By Anthony Breznican
The Associated Press

Moviegoers may not know this "everyman" character actor by name, but John C. Reilly's hangdog expression will be hard to avoid with three major films opening within weeks of each other.

Known for his round face, curly hair and mellow gaze, Mr. Reilly plays a brawler-turned-lawman in Gangs of New York, a naive husband whose wife contemplates suicide in The Hours and the meek spouse of a murderess in the movie musical Chicago.

Despite his steady stream of work that includes high-profile roles in The Perfect Storm, Magnolia and Boogie Nights, Mr. Reilly said he's constantly confronted by people who recognize him, but can't remember why.

"They're always coming up and saying, `Didn't we go to college together?' Usually, I'll say, `Well, I'm an actor,' " Mr. Reilly, 37, said.

In Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio plays an Irish immigrant who gets caught up in political corruption, underworld violence and rioting in New York during the Civil War.

Mr. Reilly, hidden behind a handlebar mustache and bushy mutton chops, co-stars as Happy Jack, a police officer and friend of Mr. DiCaprio's slain father.

He made his breakthrough in 1989 with a supporting role in Casualties of War after sending director Brian De Palma an audition videotape. After that, he had notable parts in Days of Thunder, Hoffa and What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

This summer he co-starred with Jennifer Aniston as her dope-smoking, painter-husband in The Good Girl, and in October starred in a Boston stage production of the new musical Marty, about a lonely butcher who's unlucky in love.

Question: There are a lot of reports about the troubled production of "Gangs of New York." Did you witness any of those battles?

Answer: I'll just say the whole issue is overblown. I've been involved in a lot of big-budget movies that had a lot more trouble, a lot more fighting and produced a much less interesting movie. From my point of view, Scorsese was like a kid in a candy store even though making epic movies is never easy.

Q: You've played law enforcement officers in several films, including "Gangs of New York." Why so many characters with a badge?

A: I wish I could say something like, `Well, I always plan to honor the police . . .' but the truth is an actor's life is opportunity and there are a lot of cops in movies and TV in general. I hope (those directors) are responding to the sense that I have a sort of decency as a guy.

Q: Does it bother you that people remember your face but not your name?

A: Not really. I live a pretty sheltered life, and don't do that much press, so people don't know me as a personality.

Q: Do you ever have fun with people who recognize you?

A: I play a game with my wife. When I tell someone I'm an actor, we look at the person and try to figure out from their demographic which movie they might have seen. I got a flat tire in rural Michigan, and there was this mechanic and I said, `Hmm, yeah . . . Days of Thunder. I played this ace mechanic.' Then he wanted to know why I couldn't fix a simple tire.

Q: Were you nervous about singing in "Chicago" and "Marty"?

A: I've been singing my whole life. I grew up in Chicago, on the South Side, and all audiences wanted to see there were musicals. That was all there was to do if you wanted to be an actor. I was in a straight play once and they put songs from Pippin in it.