Unpopular actors you like

Who are some unpopular actors that you actually like? Well, they don't have to be very unpopular, or they could have been popular at some point yet have "went downhill" to most others. Here's three actors that come to mind, maybe I'll think of more later.

Joaquin Phoenix: I think the I'm Still Here rapper/beard thing made him somewhat unpopular with the media and public these days, but since his role in Gladiator (and especially Walk the Line), I've always considered him one of my favorite modern actors.

Brendan Fraser: He seems like a nice guy off-set, and there are movies of his that I've enjoyed. Mainly The Mummy series, but I also didn't think Journey to the Center of the Earth was bad either. Then there's Crash, Encino Man, and his appearance in Scrubs that come to mind. His movies are usually fun to watch, at least.

George Lazenby: James Bond, but only once. I get the impression that he's not a very popular actor by any means, except by his fans or James Bond aficionados. I liked him in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he did a good job as James Bond. I think he had something that Sean Connery was lacking by that point, energy and enthusiasm about his role, and he should have been the one to star in Diamonds are Forever. I liked Roger Moore after Connery, too.

Mel Gibson

I agree on Dalton, I think he has been good in everything he's in. I also think Liev Schreiber is horribly underrated as an actor, his acting style is identical to Tom Hanks (seriously, identical) and yet, he is completely unappreciated, and in mostly mediocre films.

And Bruce Campbell can't count because he's got a cult-following, but he isn't that mainstream, so Bruce Campbell.

Let's see, quite a few that could be mentioned here.

Tim Curry: Great guy, good actor mostly cast in smaller roles it seems, but he plays them well. He just doesnt seem that popular despite all that though.

James Franco: He acts his roles well, and I can really identify with him since he looks rather similar to me. I really want to see his James Dean movie sometimes. (who I have also been compared to on occasion)

Willem Dafoe: Another great actor who definatly should have won an oscar by now. I really like the more artistic actors like him that show great diversity and show up in all kinds of roles or movies because it interests them.

Unpopular nowadays is Joe Pesci. I really liked him as a maffia hitman (Goodfellas, Casino) and for a few years he doesn't get many films...

I really liked John Lithgow as a badguy in the 80's and 90's, but don't remember him starring in movies lately. He could sure do a few films (I think he is doing TV shows so still active)

A good candidate would be to give a main role to John Torturro, who was awesome whereever I saw him, but always gets a small role.

Originally Posted by shikaka

A good candidate would be to give a main role to John Torturro, who was awesome whereever I saw him, but always gets a small role.

have you not seen Barton Fink? (John Turturro starred). I only ever notice him in Cohen Brothers films (apart from Heat), and he always gives a standout performance. He was great in O Brother Where Art Thou. But even in small roles he can do amazing things. For example in The Big Lebowski:

Originally Posted by Juvenal

have you not seen Barton Fink? (John Turturro starred). I only ever notice him in Cohen Brothers films (apart from Heat), and he always gives a standout performance. He was great in O Brother Where Art Thou. But even in small roles he can do amazing things. For example in The Big Lebowski:

I saw him in 'O brother' and also 'The Big Lebowski'. I also remember his John Shooter (Secret Window) character.
He actually has quite a few movies, but I still think that he doesn't get the attention he deserves.

Originally Posted by Gaidin

As for mine. I don't think you can say he's unpopular, but I think he's underused in major projects for all that he's got fifty-odd projects pending: Tom Sizemore. Reminds you a little of Michael Madsen like that that actually.

Sizemore has quite a few memorable characters. I really like him as Blackburn (IIRC) in Black Hawk Down, and as Scagnatti (Natural born killers).

He has quite a few movies, but very few large ones, it's a pity...

Originally Posted by shikaka

Unpopular nowadays is Joe Pesci. I really liked him as a maffia hitman (Goodfellas, Casino) and for a few years he doesn't get many films...

Joe Pesci is the ultimate mafia guy.

Originally Posted by shikaka

Unpopular nowadays is Joe Pesci. I really liked him as a maffia hitman (Goodfellas, Casino) and for a few years he doesn't get many films...

Joe Pesci actually did a temporary retirement if you're wondering why he didn't get anything more than a cameo in The Good Shepard for the 1999-2009 decade.

As for mine. I don't think you can say he's unpopular, but I think he's underused in major projects for all that he's got fifty-odd projects pending: Tom Sizemore. Reminds you a little of Michael Madsen like that that actually.

Originally Posted by Gaidin

Joe Pesci actually did a temporary retirement if you're wondering why he didn't get anything more than a cameo in The Good Shepard for the 1999-2009 decade.

As for mine. I don't think you can say he's unpopular, but I think he's underused in major projects for all that he's got fifty-odd projects pending: Tom Sizemore. Reminds you a little of Michael Madsen like that that actually.

He fell out of popularity because he's a woman beater if I remember right.

Nicolas Cage.

Keanu Reeves. I really don't know why I like him, but he's awesome.

Originally Posted by Inhuman One

Willem Dafoe: Another great actor who definatly should have won an oscar by now. I really like the more artistic actors like him that show great diversity and show up in all kinds of roles or movies because it interests them.

Hell dude, his role in Boondock Saints was deplorably underrated.

I'd say Heath Ledger. It seems people dislike him because he was the "talk of the town" or w/e, and contrarians just despise him now, but what a damn fine actor. R.I.P.

Christian Bale is my favorite actor as well and he's taken some flak for his personal life/freakouts, but he's maybe not unpopular, per se.

Originally Posted by Inhuman One

James Franco: He acts his roles well, and I can really identify with him since he looks rather similar to me. I really want to see his James Dean movie sometimes. (who I have also been compared to on occasion)

.

I'd hardly qualify James Franco as unpopular.

Originally Posted by Aetius

Daniel Day-Lewis

again, not someone most people would call "unpopular"

Maybe the OP should clarify what he means by unpopular.

Michael Madsen you just can't get any cooler than him

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

Michael Madsen you just can't get any cooler than him

Very true. And it's quite sad that he usually gets only second rate films...

Originally Posted by Vic Vega

Michael Madsen you just can't get any cooler than him

This. The guy is a bad ass.

Oh, and I like Mel Gibson. If you can ignore what he does with his personal life, the man is a hell of an actor.

the guy who played batiatus in spartacus. i absolutely deplored him as an actor as id seen a few other british productions with him in it. but now after watching spartacus 1 and 2 i actually like him due to the awesome work he did as batiatus

Originally Posted by Don Of Atheos

the guy who played batiatus in spartacus. i absolutely deplored him as an actor as id seen a few other british productions with him in it. but now after watching spartacus 1 and 2 i actually like him due to the awesome work he did as batiatus

How was John "By Jupiters Cock" Hannah unpopular again? He is basically the Ari Gold of Spartacus. A genuine breakout character.

Originally Posted by Eirmar

How was John "By Jupiters Cock" Hannah unpopular again? He is basically the Ari Gold of Spartacus. A genuine breakout character.

he certainly wasnt popular before his role in spartacus. particuarly in australia. perhaps if you read my post again you will see what ive written is pretty much what you just wrote in your last sentence.


@keanu reeves pic

thats probably the closest expression to a smile ive seen keanu have since bill and ted