Hollywood is a big old place, and it’s bursting at the seams with actors possessing varying degrees of experience – and varying degrees of talent. Now, we’ve already taken a look at some of Tinseltown’s most underrated actors, so it only seems fair that we call out those on the opposite side of the spectrum: its overrated stars.
Some made the cut due to their ability to coast on a decades-old reputation, others have managed to luck into the consensus that they possess more talent than they really do, and still others simply aren’t as versatile as many believe.
Just to clarify, no-one is saying that these actors aren’t talented. This isn’t intended to be a mean-spirited list, and each and every entry here denotes a hard-working star who deserves our utmost respect. That said, let’s start removing some pedestals.
8. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock has enjoyed her status as an A-list name since her breakthrough role in the 1994 action thriller Speed. She also won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 2009 biographical drama The Blind Side (and was nominated for another for 2013’s Gravity). That said, she’s not entirely consistent.
Yes, she’s given a handful of decent performances, but among those, how many could be considered truly great? There’s also the added consideration of her career as a whole – a number of years starring in underwhelming (or at best, passable) romantic comedies such as While You Were Sleeping (which we talk about in our list of casual predatory behaviors in film), Hope Floats, Two Weeks Notice, and The Proposal.
Honestly, while Bullock certainly has potential, it’s rarely fulfilled. Instead, her back catalog is stuffed with far more underwhelming titles than respectable ones, yet somehow she’s managed to maintain the image of a world-class actress.
Wow! A list I basically agree with almost entirely. How did Sandra Bullock ever win best actress? I remember them showing this Clips when she was nominated from the other actresses they totally blow her out of the water; it was a joke watching her go up and receive the award!
I agree with some on this list, but you should replace Tom Cruise with Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Affleck with Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Pratt with Dave Bautista. I especially agree with Margot Robbie being overrated. She has become a sellout and Sandra Bullock definitely did not deserve an Oscar for that cringe-worthy performance in that overrated The Blind Side.