Sketch profiles for Ving Rhames' quintessential characters. Click EasyEdit to update this page!
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Character name: Marsellus Wallace
Appears in:Pulp Fiction
Date(s):1994
Award(s):
| | Character back story: Marsellus Wallace is a wealthy Los Angeles mob boss married to Mia, a former aspiring actress. They live in the Hollywood Hills. Marsellus is intelligent, straightforward, and loyal but when confronted with a problem may quickly resort to violence and murder, hence all of the characters who know Marsellus are wary of him. Butch saves Marsellus's life from his rapist, Zed, and he forgives the boxer but tells him to leave town and never come back. | | Inspiration for character: | Age/Occupation:40s
mob boss | Personality type:corrupt,intelligent,loyal,ruthless,
violent | | Signature look: | | Resides:hollywood | | Character connections: | Fun facts/trivia:The innocent bystander shot by Marsellus Wallace is the same actress pulled out of her car by Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs (1992).
Many people believe that the band-aid on Ving Rhames' neck was an intentional choice by the filmmakers. In reality, it came from an accident Rhames had while shaving his head. When Tarantino noticed this, it inspired him to open the "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace" sequence with a close-up of the band-aid instead. Ultimately Tarantino liked showing the band-aid rather than Rhames' face because it accentuated the character's mercurial nature and was more visually exciting than a series of single shots of Rhames and Bruce Willis (who played Butch Coolidge). |
| | Character Quotes & Catchphrases | Marsellus: In the fifth, your ass goes down. Say it.
Butch: In the fifth, my ass goes down.
Marsellus: You see, this profession is filled to the brim with unrealistic m*********. M******** who thought their ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns to vinegar, it does. If you mean it gets better with age, it don't.
Butch: So we cool?
Marsellus: Yeah, we cool. Two things. Don't tell nobody about this. This **** is between me, you, and Mr. Soon-To-Be-Living-The-Rest-of-His-Short-Ass-Life-In-Agonizing-Pain Rapist here. It ain't nobody else's business. Two: you leave town tonight, right now. And when you're gone, you stay gone, or you be gone. You lost all your L.A. privileges. Deal?
Butch: Deal.
Marsellus: Get your ass out of here.
[after Butch saves Marsellus from rapists]
Butch: You okay?
Marsellus: Naw man. I'm pretty f****** far from okay.
Butch: What now?
Marsellus: What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' niggers, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass.
Butch: I meant what now between me and you?
Marsellus: Oh, that what now. I tell you what now between me and you. There is no me and you. Not no more. |
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Character name: Luther Stickell
Appears in: Mission Impossible 1,2 & 3
Date(s):1996-2006
Award(s):
| Character back story: Luther is an expert computer hacker who works for the fictional "IMF" (Impossible Missions Force) division of the CIA alongside Ethan Hunt.
| | Inspiration for character: | | Age/Occupation:computer expert,imf operative/agent | | Personality type:soft spoken,reliable,vain-loves expensive clothes | | Signature look:smartly dressed,expensive designer suits | | Resides:unknown,somewhere in virginia | | Character connections: | Fun facts/trivia:MI2-Luther Stickell's line "It's that simple, huh?" after hearing Ethan Hunt's explanation of what he thinks "Chimera" is was a joke about Mission: Impossible (1996), which was widely criticized for having an overly complicated plot.
The character first appeared in Mission: Impossible (1996) and holds the distinction of being the only character besides Ethan Hunt to appear in all three films as well as two video games
MI3-Kenneth Branagh was cast as the villain, but because of shooting-delays he had to drop out to begin work on As You Like It (2006).
At one point, Ricky Gervais was cast in the film as an ally to Ethan Hunt. But due to various production and casting changes, Gervais had to pull out of the film and was replaced by Simon Pegg. |
| | Character Quotes & Catchphrases | Luther Stickell: [about a previous computer hack] There was never any physical evidence I had anything to do with that... that... that exceptional piece of work.
Luther Stickell: Reach your folks?
[Ethan nods]
Luther Stickell: How do they feel?
Ethan Hunt: About what?
Luther Stickell: The apology from the Justice Department, VIP treatment. You know, the whole nine yards.
Ethan Hunt: Well, my mom was a little confused how the DEA could mistake her and Uncle Donald for a couple of dope smugglers in the Florida Keys.
[after Max's computer program diskette failed]
Luther Stickell: Computers are a bitch.
Billy Baird: You OK, mate?
Luther Stickell: That punk put a hole in my Versace.
Luther Stickell: The satellite doesn't work as fast as I do.
Luther Stickell: That look in your eyes is pain in my ass, you know that, right?
Luther Stickell: Well if it isn't Mr. 'those who can't do, teach'!
Luther Stickell: [convincing him not to get married, like a broken record] Don't do it, Ethan.
Ethan Hunt: Luther? Julia and I got married two days ago.
Luther Stickell: Well, congratulations! |
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Character name: Kenneth Hall
Appears in: Dawn of the Dead
Date(s):2004
Award(s):
| | Character back story: | | Inspiration for character: | Age/Occupation:40s-50s
police sergeant | | Personality type: | | Signature look: | | Resides:milwaukee | | Character connections: | Fun facts/trivia:The name of Ving Rhames' character, Kenneth, is an obvious nod to actor Ken Foree, who played a very similar role in the original Dawn of the Dead (1978).
For the scene where Ana stitches Kenneth's wounds, the director hired a real nurse for the close-ups. She misunderstood the director's directions to go deeper and inadvertently punctured Ving Rhames' skin and stitched the prosthesis to his arm. He didn't say anything until after the scene was done filming and the director thought the blood was merely "a really good effect".
When Ving Rhames heard of a remake of Dawn of the Dead was in production, he tracked down producers to be in the film.
Ving Rhames was always first choice for the part of Kenneth.
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| | Character Quotes & Catchphrases | Michael: Truck's not gonna make it to Fort Pastor.
Steve: No, forget the truck. That place is *******, man. Bloodbath city.
Kenneth: How do you know?
Norma: We just came from there.
Kenneth: Is everyone there dead?
Steve: Well, dead-ish.
Kenneth: Is everyone there dead?
Steve: Yeah, in the sense that they all sort of, uh... fell down... and then got up... and started eating each other.
Kenneth: You know how to use that?
Michael: [pointing to the gun barrel] This is the dangerous end, right?
Kenneth: [Taking the safety off] Now it is.
Michael: You coming with us?
Kenneth: Nah, you're coming with me. I've done this before.
Michael: There is no other place to go!
CJ: Well, that's YOUR problem, not mine.
Kenneth: How about I put my foot up your ass, will that be your problem?
Andre: [to Michael] Hey, my man... I hear you talkin' a lot, you know, you're always sayin' something... Who the **** are you, that we should listen? Were you, like, in a special ops unit in the marines? What the **** do you do?
Michael: I sell televisions at Best Buy.
Andre: [to Kenneth] Hey, officer! How do you like following a guy that sells TVs?
Kenneth: About as much as I like following a guy who steals them. I'm not following anyone.
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Character name: Don King:
Appears in:Don King:Only in America
Date(s):1997
Award(s):Golden Globe for best actor-minseries or tv film
| | Character back story: | | Inspiration for character: | Age/Occupation:50s-60s
boxing promoter/manager | | Personality type:flamboyant personality,loudmouth, | | Signature look: | | Resides:born in cleveland,lives in las vegas & los angeles | | Character connections: | | Fun facts/trivia: |
| | Character Quotes & Catchphrases | [in a restroom]
George Foreman: Aren't you gonna wash your hands?
Don King: I wash my hands *before* I touch my ****.
Don King: Black people don't get no credit for nothing. All we've got is one word. That word is *************.
Don King: I had a moment of religious epiphanosity.
Don King: It's entertainment, baby! You love my black ass! 'Cause I'm exciting!
[about Mike Tyson biting off Evander Holyfield's ear]
Don King: Y'all probably blame me for that. If it were Bob Aram, you'd say, 'There was nothing he could do.' But you blame me, black devil m**********. Let me tell you something: Tyson will be heavyweight champ again. And this time, you'll pay twice as much to see it. Why? Because y'all part of the same hypocrisy.
Don King: Y'know who's a m**********? The devil's a m**********.
[last lines]
Don King: For those out of you out there saying this and that, remember this: there've been many boxers to enter the ring, but there's only one king.
Don King: I don't see you making a movie about Bob Arum.
Don King: If you didn't have Don King, you'd have to invent him.
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