5. Sandra Bullock
When I was asking around about underrated comic actresses, just to get a feel for the territory, one name kept coming up: Sandra Bullock. Considering that I had already placed her on my own private list, I saw this confirmation from the hivemind as the go-ahead. Sure, the Academy has recognized Bullock's talent as an actress (with 43 Oscars and counting), but she's never thought of as a
funny person. Which, to be fair, is to her credit: obviously she has enough range that typecasting hasn't killed her career. But still, when you think of Sandra Bullock,
The Blind Side and
Hope Floats spring to mind just as readily as
Miss Congeniality or
The Heat. Which is a shame, because Bullock does humor incredibly well. Her knack for deadpan and subtle delivery is hugely underrated. Here's hoping we'll see more comedies and fewer melodramas out of her in the future.