There was a time a few months ago when I had no idea who Vincent Schiavelli was. I didn’t know about his love of Sicilian cooking, his extremely prolific career, or what an interesting and incredible life he led.  But I knew what he looked like because I had seen his droopy face and tall slender build in countless movies and television roles.

Enter No Small Parts, a documentary web series dedicated to profiling the lives and careers of character actors in cinema.  A character actor is someone who specializes in playing eccentric or unusual people rather than leading roles.  

No Small Parts was created by actor Brandon Hardesty, a self-proclaimed character actor who has been working in the industry for the past eight years.  “Although I’ve had lead roles before it’s basically always in the vein of the funny fat guy. That’s basically my type. Until I lose enough weight I’m essentially a bargain bin Jonah Hill,”says Hardesty in his introduction video for the series. 

 

Hardesty goes on to say that he’s accepted his status as a character actor and has become intrigued by the role of character actors in Hollywood.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some phenomenal character actors, and I love talking to them and learning about their careers and stories,” says Hardesty. “I’m fascinated by these actors who have those recognizable faces but most people may not necessarily know who they are. I’ve always wanted to learn more about them.”

In April 2014, Hardesty launched his channel No Small Parts on YouTube. He began a mission to put the names to familiar faces and give these actors their due.

The result of Hardesty’s work is a collection of 20-minute episodes that take you through the entire life and career of a character actor, using old footage, clips from interviews, and Hardesty’s superb narration.

What’s more, is that No Small Parts goes beyond a simple rehashing of a person’s IMDB credits. Hardesty creates incredibly beautiful and carefully crafted examination of not only someone’s career in the movie business, but creates an ode to their lives as a whole.  He often delves into the search for meaning in life, work, and art.

I challenge anyone to watch Episode #3 “Scatman Cruthers” without tearing up at some point. Scatman Cruthers was probably best known for his role as Dick Hallorann in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, although he’d been an actor, musician, singer, and dancer for over 40 years.   

These comments left by viewers illustrate how emotionally resonating that particular episode is.  I had no idea who Scatman Cruthers was, but after watching Episode #3 I felt like I really knew who he was as a person and that I was better for it.

Another incredibly powerful upload is Episode #8 “Darlene Cates”.  Darlene is best known for her role as Mama in 1993’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp.

It’s a great film and is most known for Leonardo DiCaprio’s stand-out performance as the developmentally challenged Arnie. But Hardesty takes the time to focus on another incredible performance in the film, that of first-time actress Darlene Cates. She played the role of Arnie and Gilbert’s obese mother.  Hardesty outlines why this role was so impactful and gently details Darlene’s life before and after acting in Gilbert Grape.

What’s great about No Small Parts is that there’s often a moment in these episodes that transcends into something deeper, which allows the viewer to feel connected to the person being profiled.

I think it’s because Hardesty approaches these pieces with the mentality that there are “no small parts” in films, but that there are also “no small parts” in life.  And that is an incredibly beautiful thing.

At the time of writing this post, Hardesty has only just over 14,000 subscribers on youtube. With the amount of effort, nuance, and justice for each individual he profiles, it’s a sin that his videos are not garnering more attention.  He has recently been making mini episodes for IMDB, which will hopefully  gain his channel some more traction so more people can enjoy the brilliance of this series.

It’s exciting to find high-quality content on Youtube that is not a vlog or a cat video. No Small Parts is Brandon Hardesty’s passion project, and the passion he has for these actors comes across abundantly clear.  He not only introduces his viewers to overlooked character actors in an industry where fame is often won through beauty rather than talent but, he also opens the door to an understanding of that person’s humanity.

Hardesty says, “When you watch No Small Parts know that it means the world to me that someone is actually interested enough to sit through a 23-minute video about Ann Ramsay.” If you are unsure of who Ann Ramsay is, watch Episode #1 and you’ll understand why I felt compelled to write this post in praise of Brandon Hardesty’s No Small Parts.