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Welcome to Random Roles, wherein we talk to actors about the characters who defined their careers. The catch: They don’t know beforehand what roles we’ll ask them to talk about.

The actor: Though he’s the son of an actor (John Carradine), the brother of two notable actors (Robert and David Carradine), and a man with three kids—Martha Plimpton, Cade Carradine, and Sorel Carradine—who have all grown up to be actors, Keith Carradine originally had no plans to pursue the life of a thespian himself. Thankfully, he eventually succumbed to the inevitable and changed his mind, resulting in a long and prolific career which has seen him earning acclaim for his work in film (Nashville), television (Chiefs), and Broadway (The Will Rogers Follies), even making his way into the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 (“I’m Easy”). Carradine recently wrapped up a new film ...

• Miles Teller is making waves. The soulful Spectacular Now star can add another notch to his indie belt. Teller will play the lead role in Whiplash — the Sundance-winning short from writer-director Damien Chazelle (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench) that’s getting the feature treatment. Teller will play a novice drummer in an elite jazz conservatory who is subjected to the wrath of his merciless instructor, played by J.K. Simmons (who will reprise the role that he originated in Chazelle’s short). [Deadline]

• Sam Rockwell has played some memorable parts this year, including Colin Farrell’s manic best friend in Seven Psychopaths and Owen,...