12 Underrated Actors & Actresses Who Deserve More Recognition

11. TIE: Jane Lynch and Catherine O'Hara

Back in 2004 when The 40-Year-Old Virgin came out, I had no idea who Jane Lynch was. But I knew she was acting circles around the cast of otherwise recognizable faces in that film, and ended up completely stealing the show. Impressed with her unbelievable comedic chops, I decided to look back at her previous roles. It was then that I discovered God's gift to modern comedy: Christopher Guest's series of mockumentaries, featuring his regular troupe of the most talented improv performers ever to grace the screen, of which both Lynch and Catherine O'Hara are members. O'Hara had been a staple of Tim Burton's own group of regulars, turing in hilariously demented performances like Lydia's crazed mother Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice, to surprisingly tender ones like her voice work as Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Subsequently, O'Hara took on a series of comedic supporting roles in various Hollywood productions (from Home Alone to the more recent Away We Go), but it wasn't until her work with Christopher Guest that her comedic genius was fully unleashed. It's hard to single out one, but my favorite might be as under-appreciated character actress Marilyn Hack in For Your Consideration (a role that oddly parallels O'Hara's own career). Both women got their start in The Second City improv comedy troupe (from which Guest pulled a lot of his acting ensemble in his mockumentaries), and have recently enjoyed success on the small screen as well as the big (Lynch on the quickly deteriorating Glee, though she is in it far less now than she was in its first, hilarious and dare I say brilliant, season; and O'Hara in a recent hilariously memorable guest role on 30 Rock). Though appreciated by critics and die-hard fans of comedy, though, neither actress has yet managed to truly become the sensation they are both firmly capable of becoming. Sure, they are both on the older side, but their talents lie beyond simply playing wacky supporting roles in Judd Apatow films, as evidenced by Lynch's wonderful performance as Julia Child's sister opposite Meryl Streep in the recent Julie & Julia. Let's hope for more roles like that to come! KEY WORKS: O'Hara: Beetlejuice (1988), Home Alone (1990), Best In Show/A Mighty Wind/For Your Consideration (2000-2006). Lynch: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Role Models (2008), Best In Show/A Mighty Wind/For Your Consideration (2000-2006). NEXT SEEN IN: O'Hara: Frankenweenie (voice only, currently in theaters). Lynch: Wreck-it Ralph (voice only, UK release date: February 2013).