I think there are a lot of actors these days that beat people like Johnny Depp, I mean anyone who claims to know movies will understand that the man had his time and the fourth addition of Pirates of the Caribbean was not part of that. So in my head, here are a few male actors that were underrated because they excelled at some obscure role that didn’t resemble the straight forward eccentricities that most look for in any commercial film.

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1)      The first on my list would undoubtedly have to be Sam Riley, when he acted as the iconic and bipolar Ian Curtis of Joy Division in “Control”, he took my breath away. A seriously depressing role (in a good way) that makes you sink on the inside and makes you feel the depression which Curtis was famous for. It is still one of the few movies that can move me to tears, because there’s something about his role and the black and white imagery of the movie that keeps him at a lonely distance.

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2)      Second on this list would have to be, Michael Fassbender, well he’s gaining a lot more acceptance now as an actor because of his role as Magneto in the new <a title="X-Men First Class review, drastic changes to cast and imagery" href="http://www.pinstripemag.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class-review.html">X-Men First class</a>, but I was floored by his role as Lt. Archie in “Inglorious Basterds”. His talent as an actor was evident when the German Gestapo officer questions him about his accent and how he is eventually caught because of the way he orders his drinks. The scene reeks of tension that is mostly set forward by him trying to maintain his composure.

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3)      Benicio Del Toro, looking as distinguished as ever with <a title="2010: THE YEAR OF THE BEARD" href="http://www.pinstripemag.com/2010/01/2010-the-year-of-the-beard.html">the beard</a>, well he gets a lot of recognition, but not as much as he deserves. His role in “Fear and Loathing In Las <a title="Marisa Miller, Vegas Magazine" href="http://www.pinstripemag.com/2010/03/marisa-miller-vegas-magazine.html">Vegas</a>”, alongside then talented Johnny Depp, showcases the sluggish acting that he is famous for, as well as the attitude that most stoners are known for.

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4)      Tim Roth is another name not to be reckoned with, His role as the quirky bell boy in Quentin Tarantino’s “Four Rooms” is like something you’d see if you were on acid. The sudden jerky movements shows someone who tries to reason between what is right and what is wrong, but at the end of the movie, cutting off someone’s finger and getting his dues seemed like a fair bargain.

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5)      Dwayne, The stubborn “mute” in Little Miss Sunshine was played by Paul Dano. Unconventional in his approach as always, Dano portrayed a man of character a lot more than any of the other characters did in the movie. His immovable love for his sister showed more masculinity than the pussy that he made himself out to be.