Christopher Plummer
Harvey Keitel
Sam Neill
and I really miss the talented John Candy
and yes I’ll get slammed for this - but Demi Moore was underrated as an actress. Of course, unlike Kurt Russell she didn’t pick her roles very well.
Steve Buscemi is great. I also love Sam Rockwell. He got a little bit of recognition for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, but he’s had lots of great roles. (He’s great in The Green Mile.) And then there’s Steve Zahn, who has had not-so-good roles and is still a really awesome actor in my eyes.
I used “great” way too much in that last post. Buy me a thesaurus?
William Forsythe. Every time I watch The Waterdance I just can’t believe that’s the same guy from Raising Arizona. I know they’re both him, but it seems like two different people.
Clint Howard.
For the category of “Best Character Actor in Comedy Roles,” I have to say I really like Paul Dooley.
(I don’t know that he’s underrated, but I really like him for some reason.)
I think Toni Collette is great, but despite her fine work in major films like The Sixth Sense and About a Boy (as well as lower-profile films from Emma to Velvet Goldmine) no one seems to know who she is and she never seems to get lead roles. The former may be partially because she is so versatile as an actress that she is nearly unrecognizeable from one role to the next. The latter may be partially because she does not have Hollywood leading-lady looks, although I think she is an attractive woman.
I don’t think Gene Hackman ever gets enough credit. He makes good movies better and stinkers tolerable without overshadowing the rest of the cast somehow.
Dennis Quaid. Just one great performance after another for two decades, and yet half the public still confuses him with Clark Griswold’s brother.
I’ve had the pleasure to meet Paul Dooley several times, and he is also a really nice guy as well.
I forgot to mention:
Morgan Freeman
Alfre Woodward
They can be a supporting actor in crap films and still give the film some class and credibility.
How can you talk about Toni Collette and not mention Muriel’s Wedding?!? She and Rachel Griffiths were excellent!
Since no one metioned this guy, I will…
Eric stoltz. He is a great actor and did quite a few films with several other wonderful actors that I can’t quite remember their names…Oh well the movies were kicking and sceaming, sleep with me and highball…
I’ll also second willem dafoe, buscemi, candy and bridges.
I like adam goldberg, I think he is on his way up…
A true modern Bogart is Australia’s Brian Brown. He is most famous Stateside for the movie, FX. He provided absolutely smashing work in Neville Shute’s, A Town Like Alice and another film, The Shiralee. The actor’s taciturn delivery and not-always-obvious compassion make his roles spring to life.
Clancy Brown
Rutger Hauer
Sure there are a lot of actors who can be good in a good movie, but these guys can make a bad movie watchable.
Toni Collette had a small part in The Hours. She was great in that, I didn’t even recognize her at first.
I didn’t mention it because, as good as she was in it, if people know who she is at all it’s only from that. I think that may be one of the reasons why she keeps getting stuck in supporting roles, actually – she’s associated too much with her character in Muriel’s Wedding for people to want to cast her as a Hollywood leading lady.
You read my mind–D’Onofrio and Morse are my two favorite actors, and the others are terrific as well. I’m not so enthusiastic about Jeff Daniels, though.
I don’t think Ed Norton is underrated. Everyone names that guy on favorite actor lists. While Jeff Bridges was good in The Contender, his overacting elsewhere is unwatchable.
Ian Holm is wonderful in everything he does. So is Timothy Spall.
Tony Shalhoub. From Monk to Wings to Stark Raving Mad to Galaxy Quest, he displays perfect comedic timing, impeccable delivery, and he makes it happen through a vastly different array of characters. He is a genius.