In Showtime’s new comedy House of Lies, which premiered last night, Don Cheadle stars as Marty Kaan, a cynical, slick, genius management consultant. Marty is a master manipulator of his underlings, his bosses, women, and, most especially, his clients, but that’s not his most spectacular superpower. Nope, Kaan has been blessed with the extraordinary ability to break the fourth wall and speak smart-ass remarks straight to the camera, a trait he shares with many a character, from Ferris Bueller to Saved by the Bell’s Zack Morris (and at least Cheadle’s colleagues don’t wobble when frozen). On the occasion of Marty’s wall-busting, please enjoy other great moments in characters making direct eye contact with the audience.
