My first encounter with Miguel Ferrer came in 1987's "Robocop". He was Bob Morton: the guy who helped design and put Robocop on the streets to deliver swift justice.
He wasn't listed in the main credits with Peter Weller or Nancy Allen, but he played an indelible role in the film. My dad and I would point to him in every movie since and say, "look, it's that guy." Ferrer lost a long battle with cancer today; he was just 17 days shy of his 62nd birthday.
Ferrer was a genuine face of cinema. In his 123 total credits, he played mostly small roles. I remember watching him in an episode of "Crossing Jordan" or "NCIS: Los Angeles", and then flipping the channel to see him in Steven Soderbergh's Oscar winning "Traffic". He had just finished filming an episode of "Twin Peaks", which is being revived on Showtime for a limited run. He will be bring FBI Agent Albert Rosenfeld back to the small screen.
Known more as the cousin of superstar George Clooney, Ferrer preferred the shadows of gritty film work. He showed up on the set, played his part, nailed it, and walked off without a posse.
More than half of Ferrer's credits came on television, so at times I would think he was going to set to set. I imagine actors like Miguel Ferrer finishing up a scene in a film before hopping on a golf cart on the Warner Brothers lot and driving to the other part of the block to film something else.
Ferrer played so many different people in his movies and TV shows. Imagine all the scripts that passed through his desk and agent. All the minds he inhibited throughout his 30+ years of film work. He was the corrupt Vice President Rodriguez in "Iron Man 3". He was Kaufman in "Point of No Return", a man you couldn't trust. He was Tony Castellano in "Another Stakeout". He was Eduardo Ruiz in "Traffic". Lester in "The Sunshine State". Colonel Garret in "The Manchurian Candidate" remake.
Ferrer's last batch of work came on "NCIS: Los Angeles", where he spent 105 episodes playing Owen Granger, running from 2012 to the present. He wasn't a star of the show, so he could slip in and steal scenes from L.L. Cool J and Chris O'Donnell. With those two, it wasn't hard to do, but Ferrer just did it constantly. He was a pure actor: a steak served to the table without a garnish, veggies, or napkin. A simplistic talent that will be missed.
Cancer really sucks. Ferrer was surrounded by his family when he passed, and they will miss him the most. The man he probably spent a small fraction of his life living, but easily lent pieces of to so many characters over the years. Actors like Ferrer don't get celebrated enough, but they are required in Hollywood.
Some actors come to Hollywood to win awards and drive fancy cars. Some like to make money. Others just want to work, make a living, and play a few good roles before the dust settles. Miguel Ferrer played over 100 characters in his career, made a decent amount of money, and put together a career full of longevity that most actors would covet and aspire to.
Rest in peace. We'll take care of the curtain.
