“Lincoln” is certainly a grand piece of filmmaking, from its detailed sets and beard wrangling, to Daniel Day Lewis’ thoughtful performance, Tony Kushner’s nimble script. One could imagine oneself transformed back a century and a half except for all the recognizable actors who kept popping up who are known from TV roles.Besides Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, who was in everything from “Gidget” and “The Flying Nun” to “Brothers and Sisters,” Tommy Lee Jones who was in TV miniseries like “Lonesome Dove,” David Strathairn most recently of “Alphas,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt once of “3rd Rock from the Sun,” James Spader of “The Office” and “Boston Legal,” Gregory Itzen of “24,” (President Charles Logan), Gloria Reuben of “ER,” S. Epatha Merkerson of “Law & Order.”
How about these memorable actors from cable series: John Hawkes of “Deadwood,” Jared Harris — Lane in “Mad Men” — as Grant, Bruce McGill from “Rizzoli & Isles,” Walter Goggins of “The Shield” and “Justified,” David Costabile of “Breaking Bad” (Gale) and “Flight of the Conchords” (Doug), Adam Driver of “Girls,” Michael Stuhlbarg of “Boardwalk Empire” (Arnold Rothstein).
It was almost such a parade of familiar actors it sometimes took one out of the story. But it was sure fun to pick them out.