Your Voices is a simple concept created to encourage conversation and opinions between movie lovers. It works like this: I throw out a certain topic and I’ll take time to make my case or share my opinions. Then it’s time for Your Voices. Head to the comments section and let fellow readers and moviegoers know your thoughts on the topic for that day!
Emily Blunt
A while back I wrote about actresses who I believe are underrated in today’s movie environment. We see many actresses get a ton of praise and a lot of spotlight, but there are others who are immensely talented yet who just don’t get the attention that their work has earned them. I think a good argument could be made that there should be more substantial movie roles for women and I am of the belief that there are plenty of talented actresses to fill those roles aside from the common big names we always hear about.
For me one such underrated actress is Emily Blunt. Many people who frequent this site knows how much I champion her work. There is an amazing natural quality to Blunt and her acting that is rare in movies today. Even more, whether it is drama, comedy, or even science fiction, Blunt handles her roles brilliantly. She can be quirky. She can be tough. She can be emotional. And she does it all with ease. Personally I would love to see her given bigger and more demanding leading roles that would showcase these talents and propel her to be the prominent leading lady that I think she deserves to be.
YOUR VOICES: Who do you think is an incredibly underrated actress?
Now it’s time for Your Voices. With so many great actresses out there, who are some that you think are criminally underrated? Why do you think so? Please share Your Voices on today’s question. I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Keith & the Movies 
Very good choice, I approve of Emily Blunt. Her latest role most certainly confirms her as a top talent. Edge of Tmrw benefitted from her tremendously.
Thanks man! I truly enjoy her in anything she does from big budget sci-fi to quirky independent comedies. She is so talented. Absolutely beautiful as well (thought I would toss that in too).
Doesn’t hurt!!!
I would say Christina Ricci is so underrated as an actress.
I haven’t seen much from her in a while. Hasn’t she been doing some TV?
I think so. Another underrated actress in my opinion is Eva Green.
Ohhh Eva Green is a solid actress. A very daring one as well. She has an undeniable screen presence.
That’s what I love about her, she’s not afraid to be daring and change character.
Blunt is a good choice. I’ll mention two.
The first is Charlize Theron. She’s brilliant in everything, has an Oscar, is certainly beautiful and yet whenever great actresses are discussed she is rarely brought up except as an afterthought.
The other is Angela Bassett. She’s also been excellent every time I’ve seen her. Her work as Tina Turner is proof positive that she has the chops. However, two decades have passed with her rarely getting a leading role and never in a movie Hollywood cares about. We can certainly talk about the dirth of good roles for women of color. There’s a lengthy conversation to be had on the subject. And it’s certainly had an effect on Bassett’s career.
I love the Bassett choice. She really is a talented actress. But it’s exactly as you say, Hollywood never seems to look her way when it comes to casting good movies. That’s a real shame.
Oooh I totally agree w/ miss Bassett! She is criminally underrated but hopefully her work in the popular American Horror Story would mean she’ll get more prominent roles!
I have to go with Tilda Swinton. I’m not sure if she counts as being criminally underrated as she does get roles often, but they are rarely leading roles. She’s such a unique talent and plays a lot of strange characters and completely loses herself in them every time. Recent examples being Snowpiercer, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Zero Theorem, Only Lovers Left Alive, etc. She won one Oscar for Michael Clayton but has basically been snubbed by the Academy ever since. She should have been nominated for We Need to Talk About Kevin. She gave an amazingly memorable performance in that, among other roles I can’t think of at the moment. I think she deserves more recognition.
Swinton has won me over over time. I’ve always acknowledged her as a good actress but her range and willingness to expand herself is really impressive. I thought she absolutely stole the show in SNowpiercer!
I love miss Blunt! She’s beautiful, charming AND talented. That said, I don’t know if she’s underrated. I’d go w/ someone like Andrea Riseborough, Romola Garai, even Janet McTeer who I just featured on yesterday’s post, as most ppl don’t even know who they are yet they’d done some great work.
Glad you share the love for her. I find Blunt to be criminally underrated mainly because she is almost always relegated to supporting roles. And whenever conversations take place about our best actors today, she is nowhere close to being in the conversation. That’s where I’m coming from when I call her underrated. I sooo want her to get some more meaty leading roles just to show what she can do.
I second the Andrea Riseborough suggestion, she’s amazing
I just haven’t seen her in a whole lot. Maybe that’s because she is an underrated actress! 🙂
Check out Shadow Dancer. She’s great in it
Yay! 🙂 Most people don’t even know who she is! LOVE her in Shadow Dancer & Disconnect, I hope she gets more leading roles.
I’m not sure she’s underrated, but I don’t think Greta Gerwig gets enough attention. She’s been doing great work in indie films for a long time and is poised to break out as her roles have expanded. Recent examples like Damsels in Distress and especially Frances Ha show her range.
I 100% agree with you. Great choice and I too think she is underrated. Both of the films you mentioned were some of my favorites for the years they came out. My only question with Gerwig is can she break away from this quirky, eccentric character that she always plays variations of. Personally I like those roles but I am curious if she can expand beyond them.
Love the pick!
Tough subject! I always find it hard just thinking of actresses I really like!
Blunt is a great choice. Slowly, I’ve warmed to her. She was great in Looper. And there’s something about her in the slightly terrible Adjustment Bureau that I warmed to.
Gillian Anderson is a fantastic actress. Lena Heady too. Okay, mostly known for TV, but they’re brilliant. Quietly going about their business. Rebecca Hall too.
Ohh look, they’re all Brits!
Really like Rebecca Hall and I was hoping someone would mention her. She is a good one.
You’re right about Blunt and The Adjustment Bureau. She was the best thing about it. That’s another reason I think she’s great. Even with the material is subpar she gives a good performance.
She does. She’s got a great energy to her performances. Brings it no matter what the film is. Hope she can keep it up.
Nice choice, I do like Emily Blunt. But for me, underrated actress are those who I grew up with like Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, Sarah Michelle Gellar or Jennifer Garner.
Interesting list. Another vote for Ricci. I never was sold on Geller but Garner has grown as an actress. She is overlooked quite a bit.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Appreciate it.
I think Emily is rising in the ranks — I don’t think of her as underrated anymore. One of my favorite actresses, always delivers, never quite the star though, is Vera Farmiga.
I agree with you about Farmiga. She’s a great actress and she always gives good performances. But I think Blunt is actually more underrated than Farmiga. Vera has even received an Oscar nomination. I just think that Blunt has been tossed into a mostly supporting corner and I think she deserves bigger leading roles.
I think Miss Emily is lovely, talented, and delightful on the screen. She reminds me of Naomi Watts. Delicate and utterly feminine.
Emily is so underrated – she is talented and likable and she was in so many big movies lately providing such good work and strong characters and yet she is still not more famous. Another one is Rosamund Pike but she is playing the year’s most awesome role in Gone Girl so she’ll have her big break in 2 months.
I totally agree. She seems to be taken for granted in Hollywood and I can’t quite figure out why. She has gotten several roles in big movies but its still always supporting stuff.
Emily blunt has a abundance of talent and skill but like you say is still severely underrated. I would say Eva Green is underrated, every film I’ve seen her in she conveys strength, grace, energy, intensity and accompanied with a immeasurable screen presence. Naomi Watts would be another example.
Watts is a very interesting case. She hit a spell where she was all that people were talking about. But it seems that her star has faded a bit and I have no idea why. Very talented actress.
I love Emily Blunt! Glad to see you mention her. I’m with you – she’s so versatile, and she’s such a great actress. She’s definitely one of my favorites (you should check out my latest post – Blunt makes my top 10 I’d see in just about anything!).
One of actor I’ve always thought was underrated was Mark Ruffalo. I don’t necessarily like everything he’s in, but I feel like he puts away a lot of great roles, yet doesn’t really get much credit for them.
Ruffalo does seem to get lost in the crowd, doesn’t he? I’m with you. He’s a solid actor who always delivers even if his material isn’t the best.
I’m so with you on Emily Blunt. I love her. Also Rebecca Hall.
YES to Rebecca Hall as well!!! She is fantastic.
I first heard British actress Stephanie Leonidas in a radio play and was hooked. She deserves a big break. And talking of big breaks I always thought Archie Panjabi was under-rated and overlooked, so it’s good to see she’s now getting recognition from The Good Wife.
Brie Larson
Nice one. I was hoping her performance in Short Term 12 would catch some eyes.
I have two candidates: Britt Robertson and Brit Marling. Those two women, besides being really pretty, are really good actresses, and maybe that is the reason why people don’t look her performances as should be. You can see Ask Me Anything and Another Earth.
Very nice choices. It is encouraging to see young actresses really catching attention .