Top 5... Minor Characters Who Deserve Their Own Film

With the announcement last week of the Les Grossman film based on the bit-part, Tom Cruise character from Tropic Thunder, film journalists the world over set to wracking their brains to come up with lists of characters who deserve feature films, but probably won't get them. Total Film's can be found here, Empire's own list is over here. They're very good.

But we're convinced there are even better available and so with all the cool kids doing it, we decided we'd have a go. We started thinking about our favourite really minor characters - the blink and you'll miss them dudes who turn up, divulge a key piece of information and then exit stage left, never to be seen again - but soon realised that there were so many other opportunities out there. Laura Linney's character in The Truman Show for example gets second billing only to Jim Carrey but is hardly given a proper conclusion - she was 'married' to Truman for many years: what the hell does she do now? We're not talking the classics here (so forget about Ugarte or even Captain Renault from Casablanca), we're talking new stuff that Hollywood might actually take a look at one day and say 'hey... there's several million dollars just waiting to be milked there!'

Here then, are our Top 5 Minor Characters Who Deserve Their Own Film...

5. John Turturro's 'Jesus Quintana' from The Big Lebowski

One of the best ever Coen side-characters (and that's saying something), brilliantly bought to live by a manic and let-loose John Turturro. We're picturing some sort of road trip movie round America's bowling alleys whilst he tries to stay ahead of the law by yelling 'nobody fucks with the Jesus!' whenever they get close.

4. Oliver Platt's 'Hector Cyr' from Lake Placid

In a film that has come to define the phrase 'guilty pleasure' Hector Cyr is the character that provides much of it. A helicopter flying, womanising, crocodile hunter, Cyr is witty and relatively daring and, thanks to Platt, larger than life. The natural successor to Paul Hogan?

3. Josh Hartnett's 'The Man' from Sin City

Starting and ending Sin City, The Man doesn't get much time to do anything apart from appear and disappear. A shady character if ever there was one, the potential for further development is high although, unfortunately, there's no confirmed word yet on whether he's going to appear in the sequel.

2. Mr. T's 'Earl Devereaux' from Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

One of the best things about last years really rather brilliant Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, the Mr. T voiced hyperactive cop is tailor-made to feature in his own film. Spouting words of wisdom such as 'This contact lens represents you! And my eye represents my eye!' we would pay good money to see this happen.

1. Jason Statham's 'Airport Man' from Collateral

The daddy of all cameos. Appearing for no longer than a matter of seconds, 'Airport Man' is the character who actually sets off all the events in Collateral by delivering Tom Cruise's Vicent with the briefcase containing data on his targets. Who is he? Who exactly does he work for? Why does 'The Stath' have to play him? Silly... it's for the inevitable (we hope) spin off!


And just to finish off, two characters who certainly don't need a spin-off. You have been warned Hollywood - if this happens, you are scraping the barrel too low...

0. 'Skids' & 'Mudflap' from Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

Just... no.