Why Officer Dave From Walk Of Shame Looks So Familiar

Despite earning flop status upon its release back in 2014, the R-rated Elizabeth Banks comedy "Walk of Shame" has been lighting up Netflix recently. The film follows Banks as a TV reporter forced to trek across the city after a night of heavy drinking in order to make a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity. The film didn't perform well at the box office (via The Numbers) when it debuted, but it is slowly developing a second wind in the ever-growing streaming world.

"Walk of Shame" is one of those comedies chock full of character actors and secondary, scene-stealing performances. From sitcom heavy hitters like Gillian Jacobs to stand-up comedy all-stars like Bill Burr, it's a who's who of the comedy world. One other character who absolutely fits that description is Officer Dave, who is portrayed by legendary character actor Ethan Suplee. No stranger to the Hollywood scene, Suplee has a long list of film and TV credits from his career leading up to "Walk of Shame." With that in mind, let's dive into the films and television shows you may know him from.

Kevin Smith's sophomore outing marked a massive shift from his work on "Clerks." A far more polished (not to mention colorful) movie than its predecessor, "Mallrats" increased the scope of the story, while maintaining the loveable character-based charm that fans came to know and love when they first saw Smith's previous movie. One such character was Willem, portrayed by Ethan Suplee, a deeply pensive mall patron with an affinity for staring at trick photos in an effort to see the hidden picture.

One thing worth noting about Suplee's career is that he actually has appeared in numerous Kevin Smith movies over the years. Following his appearance in "Mallrats", he went on to appear in other Smith-directed films such as "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," as well as "Clerks II." While "Mallrats" is not his largest role in a Smith film, it is his first, and therefore arguably his most important.

Ethan Suplee has appeared in numerous films throughout his career, but few are quite as intense and controversial as Tony Kaye's "American History X." Released in 1998, the film tackles issues of racism and white supremacy through the eyes of a reformed skinhead and his younger brother. In the film, Suplee plays a white supremacist named Seth, the former best friend of Edward Norton's Derek Vinyard.

Suplee's performance as Seth in "American History X' remains one of his most unsettling to this very day. Though the film does include elements of redemption for some of its more initially despicable characters, he remains an unlikable villain throughout its runtime. Working on the film also reportedly caused issues for Suplee. According to a report from The Los Angeles Times, the actor forgot to remove his white power tattoos after finishing work and found himself accosted by people who thought the racist body art was genuine.

Though Ethan Suplee has appeared in plenty of crowd-pleasing films throughout his career, one of the most beloved of the bunch is "Remember the Titans." Boasting a 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the Disney football film is still a hit with viewers. The film's story focuses on the story of the integration of a Virginia football team in the 1970s, and how the Black and white players slowly learn to become teammates and friends in the face of hatred.

As for Suplee's role in the proceedings, he portrays a character named Louie Lastik, a heavy-set offensive lineman hailing from a Navy family. The real-life Lastik also played for the TC Williams football team in the 1970s. In the film, he plays a crucial role as a bridge between the Black and white players, extending the first olive branch that eventually leads the team to fully integrate and work together.

Though he has appeared in numerous films over the years, one of Ethan Suplee's most iconic and enduring performances actually happened on the small screen. Joined once again by former "Mallrats" co-star Jason Lee, Suplee appeared in 96 episodes of the NBC sitcom "My Name is Earl" as Randy Hickey. The simple-minded brother to Lee's Earl Hickey, Randy served as a loyal companion to the show's protagonist as they worked through Earl's list of amends, with Randy even taking the focus of several episodes throughout its run.

By the time Suplee made his debut on "My Name is Earl," he was already a fairly seasoned veteran of the television world. In the years leading up to his role as Randy, he had also made appearances on shows such as "Boy Meets World" and "Sister, Sister." As a result, he was perfectly positioned for his four-year run on the NBC sitcom.

Ethan Suplee appeared in numerous Denzel Washington vehicles over the course of his career, and one of the most exciting of the bunch is 2010's "Unstoppable." Directed by "Top Gun" director Tony Scott, the film follows Washington and Chris Pine as two train engineers in a race against time to prevent an out-of-control locomotive from barreling into a town and killing hundreds of people. In the film, Suplee portrays a character named Dewey, a witless railway worker who accidentally sets the events of the story in motion.

The legacy of "Unstoppable" continues to grow as more and more people see it. In fact, cinema legend Quentin Tarantino even went so far as to call it one of the best films of the 2010s when wrapping up the films of the decade with The Ringer. If nothing else, it's proof that Scott could still deliver a fantastic blockbuster hit, even toward the end of his life and career.

Those are the performances many of you may know Suplee from in the years leading up to his role as Officer Dave in "Walk of Shame." However, the actor continues to perform and add to his lengthy filmography.