Remember when Michael Shannon was in Groundhog Day? Hint: He loved Wrestlemania.

It’s always fun to catch an old movie on cable and catch a now-famous actor in some bit part you didn’t even remember. For instance, a couple days ago I noticed Isiah Whitlock, Jr., aka Senator Clay “SHEEEEIT” Davis, playing the doctor in Goodfellas who wanted to put Ray Liotta in the hospital when he showed up strung out on coke to pick up his wheelchair-bound brother. Similarly, while Michael Shannon is today rightly acclaimed for having apocalyptic visions in Take Shelter and playing “drown the Jew” (not to mention “hatef*ck the starlet“) on Boardwalk Empire, in 1993 he was just a dude who was stoked about Bill Murray buying him Wrestlemania tickets. I don’t like to brag, but I could tell he was destined for greatness the minute he said “Thank you, Mr. Connors, you’re a real pal.”

Meanwhile, I’m told the groundhog who played Punxatawny Phil went on to start a successful bark-gnawing business with Gary Busey.

Thanks to CityofFilm for digging this up.