Underated: Tom Cruise. Jeremy Irons. Richard Attenborough.
Overated: Dennis Hopper. Anthony Hopkins. Harrison Ford.
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underated actors
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Caractacus
Re: underated actors
As with all things, it depends.
Attenborough, excellent in stuff like 10 Rillington Place, but absolute pants in Jurassic Park.
Hopkins, memserising in Remains Of The Day (admittedly, not a crowd-pleaser), complete ham whenever he has to play Hannibal L.
Irons, gave two superb performances in Dead Ringers but has chosen to appear in Michael Winner films.
Ford, never better than in Witness; Cruise has proved he can act.
As Woodgnome pointed out already, Connery can act (The Hill and The Offence show a master at his craft, though it helps having Ian Bannen as support). But he's gone beyond an actor to an icon, therefore all he needs to do now is show up. It's curious, though, that people keep writing things with him in mind (fellow alleged misogynist Michael Crichton has twice done stuff with Shean shpeschifically in mind---The First Great Train Robbery and Rising Sun, where he had to play a character called John Connor; and James Clavell had him in mind for the hero of Shogun, as well as Dirk Struan in Tai Pan).
Actors have their time in the sun, then have to pay their dues by being slated. Or, in Hopkins's case in the later 70s and early 80s, doing facile Hollywood TV movies. But sometimes they are not allowed to be any more than themselves, which is a shame.
By the way, add William Holden, Cary Grant (see Notorious), Jack Lemmon, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Carlyle, Christopher Lee and Peter Lorre (in M, one of the great film performances) to the under-rated actors. The ladies I'll get to when Steve starts a new thread
Attenborough, excellent in stuff like 10 Rillington Place, but absolute pants in Jurassic Park.
Hopkins, memserising in Remains Of The Day (admittedly, not a crowd-pleaser), complete ham whenever he has to play Hannibal L.
Irons, gave two superb performances in Dead Ringers but has chosen to appear in Michael Winner films.
Ford, never better than in Witness; Cruise has proved he can act.
As Woodgnome pointed out already, Connery can act (The Hill and The Offence show a master at his craft, though it helps having Ian Bannen as support). But he's gone beyond an actor to an icon, therefore all he needs to do now is show up. It's curious, though, that people keep writing things with him in mind (fellow alleged misogynist Michael Crichton has twice done stuff with Shean shpeschifically in mind---The First Great Train Robbery and Rising Sun, where he had to play a character called John Connor; and James Clavell had him in mind for the hero of Shogun, as well as Dirk Struan in Tai Pan).
Actors have their time in the sun, then have to pay their dues by being slated. Or, in Hopkins's case in the later 70s and early 80s, doing facile Hollywood TV movies. But sometimes they are not allowed to be any more than themselves, which is a shame.
By the way, add William Holden, Cary Grant (see Notorious), Jack Lemmon, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Carlyle, Christopher Lee and Peter Lorre (in M, one of the great film performances) to the under-rated actors. The ladies I'll get to when Steve starts a new thread
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Elton Dong
The Man that would be King?
Amazing Film , both Connery and Cain , answer that and stay fashionable ?
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Elton Dong
Re: underated actors
Cruise ....lol..........lol............lol..........he such a tosser ..sorry midgit tosser !
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rhubarb
Re: underated actors
I inspite of the ocar the most undedrated actor is serial marriage star Nickolas cage. At one time i avoided watching anyfilms with him in cos he just looked well iffy but having watched Vampires kiss and leaving Las vegas , and then all the action stuff im a massive fan.
Tom cruise proved he can act in interview with the vampire even pursuading ann rice he was good for the part.
Worst actor has to be Connery . Micheal Caine is really a great comic actor watch dirty rotton scoundrels as proof. Hows about Ray Winstone as another actor who plays himself.
Tom cruise proved he can act in interview with the vampire even pursuading ann rice he was good for the part.
Worst actor has to be Connery . Micheal Caine is really a great comic actor watch dirty rotton scoundrels as proof. Hows about Ray Winstone as another actor who plays himself.
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steve56
dennis hopper
i think hes brilliant,hes so natural seen him in walk on parts too in some early stuff the remake of high sierra,nick adams was good too but he died earlylike jimmy dean,dennis hopper is the next dean.
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Ace
Re: underated actors
Ray Winston is our most under-rated actor. I used to think Carlyle was brilliant, but seems to have gone where the money is and does'nt think about scripts, but can't blame him. Same with Gary Oldman, excellent early stuff but a little 'too Hollywood' now.
Americans do have some very under-rated actors who go for obscure films because they admire the director or love the script. Check out Mickey Rourke's early stuff.......Diner, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Rumblefish, even 9 1/2 weeks......riviting. Johnny Depp is another I like because of the scope of the bloke, even if he's made a few duffers.
David Caruso (NYPD Blue) had charisma in abundance with his early films like King of New York ( A VERY overlooked film with Christopher Walken, Wesley Snipes and Caruso) and Mad Dog and Glory (Again, overlooked DeNiro film) before hitting the screens in NYPD Blue, but it went to his head and he sold out to make box office bombs like Jade and Kiss of Death. Pity.
Americans do have some very under-rated actors who go for obscure films because they admire the director or love the script. Check out Mickey Rourke's early stuff.......Diner, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Rumblefish, even 9 1/2 weeks......riviting. Johnny Depp is another I like because of the scope of the bloke, even if he's made a few duffers.
David Caruso (NYPD Blue) had charisma in abundance with his early films like King of New York ( A VERY overlooked film with Christopher Walken, Wesley Snipes and Caruso) and Mad Dog and Glory (Again, overlooked DeNiro film) before hitting the screens in NYPD Blue, but it went to his head and he sold out to make box office bombs like Jade and Kiss of Death. Pity.
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lovemunkey187
Re: underated actors
De Niro and Pacino are two highly ovre-rated actors, especially Pacino. If youv'e seen him in one thing you've seen him in just about everything.
Watched Woody Strode in "Sgt. Ruteldge" the other week. Bloody good actor.
If you've seen the Animated series of Batman, then Mark Hamill as the Joker.
Mark Dacascos, Timothy Spall and Michael Rooker.
Watched Woody Strode in "Sgt. Ruteldge" the other week. Bloody good actor.
If you've seen the Animated series of Batman, then Mark Hamill as the Joker.
Mark Dacascos, Timothy Spall and Michael Rooker.
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The Last Word
Re: underated actors
Great points, Caractacus. Cruise is fantsatic in Eyes Wide Shut and Magnolia, with both directors utilising his essential squareness (EWS) and cockiness (M) to brilliant effect. Ford, however, I thought was best in The Mosquito Coast - but what was his last decent performance? Often the star becomes the genre - a Hugh Grant film, anyone? (pass the bucket) - and so they can only prove themselves when daring to step out of themselves. Acting, rather than showboating, i.e. Hopkins in TROTD, as you rightly point out. It's either that or their earlier performances when they really had to prove it. Consider:
Stallone in Copland
Mel Gibson in The Year of Living Dangerously
Richard Gere in American Gigolo
And whatever happened to Treat Williams? from Prince of the City to Deep Rising.
All your additions were spot-on, by the way, as they've all done what good actors sometimes have to do - be good in bad films.
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Stallone in Copland
Mel Gibson in The Year of Living Dangerously
Richard Gere in American Gigolo
And whatever happened to Treat Williams? from Prince of the City to Deep Rising.
All your additions were spot-on, by the way, as they've all done what good actors sometimes have to do - be good in bad films.
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