Underrated Actors In Hollywood Part 2
EducationUnderrated Actors In Hollywood Part 2
Hollywood is filled with the most beautiful people in the planet (or so “they” say…). Beauty, however, neither equates with talent nor with great movies. And the most talented actors in the glittery world of Hollywood don’t really seem to get the recognition that they deserve. Regrettably, despite the brilliant character performance and the flawless “stage” presence, these actors remain underrated. To give them, in some small measure, the praise they have justly earned and denied by Hollywood, here’s part 2 of the list of the Most Underrated Actors in Hollywood.
Underrated Actors in Hollywood No. 1: Gary Oldman
Actor Gary Oldman has predominantly played morally corrupt roles like Lee Harvey Oswald in the movie, “JFK,” and the violent pimp with Jamaican dreadlocks in “True Romance.” The movie he is most renowned for is Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” where he played the ultimate villain of all time – the love-struck Count Dracula. At present, he is associated with more “wholesome” movies such as the “Harry Potter” and “Batman” Franchises, where he portrays Sirius Black and James Gordon respectively. Oldman is also admired for his natural aptitude to adopt different accents: Transylvanian (as Dracula), Russian (as Russian terrorist Ivan Korshunov in the movie, “Air Force One”), and German (as world-renowned pianist, Beethoven in the movie, “Immortal Beloved”). His versatility as an actor is marvelous. Despite the substance and depth of a majority of his roles, Oldman remains underrated, and has never been nominated for an Academy Award.
Underrated Actors in Hollywood No. 2: Christian Bale
Actor Christian Bale, even before getting involved in the big-budget franchise, “Batman,” has already made a mark in the film arena. As a young child of 13, Bale became the star of one of Steven Spielberg’s masterpieces, “Empire of the Sun,” which featured the adventures and misadventures of an English boy, Jamie in a Japanese internment camp during World Ward 2. Bale’s youthful charm, aura of child-wonder, and passion for discoveries, made Jamie an enduringly lovable kid. As the actor evolved into adolescence, Bale played more seriously dramatic roles such as Thomas in the movie, “Swing Kids” where he had to choose between his fellow dancing friends or the Nazi cause. The “Matrix”-eclipsed movie, “Equilibrium” (and one of the most underrated movies, for that matter) seemed to foretell his expertise as an action-hero. As Cleric John Preston in the movie, Bale was featured effortlessly executing defensive moves with military precision and efficiency. As Patrick Bateman in the movie, “American Psycho,” Bale convincingly depicted the complexity of an elegantly-dressed narcissistic yet deeply insecure serial killer. Bale also earned undervalued credits for drastically losing weight to the point of looking like an emaciated corpse for the movie, “The Machinist.” His extraordinary talent coupled with classic good looks has not yet earned him an Academy Award. He remains unjustly underrated.
Underrated Actors in Hollywood No. 3: Edward Norton
Actor Edward Norton - grandson of the developer of the City of Columbia, Maryland, a Yale graduate, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, and surprisingly, a fluent Japanese speaker – is one of the most talented yet underrated actors in Hollywood. In the 1996 movie, “Primal Fear,” Norton played the role of a seemingly vulnerable stuttering altar boy named “Allan” who had a brutally sadistic and murderous alter ego, “Roy.” Norton’s ability to shift from the innocence of Allan to the ferocity of Roy was sheer genius. Another breakthrough performance was in the movie, “American History X” where he plays an extreme Neo-Nazi. With his shaved head, huge Nazi tattoo and menacing grin, Norton was able to transform into a nerve-wracking and simply frightening figure that you don’t want to mess with. He has played other memorable roles such as Graham, the FBI agent in the Dr. Hannibal Lecter movie “Red Dragon,” and the green monster, Hulk in “The Incredible Hulk.” Although this Hollywood Actor has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in the movie, “American History X,” and for Best Supporting Actor in the movie, “Primal Fear,” his enduring brilliant talent needs so much more consideration.
This article is an addendum to the series entitled, “Underrated Actors in Hollywood.” When you get the time to relax and enjoy a movie, try watching one from these actors to witness their versatility and brilliance.
Who’s your favorite underrated Hollywood actor?
Image References:
The Craziest Heads of Man-Hair in Science Fiction (GeekSix.com)
The 10 Greatest On-Screen Duos of this Millennium (Huddle.com)
Celeb Man Meat (blogger.com)