10 Incredible Movie Performances NOBODY Expected To Be Good

When Adam Sandler was cast in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia follow-up Punch-Drunk Love, many were left scratching their heads, that an accomplished filmmaker with his pick of Hollywood talent would hire an actor who's demonstrated so little dramatic range throughout his comedy career.

With Sandler being fresh off a batch of increasingly low-brow comedy projects like The Waterboy, Big Daddy, and Little Nicky, it just didn't seem The Sandman had what it takes to operate in a high dramatic gear.

The moment that Sandler's casting was announced, the press had a field day with it, and even the movie's own producer, JoAnne Sellar, was baffled by Anderson's insistence at casting Sandler.

But Anderson obviously knew what he was doing in retrospect, ingeniously harnessing Sandler's signature manic energy to portray a socially anxious bachelor with an unnerving verisimilitude.

Sandler went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor (Comedy) for his performance - his first attention from a major awards body, as opened the door for him to pursue more dramatic fare in the years that followed.