Directors Most Underrated Actor of All Time (1 Viewer)

[Michael Hughes]

My vote is for Cary Grant who never won an Oscar, and
juggled every possible genre (other than sci-fi and western). There was and has been no one like him in style, charisma and especially acting chops. One of the greatest actors in history, and clearly one of the most underrated.

A sampling of his great range and works:

Screwball Comedy (Arsenic and Old Lace, His Girl Friday)

Comedy (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Operation Petticoat, Houseboat, Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, Bringing up Baby, TOpper, The Awful Truth )

Action (North by Northwest)

Drama (Indiscreet, Notorious, Suspicion, Gunga Din)

Romance (Affair to Remember)

Romantic/Sophistication/Light Comedy (Bishop's Wife, To Catch a Thief, Holiday Philadelphia Story, Charade, That Touch of Mink)

War (Destination Tokyo)

Tearjerker (Penny Serenade)

Who's you most underrated?

 

[Zen Butler]

Johnny Depp

this man is constantly snubbed. He's not leading man material. He churns out some very in depth performances.

Robert Downey Jr.

Maybe underrated doesn't fit for my selections. Underacknowledged would be a better term.


You might want to start packing. We may be heading to polls.

 

[Matt Stone]

I definitely agree with Johnny Depp. Also John Cusack.

 

[Paul_Scott]

Burt Lancaster

 

[Michael Reuben]

You might want to start packing. We may be heading to polls.

Yes, indeed.

M.

 

[todd stone]

Johnny Depp easily.

 

[Jan H]

Some names that come to mind:

Sirs Ian Holm and Ian McKellen - at least in this country.

Ed Harris

Forest Whitaker

 

[george kaplan]

I certainly agree with Cary Grant. I agree that Lancaster is great, but he did win an oscar.

Others who didn't win acting oscars are:

William Powell
Charlie Chaplin
Orson Welles
Kirk Douglas
Tony Curtis
Peter Sellers
Steve McQueen
James Earl Jones
Robert Redford

 

[Lew Crippen]

If the criteria for being underrated were not getting an Oscar, I’d suggest John Malkovich.

Also I’d all Charlie Chaplin to the excellent list provided by George, as he never won as an actor.

 

[Angelo.M]

peter sellers

 

[Nate Nelson]

Gary Oldman anybody? The guy is brilliant. I'd agree with Johnny Depp as well.

 

[Tyler Gagnon]

Gary Oldman,

 

[Karl_Luph]

I would safely say women would pick Cary Grant over most of the others, even Redford. Todays superstars can't even hold a candle to him.

 

[Michael Hughes]

I think the closest guy we have to Cary Grant these days is George Clooney, he could be one of the most underrated actors today, but defintely not one of the most underpaid.

He has attempted screwball comedy in O Brother where art thou, and has attempted drama/sci-fi in Solaris, he also has tried his hand at action in Batman, and has pulled off the very tough Romantic/Comedy/Drama in Out of Sight.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

I've seen MATT DILLON in a number of interesting films.

 

[Rob P S]

Joe Morton

 

[Alex Spindler]

Might I suggest Bill Murray - comedy is hard, and rarely looked at for acting.
Also, Tim Roth doesn't seem to get the credit I think he is due.

 

[Nigel W]

Yes, Peter Sellers. Being There is an outstanding movie.

I'll add John Malkovich - a true talent, but yet to be recognized for his ability.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton are two great actors of the past. Both were able to be funny visually, do physical comedy, AND were able to do well in sound (in terms of performance, not the movies...)

Charles Middleton deserves some mention, too. He was the evil Emperor Ming in the Flash Gordon serials...then played roles in Laurel & Hardy comedies and tons of other movies.

I don't think Chaplin was really that underrated. He has usually gotten the big chunk of recognition from the silent era. However, a lot of his "stock company" like Hank Mann and Allan Garcia were able to change roles well. Garcia was an abusive ringleader in The Circus, the butler in City Lights, and the company president in Modern Times.

 

[Joe Bernardi]

Robert Duvall

Although he won an Oscar for Tender Mercies, I don't think he gets the recognition he deserves.

I rank him with or above the likes of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino.