I was just watching the clip of Begin Again I posted (see the "Rate The Last Movie You Watched | Winter 2018" thread) and I thought, 'Keira Knightley is really natural in this" (Ruffalo, too - but he's not underrated):

I feel the same about Gwyneth Paltrow in Proof (I thought that was an excellent performance):

It seems like a lot of people don't want to say these people are good actors ('cause they're good-looking, "Hollywood" types, I assume ).

Who do you feel is overlooked in the "They Can Pur-tend Real Well" category?

Enquiring minds want to know!

(Edited to add clips)

[Edited 2/27/18 5:44am]

Johnny Depp is a very underrated actor. I think sometimes people just associate him with the "weird, Johnny Depp-type roles" like Jack Sparrow and every character he plays in the Tim Burton movies but when he's not appearing in those kinds of movies he's capable of delivering some great performances.

Another actor I think who gets overlooked is Tom Cruise. Because he seems to play the same character in all his action movies it's easy to forget about his performances in movies like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July. As he gets older, I bet we'll see more of his actor side and less of his action hero side.

Also, and this one may be hard to wrap your head around, but hear me out. Another actor who is criminally underrated is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Think about it. Some of the stuff he did in Predator, Commando, True Lies etc would be totally unbelievable with any other actor in the role. But because its Arnie, you buy into it. You don't question it when he lifts a jeep off the ground and pushes it down a hill towards the soldiers he's about to kill. You just accept that it's possible because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not to mention his expert performance as the Terminator in two of the best sci-fi/action movies ever made. But if action is not your thing then he's got you covered as well. Since his stint as Governator he's put in some really understated performances in Maggie and Aftermath.

EmmaMcG said:

Johnny Depp is a very underrated actor. I think sometimes people just associate him with the "weird, Johnny Depp-type roles" like Jack Sparrow and every character he plays in the Tim Burton movies but when he's not appearing in those kinds of movies he's capable of delivering some great performances.

Looking at his IMDb, I don't think I've ever seen him in a full movie. ...Maybe Benny and Joon (but that was a long-ass time ago). He makes the kinds of films that just don't interest me. I am tempted by Ed Wood (mainly for the sound drops they play on Stern of Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi ).

Another actor I think who gets overlooked is Tom Cruise. Because he seems to play the same character in all his action movies it's easy to forget about his performances in movies like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July.

Agree. I liked him in Fourth of July, Eyes Wide Shut, Valkyrie, Vanilla Sky, A Few Good Men and Jerry Maguire (a movie I don't much care for).

Also, and this one may be hard to wrap your head around, but hear me out. Another actor who is criminally underrated is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Think about it. Some of the stuff he did in Predator, Commando, True Lies etc would be totally unbelievable with any other actor in the role. But because its Arnie, you buy into it. You don't question it when he lifts a jeep off the ground and pushes it down a hill towards the soldiers he's about to kill. You just accept that it's possible because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not to mention his expert performance as the Terminator in two of the best sci-fi/action movies ever made. But if action is not your thing then he's got you covered as well. Since his stint as Governator he's put in some really understated performances in Maggie and Aftermath.

Never seen him in a movie. But I think you might find backup from RodeoSchro?

EmmaMcG said:

Johnny Depp is a very underrated actor. I think sometimes people just associate him with the "weird, Johnny Depp-type roles" like Jack Sparrow and every character he plays in the Tim Burton movies but when he's not appearing in those kinds of movies he's capable of delivering some great performances. Another actor I think who gets overlooked is Tom Cruise. Because he seems to play the same character in all his action movies it's easy to forget about his performances in movies like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July.

johnny depp was amazing in 'black mass'.

frank t.j. mackey was a role that only tom cruise could have performed so well. it felt like he just peeled his skin back for awhile and let the truth of tom cruise out. god, i love that movie so much.

you know who's underrated? rick schroder. i've been rewatching 'nypd blue' season 7 over the past couple of weeks, and man, he just slays in that show. and 'the champ'? forget about it...

[Edited 2/27/18 6:17am]

peedub said:

frank t.j. mackey was a role that only tom cruise could have performed so well. it felt like he just peeled his skin back for awhile and let the truth of tom cruise out. god, i love that movie so much.

I started watching it once, but I guess I wasn't in the mood. Maybe because I knew the run-time (or maybe it was the thought of the frogs falling from the sky, or whatever). But clips I've seen of the Mackey parts and the father-son dynamic intrigue me.

EmmaMcG said:

Johnny Depp is a very underrated actor. I think sometimes people just associate him with the "weird, Johnny Depp-type roles" like Jack Sparrow and every character he plays in the Tim Burton movies but when he's not appearing in those kinds of movies he's capable of delivering some great performances. Another actor I think who gets overlooked is Tom Cruise. Because he seems to play the same character in all his action movies it's easy to forget about his performances in movies like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July. As he gets older, I bet we'll see more of his actor side and less of his action hero side. Also, and this one may be hard to wrap your head around, but hear me out. Another actor who is criminally underrated is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Think about it. Some of the stuff he did in Predator, Commando, True Lies etc would be totally unbelievable with any other actor in the role. But because its Arnie, you buy into it. You don't question it when he lifts a jeep off the ground and pushes it down a hill towards the soldiers he's about to kill. You just accept that it's possible because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not to mention his expert performance as the Terminator in two of the best sci-fi/action movies ever made. But if action is not your thing then he's got you covered as well. Since his stint as Governator he's put in some really understated performances in Maggie and Aftermath.

I agree with you on Depp and Cruise, but not Schwarzenegger.

Depp and Cruise are very good actors and usually make good movies. True, they are both odd and I think the fame has gone to their heads, but both have contributed great performances over the years.

I think Ed Norton is very underrated. Wish he would come back as he's a terrific actor.

Ace said:

You've never seen an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie? Wow. You're missing out big time. Terminator 1 and 2 and Predator are among the best sci fi movies ever made. And Commando IS the best action movie of all time.

But if you've made it this far without seeing one of his movies then I'm guessing you're not an action fan. No problem, because he was brilliant in Aftermath, which is a drama about a man coming to terms with the death of his family in a plane crash and how he deals with it when he finds the man responsible. Very unusual to see Arnie play a vulnerable old man in a movie and he really is great in it.

Empress said:

EmmaMcG said:

Johnny Depp is a very underrated actor. I think sometimes people just associate him with the "weird, Johnny Depp-type roles" like Jack Sparrow and every character he plays in the Tim Burton movies but when he's not appearing in those kinds of movies he's capable of delivering some great performances. Another actor I think who gets overlooked is Tom Cruise. Because he seems to play the same character in all his action movies it's easy to forget about his performances in movies like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July. As he gets older, I bet we'll see more of his actor side and less of his action hero side. Also, and this one may be hard to wrap your head around, but hear me out. Another actor who is criminally underrated is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Think about it. Some of the stuff he did in Predator, Commando, True Lies etc would be totally unbelievable with any other actor in the role. But because its Arnie, you buy into it. You don't question it when he lifts a jeep off the ground and pushes it down a hill towards the soldiers he's about to kill. You just accept that it's possible because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not to mention his expert performance as the Terminator in two of the best sci-fi/action movies ever made. But if action is not your thing then he's got you covered as well. Since his stint as Governator he's put in some really understated performances in Maggie and Aftermath.

I agree with you on Depp and Cruise, but not Schwarzenegger.

Depp and Cruise are very good actors and usually make good movies. True, they are both odd and I think the fame has gone to their heads, but both have contributed great performances over the years.

I think Ed Norton is very underrated. Wish he would come back as he's a terrific actor.

Has Norton gone away? I saw him as recently as Birdman (and thought he was very good).

Here's my thing about Depp... He seems to always play some kooky character. To my mind, those are the easiest roles to play. I think it takes far more craft to play an everyman naturalistically.

I've always found Michael Keaton to be incredibly underrated. It doesn't help that he was robbed at the Oscars a few years ago when he should have won for Birdman. He was also excellent in Spotlight (as was Mark Ruffalo, another underrated actor) and is, by a mile, the best actor to play Batman.

EmmaMcG said:

Ace said:

Never seen him in a movie. But I think you might find backup from RodeoSchro?

You've never seen an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie? Wow. You're missing out big time. Terminator 1 and 2 and Predator are among the best sci fi movies ever made. And Commando IS the best action movie of all time. But if you've made it this far without seeing one of his movies then I'm guessing you're not an action fan. No problem, because he was brilliant in Aftermath, which is a drama about a man coming to terms with the death of his family in a plane crash and how he deals with it when he finds the man responsible. Very unusual to see Arnie play a vulnerable old man in a movie and he really is great in it.

That intrigues me, a little.

Yeah, I'm not an action fan. I've seen Arnold in clips from those kind of things, but nothing where I can remember thinking, 'Gee, he seems to be a really underrated actor.'

That said, I have seen clips of him in comedies and I think he might be a very underrated comic actor!

Empress said:

EmmaMcG said:

Johnny Depp is a very underrated actor. I think sometimes people just associate him with the "weird, Johnny Depp-type roles" like Jack Sparrow and every character he plays in the Tim Burton movies but when he's not appearing in those kinds of movies he's capable of delivering some great performances. Another actor I think who gets overlooked is Tom Cruise. Because he seems to play the same character in all his action movies it's easy to forget about his performances in movies like Magnolia and Born on the Fourth of July. As he gets older, I bet we'll see more of his actor side and less of his action hero side. Also, and this one may be hard to wrap your head around, but hear me out. Another actor who is criminally underrated is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Think about it. Some of the stuff he did in Predator, Commando, True Lies etc would be totally unbelievable with any other actor in the role. But because its Arnie, you buy into it. You don't question it when he lifts a jeep off the ground and pushes it down a hill towards the soldiers he's about to kill. You just accept that it's possible because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not to mention his expert performance as the Terminator in two of the best sci-fi/action movies ever made. But if action is not your thing then he's got you covered as well. Since his stint as Governator he's put in some really understated performances in Maggie and Aftermath.

...

I think Ed Norton is very underrated. Wish he would come back as he's a terrific actor.

yes...his imdb says he's currently directing 'motherless brooklyn'...looks promising, with a helluva cast.

Ace said:

EmmaMcG said:

Ace said: You've never seen an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie? Wow. You're missing out big time. Terminator 1 and 2 and Predator are among the best sci fi movies ever made. And Commando IS the best action movie of all time. But if you've made it this far without seeing one of his movies then I'm guessing you're not an action fan. No problem, because he was brilliant in Aftermath, which is a drama about a man coming to terms with the death of his family in a plane crash and how he deals with it when he finds the man responsible. Very unusual to see Arnie play a vulnerable old man in a movie and he really is great in it.

That intrigues me, a little.

Yeah, I'm not an action fan. I've seen Arnold in clips from those kind of things, but nothing where I can remember thinking, 'Gee, he seems to be a really underrated actor.'

That said, I have seen clips of him in comedies and I think he might be a very underrated comic actor!

i think so...'kindergarten cop' and 'twins' are both excellent.

Ace said:

Aftermath is probably his best "serious acting" performance but he's also great in Maggie, which has a ridiculous premise but is actually handled in surprisingly touching way. Basically, his daughter is slowly turning into a zombie and all he can do is look on, helpless to save her. Like I said, it sounds like one of those ridiculous movies that you'd just ignore but it's actually quite good and Arnie, again playing the vulnerable old man rather than the action hero, is great.

peedub said:

So is Last Action Hero. If it weren't for that annoying little prick in the movie, it would be a classic.

EmmaMcG said:

I've always found Michael Keaton to be incredibly underrated. It doesn't help that he was robbed at the Oscars a few years ago when he should have won for Birdman. He was also excellent in Spotlight (as was Mark Ruffalo, another underrated actor) and is, by a mile, the best actor to play Batman.

The first thing I think of when I think of Michael Keaton is tics. He's a very skilled comic actor. And I agree that he was very good in Birdman (I didn't see the other Best Actor-nominated performances that year). Interesting to note that he was replaced by Jeff Daniels a little into the filmiing of The Purple Rose of Cairo, as Allen felt he just could not bring off a character of that era. That was a long time ago. Maybe he can do that now.

I don't feel that Ruffalo is underrated at all. He's been thrice Oscar-nominated and seems to be a favorite amongst directors and audiences who like their dramas with some grit to them.

Incidentally, I checked his age with Siri last night and the beginning of his bio came up thusly on my locksreen:

Mark Alan Ruffalo is an American transexual actor, filmmaker, and social activist...

EmmaMcG said:

peedub said:

i think so...'kindergarten cop' and 'twins' are both excellent.

So is Last Action Hero. If it weren't for that annoying little prick in the movie, it would be a classic.

Last Action Hero is occasionally mentioned on Stern. Every once in a while, when they want to bust Robin's balls about her lapses in taste, they point out that she raved about this movie.

Not having seen it, who knows? Maybe I'd agree with her.

Everyone on Law & Order SVU

Ace said:

It's a parody of cheesy 80s action movies where Schwarzenegger makes fun of himself throughout. It also boasts some pretty great cameos from Van Damme, Sharon Stone, Jim Belushi and Danny deVito as a cartoon cat. Yup, it's that kind of movie.

Ace said:

peedub said:

frank t.j. mackey was a role that only tom cruise could have performed so well. it felt like he just peeled his skin back for awhile and let the truth of tom cruise out. god, i love that movie so much.

I started watching it once, but I guess I wasn't in the mood. Maybe because I knew the run-time (or maybe it was the thought of the frogs falling from the sky, or whatever). But clips I've seen of the Mackey parts and the father-son dynamic intrigue me.

speaking of 'magnolia' and 'nypd blue'...melora walters. she never disappoints.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Everyone on Law & Order SVU

Even Ice-T? Never seen the show, but John Mulaney has a funny bit about the kind of lines they've given him.

Mariska Hargitay, OldFriends4Sale!:

EmmaMcG said:

Ace said:

Last Action Hero is occasionally mentioned on Stern. Every once in a while, when they want to bust Robin's balls about her lapses in taste, they point out that she raved about this movie.

Not having seen it, who knows? Maybe I'd agree with her.

It's a parody of cheesy 80s action movies where Schwarzenegger makes fun of himself throughout. It also boasts some pretty great cameos from Van Damme, Sharon Stone, Jim Belushi and Danny deVito as a cartoon cat. Yup, it's that kind of movie.

On Stern, Dana Carvey told the story about how they were all set to make a Hans & Franz movie with Arnold, but it fell through at the last minute. Sounded like it would've been funny!

Another actor who is really underrated, underappreciated and downright underused in Hollywood is Timothy Olyphant. Now, even leaving aside that I'm very much in love with him and would definitely break off my engagement if he were to come calling, he is a great actor. Probably best known for starring in the TV shows Deadwood and Justified where he plays two different types of lawmen, both great, he deserves a chance to shine on a bigger scale. So far his only major movie roles are playing the title character in Hitman and the villain in Die Hard 4. He definitely deserves better than that. Tarantino called him one of the best actors on television during Justified's initial run so maybe he'll have his chance to show his stuff in one of QT's future movies but if not, at least we've got the Deadwood revival to look forward to.


Now, I don’t know how to do it but if one of you would like to post a picture of Timothy Olyphant for me, preferably wearing a cowboy hat, I'd be very grateful.

EmmaMcG said:

It also boasts some pretty great cameos from Van Damme, Sharon Stone, Jim Belushi and Danny deVito as a cartoon cat. Yup, it's that kind of movie.

Have you seen Jean-Claude Van Johnson? I haven't, but just the title makes me laugh! Or what about JVCD? I heard that was decent?

Ace said:

Haven't seen Jean Claude Van Johnson YET but JCVD is really good.

peedub said:

Ace said:

I started watching it once, but I guess I wasn't in the mood. Maybe because I knew the run-time (or maybe it was the thought of the frogs falling from the sky, or whatever). But clips I've seen of the Mackey parts and the father-son dynamic intrigue me.

speaking of 'magnolia' and 'nypd blue'...melora walters. she never disappoints.

Don't think I've ever seen her in anything. A Google Image Search put me in mind of Anna Kendrick (whom, I steadfastedly believe, is actually Tina Fey's sister).

Ace said:

peedub said:

speaking of 'magnolia' and 'nypd blue'...melora walters. she never disappoints.

Don't think I've ever seen her in anything. A Google Image Search put me in mind of Anna Kendrick (whom, I steadfastedly believe, is actually Tina Fey's sister).

sounds like your list of reasons to endure the run time of 'magnolia' is lengthening...she's in 'boogie nights' as well. she rarely plays large or leading roles, but she's very skilled.

EmmaMcG said:

Another actor who is really underrated, underappreciated and downright underused in Hollywood is Timothy Olyphant. Now, even leaving aside that I'm very much in love with him and would definitely break off my engagement if he were to come calling, he is a great actor. Probably best known for starring in the TV shows Deadwood and Justified where he plays two different types of lawmen, both great, he deserves a chance to shine on a bigger scale. So far his only major movie roles are playing the title character in Hitman and the villain in Die Hard 4. He definitely deserves better than that. Tarantino called him one of the best actors on television during Justified's initial run so maybe he'll have his chance to show his stuff in one of QT's future movies but if not, at least we've got the Deadwood revival to look forward to. Now, I don’t know how to do it but if one of you would like to post a picture of Timothy Olyphant for me, preferably wearing a cowboy hat, I'd be very grateful.

Ask and ye shall receive:

I believe I've only seen him in Go and The Girl Next Door (in both of which, I recall him playing "creepy").

As for Tarantino, who knows what's gonna become of QT? They've just been hammering the guy lately (Weinstein "complicity", Uma Thurman, the Polanski defense on Stern...). He's made too much money for too many people for the 'Manson' flick not to happen, but the SJW's will be out in full force for him when it opens.

peedub said:

Ace said:

Don't think I've ever seen her in anything. A Google Image Search put me in mind of Anna Kendrick (whom, I steadfastedly believe, is actually Tina Fey's sister).

sounds like your list of reasons to endure the run time of 'magnolia' is lengthening...she's in 'boogie nights' as well. she rarely plays large or leading roles, but she's very skilled.

I don't remember her in anything, so that certainly wouldn't put me off. I did see Boogie Nights. Save me a google and hip me to what she did in that?

Ace said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Everyone on Law & Order SVU

Even Ice-T? Never seen the show, but John Mulaney has a funny bit about the kind of lines they've given him.

Mariska Hargitay, OldFriends4Sale!:

lol yep, in that role and how he connects to the actors makes it work so well

Ace said:

peedub said:

sounds like your list of reasons to endure the run time of 'magnolia' is lengthening...she's in 'boogie nights' as well. she rarely plays large or leading roles, but she's very skilled.

I don't remember her in anything, so that certainly wouldn't put me off. I did see Boogie Nights. Save me a google and hip me to what she did in that?

she married don cheadle's character and got pregnant. she's amazing in 'magnolia'...i truly can't rave about that movie enough. it is absolutely one of my all time favorites. i've talked myself into watching it again tonight.