You definitely know their faces — but might not know their names.
From Joanna Gleason (“The Affair”) to Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Blindspot”) to Kevin Dunn (“Code Black”), they’re those reliable, under-the-radar actors who’ve been around for years — and are dramatically impacting prime time this season.
They always turn in reliably solid performances and are always working — but they rarely get the acclaim.
So here’s to them — and to keeping us entertained night after night.
Joanna Gleason, Peter Friedman and Richard Schiff, ‘The Affair’ (Showtime)
Gleason and Friedman play married couple Yvonne and Robert, in whose waterfront Cold Spring, NY house Noah (Dominic West) and Alison (Ruth Wilson) are living while Noah works on his book. Publishing guru Yvonne is Noah’s mentor and Alison’s erstwhile employer; Robert uses a cane following surgery and has had some interesting moments with Alison. Schiff plays Noah’s cutthroat high-powered lawyer, Jon Gottlief.
Gleason, 65, has had a long TV career, with roles on “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Wife,” “The West Wing,” “Murphy Brown” and “Love & War,” among many others. She also won a Tony in 1988 for “Into the Woods.” Fun fact: She’s the daughter of legendary “Let’s Make a Deal” host Monty Hall.
Friedman, 66, has spent the bulk of his career on the stage (“The Heidi Chronicles,” “Ragtime”) and is best-known to TV viewers as the kindly dad on “Brooklyn Bridge,” which aired from 1991-93. His ex-wife is Oscar nominee Joan Allen.
Schiff, 60, played White House communications director Toby Ziegler on NBC’s “The West Wing” and, most recently, Dean Fairchild in “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp” on Netflix.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, ‘Blindspot’ (NBC)
On NBC’s new hit series “Blindspot,” she plays FBI boss Bethany Mayfair, who seems to be holding lots of secrets that could impact both Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton) and Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander).
Kevin Dunn, ‘Code Black’ (CBS)
TV fans might recognize Dunn from his role on HBO’s “Veep” as presidential chief-of-staff Ben Cafferty. Fun fact: His big sister is former “Saturday Night Live” trouper Nora Dunn.
Calista Flockhart, ‘Supergirl’ (CBS)
Yes, we all know Flockhart, 50, from her groundbreaking role on “Ally McBeal.”
She’s kept a relatively low TV profile since then — save for a lead role on “Brothers & Sisters” — but is re-emerging as demanding boss-from-hell Cat Grant on the new hit series “Supergirl.”
F. Murray Abraham, ‘Homeland’ (Showtime)
TV fans are discovering Abraham for his fine work as sinister CIA black-ops director Dar Adal — who seems to be targeting Saul (Mandy Patinkin) and Carrie (Claire Danes).