Underrated Actors In Hollywood
EducationUnderrated Actors In Hollywood
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 deserved. 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 a list of the Most Underrated Actors in Hollywood
Underrated Actors in Hollywood No. 1: James Caviezel
The devoutly Catholic James Caviezel is most celebrated for his role as Jesus in the 2004 movie, “Passion of the Christ” where he spoke entirely in Aramaic. The agonizing torture Jesus endured - from the whipping, the crowning of thorns and the carrying of the cross - was convincingly demonstrated by Caviezel. As Edmond Dantes in the 2002 movie, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Caviezel was able to portray 2 antagonistic roles impeccably - one is Edmond, the naïve, poor and illiterate shipmate; and the other, the rich, ostentatious and cosmopolitan, Count of Monte Cristo. Caviezel has never been nominated for an Academy Award, and remains underrated.
Underrated Actors in Hollywood No. 2: John Malkovich
French-speaking actor, John Malkovich has been in the Hollywood movie business for over 25 years, and has been in more than 70 movies. His earliest role was in the movie, “Places in the Heart,” where he played the blind boarder of Sally Field whose resentment to the world for his accidental blindness gave in to his natural sense of familial love. He is also best known as Vicomte Valmont, the cunning yet irresistibly alluring French nobleman who seduced both Michelle Pfeifer and Uma Thurman in the movie, “Dangerous Liaisons.” Incidentally, he reprised this notorious role in the MTV of Annie Lennox for her song, “Walking on Broken Glass.” The underrated John Malkovich, notwithstanding his established career, has never won an Academy Award, but has been nominated twice for Best Supporting Actor for the movies, “Places in the Heart,” and “In the Line of Fire.”
Underrated Actors in Hollywood No. 3: Christopher Walken
Actor Christopher Walken, of Scottish and German descent, has appeared in over 100 Hollywood movies. In 1985, Walken played the unforgettable antagonist, Max Zorin in the James Bond movie, “A View to Kill.” As Zorin, he had to dye his hair a shocking almost-platinum blond to befit his origins as a Nazi experiment on Eugenics. In the movie, “True Romance,” Walken’s “Sicilian” scene was hailed by critics as the best part of the movie, where he said the immortal lines: "I'm the Antichrist. You've got me in a vendetta-kind-a mood. You tell the angels in heaven, that you've never seen an evil so singularly personified as you did in the face of the man who killed you." Despite his prolific career and distinctively uncanny voice, the underrated Walken has won the Academy Awards only once, way back in 1978 in the movie, “Deer Hunter.” He was last nominated at the Academy Awards in 2002 for the movie, “Catch Me If You Can,” opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.
This article is part of a series entitled, “Underrated Actors in Hollywood.” An addendum will be released. Be sure to check it out to learn more underrated Hollywood actors including the movies they were popular for.
Image References:
Giffoni Film Festival
Celebrity Smack Blog
John Harrison (Wikimedia)