12 Underrated Actors & Actresses Who Deserve More Recognition

3. Laura Dern

With a series of iconic film performances under her belt, two very famous parents (actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd), an Oscar nomination an Golden Globe win, I am constantly shocked that Laura Dern isn't more famous than she is. Belonging to the same generation of actresses as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and others, Dern has attained nowhere near the same amount of success and recognition as her peers, despite demonstrating an acting range and dedication to risk-taking performances rivaling those of her fellow actresses. Dern's early roles include now iconic performances in a handful of David Lynch movies, including Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart (and culminating in Inland Empire, quite possibly her most fearless performance to date). Dern earned an Oscar nomination for her visceral performance opposite her real-life mother Diane Ladd in Rambling Rose, and around the same time also starred in quite possibly her most high-profile role to date, as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park. The peak came in 1996 when Dern played the lead role in Alexander Payne's feature film debut, Citizen Ruth, about an irresponsible, drug-addicted woman caught in the middle of the pro-life/pro-choice debate. Unfortunately, Dern never attained the success nor the leading roles that her peers enjoyed, and was regulated to small but very memorable supporting roles in a variety of high-quality films over the past fifteen years (save for the occasional Inland Empire). Still, her iconic early performances, coupled with her more recent supporting roles, including her uncanny, Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Katherine Harris in the HBO made-for-TV movie Recount as well as a brief but memorable turn in Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film The Master, cement Dern's status as one of the best unsung actresses of her generation. KEY ROLES: Blue Velvet (1986), Jurassic Park (1993), Inland Empire (2006). NEXT SEEN IN: The Master (Currently in theaters)