Who made your Top 3?
Lately, I’ve been on a classic rock jag. I listen a radio station that fills my need for earthy 70s rock and other staples. I’ve really been feeling Bad Company and Foreigner. With that said, a local deejay is compiling a list of the most over-hyped rock bands/singers or the most underrated. I immediately thought of Pink Floyd and Judas Priest as overrated and Journey and Heart as underrated. I was intrigued by the idea.
Then it came to me. Why not apply this to actors? You already know my theory about movie stars vs. actors and the invention of the funky hybrid. This is an important question. The Hollywood star-making machine is a strong adversary. It can make movie stars out of anyone. People are stripped of their real names, dyed to perfection, molded into a matinee idol and plucked into an important film with major film stars.
Here are my picks for overrated actors:
Jennifer Anniston
No surprises here. I just don’t get he appeal. She’s not especially gifted as an actor or transcendent in her beauty. I don’t understand why she continues to get film work. She was bearable on the little screen but is dwarfed in motion pictures.
Tom Cruise
You know he is the bee in my bonnet. He plays the same character in every movie. The cocky guy who goes through something traumatic and is humbled and changed by the experience. With the exception of Magnolia, he is hyped beyond belief.
Lindsey Lohan
Does this girl even act anymore? I liked Mean Girls and thought her performance showed great promise but her private life has overshadowed her acting career, which is a waste. Young girls need someone to look up to. Who in the young guard is going to inspire teenage girls?
These actors are totally underrated:
Hugh Laurie
He is so unbelievably good in House. He’s crafted a complex character that could have easily been unlikable but you love him. He’s the Archie Bunker for the new millennium. While considered a drama, House plays like a comedy. He flirts with comedy and drama while outlining an original character.
Rachel McAdams
This starlet is definitely on the rise. She has that likable quality that makes her feel like your best friend. Kinda like a young Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts. The chemistry with her male co-stars in undeniable. Her beau Ryan Gosling is another underrated soul though his Oscar nom gives him more cred.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
She’s a cult favorite but has yet to really make it into mainstream movies and maybe that’s a blessing. Rumor has it she’ll fill the Katie Holmes void in the next Batman movie. She brings a grit and intelligence to her roles. I admire that indie streak that keeps her interesting. I also dig her partner Peter Sarsgaard.
Who do you think are the top 3 overrated and underrated actors?
Labels: overhyped actors, underrated actors
posted by Pop Culture Diva @ 3/16/2007
2 Comments:
You know how I feel about Matthew McConaughey, Diva. Nuff said.
Okay,let's start with the overrated:
1)Robert Redford: There,I said it. I know all about the big time movies he's done over the decades but he don't impress me much(niether does Warren Beatty). He can act but I've never been moved or intrigued by any of his work. The only movie of his that he directed that I liked was Quiz Show. To me,he and Beatty are both just a couple of aging pretty boys.
2)Parker Posey: She's a big indie film darling but in every thing I've ever seen her in,Parker plays the same annoying"oh,is the camera on?" girl all the time.
3)Orlando Bloom: He was fine as Legolas but boring in every other movie he's been since. The only time he comes to life on screen is when he uses a bow and arrow. Trust me,watch Troy and wait until the near end of the movie when he starts arrow slinging. It's the only time he kicks any ass in the whole movie.
Whew,okay-time for the underrated:
1)Samantha Morton: She's done alot of Brit flicks and BBC made for tv stuff but she has been in bigger movies accross the pond like Minority Report, Sweet and Lowdown and The Libertine. Morton's a wonderful character actress who lights up the screen.
2)Toni Collette: True,Collette's been in plenty of big films but does she get the awards and the kudos? Noooo!
3)Bruce Willis:"But he's a big star!" some will say. Yes,but he also takes chances that other movie stars don't,appearing in offbeat films like Pulp Fiction,Sin City and Grindhouse. Sure,he'll make another sequel to Die Hard or a routine thriller everynow and then(man's got kids and bills to pay after all) but he's smart enough to use that Everyman factor to keep getting work instead of coasting on his star appeal.
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