10 Unknown Actors Who Stole Movies Out From Their Famous Leads

8. Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Road

Stole The Movie Out From: Viggo Mortensen The adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's bleak post-apocalyptic novel wasn't to everyone's taste. It was depressing, it was slow and Viggo Mortensen wasn't Middle-Earth sexy. The cinematography was amazing, coated in greys and drab browns, and John Hillcoat's steady directorial prowess set a shuddering tone for proceedings. The real star of the show was young actor Kodi Smit-McPhee (who will appear in another doomsday film this summer, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes). Playing a character only known as Boy, he presents an emotional realism in his role. Viggo is an unshakable figure, determined to do what is necessary to protect his son, while Smit-McPhee conveys a total reliance and absolute dread when his father isn't around. It's almost impossible to envision how a child would react in these situations. Mad Max: The Road Warrior portrayed one as borderline feral with the know-how to survive. The Road offers a more grounded affair - the Boy is frightened and helpless with no clue what to do when faced with singularity. The Road didn't go down too well with critics and audiences, but Kodi Smit-McPhee was a definite light in a dark, dreary film.