10 Amazing Actors Yet To Realise Their True Potential

4. Michael Shannon

Like Sean Harris, Michael Shannon has something about him that suggests a hint of the psychopathic dwelling within, and this is a persona he's employed to great effect throughout his career (even if his performance as General Zod in Man Of Steel was a little too hammy for some people's tastes). Shannon appeared in dozens of films (including Groundhog Day - see if you can spot him) before hitting the big time with Revolutionary Road, for which he picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. Standout performances in the years since include one of the most memorable characters from HBO's gangster epic Boardwalk Empire and strong leads in Take Shelter and The Iceman, the latter of which perhaps pushed his unhinged psychopath persona to its extreme. While Shannon is a favourite to play the bad guy, his truly iconic role could well be here sooner than you think, and it certainly won't be his reprisal as Zod in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Amazingly he's been cast as Elvis Presley in Elvis V Nixon, which surely stands as one of the most intriguing casting decisions in recent years.