Ordinary People - actors, characters and roles

All actors and their roles in the film "Ordinary People"
Ordinary People (1980)
Timing: 2:4 (124 min)
Ordinary People - TMDB rating
7.459/10
679
Ordinary People - Kinopoisk rating
7.245/10
6971
Ordinary People - IMDB rating
7.7/10
62000

Actors and characters

Photo Donald Sutherland #6096Photo Donald Sutherland #6097Photo Donald Sutherland #6098Photo Donald Sutherland #6099

Donald Sutherland

Donald Sutherland
Character Calvin Jarrett
Photo Mary Tyler Moore #122147Photo Mary Tyler Moore #122148Photo Mary Tyler Moore #122149Photo Mary Tyler Moore #122150

Mary Tyler Moore

Mary Tyler Moore
Character Beth Jarrett
Photo Judd Hirsch #27511

Judd Hirsch

Judd Hirsch
Character Dr. Berger
Photo Timothy Hutton #83386Photo Timothy Hutton #83387Photo Timothy Hutton #83388Photo Timothy Hutton #83389

Timothy Hutton

Timothy Hutton
Character Conrad Jarrett
Photo M. Emmet Walsh #34246Photo M. Emmet Walsh #34247Photo M. Emmet Walsh #34248Photo M. Emmet Walsh #34249

M. Emmet Walsh

M. Emmet Walsh
Character Swim Coach
Photo Elizabeth McGovern #36896Photo Elizabeth McGovern #36897Photo Elizabeth McGovern #36898Photo Elizabeth McGovern #36899

Elizabeth McGovern

Elizabeth McGovern
Character Jeannine Pratt
Photo Dinah Manoff #43644Photo Dinah Manoff #43645
Dinah Manoff
Character Karen
Photo Fredric Lehne #38018Photo Fredric Lehne #38019Photo Fredric Lehne #38020Photo Fredric Lehne #38021

Fredric Lehne

Fredric Lehne
Character Lazenby
Photo James B. Sikking #76677Photo James B. Sikking #76678Photo James B. Sikking #76679

James B. Sikking

James B. Sikking
Character Ray Hanley
Photo Basil Hoffman #113352

Basil Hoffman

Basil Hoffman
Character Sloan
Photo Quinn K. Redeker #88591
Quinn K. Redeker
Character Ward
Photo Mariclare Costello #81591
Mariclare Costello
Character Audrey
Meg Mundy
Character Grandmother
Photo Elizabeth Hubbard #122152
Elizabeth Hubbard
Character Ruth
Photo Adam Baldwin #43928Photo Adam Baldwin #43929Photo Adam Baldwin #43930Photo Adam Baldwin #72225

Adam Baldwin

Adam Baldwin
Character Stillman
Richard Whiting
Character Grandfather
Scott Doebler
Character Buck Jarrett
Carl DiTomasso
Character Van Buren
Tim Clarke
Character Truan
Ken Dishner
Character Genthe
Lisa Smyth
Character Gail
Ann Eggert
Character Mitzi
Randall Robbins
Character Bryce
Cynthia Baker
Character Ms. Mellon
John Stimpson
Character John
Liz Kinney
Character Liz
Rudy Hornish
Character Ed
Clarissa Downey
Character Chris
Cynthia Burke
Character Annie
Jane Alderman
Character Linda
Paul Preston
Character Dennis
Gustave Lachenauer
Character Gus
Marilyn Rockafellow
Character Sarah
Don Billett
Character Philip
Ronald Solomon
Character Joel
Virginia Long
Character Choir Director
Paula Segal
Character Shopper
Estelle Meyers
Character Saleslady
Stuart Shiff
Character Waiter
Rose Wool
Character Waitress
Douglas Kinney
Character Actor
Constance Addington
Character Actress
Edwin Bederman
Character McDonald's Manager
Bobby Coyne
Character Young Buck
Michael Creadon
Character Young Conrad

What's left behind the scenes

  • Filming took place from October 9, 1979, to January 10, 1980.
  • The film is based on the novel of the same name by writer Judith Guest.
  • For Timothy Hutton and Elizabeth McGovern, this film was their first work in cinema.
  • Timothy Hutton's father, actor Jim Hutton, died shortly before filming began.
  • Gene Hackman was considered for the role of Dr. Berger, and Lee Remick for the role of Beth Jarrett. Bruce Dern and Ken Howard auditioned for the role of Calvin.
  • While filming was underway, Elizabeth McGovern attended the Juilliard School. With the permission of the school administration, she was allowed to film only on Saturdays – the girl would leave school on Friday evening and return on Sunday morning.
  • Michael J. Fox auditioned for the role of Conrad.
  • It took Robert Redford a year and a half to write the first draft of the script and another year to refine it, as the original novel by Judeth Guest consisted only of dialogue and lacked descriptions of the characters' inner experiences.
  • The Jerrett family's house is located around the corner from another house that would be used in the filming of 'Risky Business' two years later.
  • The composition that became the main theme of the film – Johann Pachelbel's 'Canon in D major' – played a very important role. The canon is heard performed by a choir at the very beginning of the film and an instrumental version during the end credits.
  • While filming, Elizabeth McGovern was studying at Juilliard. She was allowed to continue her studies on the condition that she leave for Chicago every Friday evening and return on Sunday, filming only on Saturdays. It was the first time a student at that institution had been allowed to film during the school semester.
  • It took Robert Redford a year and a half to write the first draft of the screenplay and another year to refine it, as the original novel by Judith Guest consisted only of dialogue and lacked descriptions of the characters’ internal experiences.
  • Richard Dreyfuss was initially considered for the role of the psychiatrist, but he experienced a nervous breakdown around that time.
  • The final scene in the dining room with characters played by Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore was originally shot on location. However, during editing, Sutherland disliked his own performance, so he and director Robert Redford reshot the scene on a dining room set in a studio pavilion. Moore was performing in theater in New York, so Redford had to read her lines aloud.
  • Gene Hackman was initially cast as Dr. Berger, but he was unable to participate in the project due to reshoots for Richard Lester’s science fiction action film “Superman 2” (1980). Judd Hirsch took on the role, but on the condition that he would film all his scenes in 9 days, as he was then scheduled to work on the “Taxi” series (1978-1983).
  • During the scene describing the death of his son, Donald Sutherland’s character stumbles slightly over his words. The stumble happened accidentally, but when Robert Redford reviewed the footage for the day, he liked this nuance so much that he decided to leave it in the film.
  • Dina Manoff’s filming took only one day. Costume designer Bernie Pollack saw her in a store, decided she would look perfect in the role of Karen, and immediately offered her $20 to buy whatever she wanted in the store.
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