The Most Underrated Actors

In the winter we talk about the best actors from the previous year, but it’s summertime and I’d like to share with you those who I believe don’t get enough recognition for their efforts:

Rachel McAdams — On one hand, McAdams gets plenty of attention. She has been nominated for one Oscar (supporting actress in

, 2015) and isn’t exactly hurting for work. However, she has proven she can excel in just about any genre including comedy, which is no small feat. She supports her fellow cast members well, but I think there needs to be more movies made with her as the lead.

Paul Giamatti — There is simply not enough talk about how good this guy is. I could go on with great movies that wouldn’t be the same without him in them.

Ed Harris — Those who enjoyed and know just how compelling Ed Harris is. He makes you forget that what you’re watching is real, maybe better than anyone in the business..

Toni Collette — She is in

movies and TV shows and has such a unique look, but still she seems to be forgotten when people talk about great actresses. My favourite performance of hers is the crazy mom in , though the diverse collection of roles she has played to perfection is endless. I’d put her range against even Gary Oldman.

Michael Shannon — Though I liked him in , I have to admit that at the time that the movie was in Oscar contention, I wondered why everyone was making such a big deal about him. Then I watched on Netflix. Wow. I could sit and listen to him talk, let alone watch him act, for hours. His ability is hypnotic.

Adam Sandler — He’s proved himself with and but he’s always pegged as either a bad actor or as a guy who makes bad movies. In his defense, he’s making what he wants to make. And maybe his percentage is a bit off, but lets not forget that (and maybe even ) are all pretty darn entertaining movies.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson —

did to both of these actors what did to Leo DiCaprio. No one seemed to take either serious afterward. But their situation is worse because they were contracted to make a series of these movies. And that’s a shame because these two are actually really good! Both have proven themselves since (e.g. etc.), but people still tend to write them off when they come out with a new movie.

The reason I chose to write about this is that lately I’ve felt like I’ve been failing. I’m sure you’re familiar with the feeling where you keep thinking, “Man, what is wrong with me??” Whether it’s a job that went south, a good habit I failed to make into a habit, or a physical malady keeps coming back because you weren’t giving it the attention it needs (like a bad back), it’s easy to feel like these things are markers for failure instead of simply being the kinds of things we all face. And it’s good to remember that even those who are successful have their failures can be overlooked.

Besides, this week’s movie was so bad it’s considered among the worst movies ever made by movie fans all over the world. And it made over $65M worldwide!!

Congratulations This is your week.

Best Actress:

Jennifer Coolidge as White Bitch in .

Best Actor: David Carradine as Museum Curator in

Best Quote: “Idiot! Hell no I won’t marry you! Gosh! What would you do if you were in a situation like this? Gosh! Gosh! Gosh! Gosh!” — Josh Myers as Napoleon Dynamite in

Oh, and today was a good day. I was struggling with a particular repair only to go back to it today and nail it. Felt so good.