You’ve got to admire the meek and mighty. It’s easy for a pretty boy or a musclebound nincompoop to carry a movie or TV show – especially if there are explosions and sexy co-stars to help. But a successful shy guy needs something else, a certain undercurrent of humanity that carries the day. Here are some classic Masters of Meek.
JOHN FIEDLER
Here we have an absolute titan of timidity. Mr. Fiedler’s diminuitive appearance and whisper of a voice made him indispensable in movies, sitcoms and cartoons for decades. He was Mr. Peterson in “The Bob Newhart Show,” Juror No. ??? in “12 Angry Men,” Attorney Daggett in John Wayne’s “True Grit,” and, best of all, the voice of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh films.
BOB NEWHART
Speaking of Newhart, he took a stage stammer, great comic timing and a buttoned-down brilliance and melded them into one of the best comedy careers ever. Hi, Bob! (That’s for all the former “Newhart” college drinking game participants out there.)
WOODY ALLEN
Before he was a neurotic movie directing legend, before he was a neurotic tabloid topic, Allen was a neurotic nebbish. People have been copying his nervous gestures, facial expressions and speech patterns for a couple of generations now.
MILLHOUSE
Would Bart Simpson’s antics seem anywhere near as dangerous if we didn’t have Millhouse around to react to them? I think not.
WALLY COX
I suspect the public’s awareness of Wally is waning, and it’s too bad. He was terrific in his deadpan, mild-mannered delivery. Fans will remember him as “Mr. Peepers,” the voice of “Underdog,” and a regular part of “Hollywood Squares.”
PERCY DOVETONSILS
Again with the glasses! But this time, the specs were essential to the character. Percy was the creation of that great TV comedy innovator, Ernie Kovacs.
MAX WRIGHT
He wasn’t a household name, but I’ll bet you recognize him, don’t you? He was the exasperated dad on “ALF” and the exasperated boss on “Buffalo Bill,” among other roles.
WALTER MITTY
The great James Thurber thought up Mitty, a henpecked husband who daydreams his life away with fantasies of grandeur.
DAVID HYDE PIERCE
This guy occupies a special place in meekdom, because his characters are so quick-witted. His years as Niles Crane on “Frasier” neatly coincide with the first big wave of nerd superstars.
TODD LOUISO
If you’ve seen “High Fidelity,” you know why he’s on this list. Mr. Louiso plays many other kinds of roles, as well. Still, he’s awesome as a timid, record store guy.
BASHFUL
Grumpy, Dopey and Doc got all the attention, but you know you loved this dude, too.
JON CRYER
Cryer is a rock of prissy consistency. He endured hideous 1980s fashions and hideous Charlie Sheen headlines with equal aplomb. Some might paint him as a 21st century Tony Randall, but I see him more as a modern…
DON KNOTTS
His bug-eyes and nervous tics made him a superstar of shyness. Imagine – he took the secondary character of Barney Fife and made it one of the enduring bits of TV history. Then he went on to a highly successful movie career, starring in a series of comedy films, such as “The Incredible Mr. Limpet,” and “The Shakiest Gun in the West.” Meek and mighty, indeed.
So who did I forget?