TOP FIVE BADASSES WHO DON'T KNOW IT
This is a quick and dirty list of a few actors I don't think get enough recognition for being downright awesome. These are people who for years have been skipped over, making maybe one or two really "big time" movies and then falling into dust for no good reason whatsoever. In no particular order, I give you a couple names I feel everyone should know better.
1. Michael Madsen.
"You gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
Why we love him: his ability to be ruthless and sadistic while wearing those puppy eyes.
Classics: The ear slice from Reservoir Dogs (1992), the proposal from Thelma & Louise (1991), the tits full of rocksalt in Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004).
Where's he at?: The made-for-tv lifetime movie, Christmas Crash (2009)? Really? Is everyone so afraid he'll cut into them if they try to film with him? The last remotely badass role of his was voicing the wolf Maugrim in Chronicles Of Narnia (2005). C'mon.
2. Tim Roth.
"The point of the story isn't the little girl, the point of the story is they robbed a bank with a telephone."
Why we love him: his devilish smile, his British accent, his professional acting skills.
Classics: Imagonnadie! in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pumpkin at the diner in Pulp Fiction (1994), the sound of his suffering in Funny Games (2007).
Where's he at?: Currently staring in the constantly-on-the-verge-of-being-cancelled tv show Lie To Me. I am actually one of the few who watch the show and enjoy it, but I can still recognize that he deserves better than his lot in cinema. Instead, it seems he'll go down in history as that guy who's face you see everywhere, but you can never quite place.
Where's he at?: Currently staring in the constantly-on-the-verge-of-being-cancelled tv show Lie To Me. I am actually one of the few who watch the show and enjoy it, but I can still recognize that he deserves better than his lot in cinema. Instead, it seems he'll go down in history as that guy who's face you see everywhere, but you can never quite place.
3. Summer Glau.
"Please, God, make me a stone."
"Please, God, make me a stone."
Why we love her: her badass gymnastics, the fact that she looks absolutely lethal with a gun, her crazy.
Classics: her behind-the-pole kick in Serenity (2005), her epic awesomeness in Firefly (2002-3), apparently Dollhouse (2009-10)--though I wouldn't be able to vogue for that.
Where she at?: TV, generally. Which is fine, since that seems to be where she wants to be, but she should still have directors knocking down her door. Plus, she had an unfortunate stint with The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). She can do better than that.
Classics: her behind-the-pole kick in Serenity (2005), her epic awesomeness in Firefly (2002-3), apparently Dollhouse (2009-10)--though I wouldn't be able to vogue for that.
Where she at?: TV, generally. Which is fine, since that seems to be where she wants to be, but she should still have directors knocking down her door. Plus, she had an unfortunate stint with The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). She can do better than that.
4. Peter Greene.
"Ice this deadbeat!"
Why we love him: I'll admit this is a little personal vendetta of mine. But I loved him in The Mask, which I saw way too many times as a kid, and he was always the ultimate bad guy in my head. And then I saw him in The Bounty Hunter and knew I had to get revenge for this atrocity on his career.
Classics: Dorian's growl in The Mask (1994), Zed the rapist from Pulp Fiction (1994).
Where's he at?: The Bounty Hunter (2010). Unfortunately.
5. Norman Reedus.
"And we will send you to whatever god you wish."
Why we love him: his ability to be both extremely sweet and a systematic assassin.
Classics: his terrifying bible recitations from The Boondock Saints (1999).
Where he at?: Let's face it. Most of the cast of Boondock Saints seems to have gotten shafted for no real reason except that they're all Irish or something. But he's currently in The Walking Dead, which you all know is massive cool points to me. Nonetheless, before that, he had credits that read like this: American Gangster (2007)--Detective in Morgue. Like our friend Tim Roth, he seems doomed to be another nameless face in the cinematic graveyard.
"And we will send you to whatever god you wish."
Classics: his terrifying bible recitations from The Boondock Saints (1999).
Where he at?: Let's face it. Most of the cast of Boondock Saints seems to have gotten shafted for no real reason except that they're all Irish or something. But he's currently in The Walking Dead, which you all know is massive cool points to me. Nonetheless, before that, he had credits that read like this: American Gangster (2007)--Detective in Morgue. Like our friend Tim Roth, he seems doomed to be another nameless face in the cinematic graveyard.
Honorable Mention: Tom Hardy
"You musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling."
Why we love him: his bod. His accent. His risky roles and ability to pull all of them off.
Classics: his muscles in Bronson (2008), his ambiguous sexuality in RocknRolla (2008), and his dreaminess in Inception (2010).
Where he at?: Tom Hardy would be on this list if Inception hadn't put him on the map. And his upcomings look good--he's even rumored for the next Batman, The Dark Knight Rises (2010). Congratulations, Tom Hardy, I don't think you're going to leave the public eye for a good long time.
That's my list, filled with personal quarrels with the movie industry. Anyone here already too big for their britches? What're some other actors who are consistently pushed out of the spotlight?
How have I not seen this list yet??
ReplyDeleteYou know you and I have a longass list of underrated actors. I mean, we're practically adding every day. We see a movie, then it's like, "Why the HELL haven't I heard of this guy/girl before??"
So I won't be adding an actor to this list (it'd take to fucking long). I WILL however add another reason we love Tom Hardy. Just throwing this out there.
The muscles in Bronson? Hells yeah. But the penis?? FUCK yeah. Homie walks around naked for, like, the whole second half of the movie.
It's not just that he's walking around, swinging to his knees. It's more about the fact that he's fearless enough of an actor to put his "junk" out there. Good for him.
Hardy indeed.
Underrated actors, unfortunately, seem to really come out of the woodwork! And there is never a wrong time to wax poetic on Tom Hardy's great dick...er...acting skills. But that definitely take balls...I mean...spunk...uh...testicular fortitude...um...courage to pull off a move like that. The only other male actor I know who isn't afraid to let it all loose is Ewan McGregor (see: Velvet Goldmine and Trainspotting), bless his little--bless his heart.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the main characters in The Boondock Saints are really Irish. I thought they were, but I read somewhere that they (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) were American.
ReplyDeleteYou've got me there, I wasn't even thinking about it and your comment prompted me to look it up. Sean Patrick Flanery is apparently as American as you can get--he was raised in good ol' Texas. Props to all those boys for their accents! Yet another reason why he's an damn underrated actor.
ReplyDelete