10 Underrated Actors Who Deserve More Spotlight Than They Get

Often, it’s the same actors who receive not only all of the significant roles, but also major awards in the field of cinema and the lion’s share of popularity. We undoubtedly love them, but sometimes their equally talented colleagues remain in the shadows of the top stars. Let’s remember the actors and actresses who act brilliantly in movies but somehow do not receive much attention.

And at the end of the article, we decided to be frank and tell you which screen stars our authors adore. Some of them have been unfairly overlooked despite their dazzling talent, while others are in high demand but are viewed with skepticism for some reason.

Lena Headey

Internet users are puzzled as to why Lena Headey has not received any prestigious film awards yet, as the actress amazes viewers with her stunning performance in many movies, including The Purge, 300, and Dredd, among others. And in the TV series Game of Thrones, she arguably out-acted all of her colleagues.

For example, some viewers compare the performance of Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys in Game of Thrones, quite coldly. They say that the actress only showed 3 emotions throughout the entire series.

In their opinion, Lena Headey deserves, perhaps, even more fame than Clarke. Viewers believe that her performance was truly brilliant and very expressive. And for the amount of hatred Headey was able to evoke toward her character, viewers honored her by calling her a great actress.

Yvonne Strahovski

Viewers believe that she acts in such a way that you really believe her. Moreover, in their opinion, Yvonne is capable of portraying a wide range of characters. For example, netizens confess that after watching The Handmaid’s Tale, they truly hated her character (in the photo). And in another series, Stateless, her character brought about a literal waterfall of tears.

Doug Jones

Actually, Doug Jones has appeared in a huge number of movies, many of which are widely known, including Hocus Pocus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Men in Black II (pictured on the left), and The Shape of Water (pictured on the right), to name a few. However, his face is not visible behind thick layers of makeup.

Viewers believe that the makeup doesn’t hinder Jones from delivering an excellent performance and creating unique characters. However, he is often called one of the most underrated Hollywood actors because directors don’t give him the opportunity to showcase his talent without makeup.

Barbara Hershey

Hershey started acting in movies back in the 1960s and audiences warmly remember the actress’s roles. However, fans of Hershey’s work are bitter about the fact that the organizers of major film awards and even many viewers rarely pay attention to her work.

Barbara’s fans particularly note her roles in the movies The Entity, Tune in Tomorrow, The Public Eye, Falling Down, and Black Swan.

Joel Edgerton

Perhaps Edgerton’s most famous character is when he played Daisy’s husband in The Great Gatsby. Audiences note that the actor convincingly played the villain in this film. Some even rank him on par with Leonardo DiCaprio, the film’s main star. And some even claim that in scenes involving Edgerton, all the attention is focused solely on him because of how he performs.

Audiences also admire the actor’s other roles, like in the films Exodus: Gods and Kings, Bright, and the Star Wars franchise, among others.

Kate Walsh

Kate Walsh is mainly known for her roles in TV series. However, audiences would like to see her more often in feature films. In their opinion, she always plays brilliantly, whether it’s her heart-wrenching role in the series 13 Reasons Why (pictured on the left) or her truly devilish character in The Umbrella Academy (pictured on the right).

Jason Isaacs

Some viewers are dissatisfied that Jason Isaacs mainly plays supporting roles like Draco’s father in the series of Harry Potter films (pictured on the left) or appears in low-grade projects. According to internet users, all one needs to do is look at the actor’s work in the series Awake (pictured on the right), and it will immediately become clear: this actor is phenomenal, but he is given insignificant roles.

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner is primarily known to the general public for his role as Clint Barton in the Marvel film series. However, his fans are outraged by this state of affairs. In their opinion, the actor’s abilities are much more expansive, and filmmakers should have given him the opportunity to go beyond superhero blockbusters a long time ago. For example, viewers note Renner’s roles in films like S.W.A.T., The Hurt Locker, The Town, and so on.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum may seem like just a muscular heartthrob who stepped out of the world of models and dancers and into the movies. However, in reality, he is capable of performing in a variety of roles.

In recent years, audiences have been surprised by the actor’s comedic talent, which was hidden from their view for a long time. When the movie 21 Jump Street was released, people were impressed with how well Tatum fit into the film’s blend of action and comedy. And in Foxcatcher, the actor suddenly won fans over with his dramatic abilities.

By the way, one of Tatum’s recent works, the 2022 film The Lost City, once again made audiences applaud the actor. Channing was called the “main source of laughter” in the movie.

Anna Kendrick

Despite Anna Kendrick not having many prestigious film awards, it doesn’t stop audiences from loving her. Many consider her a worthy actress, capable of delivering great performances in both comedies, dramas, and even musicals. In fact, some people even have Kendrick at the top of their list of favorite actors. Nevertheless, she is one of those gems that usually goes unnoticed at first.

For example, after the release of the movie A Simple Favor, it seemed like Blake Lively had all the attention on her. After all, her character was the main mystery of the film. Critics even called her a femme fatale and a new Hitchcockian blonde.

However, audiences loved Anna Kendrick’s performance just as much. Many found her work in the film charming and brilliant. Some even admitted that Kendrick’s acting gets better with each new film. By the way, among critics, there were those who considered Anna the true star of the movie.

Bonus: Our editorial team shares their favorite artists who they consider to be underrated.

• Michael Sheen is perhaps not the first actor who comes to mind when you think of A-list performers, but he is actually a very intriguing artist. There is something in Sheen that sets him apart from other actors. Even in the Twilight saga, where his role is not particularly large or dramatic, he was able to add a unique touch to his character. I’m not sure anyone else could have played Aro Volturi as interestingly and brought attention to this character.
  By the way, Sheen also has an incredible comedic talent. I was just cracking up watching him in Laws of Attraction. However, I was surprised to learn that Sheen has never won an Oscar.
• I’m sorry to see that such a wonderful actress as Mary Stuart Masterson seems to have been somewhat forgotten lately. In her youth, she was quite popular but then began to appear in films less frequently. Yet Masterson is capable of portraying very genuine and sincere heroines. I recall how realistically she played a character suffering from schizophrenia in Benny & Joon. I truly empathized with her character.

• I like Logan Lerman. He is no less talented than all the hyped-up actors. He did a great job in Fury. Recently, a movie came out with him in it called Bullet Train. He doesn’t have the main role, but in my opinion, Lerman performed it so well that he should be given more opportunities in the film industry.
• I believe that Johnny Depp is greatly underrated. Yes, he has appeared in a lot of well-known projects, worked with renowned directors, and is incredibly popular. But I think that many people are skeptical of the actor, believing that he is only famous due to hype and doesn’t actually act, just poses and grimaces. However, I see true acting talent in him.
  Depp skillfully immerses himself in his roles and literally overflows with emotions, switching from immense joy to deep sadness and back again in just a few seconds. And, by the way, he isn’t only suited for playing oddball characters like Jack Sparrow or Willy Wonka, as many people tend to think. Depp can deliver great drama too! If you don’t believe me, just watch What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. I really don’t understand why Johnny hasn’t won an Oscar yet.

• I can’t say that Tom Cruise is my favorite actor. In the past, my friends and I even questioned his talent. We thought he was just some actor for action movies like Mission: Impossible.
  But then I saw Cruise in Interview with the Vampire and was amazed. He really transforms himself and you believe him. In the final scenes of the movie, Cruise’s performance even brought me to tears.

Hollywood is full of talented actresses and actors that, for some reason, don’t get enough of the spotlight:

• 14 Major Actors Who Have Never Won an Oscar, and There May Be the Reason Why
• 15 Actors Who Never Won an Oscar, and We Think We Know Why