12. Rufus Sewell
This Twickenham, England-born thesp has been gracing the screen both big and small from the early 90's - his first major role was Fortinbras in Kenneth Branagh's epic film adaptation of Hamlet. Since then, Sewell has tackled an impressive array of roles both big and small, in a multitude of genres. His biggest role to date no doubt remains his stellar starring turn in Alex Proyas' iconic film Dark City; one would hope that a film of that scope, and particularly one that has amassed quite a cult following since its release, would make Sewell a better known actor. Instead, he continues to toil away as a character actor in supporting roles, from the fiercely intense (Crown Prince Leopold in The Illusionist, quite possibly his finest performance to date) to the charmingly comedic (Reverend Doucheman on the BBC's Parade's End). Sewell has even dabbled in romantic comedy, as Kate Winslet's unsatisfying husband in Nancy Meyers' The Holiday, and as any character actor, occasionally finds himself indulging in the occasional paycheck role (as in the recent Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). However, despite his consistency and prolific career in both film and television, Sewell's sole acting nomination in
any awards ceremony is a single BAFTA TV nod for his performance in The Taming of the Shrew segment of the BBC's ShakespeaRe-Told, from 2005. It is unbelievable to me that an actor as prolific and talented as Sewell has received no further career recognition other than this single nomination.
KEY WORKS: Dark City (1998), A Knight's Tale (2001), The Illusionist (2006).
NEXT SEEN IN: Hotel Noir (available on V.O.D. in the States, UK release date pending).