Hollywood is filled with hardworking people.
Yet for some reason, certain stars seem to shine much brighter than others. In the words of Rodney Dangerfield: they get no respect.
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Just because they are in smaller productions, doesn’t mean they’re not fantastic!
So, in order to better acknowledge the unsung heroes of Tinsel Town, here are 10+ celebs that deserve more credit for their work.
Jensen Ackles.
You probably know him as Dean Winchester from CW’s Supernatural . Over the past decade, Jensen has amassed a cult-like following but remains largely unknown in A-list circles.
Jensen has an incredible acting range and hopefully, more people will begin to see it, now that Supernatural is finished.
Maisie Williams.
Watching the progression of Arya Stark on Game of Thrones was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the show.
Maisie has proven that she’s a formidable actress, earning two Emmy nominations over the course of the series’ run.
Michael Fassbender.
Among the X-Men alums who don’t get the respect they deserve, Michael Fassbender is on my shortlist for Best Actor Alive.
He may be Magneto to you, but to me, he will always be the Thane of Glamis, MacBeth .
Sebastian Stan.
Sure, he is a Marvel star, so his name seemingly is plastered everywhere, but that doesn’t mean he gets the respect he deserves.
His performance in I, Tonya was overlooked by a mile, as are most of his performances in his smaller indie movies.
Constance Wu.
While everyone was busy marveling at Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers (which, don’t get me wrong, they should have), people also seemed to overlook the acting that Constance Wu presented us with.
She was ASTONISHING! Where was her award?
Zachary Levi.
I have to give credit where credit is due.
If you’d told me ten years ago that the guy who played Chuck would one day go on to become Billy Batson in Shazam! – I would have thought you crazy.
Michael Shannon.
Michael Shannon is one of the greatest character actors to come out of Hollywood in the past 20 years.
After his incredible work in The Shape of Water , as well as Nocturnal Animals , Michael is finally beginning to get some of the accolades he deserves.
Adam Devine.
Sure, you might recognize Adam from his roles in Pitch Perfect or even Modern Family . But if you don’t know him from his days on Workaholics , then you truly don’t know him at all.
Adam wrote, produced, as well as starred in the show.
Ana Taylor-Joy.
Split is one of the greatest films, and that’s that. Yes, James McAvoy carries the bulk of the load, but Ana Taylor-Joy’s effort can’t be forgotten.
The young actress is also spellbinding as Thomasin in The Witch .
Donald Glover.
Let’s set the record straight: I’m not talking about Childish Gambino. I mean Donald Glover, the actor.
Donald helped make Community one of the greatest television shows of all time. If you still haven’t seen Atlanta , stop reading this and go watch it.
Taron Egerton.
There aren’t many musicians, let alone actors, who could do Elton John justice. But Taron Egerton doesn’t just meet expectations in Rocketman , he blasts them into the stratosphere.
” Someone Saved My Life Tonight ,” and his name is Taron Egerton.
Martin Starr.
I’ve been following Martin Starr for his entire career. The comedian has become known for his incredibly dry, sarcastic sense of humor.
He’s largely known for his role on Silicon Valley but I still love him as Bill Haverchuk from Freaks and Geeks .
Theo Vonn.
Theo is one of the funniest, most intelligent comedians out there. He reminds me of a young Mitch Hedburg .
You’ve probably caught wind of Theo’s Netflix special No Offense , but the real gold can be found on his podcast This Past Weekend .
Sam Rockwell.
I mean, no offense whatsoever to Parasite , it was a great film. But in my opinion, the Best Picture of 2019 was JoJo Rabbit . As always, Sam Rockwell shines bright.
But in order to really see Sam at his best, you absolutely have to check out Moon .
James McAvoy.
I don’t care what anyone says: Split was a good movie. What really stands out is James McAvoy’s ability to switch in and out of characters in a flash.
He also makes an absolutely incredible Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class .
Emmy Rossum.
The fact that Emmy Rossum was never once nominated for an Emmy is a travesty. Her role as Fiona Gallagher on Shameless was one of the greatest television acting performances I’ve ever seen.
Southside for life.
Rami Malek.
Rami Malek may have won an Academy Award for his performance in Bohemian Rhapsody , but that doesn’t mean people know more than that about him.
His acting skills are amongst some of the best in Hollywod. Mr. Robot and Papillon prove that.
Jake Gyllenhaal.
While he got tons of recognition for Brokeback Mountain and Bubble Boy , it seems that, for the most part, that is all people remember him for.
All of his movies are worth watching thanks to his incredible acting. In fact, he should have shot to the top of the A-list just with Nightcrawler .
Robert Pattinson.
Robert Pattinson is probably THE most underrated actor in Hollywood.
Though he rocketed to stardom thanks to Harry Potter and Twilight , his smaller films, like Good Time and The Lighthouse are definitely high quality cinema.
He is an Oscar-worthy actor.
Sophie Turner.
Sophie Turner’s progression through Game of Thrones is exactly the kind of acting journey I love to watch.
While she may not be the top actress in Hollywood, her ability to turn her emotions off and on so quickly during her development as Sansa was so satisfying to watch.
Oscar Isaac.
Oscar Isaac, though he has dozens upon dozens of films and plays under his belt, is still living in the realm of underappreciated actors.
He has the ability to completely disappear into his role, losing himself completely, and taking us with him on complex and interesting character journeys.
Chris Pine.
There are a lot of famous Chrises in Hollywood, but one of the best is none other than Chris Pine.
He is majestic and subtle in his acting, which definitely makes him one of the best. Watch Outlaw King on Netflix to see exactly what I mean.
Hugh Jackman.
Okay, yes, we KNOW Hugh Jackman is an A-lister. But in the celebrity world, being an A-lister doesn’t always mean you’re talented, it just means you are popular.
Jackman has outdone himself numerous times in film, and fans thought he was robbed of an Oscar for his role in Les Misérables .
Taraji P. Henson.
Taraji P. Henson has won some awards, don’t get me wrong, and a lot of people love her.
But Hollywood needs to shine a brighter light on her brilliant performances that she pours her heart and soul into every time.
Dafne Keen.
Here’s a thought: instead of recasting Wolverine with a new actor for whatever future X-Men movie that is bound to happen, give a new story for Dafne Keen who blew us away in Logan .
With barely any dialogue she stunned viewers. She definitely deserves her own spin off.
Michael B. Jordan.
For his role as Killmonger alone in Black Panther , Jordan should have directors lining up to want to work with him to play both villains and heroes.
Even in his films that weren’t hits, like Fantastic Four , his performance is so good that it’s worth watching the movie.
Taika Waititi.
Again, awards don’t always go to the people who really deserve them. But when Taika Waititi got it for JoJo Rabbit , it was well deserved.
But people were still saying “Who’s that?” And that alone means that this man deserves way more recognition for the work he is doing.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems to always be walking that line of A-list and B-list actor, not for his abilities, but for his popularity.
Everyone seems to know who he is, but not enough people give him the praise he deserves for his movies ( Inception , anyone?).
Charlie Hunnam.
The star of Sons of Anarchy is slowly but surely making his way through the movie business with very good films under his belt.
And although not all of them are successes in numbers, his performances are always something that are talked about.
Mackenzie Davis.
This rising Canadian actress should have already been amongst the risen thanks to her performance in these hit films: Smashed , Breathe In , That Awkward Moment , The Martian , Blade Runner 2049 , and The F Word .
Where’s the justice?
Tom Ellis.
Another CW star, Tom Ellis of Lucifer is another actor who is on the small screen, but that doesn’t mean his performances aren’t big.
He makes us laugh, cry, and get angry alongside him. We love to watch him come alive!
