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.
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