HBO recycles its actors on different shows - here's who has appeared on what

I like HBO programming for many reasons. The production value is unparalleled, the acting is Emmy-worthy, and the stories are fascinating. But for all the variation in HBO's programming, there is one subtle consistency that only longtime viewers of the network are starting to pick up on: the actors and actresses.

When I settled in to watch HBO's new Sunday-night lineup last weekend, I couldn't help notice that the guy who plays Teague Dixon in "True Detective" season two is the same person who played Dan Dority in "Deadwood." Or that the actor who plays Zeke Tilson in "The Brink" is also Nick Sabotka from "The Wire."

In fact, HBO has a stable of actors it uses to fill tertiary roles in many of its programs.

Zack Grossbart recently put together an epic infographic showing exactly which actors have appeared in which HBO shows. It's called the HBO recycling program, and it illustrates the relationship between actors and actresses and the HBO shows on which they have appeared.

Let's take a closer look at the "HBO Recycling Program" below:

Aiden Gillen

You may know him as the baby-faced, sharp-tongued Littlefinger from "Game of Thrones."

But Littlefinger was honing his skills as a politician well before he ever set foot in Westeros as the morally conflicted mayor of Baltimore in "The Wire."

Edie Falco

You might know her as Carmela Soprano, the complicit wife of New Jersey-mafia kingpin Tony Soprano.

But before Carmela surrounded herself with criminals, she was protecting society from them as Officer Diane Whittlesey in "Oz."

Michael K. Williams

You might know him as Omar, the endearing gangster who robs drug dealers for a living in "The Wire."

But he also played an endearing gangster in another HBO crime drama, "Boardwalk Empire," although in finer threads.

Paul Ben-Victor

HBO must love Paul Ben-Victor, because the actor has been featured in four different programs. He has played Alan Gray, the head of Warner Brothers studio, who gave Vinnie Chase his big break with "Aquaman" on "Entourage."

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But he also plays Vondas in "The Wire."

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Palaka from "John from Cincinnati."

And he even showed up for an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."