Actors With Potential Who Haven't Really Been Given A Chance Yet?

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 2/15/06 at 12:19am

This time three years ago, everyone had written Heath Ledger off as a talentless pretty boy. Now, he's the frontrunner for the Best Actor Oscar.

Which actors with potential today do you think will end up completely shocking us in future years?

[Pippin]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 6:00pm

Both Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling from the Notebook.

also, this little kid amazed me when I saw David Duchovny's film "house of D" his name is Anton Yelchin. he was the best part of the
film, and is heading for stardom.

[Patronus]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 6:07pm

This time three years ago, everyone had written Heath Ledger off as a talentless pretty boy. Now, he's the frontrunner for the Best Actor Oscar.

Did Philip Seymour Hoffman withdraw his name from consideration?

That'd be the only way that Heath Ledger would be "the frontrunner."

To answer the question, I think that Ryan Reynolds and Jena Malone both belong on that list. Updated On: 2/25/06 at 06:07 PM

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 6:11pm

I was going to say the same thing.

However, Heath is the one whose face is over everything and had the big page in EW Oscar Issue.

Jenna Malone, yes she's been in a lot of stuff, but still no one knows who she really is.

Anna Paquin, True she has the oscar she got when she was 11, but has she really got to show her stuff as a young woman?

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 6:12pm

I was thinking the same exact thing, Pat, vis-a-vis the Oscar.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 6:15pm

This time three years ago, everyone had written Heath Ledger off as a talentless pretty boy.

I clearly am not everybody. I have always thought Heath Ledger was a great talent who constantly picked awful material.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:07pm

Rachel McAdams, yes. Ryan Gosling, I don't know. He was a critics' darling for The Believer (and rightfully so), and he and Michael Pitt, if I'm not mistaken, were said to be the only good things about Murder By Numbers (rightfully so again). But he hasn't done a widely-seen mainstream role that's really shown audiences what he's capable of doing.

[MarkCohen]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 10:39pm

Joining in on the Jena Malone love.

[broadway86]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 2:15am

I think Lohan is a much better actress than people give her credit for. I loved her work in Mean Girls and I think we ALL adored her in The Parent Trap. I just hope she stops partying and concentrates on improving her craft.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 7:42am

I'd seen Ledger in a couple of things, and been unimpressed, and then I saw him in Brothers Grimm and thought he was bloody awful. I was amazed at how good he was in Brokeback Mountain.

I agree that Hoffman seems (alas) to be the frontrunner for the Oscar this year.

Actors who haven't been given a chance yet: there's a very fine comedienne named Jennifer Simard (I hope I spelled that right) who is one of the funniest actresses I've ever seen. I saw her in both Thing About Men and Forbidden Broadway, and she had me helpless with laughter in both. She really deserves, I think, to be much better known.

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 1:04pm

I think that (in the movie world) Hugh Jackman hasn't been given a chance to show how good an actor he is- he's just gotten superhero movies and romantic comedies.

I also agree with Heath Ledger- when I first heard that he was in Brokeback Mountain, I thought that he would ruin the movie.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 1:12pm

I was really happy that Rachel Weisz got critical notice for The Constant Gardener this year... up until now I think she's been quite underrated as an actress (although consistently being the best thing in bad movies didn't help).

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 1:16pm

I agree 100% with Rachel McAdams. Sure, she has been in Red Eye, The Notebook, and Mean Girls, but I doubt most people see her as a true Hollywood star yet. I think she's brilliant. Her roles have been so different and she's gone above and beyond on each one.

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 1:48pm

I wish that Judy Greer was given a role besides the "sidekick". I think that she is a very funny actor with great potential and I wish that she'll be given a starring role in a movie soon.

[LaVieHilary]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 1:58pm

I think that Jena Malone defidently could one day be an oscar nominee just given the right material, part and film.

Hugh Jackman, too. Being in the Boy from Oz I'm sure gave him some "cred" and maybe he will get offered more serious roles.

Ben Mckenzie from the OC was in JuneBug and I thought did a great job. He has really only acted in the OC and I would like to see him in some mor roles like June Bug

[Plum]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 3:08pm

I really like McAdams, but it's hard for me to say she hasn't been given a chance, because she's hardly one of those talented veterans who's been doing great in small roles forever. She's just starting out and she's on the rise. She'll do fine.

I didn't want to say Jackman becuase he just has been given his chance- The Fountain gets released this year, so we'll see how he does with it. I really do wish he'd get a good theater role outside of the R&H canon, though.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 4:21pm

I'd also like to toss in Will Arnett from Arrested Development. Every single syllable he utters is absolute hilarity. It's really rather incredible.

He has about 10 films currently lined up. Hopefully at least one of them will take advantage of his unbelievable gift.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/16/08 at 1:49am

Bump.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/16/08 at 4:39am

If I ever start going around bumping my own threads from a number of years ago, please verbally bitchslap me.