Unsung Heroes Of Film

[SweetZombieJesus]

There are some actors who stake out entire careers playing pivotal, but not leading roles. Some are character actors, some are just plain great actors who, for whatever reason, don't get the accolades of pretty boys like Tom Cruise, or the criminally overrated, like Tom Hanks.

Warren Oates springs to mind for me. Mickey Rourke, at times. Powers Boothe and Michael Ironsides. Lance Henriksen, Patrick McGoohan, William Petersen, Harry Dean Stanton, the list goes on and on.

But after I watched The King Of Marvin Gardens, I pick as my undisputed king of the unsung actors: Bruce Dern. He was fucking marvelous, and the fact that he outshone Nicholson in this flick (great reverse casting), and has done stellar work without proper accolades, he gets the nod from me.

[rucky]

1. Yes on Harry Dean Stanton...also:

Chris Cooper (just got the props he deserves)
David Straitharn (prolly cuz his name is hard to spell...as is:)
Pete Posthewaithe (?)
Rip Torn
Eli Wallach
Andie MacDowell
and..
Michael J Fox! seriously.

[SweetZombieJesus]

2. All great choices, EXCEPT MacDowell

Are you sure you're not just confusing her and the esteemed Mr. Malcolm McDowell? Because Andie MacDowell is a horrid "actress".

And Michael J. Fox is the anti-Elvis, and don't you forget it.

[rucky]

4. Michael J Fox

may have no Elvis in him, but look at what a thespian the King was...

as for Andie MacDowell... maybe I'm too forgiving cuz she's so damn hawt! But I did like her in Sex,Lies & Videotape.

For actresses, I'll raise you a Lili Taylor

[tjdee]

8. I just re-watched "Three Weddings and a Funeral"....

Andie Macdowell is not what I would call a good actress, either.

But her skin is divine and seems flawless.

[SweetZombieJesus]

11. It's not that she's actively bad, she's just always the same character

Sort of like post-Pulp Fiction Travolta.

And speaking of people who were in Pulp Fiction: Steve Buscemi is the patron saint of these actors. Or at least their current union rep.

[tjdee]

17. Steve Buscemi is so awesome.

He also used to be a fireman, and protested the closing of a firehouse in NYC some months ago.

Very cool guy, always adds something when he's in it.

[noiretextatique]

21. andie is beautiful

but wooden as post and terminally dull. perhaps she will grow.

[greatauntoftriplets]

14. OOOOHHH, rucky!

Please don't get me started on David Strathairn. He is a hottie. Also like Pete Postlethwaite. Not entirely certain of either spelling, but both are terrific actors.

[beanball]

3. Unsung heroes

from those westerns of yesteryear 1.Roy Bancroft the best villain ever.

[4_Legs_Good]

5. Crispin Glover

I think he's an utter genius, but I don't think his genuis has been used more than a couple times. His work in "The Doors" springs to mind, along with his small performance in "Dead Man".

I keep waiting for someone to really give him the role he deserves, but I don't think it's happened yet.

He was supposed to be working on a documentary about Werner Herzog - has anyone heard anything about it?

david

Kucinich 2004

Arianna YES
Recall No

[SweetZombieJesus]

6. Oooh, good call

I'll see you Crispin Glover and raise you F. Murray Abraham.

[4_Legs_Good]

7. Good news everyone!

You win!

F. Murray Abraham gave the single greatest performance in a film ever in Amadeus. He hasn't impressed me that much elsewhere, but it may just be because the role hasn't emerged.

david

[SweetZombieJesus]

9. Add: Fred Ward and William Sadler

In a more just world, they both coulda been contenders.

[Kenneth ken]

10. 3 quick ones

Don Cheadle
Forrest Whitaker
John Goodman

[SweetZombieJesus]

12. I'll agree with the first two

And add the inimitable Delroy Lindo (the only salvagable thing about Clockers).

But John Goodman? I'll never be able to look at him in a dramatic role without thinking about Blues Brothers 2000. It was bad enough that Akroyd ruined himself, but did he have to take Goodman down with him?

[Kenneth ken]

20. ah well! - that would be

your fault.

Blues Brothers 2000? What were you thinking?

I didn't see BB2K - so I don't know if he/it sucked; just figured it probably would.

Delroy Lindo, another good choice.

[SweetZombieJesus]

23. Well, between BB2K and his numerous appearances on SNL

and that damn Flintstones movie, all I can see is a bellowing jackass anymore.

Not to mention that new DirectTV ad with him. Jeezus.

[Twillig]

41. Yea, off the artistic roll call

Forever. No exceptions. (except Willie)

[regnaD kciN]

49. But what about...

...Walter in The Big Lebowski???

[SweetZombieJesus]

51. I consider those two completely different people

John Goodman in Coen Brothers films is a different animal all together. They bring out the best in him.

[tjdee]

18. Good picks!

I like Forrest Whitaker. He's got such a wonderful voice, such a thoughtful presence...pretty fair director, too.

[Kamika]

13. William L. Petersen

You know the guy from C.S.I.

This guy should have gotten an OSCAR for manhunter, hes a great actor

[tjdee]

15. Stanley Tucci....OOH and Don Cheadle.

I really like them.

Also, every minority actress, but I'll spare y'all, LOL.

[noiretextatique]

25. why? i'll start with angela bassett

:D she was awesome in "waiting to exhale."

[tjdee]

33. Well, I think this is just guys...and...

I tend to get all worked up, LOL!

The only consistently working black actresses are not even actresses (except Halle Berry), and that riles me up like you wouldn't believe. If you didn't know any better, you'd think that there are NO black women (or Asian, etc.) that choose acting as a career. I think this is because "they" are afraid to take risks with people of color, and at least they know Americans *like* Beyonce, etc.

Angela Bassett is so underrated and IMO should have gotten that Oscar.

Also, Regina King is so criminally underused I don't even have any further comment. Heather Headley...although, she's really a Broadway/music gal...

Also, Zhang Ziyi (but I am unsure if this is a language issue). If she were Anglo, her face would be all over every magazine in the country (*cough cough*Hillary Duff/Kirsten Dunst/Reese Witherspoon*cough cough*)... Ming Na-wen....

Really, all of them.

[VOX]

26. Excellent call with Don Cheadle!!

:toast:

[Kat45]

16. William H. Macy

Chris Cooper, and of course Steve Buscemi, both of whom were already mentioned.

[SweetZombieJesus]

19. Shit, can't believe I forgot William H. Macy

Better add John Rhys Davies, Denholm Elliot (I'm watching Last Crusade as we speak...err..type), Luis Guzman, John C. Reilly, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman while I'm at it.

[SweetZombieJesus]

22. Yet another addition: Giancarlo Esposito

Shit, pretty much everyone who was in The Usual Suspects fits in this category. Actors' actors, the lot of them, but Giancarlo gets special mention for his portrayals of Buggin' Out in Do The Right Thing and Bugs Raplin in Bob Roberts.

[tjdee]

34. GOOD CHOICE...

I used to have a bit of a crush on Giancarlo...especially when he joined Homicide (I think? In the last season or so?)...and that name is just gorgeous. Giancarlo Esposito....just like Maria Bartiromo, LOL.

Gabriel Byrne....Chazz Palmienteri...yeah, yeah...

[Elidor]

24. I'll second Warren Oates

"Bring me the head of Alfredo!"

Alan Rickman is also overlooked and underappreciated. And I'll watch anything with Mickey Rourke. And while we're at it, let's not forget Willem Dafoe. One of my faves.

I wish I could remember the name of that prison movie with Rourke, Dafoe, and Buscemi...

Edit: Animal Factory.

[SweetZombieJesus]

27. Could it be "Animal Factory"?

Warren Oates should actually be the patron saint of the Unsung Actors, because there's a scene in The Wild Bunch where he goes through the whole gamut of human emotions, just using his face, when William Holden asks him if he's ready to go (to their bloody, lead-filled deaths). You can see him at first confused, then angry, then scared, then sad, then finally accepting his fate, he says "Sure, why not?"

If push came to shove, The Wild Bunch would probably be my favorite movie of all time.

[VOX]

28. The Master: Harvey Keitel.

Taxi Driver, Thelma and Louise, Pulp Fiction, The Duellists, and that's not even the surface.

[SweetZombieJesus]

31. I dunno, Harvey gets the critical accolades

He may not be name-checked as much as his peers DeNiro and Pacino, but he's had a lot of leading man roles. He is a great actor though, and deserves to be mentioned alongside DeNiro and Pacino by the mainstream press, but for whatever reason, he isn't. Same goes for James Woods.

And while I'm here, another slew of actors: Brad Dourif, John Heard, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Paul Winfield, Stephen Lang, Ruben Blades, and Liev Schrieber.

[SweetZombieJesus]

29. Can't forget the ladies: Gina Gershon, Meg Tilly, and Parker Posy

Also, perhaps the world's greatest comedic actress, Catherine O'Hara.

And believe it or not, when she really, really tries, Melanie Griffith is awfully good. Watch Cecil B. Demented or Something Wild if you don't believe me.

[noiretextatique]

30. and jennifer tilly

:kick: she was great in "bound"

[SweetZombieJesus]

32. Shit! Big forgotten one! Scott Glenn!

And also, Ed Harris.

[tjdee]

35. Ed Harris, very underrated...

Don't know why, and he's such a cutie, too.

[Wickerman]

36. A friend and I once started the Bruce Dern Appreciation Society

It was after a weekend of partying and what amounted to a festival of Dern films, which included Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and Middle Aged Crazy. Of course, that was the one and only meeting of the BDAS, but it was all very heartfelt. ANother significant Bruce Dern factor: He is the first man to ever kill the Duke on screen (the Cowboys). Sweet Zombie, if you haven't ever seen Psych Out, you owe it to yourself to see THAT psychedelic masterpiece. Nicholson, Stockwell and produced by Dick Clark!

[DerekG]

37. Have you seen the Burbs?

Bruce Dern was funnier than s@#t playing Tom Hank's militant neighbor. I nearly pissed myself laughing when he fell off the roof near the end.

"A soldier's way, saves the day."

[Wickerman]

39. Yes, that was fantastic

and sometimes living in Suburbia is just about like that. I jsut looked him up on IMDB - he's worked a lot this year and some of it looks good:

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001136/

[mitchum]

38. Scott Wilson...

the man works all of the time and is never less than stellar

[DS1]

40. Gary Oldman

Totally underrated actor, check out "The Professional" for a clear example.

[Twillig]

42. I thought he was rated highly

but it seems his roles have diminished over the years. He's gonna be in the next Harry Potter film. Maybe he'll steal it.

Add: Jeroen Krabbé

[BurtWorm]

43. I thought he was overrated.

He's morre and more of a ham.

[stanwyck]

47. Wish he wasn't such a complete wingnut

he's a neocon. Really liked "Romeo is Bleeding", though. Lena Olin is the ultimate bad girl.

[Twillig]

44. Geoffery Lewis

The man has been in everything!

[PassingFair]

45. Hold on a minute here... Since I haven't seen him nominated.....

How about we name the award after Gig Young. We could call it the Giggy, or something like that.... :D

[SweetZombieJesus]

46. Tony Plana

He's been in tons of stuff, most notably he played Jefe in The Three Amigos. Great comedic actor.

[NashVegas]

48. James Caan

Several years ago there was a documentary comparing his career to Ahr-nold's.

Title "The Actor and the Movie Star."

[FireHeart]

50. Dern performed well in "Silent Running"

One of my favorite movies. He was both rational and quite loony at the same time. He did an excellent job.