Actresses You Know By Face But Not by Name

You have seen these performers in countless movies and shows, popping up in key scenes and supporting roles that keep the story moving. Their faces are instantly familiar from big franchises and prestige dramas, but their names can slip your mind when the credits roll. This list brings together working actors who have built deep resumes and show up across genres and platforms.

Each entry highlights standout projects along with useful background details like specialties, training, and awards. Use it as a quick reference to place the face you recognize and learn where else you can find their work across film, streaming, and network TV.

Judy Greer

Judy Greer has a long list of scene stealing roles in studio comedies and blockbusters, including parts in ’13 Going on 30′, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Ant Man’, and the recent ‘Halloween’ entries. On television she has voiced Cheryl on ‘Archer’ and appeared in shows like ‘The Thing About Pam’ and ‘Kidding’, with frequent turns as best friend or exasperated sibling.

She trained at The Theatre School at DePaul and added directing and writing to her credits with the memoir ‘I Do Not Know What You Know Me From’. Greer also works regularly in animation and indie film, which means you will spot her both in major releases and festival favorites throughout the year.

Margo Martindale

Margo Martindale is a go to presence in crime thrillers and dark dramas, known for major arcs on ‘Justified’ and ‘The Americans’. Her film work ranges from ‘August Osage County’ to ‘Cocaine Bear’, with frequent collaborations on projects that need a sharp and commanding supporting character.

She began on stage before moving into film and TV and has collected multiple awards for television performances. Martindale often portrays powerful matriarchs and underworld figures, and she keeps a steady pace of roles in streaming series and limited runs.

Ann Dowd

Ann Dowd is widely recognized for her work as Aunt Lydia on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and for intense roles in films like ‘Compliance’ and ‘Hereditary’. She appears across genres, from courtroom dramas to indie family stories, often anchoring pivotal scenes with precise character detail.

Dowd studied at DePaul after earning a degree at Holy Cross and built her career through regional theater and guest roles on network shows. She has won major television awards and continues to alternate between cable dramas and feature films with regularity.

Dale Dickey

Dale Dickey is a frequent face in gritty thrillers and modern westerns, including turns in ‘Winter’s Bone’ and ‘Hell or High Water’. She also appears in comedies and time bending stories like ‘Palm Springs’, while leading the acclaimed indie ‘A Love Song’.

Dickey started in theater and has become a reliable presence for directors casting rural or small town characters. She works steadily across streaming platforms and often films multiple features a year, making her one of the most prolific character actors on this list.

Beth Grant

Beth Grant shows up in cult favorites and major hits alike, with credits in ‘Donnie Darko’, ‘Speed’, and ‘No Country for Old Men’. On television she played Beverly on ‘The Mindy Project’ and has stacked dozens of guest roles across network and cable.

Grant trained in the South before moving to Los Angeles and has maintained a broad range that covers drama, horror, and comedy. Casting directors regularly bring her in for no nonsense characters, and her filmography spans studio films, independent projects, and streaming originals.

Paula Malcomson

Paula Malcomson is known for frontier grit in ‘Deadwood’ and modern crime in ‘Ray Donovan’. She also appears in the ‘The Hunger Games’ series and carries recurring roles in British and Irish television, which keeps her presence global.

She grew up in Belfast and began in theater before moving to film and television. Malcomson often plays resilient mothers and complex partners, and she continues to split time between US prestige series and UK productions.

Elizabeth Marvel

Elizabeth Marvel is a familiar figure in political and legal dramas such as ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Homeland’. She has also appeared in historical films like ‘Lincoln’ and frontier adventures like ‘News of the World’, where she brings a grounded authority.

Marvel trained at Juilliard and has an extensive stage career that runs alongside her screen work. She frequently plays judges, politicians, and senior officials, and she is a regular choice for limited series that need experienced leads in key supporting roles.

Shohreh Aghdashloo

Shohreh Aghdashloo earned critical acclaim with ‘House of Sand and Fog’ and became a sci fi mainstay as Chrisjen Avasarala in ‘The Expanse’. She has appeared in ’24’ and contributes notable voice work in projects like ‘Arcane’, bringing a distinctive timbre to animated roles.

Born in Tehran, she began acting in Iranian cinema before building a career in the United Kingdom and the United States. Aghdashloo often portrays leaders and diplomats and continues to work across film, television, and video games.

Lili Taylor

Lili Taylor has a deep resume in independent film and ensemble television, with credits that include ‘Say Anything’, ‘I Shot Andy Warhol’, and ‘The Conjuring’. On TV she has appeared in ‘Six Feet Under’, ‘American Crime’, and other anthology series.

Taylor studied at the Piven Theatre Workshop and DePaul and is known for complex characters in intimate stories. She alternates between studio horror, art house projects, and recurring television roles, ensuring frequent appearances across platforms.

Cherry Jones

Cherry Jones is a standout in political and corporate dramas, winning acclaim for roles on ’24’ and ‘Succession’. In film she has appeared in ‘Signs’, ‘The Village’, and ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’, often serving as a moral anchor or institutional voice.

Jones is a celebrated stage actor with multiple Tony Awards and brings that craft to television and film. She is regularly cast as executives, judges, and senior advisors, and she continues to balance Broadway commitments with screen work.

Lesley Manville

Lesley Manville earned global recognition with ‘Phantom Thread’ and long running collaborations with Mike Leigh such as ‘Another Year’. She also appears in fantasy franchises like ‘Maleficent’ and in historical drama on ‘The Crown’.

Manville trained at the Italia Conti Academy and built an extensive stage career with the Royal Court and the National Theatre. She frequently portrays sharp witted characters with authority and is a consistent presence in British film and television.

Harriet Walter

Harriet Walter brings aristocratic poise and sharp wit to roles in ‘Succession’ and ‘Killing Eve’. Her film credits include ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and ‘The Last Duel’, with numerous period dramas and contemporary thrillers.

Walter is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and has an acclaimed stage career. She often appears as titled characters and senior officials in British productions and continues to work across theater, film, and premium television.

Annabeth Gish

Annabeth Gish is known for early breakout work in ‘Mystic Pizza’ and for significant television arcs in ‘The X Files’. She appears in Mike Flanagan projects like ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ and ‘Midnight Mass’, strengthening her profile in modern gothic stories.

Gish studied at Duke and maintains a steady flow of television roles along with independent features. She is frequently cast as investigators, medical professionals, and family anchors, and she keeps a consistent presence on streaming series.

Michelle Hurd

Michelle Hurd has a long run in procedural and genre TV, including ‘Law and Order Special Victims Unit’ and ‘Blindspot’. She expanded into science fiction with a key part in ‘Star Trek Picard’, reaching a new generation of viewers.

Hurd trained at Boston University and worked in theater before building her screen career. She often portrays skilled operatives and team leaders and is active in union and advocacy work within the industry.

Tamara Tunie

Tamara Tunie is widely recognized from ‘Law and Order Special Victims Unit’, where she played medical examiner Melinda Warner. Her film roles include ‘Flight’ and she appears in the live action ‘Cowboy Bebop’ as a club owner who ties the story together.

Tunie graduated from Carnegie Mellon and works as an actor and director in theater and television. She frequently takes on authoritative professional roles and continues to split time between stage projects and recurring television work.

Judy Parfitt

Judy Parfitt is a veteran of British film and television, known to many modern viewers from ‘Call the Midwife’. Her film credits include ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ and ‘Dolores Claiborne’, with a presence that anchors period stories.

Parfitt trained at RADA and has a long stage career that supports her screen work. She is often cast as aristocrats and formidable relatives in historical dramas and remains active in ensemble television series.

Jayne Atkinson

Jayne Atkinson is a familiar face in political thrillers and procedurals, including ‘House of Cards’ and ’24’. She has also appeared in ‘Criminal Minds’, taking on roles that require steady leadership and strategic thinking.

Atkinson has multiple Tony nominations and a strong theater background. She is frequently cast as diplomats and agency chiefs, and she works consistently in both network television and streaming dramas.

Wunmi Mosaku

Wunmi Mosaku broke through internationally with ‘Lovecraft Country’ and brought a memorable role to ‘Loki’. She won major awards in the United Kingdom for ‘Damilola Our Loved Boy’ and led the acclaimed horror drama ‘His House’.

Born in Nigeria and raised in Manchester, she trained at RADA and built credits in British film and TV before moving into global hits. Mosaku often plays determined investigators and layered protagonists and continues to expand into features and limited series.

Celia Weston

Celia Weston appears in a wide range of American films, including ‘Junebug’, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, and ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’. She also turns up in courtroom and prison dramas like ‘Dead Man Walking’, providing memorable supporting work.

Weston trained in New York and has an extensive stage background. She frequently portrays Southern characters and small town figures and remains a steady presence in independent film and ensemble television.

Zuleikha Robinson

Zuleikha Robinson is remembered by many from ‘Lost’ and later appeared in the series ‘The Exorcist’. She has film credits that include ‘Hidalgo’ and took on a recurring role in ‘Homeland’, extending her profile in espionage stories.

Robinson studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and works across American and international productions. She often plays resourceful allies and antagonists and continues to book recurring arcs in network and cable dramas.

Share the actresses you instantly recognize and where you spotted them most often in the comments.