It’s no secret thatacting is difficult to break into. Furthermore, making it into Hollywood as an A-list actor or actress is even more challenging. Sometimes, all it takes is one great performance in the right movie for an actor’s career to take off orbe discovered as a childand progress through the industry from youth. Meanwhile, other actors grind away, turning in one stellar performance after another but never really reaching stardom. Some actors make the cut, while others sadly don’t.
Update August 14, 2025: This article has been updated with even more underrated performers who don’t get the credit they deserve.
Yet, this doesn’t mean that their performances go unnoticed. Just as there are tons ofunderrated televisionand a bevy ofunderrated filmsthat develop strong interest, there are also great underrated actors whom audiences root for. Today, we are taking a look at the most underrated working actors or actresses. These are the artists who brought tears to our eyes, laughter to our lips and inspired us by pouring their hearts into their roles. Here are the actors who have yet to receive the critical acclaim and praise they deserve from the mainstream populace at large.
15Selena Gomez
We know what you are thinking. How can a famous performer likeSelena Gomezbe underrated? Despite having such a large fanbase on social media, she does not quite get the credit she deserves for her work as an actor. While some might associate Gomez with her Disney Channel work onWizards of Waverly Place, not only was she good on that show, but has since shown her range as a performer. Most notably in the hit television showOnly Murders in the Building.
Related:Every Selena Gomez Movie, Ranked
Holding one’s own with Steve Martin and Martin Short is no easy task, but Gomez pulls it off effortlessly. Despite her incredible work, Gomez is often overlooked in terms of awards recognition for the series compared to her two co-stars. Some people still might not take her seriously, but Gomez is showing that she is becoming one of the best stars working today.
14Andy Serkis
This is a tough one– everyone knows Serkis' performance, but not too many of them know his name. PerhapsAndy Serkisfails to reach A-list status because we hardly ever see his face when he is acting. That’s because he is most notably known for his roles portraying creatures such as Gollum in theLord of the RingsandThe Hobbittrilogies and Caesar in the reboot of thePlanet of the Apesmovies.
While Andy Serkis has done his fair share of portraying humans, those movies have slid under the radar and have never reached the same level asLOTR, or his extensivework with Matt Reeveson theApesfilms andThe Batman. It’s a shame, though, as Andy Serkis is a master of distorting his voice and incorporates a physicality to his characters that is rare in other actors.
13Mia Wasikowska
Australian actressMia Wasikowskamade her screen debut by playing a mentally unstable gymnast in HBO’s acclaimed dramaIn Treatment.Shortly after, she was in the ensemble cast forThe Kids Are All Right,for which she received the Hollywood Film Festival Award for Breakthrough Actress. Following that, she has starred in many movies,includingAlice in Wonderland,Jane Eyre,andCrimson Peak.Yet, despite her many acting credits, she has yet to make Hollywood’s A-list and truly become a household name. There is a subtleness to her work that always makes her characters multi-dimensional.
12Thomas Brodie-Sangster
British actorThomas Brodie-Sangsteris the youngest actor on this list. His first major theatrical film wasLove Actuallyin 2003, followed byNanny McPheein 2005. In addition, he voiced Ferb in Disney’s animated showPhineas and Ferband played Newt in the popular young adult dystopian film trilogyTheMaze Runner.Other projects include Netflix’s western miniseries dramaGodlessandThe Queen’s Gambit.
Despite being nominated for an Emmy for his role as Benny Watts in that series, he did not win and is still looking for the recognition and roles his talents deserve. While young and relatively inexperienced compared to others on this list, Thomas Brodie-Sangster stands out in every project he has done by letting his expressions reveal his thoughts and putting power into his actions.
11Dale Dickey
Dale Dickeyis a character actress whom you’ve certainly seen. In the 2000s, fans might have recognized her for her roles in My Name is Earl or Breaking Bad. She won an Independent Spirit Award in 2010 for her role in Winter’s Bone and, throughout the 2010s, appeared in films likeSuper 8,Iron Man 3, andHell or High Waterand television series likeTrue Blood,Justified, and recently the canceledA League of Their Own. She finally got the chance to star in 2022’sLove Song,one of the most underrated movies of 2022. Dickey is a committed performer whose presence always elevates whatever project she is in.
10Carrie-Anne Moss
Many people will knowCarrie-Anne Mossfrom the originalMatrixseries.In addition, she played Jeri Hogarth in Netflix’s dark Marvel dramaJessica Jonesand starred in films likeDisturbia,Brain on Fire,andChocolat.While Carrie-Anne Moss is great at what she does, her projects tend to be relatively similar and, as she typically plays a fiery and fierce, dark and brooding woman (and does it excellently). Most people only know her as Trinity inThe Matrix, but that doesn’t mean that her work elsewhere should go unnoticed, as there is a silent power behind every character she plays.
9Lena Headey
British actressLena Headeygives one of the standout performances inGame of Thrones.For her portrayal of Cersei Lannister, she gained international recognition and acclaim and received several Emmy nominations as well as one Golden Globe nomination. Playing a villain can be challenging as some actors portray them as one-note, inherently evil. However, Headey brought humanity to Cersei, and brings the same level of empathy toall her parts, though she isn’t very well known outside ofGame of Thrones. In addition to that show, she has starred in other projects such as the 2005 action-adventure/fantasyThe Brothers Grimm,the original horror cult classicThe Purge(2013), and her newest action/thriller filmGunpowderMilkshake(2021).
8Aidan Turner
You may or may not rememberAidan TurnerfromThe Hobbittrilogies, where he played Kili, the dwarf who had feelings for the elf Tauriel and who unfortunately met a tragic ending inThe Battle of the Five Armies.As he played one of many dwarfs, his performance may have gotten lost in the crowd at times. However, his performance in the British historical dramaPoldarkshowed his potential and range as a leading actor. BesidesThe HobbitandPoldark,he has been in other smaller projects like the TV seriesLeonardo,and the dark horror showBeing Human.
7Diane Kruger
German actress and modelDiane Krugerbegan her career pursuing ballet at the Royal Ballet School in London but had to stop due to a knee injury. She then moved to Paris, where she started modeling and later acting, her debut being a TV film titledThe Piano Player.Since then, she has racked up credits in huge films, including theNational Treasurefilms,Troy,andThe Host, yet is not a household name by any means, and has never received a Golden Globe or Academy Award nomination, despite some incredible performances, likeIn the Fade.
Kruger is also multilingual, and as a German actor, she has said that she often receives offers to do World War II films but turns them down. However, that was not the case when she was offered a part in Quentin Tarantino’sInglourious Basterds.In the film, her character, Bridgit von Hammersmark, is strangled to death in one of the most realistic death scenes ever filmed (partly because she was actually briefly strangled by Tarantino himself). The end result is incredible, showcasing Kruger’s talent and trust in her craft and why she deserves much more recognition than she gets.
6Kevin Corrigan
Kevin Corriganis one of the all-time great character actors. He has popped up in films ranging fromLiving in Oblivion, Pineapple Express, The King of Staten Island,andThe Departed, to name a few. His highest profile role was on the hit television seriesGrounded For Life, where he played one of the all-time great television uncles. Corrigan has never been given the spotlight role, but he steals the show every time he shows up.
