right: antithesis to the ongoing (and excellent thread). Male and female. Any language. But it has to be seconded.

Actors who dont get the credit; actors who get some, but not enough; actors who are overrated in every other film but THE one... you know the drill. (doesnt matter whether they have won an award or not, just a specific part, that they got overlooked for)

Top 128 get through, lots of time, do it, you know you want to.

I start:
Michael York - Cabaret. The only film where he ever looked unsure of himself.

Julia Stiles - 10 Things I hate About You. Perfect.

Matthew Broderick - Torch Song Trilogy - perfect as the little boy not-so-lost.

Over to you...

Rock stars who quietly surprise you by being quite good in something: David Bowie in The Prestige.

People who are slightly better than the star turn in a movie: Tommy Lee Jones matching Javier Bardem and probably being more than that in No Country For Old Men.

I second Tommy Lee Jones. (He was also rather good in Men in Black)

Javier Bardem got credit and cant be included.

I must admit to a soft spot for Tom Bell - in pretty much everything he ever did. Nearly always very well-measured and rarely overstated.

I think he used to live locally because he came in the public library where I used to work a few times, with his partner. The first time I saw him, I thought "Ohmygod it's 'Seedy Eric' (the nickname he gave the character) - I'm going to punch him!" so incandescent with rage was I over the convincing-ness of his performance as the molesting creep in 'Wish You Were Here'. Thus, I guess it's got to be that as my nomination for a single role. Maybe not his best, but the one that sticks in my mind.

Ewan Bremner in Trainspotting, far more interesting than his namesake.

He played Renton in the original stage version of the book, y'know.

Robert Duvall isn't exactly underrated, but I don't think it's always appreciated how much better he was than absolutely every other member of the cast in The Godfather. Which is pretty stiff competition.

I'd second that. I'd also forward a bit of respect to Ben Affleck's turn as George 'Superman' Reeves in Hollywoodland.