I come at this topic from three viewpoints: One, as a fellow actor - I admire technique and skill in many actors out there, but am frustrated when I see someone great relegated to secondary and/or mediocre roles...Two, as a writer - many actors can live in a writer's dialogue as if it were their own - they probably wouldn't be working at all if they didn't have that skill - but there are a few out there who can really inject their own unique spin (verbally or otherwise) without overdoing it or simply ad-libbing...Three, as a rabid movie fanatic - sometimes you see a movie, and there's someone in there that you just absolutely love and can't understand why in the name of God they haven't won a major award or graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly.
With all that in mind, here are my nominees for the Top Actors Whose Names You Don't Know But Should (sorry, all you David Tomlinson fans, but I'm staying away from the classics and sticking to more current actors for the sake of the less-obsessive readers)...
6.) Joe Morton. Take it from someone who saw him on Broadway ('Art') - the man can act the pants off of any role out there. He's a quiet genius whose 40+ year career has spanned film, TV, and stage - and yet I bet you're thinking, 'Joe Whosit?' Think back to one of the coolest death scenes of all time, as the scientist who birthed the technology that led to killer robots swarming the Earth sacrifices himself in an attempt at atonement ('Terminator 2: Judgement Day'), and there you have it: Joe Morton, brilliant and totally under-appreciated actor.
MUST WATCH: 'Terminator 2,' 'Speed,' Sci-Fi Channel's 'Eureka'
5.) Justin Long. Okay, okay, so it's not like he's hurting for roles, and he's certainly done some high-profile stuff ('Live Free or Die Hard' anyone?), but as he's having trouble making the jump from young adult comedies into more grown-up fare, I had to include him. I knew the moment I saw him in 'Galaxy Quest' that he could be a huge star - the dude is genuinely funny, and is one of the better physical comedians out there right now (remember him getting knocked out with a wrench in 'Dodgeball?' I nearly wet myself.). But for some reason, he seems to be stuck with either teen comedies or small, goofy roles in larger but not necessarily better films. Maybe a supporting dramatic role in a hefty adult drama could help him make him the household name he deserves to be.
MUST WATCH: 'Galaxy Quest,' 'Dodgeball,' 'Idiocracy'
4.) John Michael Higgins. I guarantee you know his face, so why not his name? An absolutely brilliant comedian who steals every scene he's in (he's the one who sings 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' to Vince Vaughn in 'The Break Up,' remember - it was the highlight of both the trailer AND the film), he certainly deserves better than a supporting role on a critically reviled sitcom ('Kath and Kim'). And anyone who's a fan of the phenomenal Christopher Guest movies can tell you that J.M.H. is one of the funniest human beings alive.
MUST WATCH: 'The Late Shift,' 'Best in Show,' 'A Mighty Wind'
3.) Melanie Lynskey. Waaay back in 1994, there was a little drama called 'Heavenly Creatures,' starring an unknown actress named Kate Winslet and directed by some dude named Peter Jackson. But while Kate & Pete went on to uber-success, poor Melanie Lynskey had to fight her way up the Hollywood ladder, playing countless best friends, sisters, and women who would bring their baby to a bar ('Sweet Home Alabama'). And like John Michael Higgins, she's now stuck in humorless sitcom hell ('Two and a Half Men'). Save her, Hollywood!! She's a wonderful actress who could totally headline a rom-com.
MUST WATCH: 'Heavenly Creatures,' 'Ever After,' 'Sweet Home Alabama'
2.) Nathan Fillion. Even dudes wonder why this guy isn't a movie star. Sure, he's good looking, sure he's got that Harrison Ford rogue-with-a-heart thing down pat, sure he's a great actor, but he's also one of those guys who looks equally at home in drama ('Saving Private Ryan'), comedy ('Slither'), and even action ('Serenity'). He's got that elusive X Factor that makes guys want to be him and women want to be with him - so why is 'White Noise 2' on his resume??? Someone needs to find this guy his romantic-comedy-action franchise, fast.
MUST WATCH: 'Slither,' 'Waitress,' 'Serenity'
1.) Lizzy Caplan. One of my favorite actresses out there right now, and yet nobody knows who she is. Which sucks. As the sarcastic-but-still-a-nice-girl Marlena, she was the best part of 'Cloverfield.' (Remember the line, "I'm, like, feeling something - are you aware of Garfield?" Brilliant.) She's not your typical beauty, but that just makes me love her all the more. She's actually witty, which is why her not getting starring roles when people like Malin Ackerman and Katherine Heigl are being touted as comedic geniuses is totally, totally indicative of the unfairness of the Hollywood machine. Man up, Hollywood.
MUST WATCH: 'Mean Girls,' 'Cloverfield,' HBO's 'True Blood'
