Entertainers You Should Know, But Don’t

By Chantel Delulio
Lifestyle Editor

In an industry where the Lindsay Lohans and the Dane Cooks get all the attention, here are three entertainers deserving of a little bit more of the spotlight.

*Sam Rockwell

Where you might know him from: Playing Tony Stark’s fake-tan wearing foil, Justin Hammer, in “Iron Man 2.”

Rockwell is one of those actors who seems to have been around for forever, has appeared in numerous films and while he’s never exactly been a household name, he’s not quite a character actor either. He does just as well in leading roles as well as small or supporting roles.

What makes his performances, lowbrow and high, so great is that they never call attention to themselves. Even in 2009’s “Moon” wherein Rockwell played both of the main characters (and was onscreen for about 99.9% of the time) you never sit back and go, “Damn, he is nailing this role.” That’s the sort of thing you might say about Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” or Christian Bale in “The Fighter,” but never about Rockwell. He’s just as good as those other actors (if not better) but his skill will never run the risk of pulling you out of the film you’re supposed to be so engrossed in.

It is probably that exact quality that has kept him under the radar for so long. But if any actor was worthy of just a little more recognition, it’s Rockwell. Whether he’s carrying an entire film like “Moon” or the one bright spot in a summer blockbuster schlock-fest like “Iron Man 2,” he has proven himself to be an invaluable asset to any production.

Where you might see him next: Jon Favreau’s western sci-fi flick “Cowboys & Aliens.”

*Brian Williams

Where you might know him from: The NBC Nightly News

As the anchor of NBC’s Nightly News, Brian Williams has consistently presented the evening’s headlines with a dignity and level-headedness too often missing from the 24-hour news cycle. In a sea of fear mongering, red-in-the-face talking head politicos Williams never loses his cool.

But that’s not why Williams is underrated as he is very well known as a newsman. It’s his comedic chops. People say that, on some level, all comedians want to be rock stars and all rock stars want to be comedians. But, if Williams is any indication, it would seem that all news anchors also want to be comedians. (And if the SNL digital short that chronicles Williams’ average day is any indication, Bono apparently wishes he was a news anchor. Make of that what you will.)

Whether he’s stopping by “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to Slow Jam the News or appearing in cameos on “30 Rock” as an obnoxious version of himself he is consistently as funny as the full time comedians that surround him.

Where you might see him next: Hopefully a TV show that ends with him pulling off his mask and revealing himself to be a lizard person.

*Maria Bamford

Where you might know her from: The crazy lady in Target’s holiday commercials.

There are few phrases more annoying than, “women aren’t funny.” But a close runner up might be, “so-and-so is funny, for a female comedian.” So forget about qualifying stand-up Maria Bamford as a great female comedian because she is a great comedian plain and simple.

The first thing that people usually notice about Bamford is her broad array of voices from pterodactyls to the members of her family including her 11-year-old pug, Blossom. So it’s appropriate that she does a good deal of voice acting.

But it’s her uniquely structured jokes that make her one of the most original stand-ups around. Her act usually consists of self-deprecating vignettes that often border on the surreal. When the comedy landscape tends to be dominated by acts dependant on frat boy humor or shtick it’s great to see that there are stand-ups like Bamford out there who rely on honest and well-honed comedic sensibilities instead.

She has not appeared in much as one might expect someone who is painfully underrated to be. She was most visible as the overly enthusiastic spokeswoman in Target’s holiday commercials. But it is the realm of stand-up where she most belongs, having appeared on the Comedians of Comedy tour alongside Zach Galifianakis and Patton Oswalt.

Where you might see/hear her next: “Kung Fu Panda: Legend of Awesomeness” animated TV series. (She really deserves more/better work.)

April 29, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 24

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