A-list actors tend to be at the center of not just movie posters but also awards ceremonies and media duties, but now and again, it is the supporting cast that steals the show. This list is full of actors whose names you might not know but you probably recognize when they appear on the big screen and never feel let down.
Jesse Plemons
Few actors get to say they’ve worked with Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, not once, but twice. Plemons’ cameo in The Killers Of The Flower Moon indicated his ability to deliver memorable performances over short screen time. His role in the Netflix-made The Power Of The Dog, where he appeared alongside wife Kirsten Dunst, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. This year, he again popped up alongside Dunst in the disturbingly dystopian Civil War. That is not all from Plemons, though, with a role in the Poor Things follow-up from director Yorgos Lanthimos, Kinds of Kindness, and also on the cards for a release this year.
Gary Oldman
Despite an Academy Award for his role in Darkest Hour, Gary Oldman hardly features in conversations around the most revered actors. Like his cameo in Oppenheimer, he was hardly recognizable as Winston Churchill. His ability to play such distinctively different characters throughout his career makes him incredibly impressive as an actor and equally underrated.
Djimon Hounsou
Many believe Djimon Hounsou, a Two-time Oscar nominee for his roles in Blood Diamond and the Steven Spielberg-directed Amistad, was robbed of an Academy Award in both instances. Hounsou agrees he deserved his acclaim back then and now.
Brendan Gleeson
A few on this list have either been in Harry Potter or have nearly been. Brendan Gleeson took up the Mad-Eye Moody role, but his career is both long and important. He received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in The Banshees of Inisherin, but In Bruges, also alongside Colin Farrell, is the one that shouldn’t be slept on.
Saoirse Ronan
Maybe the American-born Irish actress sometimes gets forgotten for her difficult-to-pronounce name (pronounced sur-sha ro-nan), but a list of underrated actors isn’t complete without her on it. She has already racked up four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, and impressive performances under Greta Gerwig in Ladybird and Little Women. She was equally endearing in Brooklyn and Atonement, which was her breakthrough role and her first Academy Award nomination at just 13 years old. She also almost made it onto Harry Potter.
Rooney Mara
Daniel Craig might have been the star of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but Rooney Mara embodied Lisbeth Salander impeccably. Her ability to take on such complex characters in a remarkably nuanced way makes her criminally underrated.
John Turturro
John Turturro is one of those actors who seems to have been in so many films, but not many people know his name. It’s not for a lack of talent, that’s for sure. Often a supporting character, as was the case in The Big Lebowski, Turturro showcases his ability in a leading role in Barton Fink.
Helena Bonham Carter
Most people know her for playing Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter or for her role in David Fincher’s Fight Club, but Helena Bonham Carter has put together an extensive and incredibly understated career.
Bill Nighy
Another member of the cast of Harry Potter is Bill Nighy, who is easily one of Britain’s most important actors across stage, television, and film. It seems he is finally receiving the recognition he deserves, with an Oscar nomination in Living, a remake of Ikuru from South African director Oliver Hermanus.
Maya Rudolph
Another graduate of Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph, has flown a little under the radar since leaving the cast of SNL in 2007. As was the case in Grown Ups, Rudolph has often appeared as part of ensemble casts or in supporting roles, but she still manages to stand out. Her leading roles in Away We Go, and Bridesmaids prove she can both lead a cast and shine in a heavily assembled one too. Whether it be comedy, drama, music, or voice acting, Rudolph is both talented and underrated. She has also cameoed in two Paul Thomas Anderson films and is the inspiration behind her husband’s film, Phantom Thread.
Christoph Waltz
Despite bagging two Academy Awards, it is easily forgotten just how great an actor Christoph Waltz can be. He is completely captivating in every role, even in scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Fassbender.
Paul Dano
If you have not seen Prisoners by Denis Villeneuve, you need to. This is not just because it is one of Villeneuve’s best performances but also because it is littered with wonderful performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and Paul Dano. The 39-year-old has shown quite the range in his acting ability, from Little Miss Sunshine to There Will Be Blood (a role he had less than four days to prepare for), where he was written into the script to play twins at the last minute by Paul Thomas Anderson. He, too, appeared alongside Plemons in The Power Of The Dog, and his obsessive devotion to playing The Riddler in Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II is rumored to return.
Shia LaBeouf
Having come to mainstream success on the back of a blockbuster franchise like Transformers, it was always going to be difficult for people to see him outside of that, but it’s his more arthouse and independent films where Shia LaBeouf has shown just how much people have underrated him. Lawless and Honey Boy fit into that category.
Michael Stuhlbarg
Across stage, film, and television, Michael Stuhlbarg has shown why he is considered an underrated performer. Two Screen Actors Guild Awards and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Golden Globe Award see him easily find his way onto this list.
Andy Serkis
Another out of Reeves’ Batman, not many would have put it together that the actor playing Alfred is the same actor who played Gollum in The Lord of The Rings trilogy. Serkis is most renowned for his work in motion capture acting and voice acting in animation. The Planet of The Apes reboot series, King Kong, and Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin are among his filmography in motion acting and animation. However, the British actor also has a BAFTA nomination (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll) and a Golden Globe nomination (Longford) to boot, making him a definitive choice for one of the most underrated actors around.
Michael Shannon
Michael Shannon’s debut film was Groundhog Day in 1993. Since then, he has received two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and delivered numerous strong performances. He is set to appear in yet another Jeff Nichols film later this year, The Bikeriders, alongside Austin Butler and Tom Hardy.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Having started her career on the stage, Gugu Mbatha-Raw is immensely underrated. She has a range of genres and roles under her belt. She featured alongside Will Smith in the 2015 film Concussion but is best known for starring in Belle, the British period drama.
Rosamund Pike
A career on stage set up Rosamund Pikes’ breakthrough in her debut film as the Bond girl in Die Another Day. While her starring role in David Fincher’s Gone Girl saw her nominated for an Oscar, Pike is still on her way to becoming a household name.
