Successful Actors Who Fly Under the Radar

Daniel Day Lewis

Audra McDonald. Good actress, great singer, not an attention whore.

Kathy Bates

Basically successful actors with no sex appeal.

David Strathairn. Had a mini "star moment" with Good Night and Good Luck, but he has mostly played supporting/character roles and occasional leads in indie films and on TV.

I think he could have been a leading man but he lacked that ambitious instinct. And that's fine. He's had a long career and works consistently.

And R4, he definitely had sex appeal.

R5 he does but not that immediate Matthew McConaughey way and most people would not find him to be hot

R5 David Strathairn is a perfect example. I just watched him in 2002's Blue Car with Frances Fisher and Agnes Bruckner. He's the teacher who seduces a student. I thought he would have been perfect as Glenn's husband in The Wife.

Fly under the radar by staying off of social media and not playing stupid games with Ellen and Jimmy Fallon

Strathairn is so sexy. Great actor too. Even if the film is shit, you know his presence will elevate it.

[quote]David Strathairn. Had a mini "star moment" with Good Night and Good Luck, but he has mostly played supporting/character roles and occasional leads in indie films and on TV.

His role as the abusive pervy husband in Delores Clairborne ruined me for life on him.

Brendan Gleeson is another life profile actor that elevates whatever he's in

R10 Your reaction to his role in Delores Claiborne proves what a good actor he is.

Jeff Daniels, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi.

These are usually the best kinds of actors. They seem more in it for the joy of the work than the awards and stupid talk show appearances.

She was bigger in the 80's and 90's, but I'd throw Jennifer Jason Leigh in there. I'm shocked she doesn't have an Oscar. I hope it doesn't turn into a Glenn Close situation with her.

Jennifer Jason Leigh only has one Oscar nomination. She has always been an actress I consider to be on the fringes. She will play roles that other actresses may shy away from (see Last Exit to Brooklyn). Sadly though she got some horrible plastic surgery and now had Joker face.

Her Georgia co-star is another one who flies under the radar but is consistently excellent.

I meant to say Mare Winningham.

R12 probably not intentional, but damn you picked 3 HIDEOUS looking actors

Jeff Bridges? Hideous. Ha!

Sam Elliott, Morgan Freeman, John C.Reilly, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Ealy, Regina King, Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayak, Sandra Oh. Jeff Daniels is a " ordinary good-looking guy" you don't look twice at...Jeff Bridges is "California sexy" and Steve Buscemi is "oddball cool and sexy"(I bet he is very good at fucking and would make you laugh). I met him several times over the years, he reminds of normal neighborhood guys I grew up with in East Falls.(Philly). Just found out another "str8 man" from EF turns out to be GAY, divorcing the wife( I never had him).

Kyle Chandler

Jeff Daniels was often miscast in his early roles.

Strathairn is really the star of this thread--many good roles. Lives away from the bright lights.

[quote]Fly under the radar by staying off of social media and not playing stupid games with Ellen and Jimmy Fallon

The internet, particularly social media, has made movie stars lose their mystique. As recently as the '90s, you only heard about an actor when they had an upcoming film and went on daytime/late night talk shows to promote it, gave magazine interviews, or attended televised awards shows (e.g., Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys).

Incidentally, that's what made watching the Oscars so much fun before. You got to see top movie stars and other A-listers mingling, which was rare and a treat to witness for those of us who followed Hollywood. Nowadays, the Oscars are usually filled with C-listers and the glamor is gone.

Nicholas Hoult

Bruce Davison

Agree on David Strathairn. I'd add Mary Kay Place.

Delroy Lindo

Dianne Wiest