movies, despite the subordinate roles to which she was, fortunately for us, ideally suited. Her male counterpart: the ever reliable and interesting Charles Coburn. But I like Fred Willard too.

Don't leave out the fact that Thelma was gifted with good writing.

Eddie.

Not always, R54. Try sitting through Pillow Talk. Talk about wasting talent. A bit like Ruth Gordon in the unwatchable Inside Daisy Clover.

Thelma getting good material doesn't mean the whole movie was great. She had good writing.

Pillow Talk is a great classic movie. Thelma is great in it, even though her role is way too small.

She was great in Rear Window too.

"Pillow Talk" is dated and is basically a padded out sitcom. Day & Hudson had chemistry, but the story and dialogue are really stupid. It's the kind of film where Ritter provides a running narration and wisecracks, which isn't great writing. She did a lot of television. Again, not the best writing but she made the best of it. Watch her in "All About Eve", she could be wry, wistful, or sarcastic without seeming to change persona, she knew how to get the most out of a line with little apparent effort. She could do it with Mankiewicz's writing and with hackwork.

Thelma is billed 4th, but really a co-lead in "The Mating Season", after Gene Tierney, John Lund and Miriam Hopkins. She's superb and had a big role in it. She's likewise fabulous in a very different role in "Pickup on South Street" as a pickpocket/stool pigeon. Some wry humor, but also a very moving performance. She's fun in "Pillow Talk", though her role is gimmicky. I just love the scene where she meets Rock Hudson at the bus stop and when she realizes who he is finally, she just tells the bus drive to move on, in a rather classic Brooklynese manner.

Tony Randall is another guy who could steal scenes and is usually a pleasure to see, especially in a comedy.

[quote] All the old gays hate her hot young body but Jennifer Lawrence burglarized American Hustle.dies.

I'm sorry, I think you must have wandered in here from fifty years ago. Here in 2021 we know longer believe gay men are jealous of women's bodies.

Also, once you get to be 18, you'll realize 'they're just jealous" doesn't work so well for explanations of why celebrities are disliked by other adults.

62 posts and no mention of Sean Penn.

I don't think Thelma Ritter tried to steal scenes. IMO, she's so authentic and likeable, you just feel comfortable with her.

If she didn't steal scenes, she would have been in the wrong business.

Christina Applegate. Stole movies from under Cameron Diaz and DL pariah Gwyneth Paltrow.