What celebrity did you initially find overrated but later realized was actually talented and deserved their hype?

I always thought Marilyn Monroe was really hit-or-miss. She's wonderful in Niagara (where she's a great conniving bitch) and How to Marry a Millionaire (where her comic timing is impeccable), and she's fine in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but iIdon't like her in much else. She's just not very funny in Some Like Hot (though she's sweet, and genuinely poignant near the end), and The Seven Year Itch just hasn't aged well. And in everything else she's not very good because she's too self-conscious. She stands around and poses too much.

George Michael until I saw the latest documentary on him

"a few people say they always thought Marilyn Monroe was overrated just because of how much her image has been commodified and shoved in our faces, until they finally sat down and watched one of her movies like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."

🙄🤨

R1, she's so much better when she's not doing the Marilyn Monroe persona/voice. Niagara is great for that reason.

Humphrey Bogart. I saw most of his biggest movies when I was young, and thought he was OK but a bit one note. Later saw more of his movies and rewatched others, and came to appreciate his acting skills and star charisma. Don't know how I missed it the first time around...

The Beatles. I love them now but their music never clicked for me when I was younger.

Sheena Easton

Audrey Hepburn. I didn't really find anything she did that amazing, like Roman Holiday and Breakfast At Tiffany's, but have grown to appreciate her in a lot of other films like The Children's Hour and Wait Until Dark.

Meryl Streep. I initially found her to be a bloodless stiff after Kramer but Sophie's Choice stunned me. I thought the press about her was essentially snob appeal but her string of performances proved me wrong.

Grace kelly

I second Meryl Streep. All I saw was her nose in Kramer vs. Kramer, but I think it was Out of Africa where I said, "Wow. She is fantastic."

Pink. I thought she was a flash-in-the-pan Pop Artist. No. SERIOUSLY Talented.

Bump

Excellent example, R2 (rescuechick)! I’d written off George Michael as a pop lightweight, but have a whole new respect for him, thanks in part to that documentary.

Similarly, the recent docs about The Bee Gees (“How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?”) and Linda Ronstadt (“Sound of My Voice”) were revelatory about those artists’ breadth of talent.

I’ve really come around to Dakota Johnson. I found her average looking and exceptionally wooden in the “Fifty Shades” days, the most egregious kind of nepotism. But something shifted a few years ago, and I caught myself enjoying her performances in offbeat films like “A Bigger Splash,” “Suspiria” and “Bad Times at the El Royale.” I also came to see her as an unusual beauty with an impeccable sense of style. The bangs really work for her. And of course, the jab at Ellen (which was really the beginning of her undoing and the mass cultural reappraisal) sealed the deal. Dakota seems like the cool girl you wouldn’t want to cross. I’m into it.

At the premiere of Knight's Tale after the curtain came down turned to my partner and said " Bleached blonde twink." Four years later at screening of Brokeback Mountain when the curtain came down said sobbing "He deserves the Oscar."

Roger, from “American Dad!”

Renée Zellweger. I saw her in Jerry Maguire and didn't understand her appeal, but after watching Judy I think she's an amazing actress.

I got the bluray of The Prince and the Showgirl. Monroe is absolutely incandescent in it. She makes Olivier look like a bad hammy actor. Which of course he was at times. But then you see him in other things and he's magnificent.

Lana Del Rey. I thought the whole "Born to Die" attitude was schtick but I grew to love her music.

Miley Cyrus.

When I was a kid I didn’t care much for Fred Astaire one way or the other, but now I think he was amazing.

I also came to appreciate Bob Hope. A lot of his movies are really very funny and I love his cowardly-egotistical-petty persona in the movies.

Louise Brooks. For many years, I thought she was overrated as an actress. But then it dawned on me that no one ever really praised her for her acting; it was her presence, beauty, and persona that were so arresting. On that level, her admirers were right. She was amazing.

Ella Fitzgerald. I never got her and thought her music was dull. .Then one day I realized her voice was perfect.ion.

I went the opposite way on Audrey Hepburn. Originally, seeing her in a couple of things, Roman Holiday and Sabrina, i thought she was great. But the more I saw her the more limited I realized she was. Though she was good in the Nun’s Story, she was pretty weak in War And Peace and she got tiresome with her way of speaking and her lack of fire.

I somehow fell in love with Dionne when listening to a greatest hits album in 1998 and then became a huge fan, seeing her in concert a dozen times and connecting every album.

John Gilbert after they fixed the audio.

Lady Gaga - I resisted her because I disliked the initial hard sell, but she is actually quite a good performer.

I have sort of a mixed opinion. I knew she was very talented initially but I also thought she was interesting and had a knack for creating good pop songs. I still think she is talented but I think Tori Amos was correct when she described her as a "meteor". That's the perfect descriptino of her music career (A Star is Born was a fluke). Gaga is not actually interesting and she really isn't capable of creating great pop songs. In retrospect, I think the success of The Fame/Fame Monster is largely because of her collaborators and producers. Otherwise, she'd be like Madonna who managed to make a lot of great pop songs for decades despite working with different producers. Yes, Gaga can sing and play the piano but I don't really think she knows what "works" for pop music.

Love Gaga, but her albums contain lots of D rate filler.

Laurence Olivier.

I thought he sucked until he mesmerized on The Muppet Show.

Ryan Gosling

Until I saw his depreciating soft spoken humor during late night interviews. Before, never thought anything of him a, meh but even my straight body builder 19 year old god son thinks he’s awesome

[quote] Ella Fitzgerald. I never got her and thought her music was dull. .Then one day I realized her voice was perfect.ion.

Her voice is almost too perfect. You might like this: These Boots Are Made for Walking. Something different from Ella.

Tori Spelling. So talented.

Phil Collins

[quote] Until I saw his depreciating soft spoken humor during late night interviews. Before, never thought anything of him a, meh but even my straight body builder 19 year old god son thinks he’s awesome

Depreciating?

Marilyn was amazing in Bus Stop, Niagara and The Misfits when she wasn't playing a ditzy, bubbly blonde bombshell. Big respect to her for almost ruining her career by standing with Miller during his brush with McCarthy and for refusing roles that she felt didn't challenge her. She was brace and really cared about developing as an actress, refusing to just take an easy ride based on her (stunning) image.

Helen Lawson

R38 Why do you have a problem with Marilyn's comedy persona? She was wonderful in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How To Marry A Millionaire, and The Seven Year Itch.

Brie Larson, who won the AA for "Room" but went on to Marvel projects and car commercials. But she redeemed herself with Lessons in Chemistry.

R41 I agree with you on Larson.

This is a ridiculous thread. What's the point of DL if everyone is saying nice things about people?

Sorry R40 I should have been clearer. I think Marilyn was a wonderful comedic actress too. It's been a while since I saw it but she lit up HTMAM and made me laugh out loud at some of her line deliveries in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, as well as the physical comedy and her exaggerated strut/flounce.

She also outplayed Olivier in The Prince And The Showgirl, and was wonderful in Some Like It Hot, she's my main reason for repeated viewings of it.

My comment was more in response to R1 who felt she was a bit hit and miss. I just feel her more serious acting is sometimes unfairly looked down on or not talked about as much.

I haven't seen Don't Bother To Knock or Clash By Night but I must make a point to seek them out.

Jane McDonald

R35 I actually did like Tori Spelling in "So NoTORIous," which surprised me, and led me to think that, with the right vehicle, she might have a future in comedy. I believe that aired in 2006, right before she hooked up with Dumbo Dean. Nothing since.

Justin Timberlake.

Johnny Carson. I couldn't understand how he lasted so long, but watching his old shows now reveals he was a very good interviewer.

Billie Eilish

Susan Saran-Wrap.

The biggest one was John Wayne. As a kid I really just was indifferent to him. He was in his 60s at the time and still making popular movies (1970s). One night I came home and my parents were watching Island In The Sky (1953, I think). I got into it. Then a few weeks later I saw Blood Alley. Then The Quiet Man. I started realizing this guy who I thought couldn’t act was actually really good.