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38 Actors and Directors Who Never Quite Got the Appreciation They Deserved

They're the people's champions

38 Actors and Directors Who Never Quite Got the Appreciation They Deserved

April 15, 2024

The industry gave them a chance. They got their big break. But the people want more!

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38

Jharrel Jerome This young actor blew us away with his award-winning performance as Korey Wise in When They See Us. And sure, the reason Jerome might be underrated is because he's still up and coming, but we say watch this space. This guy's too good to forget. CRACKED.COM — Source

37

Michaela Watkins An SNL alumna, Watkins has played many supporting roles over the years, including a hilarious portrayal of a self-medicating wife in Wanderlust. But her relatively recent work as a lead character in Hulu's Casual showed the actress's ability to play natural and restrained characters really well, too. CRACKED.COM — Source

36

EL CA Miyavi C The Japanese musician's acting chops has been largely overlooked (perhaps because his biggest film Unbroken didn't really stick with audiences.) His portrayal of war criminal corporal Watanabe, however. was powerful and nuanced, and puts him right up there with the best-of-the-best onscreen villains. CRACKED.COM — Source

35

Gwendoline Christie Do we even need to say more here? The world collectively fell in love with Christie watching her incredible performance in Game of Thrones, and while she's been cast in Star Wars movies, we haven't really seen her face much. Which is a shame and quite frankly a disservice to society. CRACKED.COM — Source

34

Brendan Fraser BEE C The actor who became well-known for starring in action films like the The Mummy and George of the Jungle has at last returned to our screens, and it's great seeing him play some meatier roles like Robotman in Doom Patrol. But it was his portrayal of an abusive and creepy prison guard in The Affair that showed us just how versatile Fraser really is. We're totally here for the Brenaissance. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

Yvonne Orji The Nigerian-American actress is best known for her role in the critically-acclaimed series Insecure. The fact that Orji lights up the screen in every scene she's in (on top of the fact that she acts with nuance) makes it pretty criminal that we haven't seen her in much else, yet. CRACKED.COM — Source

32

Joel Kinnaman You might know the Swedish-American actor from 2014's Robocop or from shows like The Killing and Altered Carbon. Even though Kinnaman usually plays tough guys. he brings a lot of humanity to his hardass characters. Не also dominates on screen. We wouldn't mind seeing him in a franchise like John Wick, or even Star Wars. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

Ato Essandoh Не had a part in Jason Bourne, and some might remember him as the guy who got mauled by dogs in Django Unchained. But go watch his brief appearance as Commander Rambo in Blood Diamond again and you'll see just how versatile Essandoh really is. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

Creed Bratton Best known for playing a version of himself in The Office, Bratton has (in his own words) had the dubious honor of appearing in two Lindsay Lohan movies! He's also had parts in a couple of movies that no one really remembers, but we'd like nothing more than to enjoy his goofball antics in a big movie or TV show again. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

D'Arcy Carden While she's recently had a small part in Bombshell and a recurring role in Barry, Carden's acting in The Good Place has shown what a hilarious comedy actress she can be, given the opportunity. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Delroy Lindo Another actor with a long list of movies and TV shows, Lindo is not a name everyone might know, but should. He's been in three Spike Lee films (including Malcolm X). but his more recent work as a lead in the TV series The Good Fight shows what a strong and captivating performance the actor can deliver. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Lizzy Caplan From her emo-grunge character in Mean Girls to her enduring take on Virginia Johnson in Masters of Sex to her intense portrayal of Annie Wilkes in Castle Rock: Is there anything Caplan can't do? Because it sure doesn't seem like it. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Amber Stevens West The young actress showed she could hold her own in 2014's 22 Jump Street, and yet we haven't seen her in much. She's mostly been cast in sitcoms like The Carmichael Show, but it would be great to see her kill it on the big screen again. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

Paula Malcomson Some might recognize the Northern Irish actress from series like Deadwood and Sons of Anarchy. but it was her incredible portrayal as Abby Donovan in Showtime's Ray Donovan that bowled us over. More Malcomson, please. CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Michael Peña While the actor has featured in quite a few movies and TV shows recently, it was his performance in the Ant-Man movies that made us want to see him in everything now. He's hilarious without even trying. CRACKED.COM — Source

23

Josh Hartnett The man has a filmography list as long as he is tall, and yet the accolades seem to evade him. Не has an incredible emotional range, and can easily go from quirky. mischievous characters (Lucky Number Slevin) to deep, tragic portrayals (Penny Dreadful). Не might also be the most convincing modern actor to ever play a werewolf. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

Michael Hyatt The British-American actress gave a strong performance in HBO's crime drama The Wire, but Hyatt showed she's also quite comfortable doing comedy as a therapist in Crazy Ex- Girlfriend. She deserves more than just a string of guest appearances on TV shows (see her very un-updated Wikipedia page). CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Jena Malone While the actress received awards for her work back in the '90s in films like Stepmom. she's been largely overlooked since. Pity, because not only is she a scene stealer, she might also be indie cinema's most versatile actress. Her ability to portray underlying female rage (The Hunger Games) is something we'd like to see more of. CRACKED.COM — Source

20

CRACKED.COM CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS JACK ARNOLD Arnold's later output is mostly mediocre (even though there's interesting stuff like 1959's western No Name on the Bullet). Still, his true legacy was making some of the best representatives of '50s American sci-fi: It Came From Outer Space, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Tarantula! and The Incredible Shrinking Man. — Source

19

CRACKED.COM THE MACHINIST UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS BRAD ANDERSON For a while now, Anderson has done quirky rom-coms like Next Stop Wonderland and Happy Accidents, but also intense genre flicks like Fractured, Stonehearst Asylum, and Transsiberian. Still, his true gems are the cult horror classic Session 9 and the psychological thriller The Machinist. Skinny Christian Bale? Yup, Anderson's the director behind the meme. — Source

18

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS WALTER HILL Hill is the modern action movie incarnate. Не wrote The Getaway, co-wrote Alien, and remained as a producer in the latter franchise, but has also directed such testosterone classics as The Warriors, Southern Comfort, 48 Hrs., Red Heat, Geronimo: An American Legend, and Wild Bill. His new film, 2022's Dead for a Dollar, looks like a return to classic Hill. THE WARRIORS CRACKED.COM — Source

17

BMW IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS WONG KAR-WAI Wong has dabbled in Hong Kong action and art house films - and they're usually one and the same. Even his lesser movies are interesting, but his classics should make everyone a fan: Chungking Express, Happy Together, In The Mood for Love, and 2046 (and The Grandmaster, for the martial arts enjoyer). CRACKED.COM — Source

16

MAY UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS LUCKY MCKEE While everybody was swooning for Amélie, horror buffs had their own messed-up manic pixie dream girl in 2002's May. The rest of McKee's horror output is just as fascinating: The Woods is a giallo homage, the upcoming Old Man looks intense, and his two Jack Ketchum adaptations, Red and The Woman, are horror treats. CRACKED.COM — Source

15

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS TAKESHI KITANO American fans might know Kitano from the iconic Battle Royale, or even Johnny Mnemonic and Ghost in the Shell, but he's actually a directing legend (and a gameshow host, but whatever). His later films are for fans only, but you can't go wrong with Zatoichi or A Scene at the Sea, or his crime masterpieces, Violent Сор, Sonatine, or Fireworks. ZATOICHI CRACKED.COM — Source

14

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS LYNNE RAMSAY While everybody was praising Joaquin Phoenix for Joker, movie buffs were still reeling from his performance in 2017's You Were Never Really Here. Ramsay's first film, 1999's Ratcatcher, was already a respected indie classic, 2002's Morvern Callar is a moody, haunting road movie-and then came her masterpiece, 2011's We Need to Talk About Kevin. CRACKED.COM — Source

13

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS MARY HARRON Harron's direction in American Psycho is just perfect, but she has also honed her intense feminist vision in her filmography: I Shot Andy Warhol is an indie staple, The Notorious Bettie Page a great biopic of the pin-up legend, her Charles Manson movie Charlie Says is psychologically haunting, and her upcoming film about Salvador Dalí should be fascinating. AMERICAN PSYCHO CRACKED.COM — Source

12

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS NICOLAS ROEG Starting under Roger Corman and in classy British films, Roeg's filmography was soon full of classics. The Man Who Fell to Earth is peak David Bowie, Bad Timing had non-linear narrative before it was cool, The Witches is the children's classic we all love, and Don't Look Now took a few decades, but is currently being reconsidered as a horror masterpiece. THE WITCHES CRACKED.COM — Source

11

CRACKED.COM 73 79 85 91 DOG DAY AFTERNOON UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS SIDNEY LUMET We all love Scorsese and Coppola, but Lumet's '70s output is just as iconic: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. Lumet also made almost classics like Fail Safe, Murder on the Orient Express, and his last film, 2007's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. The forgotten gem? 1965's The Pawnbroker. Oh, and he also directed 12 Angry Men. Come on. — Source

10

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS LUCRECIA MARTEL Wanna surprise that cute movie buff you have a crush on? Tell them you're super into Martel. The Swamp, The Holy Girl, The Headless Woman, and Zama are all masterpieces. Plus, she was offered the MCU's Black Widow, but turned it down because they wouldn't let her direct the action sequences. Yup, she's that cool. THE SWAMP CRACKED.COM — Source

9

CRACKED.COM THE SOUND OF MUSIC UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS ROBERT WISE Do kids these days know who Robert Wise was? We're just gonna let the list of bangers speak for itself. Ready? (Trust us: you're not ready). Wise directed The Day the Earth Stood Still, West Side Story, The Haunting, The Sound of Music, The Andromeda Strain, and friggin' Star Trek: The Motion Picture. See what we mean? STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE — Source

8

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS BARRY JENKINS Moonlight is absolutely essential, but Jenkins' few other movies are staggering as well. 2008's Medicine for Melancholy and 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk deserve a look, and Jenkins is now directing the Lion King prequel about Mufasa's early life. Considering the low bar set by the 2019 remake and Jenkins' own talent, it should be a fascinating story. MOONLIGHT CRACKED.COM — Source

7

CRACKED.COM THE PIANO TEACHER UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS MICHAEL HANEKE The original Funny Games is a rite of passage for Internet horror buffs, and Amour won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, so casual viewers might indeed know Haneke's work. Still, older movies like Benny's Video, The Piano Teacher, or Caché are all unsettling masterpieces as well. If you're into Cronenberg or Lynch, then Haneke is the next logical step. — Source

6

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS MARTIN McDONAGH Two words: In Bruges. McDonagh then used his classy playwright background to again explore the black comedy crime genre, and the result was the underrated Seven Psychopaths. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is interesting but politically misguided, but we still bet the In Bruges reunion, The Banshees of Inisheerin, will be amazing. IN BRUGES CRACKED.COM — Source

5

TOOTSIE UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS SYDNEY POLLACK Pollack helmed so many flicks that the classics get buried under the generic stuff. The former are all worth another look as Hollywood legends, though: They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, The Way We Were, The Yakuza, Three Days of the Condor, Tootsie, and The Firm. Legend even has it that he ghost-edited Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, which kinda makes sense. CRACKED.COM — Source

4

CRACKED.COM FIRST REFORMED UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS PAUL SCHRADER In some parallel dimension, Schrader is as respected as Martin Scorsese. Schrader wrote Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ, and has also directed cult classics like Hardcore, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Affliction, and Adam Resurrected. One of his latest films, 2017's First Reformed, is pretty much a masterpiece. — Source

3

CRACKED.COM B BLONDE UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS ANDREW DOMINIK While imperfect, Blonde is still close to the Marilyn Monroe-based work her complex inner life deserves. It's also a great showcase of Dominik's unique vision, as seen in his previous films: Chopper is an Australian classic, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a post-Malick wonder, and Killing Them Softly is a refreshing crime noir — Source

2

THE MASK OF ZORRO UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS MARTIN CAMPBELL In a sea of Bays and Snyders, Campbell truly knows how to direct action blockbusters. No Escape is fun, The Mask of Zorro is awesome, and The Foreigner is a great Jackie Chan drama. Не also brought gritty James Bond back from the campy trend twice, with 1995's Goldeneye and 2006's Casino Royale. CASINO ROYALE CRACKED.COM — Source

1

UNDERAPPRECIATED DIRECTORS MARIO BAVA Between Hitchcock and Argento, there's Bava. Kill, Baby, Kill and Shock are horror classics, Bay of Blood pretty much invented the slasher, and Blood and Black Lace perfected it four years before Halloween. You can even see Bava's evolution in his first and last films: 1960's Black Sunday is highly-styled gothic horror, and 1974's Rabid Dogs is a gritty crime drama. BLOOD AND BLACK LACE CRACKED.COM — Source

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