Most Underrated Actor

[AJBopp]

Who's your opinion of the most underrated actor? Big screen and small screen are filled with actors with great potential but never made a deserved leap to superstar. Who do you think should have made it?

My vote: Burgess Meredith.

From Batman 66 Penguin to Rocky Mick, he was one of the most versatile, talented actors on the screen of any size. He brought another level to any production he appeared in.

What's your nominee?

[Midvillian1322]

A good question and off the top of my head.. I was always surprised Michael Rosenbaum didn't become bigger. He had such range imo. Same with Tim Roth. Im sure there are better ones.. I'll think about and check back.

[numberthirty]

While "Best" is always a tough one, Jon Gries and Jim Beaver come to mind right away. Gries has played just about every sort of role you can think of, and he's shined regularly. As for Jim, that guy's work sort of speaks for itself.

[numberthirty]

As for "They Should Probably Get More Credit For Being Good At That Role They Keep Being Cast In...", Mickey Rourke and Joe Gilgun. Each of those guys deserves better.

Edit: It occurred to me that I absolutely should have included Danny Trejo and Christopher Lloyd on this list.

[AndrewCrossett]

Tim Blake Nelson

[Powerboy]

Who's your opinion of the most underrated actor? Big screen and small screen are filled with actors with great potential but never made a deserved leap to superstar. Who do you think should have made it?

My vote: Burgess Meredith.

From Batman 66 Penguin to Rocky Mick, he was one of the most versatile, talented actors on the screen of any size. He brought another level to any production he appeared in.

What's your nominee?

I like your nomination although Meredith did win a Best Actor Oscar for "Of Mice and Men" so it wasn't that his talents weren't recognized.

I'll cheat and give two nominations.

First, Bill Bixby. I think his talents were underrated. He got typecast as a television actor and as David Banner. But when you look at the best episodes of the Hulk or any show he was in or some of the television movies he did where he had the chance to show his range, he was a fantastic actor. In fairness, he was nominated for an Emmy many times but never got the win.

Another was Ross Martin. My generation knew him mostly as Artemus Gordon on the Wild Wild West but he had talents well beyond that and did win Emmy awards.

[JBatmanFan05]

Richard Widmark
Yaphet Kotto
Gary Sinise

[Arfguy]

I'm gonna go with Chris Evans. I think he does such a stellar job of selling the kind of character Steve Rogers is at his core. He was funny in a small dose in Scott Pilgrim, he was the best part of the first two Fantastic Four movies and he really got you to notice him in Snowpiercer and Puncture.

As far as small-screen...I always felt that Amy Acker was really good.

[CliffHanger2]

Michael Jai white. He showed range and his comedic side in Black Dynamite which had a limited release and Tyler Perry movies. Always felt like he should have been bigger.

[Forseti]

James Purefoy gets my vote.

[Darkseid Is]

Lance Henriksen

[GOLGO 13]

Jeffrey Alan Combs


Spectacularly portrayed eight different characters on Star Trek, most notably those of Brunt and the various Weyouns on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the Andorian Shran on Star Trek: Enterprise. Famously known for 1985 cult classic Re-Animator.

Very few could play such smarmy, ee-vil characters with so much panache. He's ridiculously underrated.