3. Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton is one of the most underrated character actors working today, and despite recieving eventual acclaim as the protagonist of HBO's TV series
Big Love, he remains best-known for his performances in several of James Cameron's films, namely The Terminator,
Aliens, True Lies and
Titanic. While most memorable - and brilliant - as Pvt. Hudson in Aliens, Paxton has demonstrated considerable range in three small roles; going from the hard-nosed toughness of Hudson to the smarmy cowardice of Simon in True Lies. Though Paxton might still be able to convince in action scenes - just barely - he's proven over the years an exceptional quality as a dramatic performer. Paxton's inherent likeability near-guarantees his being cast as a heroic character of some kind, perhaps a bureaucrat on the other side of the table to Hamilton; the "good" paper-pusher who she is frequently at odds with. Recent roles in the likes of
Haywire make it clear that Paxton looks good in sunglasses with a moustache, and is aging quite gracefully; why not make him the no-nonsense administrator who fights the good fight from behind a desk?