Most Overrated/Underrated Actors

[Tricen]

Overrated: Will ferrel
Underrated: William Petersen

[Anyway]

90% of the people posted in "underrated" are regarded by most people as excelent/decent actors... so how exactly is that underrated?

Underrated Actors imo...

Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf, Eric Lensherr)
Ben Foster (The Punisher, guy with all the shit in his face, 30 days of night, Angel in XMen3)

Ben Foster was so awesome in 3:10 to yuma. And I totally agree about Williams. A lot of people get annoyed by his comedy acting, but in serious roles, he is actually very good.

He's also amazing in Hostage, and if you haven't seen that, go see it. Very underrated movie.

He was really great in Alpha Dog. That movie with Emile Hirsch and Justin Timberlake. Plays an awesome drug addict.

[Valacirca]

After having ample time to think about it, I'd like to add the fallowing. Now some of them are quite well known and have been in a few big productions, but I feel they, on the whole, do not get the appreciation they deserve. And some them were influenced by other posters .

John Turturro
Ray Winstone
Paul Giacometi
Kate Blanchet
Roberto Benigni (whom I mentioned before)
Jeff Bridges
Gary Oldman
Robert Downey Jr.
Tim Curry
Tim Roth
Charlotte Rampling
Colm Meaney (a shame he always gets type cast into the irish/scottish/english guy)
Mary McDonnell
Mickey Rourke
Patricia Arquette
John Goodman
Robin Williams (in serious role mode)
Forest Whitiker (though with his last movie one can really take him off this list and move him down to the next catagory)

Jesus Christ, finally, I just read through this whole thread and thought I'd have to be the first one to mention Gary Oldman. That guy seriously has more range than about any other actor I can think of.

Adding to my list would be Cillian Murphy (I think someone else mentioned him once earlier). My one big complaint with Batman Begins is that he was barely in it. :/ I think my favorite role of his was his performance in Breakfast on Pluto.

Also, I'll add Robert Carlyle, because he kicks so much ass.

As for Overrated... I'l have to agree with Jack Nicholson. True, he's been a crucial part in a lot of great films, but he's still basically playing the character of "Jack Nicholson" in almost all of them. I can't really think of any others that spring to mind (there's a bunch of people who are fairly undeservedly famous, but none of them are really highly valued for their acting skills by most people).

Also, for anyone who thinks Robert DeNiro is overrated... I'd agree with you only if the only movies he'd made were from the last 5-10 years. He's basically become a parody of himself these days. Pretty much any other earlier movie he was fucking awesome in. Hell, even Brazil, and he only had a pretty small part in that.

[BRP]

Cary Elwes, underrated.

[Andarvi]

Cary Elwes, underrated.

Princess Bride, yesssssss.

[Byrd]

Cary Elwes, underrated.

Princess Bride, yesssssss.

I thought he was atrocious in Saw and that Ashley Judd movie.
Seeing William Peterson reminded me of another CSI star; I've always liked Gary Sinise, ever since "The Stand" and particularly "Ransom."

Speaking of Ransom, as far as underrated movies go, it's right up there. There isn't a character in that movie who does something that I thought "Why the hell would he do that?" I thought the acting was top notch, and the plot frequently went in directions I didn't expect from a typical kidnapping caper.

[Meloria]

Completely forgot about Gary Sinise. The first thing I remember seeing him in was Apollo 13, then seeing him as a bad guy in Ransom was awesome.

[blister1]

I don't think Sinise is underrated, CSI NY is pretty popular and its mostly because of him.

Finally at a Will Ferrel nod for overratedness. Semi-Pro trailer came on while watching Cloverfield and the Fandango commercials got more laughs out of the packed house in the theater.

Edit: Gary Oldman in Leon was fucking amazing.

[Byrd]

I don't think Sinise is underrated, CSI NY is pretty popular and its mostly because of him.

True. Pre-CSI: NY, I always liked him and wanted to see him in more films. CSI: NY is well deserved. I don't particularly like David Caruso, but William Peterson and Gary Sinise make those shows what they are.

Edit: Gary Oldman in Leon was fucking amazing.

Good call. Although I can't bring myself to call it Leon.

[Remyo]

But Lt. Dan, you ain't got no legs.

[Poopfacekilla]

Overrated
1. Samuel L Jackson - He's basically a leading-man type of actor. He doesn't 'change' - he just reads lines enthusiastically (ie loud). Moreover, he's like Pacino - too distinct. You see him in a movie, and you're watching Sam Jackson, not the character he's supposed to be playing.

2. Jack Nicholson - IMO, he's only acted exceptionally in 3 movies : Five Easy Pieces, As Good As It Gets and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. In everything else he's just average or above-average BUT since he, himself is such a charismatic personality he's interesting to watch nonetheless. By and large, he's a very unimaginative actor and like so many others he relies on playing 'crazy'.

3. Al Pacino - From the 90s til now he's really fell off. Over time his voice has become so distinct that - similar to Jackson - whenever I see/hear him, it's Al, not whoever he's SUPPOSED to be. Great actor but definetly overrated. He also has made some horrible choices in the past 15+ years save for a few.

4. De Niro - Similar to Pacino but De Niro's choices have been a little better. He's also someone who has too distinct a look/sound. Altho in Cape Fear, I felt like he was unrecognizable. That was 15 years ago though.

5. Denzel Washington - Boring. Good actor, great leading man. Nowhere near as talented as Jeffrey Wright though. Denzel doesn't have that kind of range. He's similar to George Clooney in terms of talent/ability.

Christian Bale isn't viewed as underrated. He's championed as the indie actor who has broken the mold and blah blah blah. Same babble you hear about Johnny Depp, but Depp does what's good for him. He plays to his strengths which is eccentricity. That's not risk-taking it's just a niche that WE think is weird but to him its cool.

IMO, people like Heath Ledger were truly underrated. He was a true method actor. From Monster's Ball til Candy he was always unrecognizable. Completely different right down to the manerisms in each character. Moreover the parts he chose weren't overly fantastical. From playing a tormented son to a drug addict - his talent was in making an impression of someone that we could relate to in some way. De Niro has said that the talent is in the choices, and Heath made great choices. He never stuck to one thing or one niche. His short career has been truly varied. Hell, even his teen-movie phase was good. Sad he's gone.

Gary Oldman is another guy who i think is underrated, altho universally praised for his skill. He doesnt get the press he deserves.

We always hear about Brad Pitt or Clooney or Matt Damon (I don't like him but he was great in the Ripley movie he did). So when I think of underrated im thinking people who are talented but don't get the top-billing sort of press that guys like Pitt do.

Daniel Day-Lewis isn't underrated at all. He gets plenty of praise, and rightly so.

EDIT: Ben Foster was mentioned already so I'll echo that. He's very talented and will have a great career at the pace he's going.

[Howard Roark]

For underrated, Paul Giamatti. Ed Norton is great and I went to see the Illusionist for him, but Giamatti really stole the show, and is consistently good in even the bad movies I've seen him in.

I'll agree on Cage. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd lazy, I'd shop him into that "This is a sandwich" template. This is a Nicholas Cage, it is made of Twitchy and Monotone.

i love giamatti but he was god-awful in Shoot-Em-Up

gonna have to disagree with sept's overrated list, although their work in the last 10 years i'd generally agree

i just think they've all done enough great things to keep their reputation as great actors, i mean.. you really can't deny they've got such great presence (on screen or off)

you'll never convince me that nicholas cage or keanu reeves or -- oh god lol -- ben affleck have any presence whatsoever except confusion (altho despite this i like nearly every keanu movie lol...)

does Meet the Parents/Fockers erase Raging Bull/Taxi Driver? i hope not