I think about actors, actresses and their careers way too much. Recently I have been compiling a list of people that I think are the most underrated of all the actors and actresses. Some of these people have been recognized in the past but have slipped in the cracks with new generations. I watch films from all decades and don't rule anything out...but most people are not like that. Here is my list of the top five most underrated actors. I will write another posts about actresses later this week.
1. Kevin Costner, this guy is one seriously good actor! I know that I have slammed his one film before Dance With Wolves, but that is not his fault. Every actor and actress picks a role that isn't a good choice. I am not even saying that is the case with this film, because many people love and adore Dances With Wolves; it just didn't tickle my fancy is all. In other movies, Costner shines with exuberance and life such as Rumor Has It, The Untouchables, and my personal favorite Fields of Dreams. "If you build it, he will come." Gotta love that movie, it has that feel good quality. I feel as though Kevin Costner gets overlooked. He is in the same age bracket as a lot of other glamorous men in Hollywood that have been honored and will continue to be honored as The Greats for years to come. I feel as though he should also be recognized. If you have not seen a lot of Costner films I would definitely recommend that you look into some.
2. Edward Herrmann is my number two pick. I have not directly blogged about Herrmann before, but I have blogged about a show he was on. One of his most famous roles was Richard Gilmore on the show Gilmore Girls, which ran for a total of seven seasons. I love him in this role because his character advances and grows so much throughout the seasons. I always picture him as a great grandfather role, but I think that is mostly because of my age. For those of you who are Gilmore Girls fans or have seen some episodes, you know that his acting is superb in e very season. Some of his other work that goes more unnoticed would be: Overboard and his roles on 30 Rock and The Good Wife.
3. Fred Ward comes in at number three. Top three Ward films: Sweet Home Alabama, Silkwood and First Do No Harm. For those of you who are huge Meryl fans or just know her work very well, you will automatically realize that two of these films, the latter two, are Meryl Streep films. I know, you thought the obsession didn't run this deep, but it does. Meryl had the opportunity to work with him twice, the last film listed is a movie made for TV; nonetheless it is a fantastic account that follows a true story. But this post, is not about Meryl! Fred Ward shines in whatever he does. He has the rugged, rough exterior. I love his acting most of all in Sweet Home Alabama, he plays Melanie's father Earl Smooter. He has that same roughness and toughness to him, and also plays a southern daddy who would do anything for his daughter. You should most definitely check out some of his other work.
4. Some of you may not agree with this choice, but I feel like this particular actor is underrated because he is not recognized for a lot of his work. His name is John C. Reilly. I feel as though Reilly is most often recognized for his comedic roles. Do not get me wrong, I think Step Brothers is one of the funniest movies of all time! And I am glad that Reilly is recognized for his grand and amazing comedic timing in that movie and others such as Cedar Rapids and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. However, when you think of Reilly, most of you probably don't think of his deeper and more serious roles such as We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Aviator and my all-time favorite Reilly role The River Wild. Sometimes actors get so type-casted that even when they manage to break the norm by fulfilling a different kind of role, they aren't given the credit they deserve.
5. Last on the list for today is a great actor: J.K. Simmons. This guy has such depth as an actor. My favorite film that he has done is Juno. The chemistry that that cast had made the film even more poignant and epic than I think the producers, directors, screenwriters and crew ever thought possible. He nails the role of the supportive but sarcastic father. Other great works of his include: Rendition, Spiderman Franchise and The First Wives Club. I think everyone sees Simmons face in random films that watch here and there and they think: "Oh yeah, that guy! He is great!" But, I think Simmons should be more recognized than that. Go see some more of his films and let me know what you think.
Any guesses who will be on my top five list of underrated actresses? And no, don't worry, Meryl will not grace that list! Check back tomorrow.
1. Kevin Costner, this guy is one seriously good actor! I know that I have slammed his one film before Dance With Wolves, but that is not his fault. Every actor and actress picks a role that isn't a good choice. I am not even saying that is the case with this film, because many people love and adore Dances With Wolves; it just didn't tickle my fancy is all. In other movies, Costner shines with exuberance and life such as Rumor Has It, The Untouchables, and my personal favorite Fields of Dreams. "If you build it, he will come." Gotta love that movie, it has that feel good quality. I feel as though Kevin Costner gets overlooked. He is in the same age bracket as a lot of other glamorous men in Hollywood that have been honored and will continue to be honored as The Greats for years to come. I feel as though he should also be recognized. If you have not seen a lot of Costner films I would definitely recommend that you look into some.
2. Edward Herrmann is my number two pick. I have not directly blogged about Herrmann before, but I have blogged about a show he was on. One of his most famous roles was Richard Gilmore on the show Gilmore Girls, which ran for a total of seven seasons. I love him in this role because his character advances and grows so much throughout the seasons. I always picture him as a great grandfather role, but I think that is mostly because of my age. For those of you who are Gilmore Girls fans or have seen some episodes, you know that his acting is superb in e very season. Some of his other work that goes more unnoticed would be: Overboard and his roles on 30 Rock and The Good Wife.
3. Fred Ward comes in at number three. Top three Ward films: Sweet Home Alabama, Silkwood and First Do No Harm. For those of you who are huge Meryl fans or just know her work very well, you will automatically realize that two of these films, the latter two, are Meryl Streep films. I know, you thought the obsession didn't run this deep, but it does. Meryl had the opportunity to work with him twice, the last film listed is a movie made for TV; nonetheless it is a fantastic account that follows a true story. But this post, is not about Meryl! Fred Ward shines in whatever he does. He has the rugged, rough exterior. I love his acting most of all in Sweet Home Alabama, he plays Melanie's father Earl Smooter. He has that same roughness and toughness to him, and also plays a southern daddy who would do anything for his daughter. You should most definitely check out some of his other work.
4. Some of you may not agree with this choice, but I feel like this particular actor is underrated because he is not recognized for a lot of his work. His name is John C. Reilly. I feel as though Reilly is most often recognized for his comedic roles. Do not get me wrong, I think Step Brothers is one of the funniest movies of all time! And I am glad that Reilly is recognized for his grand and amazing comedic timing in that movie and others such as Cedar Rapids and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. However, when you think of Reilly, most of you probably don't think of his deeper and more serious roles such as We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Aviator and my all-time favorite Reilly role The River Wild. Sometimes actors get so type-casted that even when they manage to break the norm by fulfilling a different kind of role, they aren't given the credit they deserve.
5. Last on the list for today is a great actor: J.K. Simmons. This guy has such depth as an actor. My favorite film that he has done is Juno. The chemistry that that cast had made the film even more poignant and epic than I think the producers, directors, screenwriters and crew ever thought possible. He nails the role of the supportive but sarcastic father. Other great works of his include: Rendition, Spiderman Franchise and The First Wives Club. I think everyone sees Simmons face in random films that watch here and there and they think: "Oh yeah, that guy! He is great!" But, I think Simmons should be more recognized than that. Go see some more of his films and let me know what you think.
Any guesses who will be on my top five list of underrated actresses? And no, don't worry, Meryl will not grace that list! Check back tomorrow.
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