20 Most Underrated Actors Working Today

18. Barry Pepper

Another remarkable supporting player, Barry Pepper had a monster run throughout the late 90s and early 00s, turning up in a variety of radically different projects to strut his stuff. 

A master of portraying scrappy, often broken men who are unwavering in their beliefs and struggling with their pain, Pepper's perhaps best known for Spielberg's searing Saving Private Ryan, where he plays a loyal sniper unflinching in the face of adversity. 

But he's done so much more than his most famous film. He gave the war drama We Were Soldiers its soul as a war photographer caught in the heart of the Vietnam War, breathing life into a confident reporter torn apart on the frontlines, and he easily matched wits with Edward Norton and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 25th Hour, as a blunt trader conflicted about seeing his best friend whisked away to prison.

Full of heart, Pepper's ability to tear down the walls of confident men is honestly miraculous, and though his career has fizzled out, he should always be remembered as a master of his craft.