12 Underrated Actors & Actresses Who Deserve More Recognition

1. Hope Davis

As far as I know, Hope Davis doesn't have a single leading role credit to her name. Her entire career of just about 40 film and television appearances is comprised of supporting roles. It is rare for an actress in this day an age to be truly humble and seemingly actively resist the spotlight cast on leading roles, but that is exactly what Hope Davis is. Instead of succumbing to the pressures and temptations of stardom, over the past twenty years Davis has crafted an impressive resume of roles comprised almost entirely of independent films and quality TV shows, usually in supporting roles or as part of large ensemble casts. But oh, the actors she has supported! Over the years, Davis has played wives, daughters and co-workers to the likes of Jeff Bridges, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson, Paul Giamatti, Nicolas Cage, Richard Gere, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dennis Quaid, and many more. She has played Hilary Clinton, earned Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and all the while has never compromised on her integrity as part of the acting troupe, never upstaged or stolen the spotlight from her co-stars, and never taken a lead role. She is not one to shy away from high-quality television either, having made appearances on In Treatment, Mildred Pierce, and most recently, The Newsroom. All in all, Davis is the most thankless and yet consistently reliable actresses in the business, never ceasing to bring her A-game to any character she has to portray but also never over-acting or drawing attention to herself. Hope is the ultimate supporting actress: she is so selfless in her performances, most casual viewers would never even notice that they've seen her appear in so many movies and TV shows. And so, for all of these reasons and more, I firmly believe that Davis is the most underrated actress working today. KEY ROLES: About Schmidt (2002), American Splendor (2003), The Special Relationship (2008) NEXT SEEN IN: Disconnect (2013).