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Surprisingly good actors.

174 replies

WhatamessIgotinto · 08/06/2016 23:24

John Travolta
Bradley Walsh
Bonnie Langford

Now don't laugh! Sometimes you see someone from when you were much younger and then realise that they are REALLY bloody good actors. What would be your nominations?

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 09/06/2016 10:22

I love What's Up Doc? EnthusiasmDisturbed. And Barbra is very beautiful in it as well as being very funny. So is Ryan O'Neal who's really underrated.

MadHattersWineParty · 09/06/2016 10:32

Owen Wilson.

I wish he'd do something a bit gritty. I think he's fab. He has such great comic timing.

Jennifer Aniston easily the best actor to come out of friends.

Felicity Jones. Been on the British film scene for yonks and she's so underrated.

LurkingHusband · 09/06/2016 10:39

Steve busemi is my favourite underrated actor.

Amazing in "Boardwalk Empire"

dustarr73 · 09/06/2016 10:39

I think Ben Stiller ,Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd would be fantastic in a gritty role.They have got a bit samey.

redexpat · 09/06/2016 10:40

Maggie Smith.
Olivia Coleman.
Judi Dench. Chilling in notes on a scandal.
Ralph Feinnes. Thoroughly believable in every role. The way he moved as voldemort was simply superb.

Also the late great Alan Rickman.

beckythemasterbaker · 09/06/2016 10:44

World War Z is Brad Pitts best film IMO. That is one of he worst movies ever made.

gingerboy1912 · 09/06/2016 10:45

Brad Pitt in 'Burn after Reading' was very so funny I didn't realise until then how good he was at being a nerdy funny character.

beckythemasterbaker · 09/06/2016 10:52

*Yes Hugh Grant

He is a chameleon really isn't it? He's mostly known for Wolverine which he fits to a T but I saw him in Austrailia and I never would have guessed. He was completely different.*

I don't know why I found this very funny even though unknown that it was an auto correct fail. It's the image of h-grant as wolverine. Grinthank you for this.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 09/06/2016 10:52

Richard Gere can be surprisingly menacing

whitershadeofpale · 09/06/2016 10:57

Dolly Parton sass a great comedic actress.

redexpat · 09/06/2016 10:58

Omg YES to Brad Pitt in burn after reading.

DaleMaily · 09/06/2016 11:00

I don't know if he's underrated, but I'm loving watching Peter Mullan in Mum. He's so often the hard-as-nails Glaswegian and here he's taken the piss out of for being sensitive/boring and is majorly in love with the main character, which isn't reciprocated. It's really lovely.

ISpeakJive · 09/06/2016 11:01

Gary Oldman! Has had many different roles and he always gets it right. Love him!

beckythemasterbaker · 09/06/2016 11:07

Yes! Marian Carey in Precious! Why has she never pursued that? Her performance was jaw-dropping.

She has done about three movies. Precious was the second. The third one is the butler.

Jennifer Aniston easily the best actor to come out of friends.
I disagree. Mathew Perry is. Have you watch the whole nine and ten yards with Bruce Willis or the movie he did with Salma Hayek (fools rush in) It's incredible. Funny yet very serious. My favourite of his is the one where he finds his wife sleeping with another man and he goes on crime spree. Fantastic movie. Captivating with excellent acting.

BeautyGoesToBenidorm · 09/06/2016 11:16

Leo DiCaprio is an astonishing actor, but I keep hearing that he's an astonishing arsehole to women too, so that taints it a bit for me.

Yes to Pauline Quirke, especially in The Sculptress and Broadchurch. In a similar vein, Matthew Kelly is brilliant too.

I'm a bit in love with Stephen Dillane at the moment. Loved him in GoT and The Tunnel. Wonderful actor and very very sexy. And yes to Jerome Flynn!

Hugh Jackman is a DREADFUL actor. Never more so than in Chappie - I don't know what the fuck was going on there, but he was awful.

Twinkie1 · 09/06/2016 11:25

Sarah Lancashire is excellent in everything she does. That bloke in happy valley who played the nutter was also bloody brilliant.

I luffs Liam Neeson too, he's fantastic in everything and pretty damn hot for an old fella.

ShowOfHands · 09/06/2016 11:33

Olivia Colman is SUPERB.

squoosh · 09/06/2016 11:58

Yes to Bradley Walsh. That was quite the surprise!

And a big YES to Jerome Flynn. His work in Ripper Street was some of the best acting I've ever seen.

squoosh · 09/06/2016 11:59

Robson Green is a still mediocre at best though.

YvaineStormhold · 09/06/2016 12:20

I saw Tom Jones in a BBC4 play a few years back.

He was excellent.

NeedACleverNN · 09/06/2016 12:24

Well I'm glad I made someone laugh anyway Grin

SapphireStrange · 09/06/2016 12:26

Ralph Fiennes in recent funny roles (Grand Budapest Hotel, Hail Caesar!)

I usually think he's a bit pompous, in serious roles, but he is a revelation in these two.

Not really 'surprising' as much as 'should be more famous/get more work', but Claire Foy (Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall) is exceptional IMO.

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 09/06/2016 12:40

No its not quite Hollywood but I always think Jay in Eastenders is a really good actor!!

Leo DeCaprio is so good, in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape he is outstanding.

I always think Reece Wetherspoon is a better than expected actress, in Walk the Line she is so believable.

squoosh · 09/06/2016 12:42

So many of the people mentioned on this thread are Oscar winners. Hardly qualify for the 'surprisingly good actor' status.

ByTheNine · 09/06/2016 12:44

True Detective series 2 was a bit shit but there was a scene where Colin Farrell was slumped at a bar table and the expression on his face just about broke my heart. I'd only seen him in crap action movies before but he was awesomely good in that.