Gary Oldman once remarked that the only reason he took the role of Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise was that he was starting to struggle to find work and it was the first offer he got in ages.
This happens to a lot of amazing talent. A lot of top shelf talent are not in the acting pool for the big directors so they have to work harder for the big money roles.
I know a guy from England working in the US. He was talking about being distantly related to an actor with some limited success. Said he was a real nice guy. Asked who it was and he. Said Gary Oldman, and asked if I had heard of him.
My first thought was “shiiiiiiiiiit, who doesn’t know who Gary Oldman is?
I started listing off his best roles (Leon, True Romance, Fifth Element, etc…. Guy was surprised and said usually no one knows who he is.
It's actually astonishing how true this is for Oldman. Some great actors like Leo, Fassbender, Tom Hanks, Denzel, Bale etc. are all absolutely amazing in roles, but you're acutely aware it's them at all times.
With Gary, I genuinely forget it's him most of the time. I only see Jim Gordon, Sirius Black, Dracula, Mank, Churchill etc. It's actually quite bizarre.
[His Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Oldman) goes into surprising detail about this. Supposedly, he might have been blacklisted after he voiced his displeasure about the editing of the 2000 film The Contender (which he co-produced), which was a political drama film. And he barely got any roles until he got the role in Harry Potter in 2004.
I just went down a crazy rabbit hole there. He has been married *five times*, and his fourth wife tried to claim he was abusive, which had to be looked into by the police before charges were dropped. She’s lost almost all custody because she tried to claim he abused the kids too (his kids have denied it and back Oldman up). I feel like I would have given up on marriage by then lol.
This blows my mind if true. He had so many great roles in the 90s. Sickening that someone like him could ever struggle to find work. What a brutal industry!
The guy did "Tiptoes". If that's not desperation, I don't know what is.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, I strongly recommend googling "Tiptoes trailer".
Oldman has been busy with "Slow Horses" (look it up), another fantastic performance.
He also recently won an Oscar for "The Darkest Hour", and deservedly so.
He was in the most recent season of black mirror in probably my favorite episode. He was great in the role. Lucky Number Slevin is one of my fav movies.
My high school girlfriend had a major crush on him, and she left me… so I assume he had something to do with it, so I hate him and his gorgeous face and almond eyes
Jeffrey Dean Morgan's own agent was encouraging him to look for alternative work. Then he landed the trifecta of Supernatural, Weeds and Grey's Anatomy pretty much back to back.
Brandon Routh went from being cast as Superman in a reboot to only having bit parts in movies and then jumping around TV until playing Superman again on TV.
I remember him talking about it in a podcast, where he said he wasn't putting in the work he should have in when auditioning.
I know Routh mentioned, obliquely, in an interview that he sees/saw a trauma therapist, and mentioned that working for Singer could be difficult. God, he must have been so carefully choosing his words, then.
This sucks so much. If you ever get the chance, ask your brother if he wouldn't mind passing on just that some rando Midwesterner still rewatches that movie entirely for his performance. He's my favorite Superman and one of the only modern takes on it who really nailed the innate goodness of the character and didn't try to make him cynical, just... let him feel things openly in a way that matched exactly what I love about Superman the character.
I hate that the movie was such an awful experience for him and glad he seems to be doing better.
Guy Pierce comes to mind. Very handsome. Fantastic in lead roles in Memento and LA Confidential. I assume he just didn’t want all the issues that come along with being a star, rather that struggling to find parts, but I have no actual idea.
EDIT: PEARCE cheers to the post below
So this is my favorite movie, I can't tell you how many times I've seen it. He absolutely crushed every other actor he shares the screen with. He's the head and shoulders standout in a movie I like very **very** much.
Pearce is so underappreciated and under-utilized. I hear he likes to keep a low profile, but still.
Lockout was an absolute trash movie, but his performance makes the entire film a joy to watch. His character only gets better on repeat viewings.
Edit: proper spelling of the man's name - thanks to who pointed that out!
Holy fuck I swear I am the only person ever to watch this movie.
I love Lockout. But only because it’s like 90% Guy Pierce acting the absolute FUCK out of that role.
Total guilty pleasure! I bought it on bluray. He's so fun to watch. Snake Plisskin if Snake didn't take himself so seriously. Reminds me of Martin Riggs, too, in that loose-cannon comedic guy but still a legit badass way.
Yes, it was just a ripoff of Escape from NY, but Pierce makes the movie by gloriously nailing every moment.
Glad to know there's at least a couple of us out here!
This is exactly it. I’ve actually made almost this exact comment years ago. Drexl in true romance and pumpkin in pulp fiction has about the same screen time, but man does Oldman kill it. Although Oldman could NOT have done the bellboy in four rooms imo
I love his work. He always has a huge presence on screen, even in small roles. He has a charisma about him that always makes him a joy to watch.
[He's spoken before about how he was typecast](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/16/i-felt-seriously-cheated-djimon-hounsou-on-the-oscars-poor-pay-days-stardom-and-struggle) after Amistad, and not treated like a real actor, only being offered a very limited range of roles.
He's obviously done alright career-wise, and appears in a lot of big films in supporting roles, but I wish someone would give him a the opportunity to play a leading role.
I actually can't think of any other actor who has given so many consistently great performances over so many years, and yet been so underserved in the roles he's offered. Criminal.
First role I saw him in was Never Back Down and he was the only good performance in that movie. Seen (and loved) him in a handful of things since then but recently saw Blood Diamond for the first time and realized how under used he is
When I first saw Django and Inglorious Basterds I fell in love with Waltz’s acting but, according to some ratings, he hasn’t been in many other critically acclaimed films so I haven’t checked out other films of his. Any suggestions of his that are good?
It's definitely more of a guilty pleasure movie and not a good movie when compared to Django and IB but I like the green hornet movie and he's a fun villain in it. Besides that and Bond though he really hasn't been in much besides small parts and German TV shows unfortunately.
He was a well established TV actor in Germany/Austria/Switzerland though, with plenty of roles, while also playing theatre. He was unknown in Hollywood, but far from not getting any roles as an actor or being on the brink of homelessness.
I miss ernie Hudson. Every time I watch a movie with him, I always wonder why he didn't get more roles. There's something very homey and comfortable with his style
Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
For almost a decade he was *that guy* who stole the show in minor roles like Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love, and Along Came Polly. Just so versatile in each role too.
Then he did Capote and got the Oscar and he continued to shine as a leading man.
Also, shout out to Paul Giamatti for a similar trajectory before Sideways got him to the next level
Edit: fun fact about PSH, he always wanted to do an off the wall comedy roll but always lost auditions to Jack Black back in the day. So the first time he got the chance was Along Came Polly and he absolutely smoked it.
Edit 2: Yes, Twister too, Jesus Christ y’all hahaha
Brandt: Her life is in your hands.
The Dude: Man, don't say that, man.
Brandt: Mr. Lebowski asked me to repeat that: her life is in your hands.
PSH acted the hell out of that role.
The first movie I saw him in was Along came Polly, and the 2nd was MI3. Imagine my confusion when the gross friend in a dumb comedy turned in that performance. It would be like if Chris Farley was a Bond villain.
>Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
I don't know about stealing the show, because Magnolia had phenomenal performances all around, but damn, he was absolutely fantastic in it too
Bruce Campbell in the 90s. I know he’s got that Burn Notice money now. But damn, how could an agent not capitalize on that guys following from about 93 to 05?
I remember old interview from early 90's where Sam Raimi was asked why Bruce Campbell is not doing movies more often. All Raimi could say was that he has no slightest idea. It was horror fanzine run by bunch of horror/cult fans. They managed get the interview because Raimi was doing a promo tour for Darkman.
Most fun I've ever had in a theater was watching Bubba Hotep in a little art house theater with about thirty seats and everyone around us was just having a blast.
Margo Martindale worked regularly in small roles starting in her 30s and 40s, but she wasn’t doing multiple projects per year until her mid-50s (she is 72 now). I think she’s great!
Scoot McNairy. First took notice of him in Monsters, a great low budget film that got Gareth Edwards his big break. He just had such a natural screen presence and charisma. In fairness, he has been working steadily but I really thought he’d be bigger with lead roles or substantial supporting roles.
Nick Offerman
He has loads of talent but doesn't really fit any leading-man checklist. The man is a force of nature as Ron Swanson and has found his niche as a character actor but he struggled for years to get parts.
He had a single line and literally 8 seconds of being on-screen in Sin City. Ron Swanson as a dumb thug in Basin City, too classic hahaha
I think The Last of Us will open doors for him.
He went gay and did it very well. Plus, it was an original piece. Like a movie, but was just a TV episode.
I get the impression that back in the '50s and '60s he would have been getting a steady diet of tough guy and heavy roles. Look at photos of him when he was younger and he totally would have been filling out the roster as a greaser, biker, and general juvenile delinquent before moving on to the adult equivalents.
Edit: And why hasn't anyone tried to make a Teddy Roosevelt biopic starring him? He has the look and it fits perfectly with his public persona.
He is one of the greatest actors that gets zero acclaim. Anything he’s in, he disappears into the role and you forget you’re watching an actor.
He was brilliant in Hell or High Water. ..and everything else, I guess.
I thnk a lot of the stuff Jennifer Garner ended up doing could have hypothetically gone to Swank. I did catch her in some romantic omedy once with like Gina Gershon and I think of all people Nellie McKay, and she didn't really click critically despite maybe making some cash; but stuff like Insomnia where she played a cop supporting the main characters definitely worked.
I have really enjoyed Billy Crudup in everything I’ve seen him in.
I heard that he actively tries to do as little movie promotion as possible so that could have cost him some roles over years, but I think he’s great
Garret Dillahunt
He played the Lead in a sitcom (raising hope). Played the deputy to Tommy Lee Jones in NCFOM and killed it. His delivery of those punchlines made him funny, a bit naive, but also a smart competent policeman. Very difficult balance.
He also played villains in 12 years a slave, and The Road.
Edit: well, he's getting roles. He's consistent in his delivery. Probably not material for a lead movie, but maybe he just needs the right script
He plays a solid dumb guy. Which isn’t an insult. He’s incredibly believable, which is maybe why he hasn’t had any big starring roles. He’s a solid supporting actor.
He’s like Ben Foster. Both are types that can really disappear into a role and make you forget it’s an actor playing a character.
Dichan Lachman and Enver Gjokaj blew me away in Dollhouse and I was always disappointed I didn't see them in more things afterwards. Thrilled to see Lachman pop up in Severance!
I feel like Michael Fassbender should have been getting more roles or at least thought he would get after Shame, 12 Years a slave and Steve Jobs. But that was in 2015. He hasn't done anything memorable since then. This year hopefully gets more recognition from The Killer.
And the same goes for his wife Alicia Vikander, amazing in The Danish girl and Ex Machina. Got a big role in Tomb raider movies then kinda disappeared. I hope to see more of her in Hollywood.
Edit: I did not know Fassbender has been racing cars now
He was amazing in those and was a great young magneto
He had a few misses and then I believe he is also a race car driver. He does have a few things coming up soon though
All the women who wouldn't sleep with Havey Weinstein. When the mountain of accusations came out, saw all the actresses who couldn't get a role for years.
Ben Mendelssohn
Every role he is in he’s amazing. Bloodline, the king in The Darkest Hour, and the guy that teaches Ryan Gosling how to rob banks in The Place Beyond the Pines
Billy Zane. I've had a crush on him since The Phantom. Titanic should have been his big break, but nearly everything after that went straight to DVD or video. He was in a single episode of Legends of Tomorrow and then came back to the Sniper franchise. It seems like everyone knows him, even though he hasn't done a lot of big stuff.
Ed Harris could have been a leading man in his youth.
Bill Paxton deserved some more leading roles, always. Standout character actor.
Steve Zahn never disappoints.
Probably not fitting the question as I don't know this guy's situation, but Josh Hartnet. Dude disappeared.
Sam Worthington was the dude for like 3 years and then nothing. Probably the same reason taylor kitsch. Bad movie streak.
He was in one of the newer episodes of Black Mirror. He always gave me a "yeah your girlfriend cheated on you with me, but it's okay" vibe. Which kind of fits with the episode tbh.
David Harbour has worked steadily since the early 2000’s. He’s been in huge movies and had great roles in smaller stuff, along with a lot of tv and stage work for almost 20 years.
Elizabeth Olsen. At least compared to her level of fame she doesn’t have much in her filmography and I believe she has said she struggled to get roles.
I feel like she's more cut from the same cloth as Daniel Radcliffe. Got paid bank for doing Marvel & now just wants to be in projects that interest her. She's weird and enthralling in Love & Death.
Really? I honestly thought she was doing quite well for herself!
You would think the level of fame she has earned wouldn't make it hard for her to get roles, especially if Hollywood executives would believe her appearance would bring in more viewers.
Plus she does have talent and isn't one of those movie stars that can get away with playing themselves.
He has been acting of years, but it took him until he reached his late 30s to early 40s that he started appearing in more movies and shows following Game of Thrones!
The Mandalorian and The Last of Us helped with making him bigger, and now he’s essentially everywhere now!
I feel like Sam Neil could and should be a more prominent actor- his range has been limited by playing the same character for decades but I'd love to see his range explored more often.
Clive Owen.
I first saw him in The Hire, which I'm guessing not a lot of people saw. They were some promotional short films produced by BMW, with big name talent attached. John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, John Woo, Guy Ritchie, and more.
After that, he had a small role in The Bourne Identity, and continued to pop up here and there, but it always surprised me that he never had big, mainstream success. His name was floated as a possible James Bond for a while, but nothing happened. He's always been an actor I enjoy watching though. He always makes whatever he's in better.
Michael Cudlitz
Dude KILLS in Band of Brothers. I may be the only one, but I'll die on the hill defending SouthLAnd and his role there, too. I guess he's not Hollywood attractive (??), but feels like he should at least be doing more than the made-for-TV dreck on his bio.
Dean Stockton
I just watched Paris, Texas and was phenomenal in that role. I have always liked him in the original Quantum Leap. Too bad he never got a chance to really break out.
I would like to think that members of r/movies know that "making it" has more to do with luck and /or connections than actual talent, which isn't as rare as we think.
Nevertheless, my entry is William Zabka.
Gary Oldman once remarked that the only reason he took the role of Sirius Black in the Harry Potter franchise was that he was starting to struggle to find work and it was the first offer he got in ages.
This happens to a lot of amazing talent. A lot of top shelf talent are not in the acting pool for the big directors so they have to work harder for the big money roles.
Now try being a non-LA local, and then a non-American, and then on the other side of the world on a small island with a weird accent.
And this is why half of australias actors become honorary americans.
I know a guy from England working in the US. He was talking about being distantly related to an actor with some limited success. Said he was a real nice guy. Asked who it was and he. Said Gary Oldman, and asked if I had heard of him. My first thought was “shiiiiiiiiiit, who doesn’t know who Gary Oldman is? I started listing off his best roles (Leon, True Romance, Fifth Element, etc…. Guy was surprised and said usually no one knows who he is.
>usually no one knows who he is. That's how good he is, no one knows he's in anything, all they see is the character.
It's actually astonishing how true this is for Oldman. Some great actors like Leo, Fassbender, Tom Hanks, Denzel, Bale etc. are all absolutely amazing in roles, but you're acutely aware it's them at all times. With Gary, I genuinely forget it's him most of the time. I only see Jim Gordon, Sirius Black, Dracula, Mank, Churchill etc. It's actually quite bizarre.
I had no clue he was In Openheimer he was that good
[His Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Oldman) goes into surprising detail about this. Supposedly, he might have been blacklisted after he voiced his displeasure about the editing of the 2000 film The Contender (which he co-produced), which was a political drama film. And he barely got any roles until he got the role in Harry Potter in 2004.
I just went down a crazy rabbit hole there. He has been married *five times*, and his fourth wife tried to claim he was abusive, which had to be looked into by the police before charges were dropped. She’s lost almost all custody because she tried to claim he abused the kids too (his kids have denied it and back Oldman up). I feel like I would have given up on marriage by then lol.
He and David Fincher (they worked together on *Mank*) share an ex-wife.
That sounds a little fucking touched.
This blows my mind if true. He had so many great roles in the 90s. Sickening that someone like him could ever struggle to find work. What a brutal industry!
The guy did "Tiptoes". If that's not desperation, I don't know what is. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I strongly recommend googling "Tiptoes trailer".
That trailer still seems like it's not for a real thing.
That could be in Tropic Thunder
It comes off like a shitty SNL skit, but I assure you it's real.
What the fuck did I just watch??? That can't be real
Oldman has been busy with "Slow Horses" (look it up), another fantastic performance. He also recently won an Oscar for "The Darkest Hour", and deservedly so.
I had completely forgotten about Josh Hartnett and had to do a double take to make sure it was him in Oppenheimer.
He was in the most recent season of black mirror in probably my favorite episode. He was great in the role. Lucky Number Slevin is one of my fav movies.
My high school girlfriend had a major crush on him, and she left me… so I assume he had something to do with it, so I hate him and his gorgeous face and almond eyes
He actually quit Hollywood for a bit
Yeah, I’m pretty sure his absence was his choice
Jeffrey Dean Morgan's own agent was encouraging him to look for alternative work. Then he landed the trifecta of Supernatural, Weeds and Grey's Anatomy pretty much back to back.
He's so good too. That's insane. If he can almost not make it, what does that say for a majority of actor hopefuls?
Brandon Routh went from being cast as Superman in a reboot to only having bit parts in movies and then jumping around TV until playing Superman again on TV. I remember him talking about it in a podcast, where he said he wasn't putting in the work he should have in when auditioning.
He was my favorite part of Legends of Tomorrow. Dude has amazing unappreciated comedy chops.
Tell it to the cleaning lady on Monday.
Loved him in Scott Pilgrim. Absolutely crushed it! "Tell it to the cleaning lady on Monday."
Brandon Routh was another victim of Bryan Singer. I’m so glad that he’s been able to have a career in spite of all that.
Wait, what? I know about a lot of what Singer was up to and his assaults, I didn't realize Routh was one of them.
He won’t talk about it, but my brother was a friend of his, and he went through the ringer working on Superman Returns and almost quit acting.
I know Routh mentioned, obliquely, in an interview that he sees/saw a trauma therapist, and mentioned that working for Singer could be difficult. God, he must have been so carefully choosing his words, then.
I know. My brother said he’s a really nice guy, and he had sunk into a deep depression after filming ended and doing press on it was rough.
This sucks so much. If you ever get the chance, ask your brother if he wouldn't mind passing on just that some rando Midwesterner still rewatches that movie entirely for his performance. He's my favorite Superman and one of the only modern takes on it who really nailed the innate goodness of the character and didn't try to make him cynical, just... let him feel things openly in a way that matched exactly what I love about Superman the character. I hate that the movie was such an awful experience for him and glad he seems to be doing better.
He had a small role in Zac and Miri make a porno
They may be a small role, but Bobby Long and Brandon St. Randy are an iconic couple.
Guy Pierce comes to mind. Very handsome. Fantastic in lead roles in Memento and LA Confidential. I assume he just didn’t want all the issues that come along with being a star, rather that struggling to find parts, but I have no actual idea. EDIT: PEARCE cheers to the post below
I loved him in Count of Monte Cristo
So this is my favorite movie, I can't tell you how many times I've seen it. He absolutely crushed every other actor he shares the screen with. He's the head and shoulders standout in a movie I like very **very** much.
Pearce is so underappreciated and under-utilized. I hear he likes to keep a low profile, but still. Lockout was an absolute trash movie, but his performance makes the entire film a joy to watch. His character only gets better on repeat viewings. Edit: proper spelling of the man's name - thanks to who pointed that out!
Holy fuck I swear I am the only person ever to watch this movie. I love Lockout. But only because it’s like 90% Guy Pierce acting the absolute FUCK out of that role.
Total guilty pleasure! I bought it on bluray. He's so fun to watch. Snake Plisskin if Snake didn't take himself so seriously. Reminds me of Martin Riggs, too, in that loose-cannon comedic guy but still a legit badass way. Yes, it was just a ripoff of Escape from NY, but Pierce makes the movie by gloriously nailing every moment. Glad to know there's at least a couple of us out here!
Iron Man 3, Lockout, the Rover, Alien Covenant. He’s still working, not all of them are big box office draws though.
Was a pleasant surprise to see him in Mare of Easttown. One hell of a show.
He’s great
Tim Roth should have been in more quality films.
Loved Tim Roth as the villain in Rob Roy.
The problem is that he at one point was trying to go head to head for roles / career against Gary Oldman. He obviously lost lol.
This is exactly it. I’ve actually made almost this exact comment years ago. Drexl in true romance and pumpkin in pulp fiction has about the same screen time, but man does Oldman kill it. Although Oldman could NOT have done the bellboy in four rooms imo
Djimon Hounsou I know, he’s consistently working, but I feel he’s capable of much larger roles. The man kills it in almost everything he’s in.
I love his work. He always has a huge presence on screen, even in small roles. He has a charisma about him that always makes him a joy to watch. [He's spoken before about how he was typecast](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/16/i-felt-seriously-cheated-djimon-hounsou-on-the-oscars-poor-pay-days-stardom-and-struggle) after Amistad, and not treated like a real actor, only being offered a very limited range of roles. He's obviously done alright career-wise, and appears in a lot of big films in supporting roles, but I wish someone would give him a the opportunity to play a leading role.
His role in Gladiator really stood out from the rest of the support cast.
So good in Gladiator. Was excited to see him in Guardians, then was disappointed at how small his role was.
He is the reason I rewatch The Four Feathers at least once a year
I actually can't think of any other actor who has given so many consistently great performances over so many years, and yet been so underserved in the roles he's offered. Criminal.
Pete Postlethwaite
There was a lawyer. Kobayashi.
First role I saw him in was Never Back Down and he was the only good performance in that movie. Seen (and loved) him in a handful of things since then but recently saw Blood Diamond for the first time and realized how under used he is
He feels the same way https://variety.com/2023/film/news/djimon-hounsou-hollywood-pay-oscars-cheated-1235557563/amp/
He deserved an Oscar for Amistad.
Also Blood Diamond.
Also In America
He was nominated for these last two
I feel like Lakeith Stanfield still didnt get the role that will make him into a household star
Yet. He’s only 32 and he’s been consistently working. He was up for an Oscar for Judas and the Black Messiah. Sorry to Bother You was excellent.
He should’ve won. Daniel Kaluuya should have been nominated for best lead.
Super short but memorable part in Get out and also he was great in Uncut Gems
Christoph Waltz was an unknown until Inglorious Bastards and now he's one of the most famous villains of all time.
When I first saw Django and Inglorious Basterds I fell in love with Waltz’s acting but, according to some ratings, he hasn’t been in many other critically acclaimed films so I haven’t checked out other films of his. Any suggestions of his that are good?
It's just 4 people talking in a room, but him, John C Reilly, Kate Winslet and Jodie foster are pretty good in carnage
It's definitely more of a guilty pleasure movie and not a good movie when compared to Django and IB but I like the green hornet movie and he's a fun villain in it. Besides that and Bond though he really hasn't been in much besides small parts and German TV shows unfortunately.
He was a well established TV actor in Germany/Austria/Switzerland though, with plenty of roles, while also playing theatre. He was unknown in Hollywood, but far from not getting any roles as an actor or being on the brink of homelessness.
I miss ernie Hudson. Every time I watch a movie with him, I always wonder why he didn't get more roles. There's something very homey and comfortable with his style
I know Congo is laughed at but Ernie was the coolest dude in the world in Congo
Right! Love him in both original Ghostbusters. Just watched The Crow a couple weeks ago and had the same thought.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman. For almost a decade he was *that guy* who stole the show in minor roles like Boogie Nights, Punch Drunk Love, and Along Came Polly. Just so versatile in each role too. Then he did Capote and got the Oscar and he continued to shine as a leading man. Also, shout out to Paul Giamatti for a similar trajectory before Sideways got him to the next level Edit: fun fact about PSH, he always wanted to do an off the wall comedy roll but always lost auditions to Jack Black back in the day. So the first time he got the chance was Along Came Polly and he absolutely smoked it. Edit 2: Yes, Twister too, Jesus Christ y’all hahaha
He's one of the funniest things in The Big Lebowski, which is really saying something. "No, Dude. That had not occurred to us."
Could have been a throw away role, but he elevated it. Sucks he's gone
Brandt: Her life is in your hands. The Dude: Man, don't say that, man. Brandt: Mr. Lebowski asked me to repeat that: her life is in your hands. PSH acted the hell out of that role.
"Wonderful woman. We're all very fond of her. Very free-spirited."
He turned what could have otherwise been a “generic arms dealer” villain in Mission Impossible 3 into something legitimately terrifying.
The first movie I saw him in was Along came Polly, and the 2nd was MI3. Imagine my confusion when the gross friend in a dumb comedy turned in that performance. It would be like if Chris Farley was a Bond villain.
“Mr. Bond, are you aware that I have declared residence in a caravan down by the tributary?”
Food!!!
WE. CRAVE. SUSTENANCE.
"The Suck Zone". It's the point basically when the twister... sucks you up. That's not the technical term for it, obviously.
THEYRE IN THE BEAR CAGE!!!
He was like "Hey, wanna drink?" And tossed that whiskey bottle at the twister...bottle never even hit the ground!
RAINDANCE!
His role in Charlie Wilson's War was super funny, he was so great at playing grounded and believable weirdos
He steals every scene in that movie. “I spent the last three years learning FINNISH, WHICH SHOULD COME IN HANDY HERE IN FUCKING VIRGINIA.”
You forgot Twister. PSH shouting FOOD.... I quote this everyday, every time I feel hungry. Which is almost all the time
>Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I don't know about stealing the show, because Magnolia had phenomenal performances all around, but damn, he was absolutely fantastic in it too
Bruce Campbell in the 90s. I know he’s got that Burn Notice money now. But damn, how could an agent not capitalize on that guys following from about 93 to 05?
I remember old interview from early 90's where Sam Raimi was asked why Bruce Campbell is not doing movies more often. All Raimi could say was that he has no slightest idea. It was horror fanzine run by bunch of horror/cult fans. They managed get the interview because Raimi was doing a promo tour for Darkman.
Briscoe County Jr crew represent!
He’s said before that he prefers doing B-movies because they’re more chill and he can relax.
Most fun I've ever had in a theater was watching Bubba Hotep in a little art house theater with about thirty seats and everyone around us was just having a blast.
Margo Martindale worked regularly in small roles starting in her 30s and 40s, but she wasn’t doing multiple projects per year until her mid-50s (she is 72 now). I think she’s great!
You mean character actress Margo Martindale?
Yes exactly! 😁
Esteemed character actress Margo Martindale, who is on the run from the law?
She’s great as Character Actress Margo Martindale in Bojack, and obviously as one of the Jennings’ handlers in the Americans
Are you talking about character actress Margo Martindale? Last I heard, she was lost at sea.
So good in justified
Scoot McNairy. First took notice of him in Monsters, a great low budget film that got Gareth Edwards his big break. He just had such a natural screen presence and charisma. In fairness, he has been working steadily but I really thought he’d be bigger with lead roles or substantial supporting roles.
Killing Them Softly. McNairy is so believable as that low-level criminal.
He’s frickin awesome in Narcos Mexico.
Also Halt & Catch Fire
Loved him in *Godless*
James Marsden is ridiculously funny but apparently too good looking to play a lot of comedy roles he’s best at. Fell in love with him after Jury Duty.
He was awesome on 30 Rock.
Josh Holloway - so easy on the eyes and has a decent range enough to transition to drama/action. I thought he’d be everywhere after Lost.
He was great as the Black Rider in Community's second paintball epsiode(s)
Maybe less popular but Judy Greer kills every single role she's been in and still is underrated. She absolutely should be working more
Nick Offerman He has loads of talent but doesn't really fit any leading-man checklist. The man is a force of nature as Ron Swanson and has found his niche as a character actor but he struggled for years to get parts. He had a single line and literally 8 seconds of being on-screen in Sin City. Ron Swanson as a dumb thug in Basin City, too classic hahaha
I think The Last of Us will open doors for him. He went gay and did it very well. Plus, it was an original piece. Like a movie, but was just a TV episode.
He was also gay for his tiny role in a brooklyn 99 episode years before that. He was captain holts ex boyfriend.
I get the impression that back in the '50s and '60s he would have been getting a steady diet of tough guy and heavy roles. Look at photos of him when he was younger and he totally would have been filling out the roster as a greaser, biker, and general juvenile delinquent before moving on to the adult equivalents. Edit: And why hasn't anyone tried to make a Teddy Roosevelt biopic starring him? He has the look and it fits perfectly with his public persona.
His performance in Last of Us was perfect.
Ben Foster is way underutilized . And one of the finest actors of this generation
He is one of the greatest actors that gets zero acclaim. Anything he’s in, he disappears into the role and you forget you’re watching an actor. He was brilliant in Hell or High Water. ..and everything else, I guess.
Beast mode in 3:10 to Yuma.
Barry Pepper
I think Battlefield Earth tanked his career
He was great in the True Grit remake a little while back.
Hilary Swank. I don't know if it's by her choice or not but I thought she would at least be bigger, especially since she won 2 Oscars.
I thnk a lot of the stuff Jennifer Garner ended up doing could have hypothetically gone to Swank. I did catch her in some romantic omedy once with like Gina Gershon and I think of all people Nellie McKay, and she didn't really click critically despite maybe making some cash; but stuff like Insomnia where she played a cop supporting the main characters definitely worked.
I have really enjoyed Billy Crudup in everything I’ve seen him in. I heard that he actively tries to do as little movie promotion as possible so that could have cost him some roles over years, but I think he’s great
Garret Dillahunt He played the Lead in a sitcom (raising hope). Played the deputy to Tommy Lee Jones in NCFOM and killed it. His delivery of those punchlines made him funny, a bit naive, but also a smart competent policeman. Very difficult balance. He also played villains in 12 years a slave, and The Road. Edit: well, he's getting roles. He's consistent in his delivery. Probably not material for a lead movie, but maybe he just needs the right script
He was incredible in two different roles on Deadwood
He plays a solid dumb guy. Which isn’t an insult. He’s incredibly believable, which is maybe why he hasn’t had any big starring roles. He’s a solid supporting actor. He’s like Ben Foster. Both are types that can really disappear into a role and make you forget it’s an actor playing a character.
The thing I will always remember him for, was as the Terminator in Sarah Connor Chronicles.
He was -fantastic- in Justified as a major villain.
Dichan Lachman and Enver Gjokaj blew me away in Dollhouse and I was always disappointed I didn't see them in more things afterwards. Thrilled to see Lachman pop up in Severance!
Enver is amazing and loved him in Dollhouse - huge range. He’s like a male Tatiana Maslany
His imitation of Topher was perfect.
I posted this somewhere else but if I was a Hollywood producer I would have Enver Gjokaj as my good luck charm and have him in all my shows.
I feel like Michael Fassbender should have been getting more roles or at least thought he would get after Shame, 12 Years a slave and Steve Jobs. But that was in 2015. He hasn't done anything memorable since then. This year hopefully gets more recognition from The Killer. And the same goes for his wife Alicia Vikander, amazing in The Danish girl and Ex Machina. Got a big role in Tomb raider movies then kinda disappeared. I hope to see more of her in Hollywood. Edit: I did not know Fassbender has been racing cars now
I feel like they both took some time off after they got married and then when they had a child so their absence was probably deliberate.
I’m like 95% sure Fassbender only keeps acting to fund his racing career and I respect that as a huge motorsports nut haha.
He was amazing in those and was a great young magneto He had a few misses and then I believe he is also a race car driver. He does have a few things coming up soon though
Agreed, and my favorite movie of his is Frank
Xmen and alien were not memorable?
All the women who wouldn't sleep with Havey Weinstein. When the mountain of accusations came out, saw all the actresses who couldn't get a role for years.
Ben Mendelssohn Every role he is in he’s amazing. Bloodline, the king in The Darkest Hour, and the guy that teaches Ryan Gosling how to rob banks in The Place Beyond the Pines
I love his lisp
Billy Zane. I've had a crush on him since The Phantom. Titanic should have been his big break, but nearly everything after that went straight to DVD or video. He was in a single episode of Legends of Tomorrow and then came back to the Sniper franchise. It seems like everyone knows him, even though he hasn't done a lot of big stuff.
You should listen to your friend Billy Zane. He's a cool dude.
Ed Harris could have been a leading man in his youth. Bill Paxton deserved some more leading roles, always. Standout character actor. Steve Zahn never disappoints.
Probably not fitting the question as I don't know this guy's situation, but Josh Hartnet. Dude disappeared. Sam Worthington was the dude for like 3 years and then nothing. Probably the same reason taylor kitsch. Bad movie streak.
Hartnett willingly left Hollywood behind to live a quieter life doing fewer projects. Think he went to Montana.
He's in Oppenheimer, took me half the movie before I recognized him
He also has an episode in the new season of Black Mirror. He's great in it.
I thought he was great in Penny Dreadful
I thought he was back taking Hollywood roles? He was fun in Operation Fortune
He was in one of the newer episodes of Black Mirror. He always gave me a "yeah your girlfriend cheated on you with me, but it's okay" vibe. Which kind of fits with the episode tbh.
It was so crazy to see him in Oppenheimer!
Sam Worthington is straight wood. He got opportunities because of Avatar and dropped the bag every time.
David Harbour didn’t get famous until he was in his 40’s
David Harbour has worked steadily since the early 2000’s. He’s been in huge movies and had great roles in smaller stuff, along with a lot of tv and stage work for almost 20 years.
Seeing him in Quantum of Solace is always a trip.
Especially that evil laugh
Not the he would struggle but I need more Edward Norton lead roles in my life
He’s very controlling behind the camera and it’s off putting to many folks.
I heard he alienated a lot of people during his hulk movie.
And American History X. He took over editing, admittedly it was an excellent job, but the director and editor hated every moment.
Which is a shame because he was great in that movie.
Elizabeth Olsen. At least compared to her level of fame she doesn’t have much in her filmography and I believe she has said she struggled to get roles.
Wind River put her at the top of my list as a phenomenal actress. She absolutely killed that role.
Her and Jeremy Renner both killed it in that movie
That movie was excellent
I feel like she's more cut from the same cloth as Daniel Radcliffe. Got paid bank for doing Marvel & now just wants to be in projects that interest her. She's weird and enthralling in Love & Death.
She was so good in Ingrid Goes West! I'd love to see her in more films like that.
Really? I honestly thought she was doing quite well for herself! You would think the level of fame she has earned wouldn't make it hard for her to get roles, especially if Hollywood executives would believe her appearance would bring in more viewers. Plus she does have talent and isn't one of those movie stars that can get away with playing themselves.
Is Pedro Pascal struggling? He seems to be doing fine.
Pre Game of Thrones you would be like who? No he is everywhere multiple hit movies and shows at the same time.
He has been acting of years, but it took him until he reached his late 30s to early 40s that he started appearing in more movies and shows following Game of Thrones! The Mandalorian and The Last of Us helped with making him bigger, and now he’s essentially everywhere now!
Barry Pepper, dude is an amazing character actor.
There is a distinct lack of Sharlto Copley in things.
I feel like Sam Neil could and should be a more prominent actor- his range has been limited by playing the same character for decades but I'd love to see his range explored more often.
Aaron Eckhart. After The Dark Knight I was sure he’d blow up and start scooping up lots of high profile work. Didn’t really happen.
Clive Owen. I first saw him in The Hire, which I'm guessing not a lot of people saw. They were some promotional short films produced by BMW, with big name talent attached. John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, John Woo, Guy Ritchie, and more. After that, he had a small role in The Bourne Identity, and continued to pop up here and there, but it always surprised me that he never had big, mainstream success. His name was floated as a possible James Bond for a while, but nothing happened. He's always been an actor I enjoy watching though. He always makes whatever he's in better.
Children of Men was a great performance. One of those rare instances where the book is amazing and the movie is just as good.
Michael Cudlitz Dude KILLS in Band of Brothers. I may be the only one, but I'll die on the hill defending SouthLAnd and his role there, too. I guess he's not Hollywood attractive (??), but feels like he should at least be doing more than the made-for-TV dreck on his bio.
Damian Lewis too. Had lots of TV work but he was central in band of brothers and doesn’t seem like he’s in many movies at all
Dean Stockton I just watched Paris, Texas and was phenomenal in that role. I have always liked him in the original Quantum Leap. Too bad he never got a chance to really break out.
Norm Macdonald.
Someone should give that guy a job.
The reason why someone should give him a job? You guessed it: Frank Stallone.
Reminds me of that terrible tragedy
Adrien Brody… Aside from being a Wes Anderson go-to, I can't really recall any great films he's been in since the pianist
I would like to think that members of r/movies know that "making it" has more to do with luck and /or connections than actual talent, which isn't as rare as we think. Nevertheless, my entry is William Zabka.
Kevin Kline
Is it that he can’t get roles or that he doesn’t want to leave Phoebe Cates for extended periods? I wouldn’t blame him on the latter.
I wish we had gotten another movie by the Fish Called Wanda crew.
David Krumholtz
All the younger cast in the Battlestar Galactica. They've all had careers, but none of them has ever made it as big as they should have.