Image Credit: Industrial Light and Magic; E! Network; Andrew Durham/Bravo
Sam Rockwell played Justin Hammer, kind of an evil version of Tony Stark, in Iron Man 2. Patrick Wilson was the gleefully sinister FBI Agent Lynch in The A-Team. Both actors were overshadowed by the all the summer-movie bombast. (Also not helping matters for Rockwell: there were an estimated fifty villains in Iron Man 2.) But EW readers (that’s you!) thought that both roles deserve more attention. Now we’re throwing them in the Under-appreciated Entertainer of the Year Bracket Game. You know the rules, PopWatchers. It’s just like the Thunderdome. Two men enter. Only one man leaves.
As we cruise into the second week of this tournament of should-be-champions, we’re discovering that one of the easiest ways to be under-appreciated is to be stuck in the middle of other, louder performers. That’s especially true in today’s TV match-up. Yvette Nicole Brown plays middle-aged divorcée Shirley on Community. Eden Sher plays middle daughter Sue on a show appropriately named The Middle. Over in the world of music, Elliot Yamin came in third back in American Idol season 5 (the year that Taylor Freaking Hicks won!), while the Avett Brothers mix together a whole laundry list of genres — folk, indie rock, folk rock, indie folk — that are practically underrated by definition.
But don’t forget about our beloved reality TV personalities. Rodger Berman tries to manage his wife’s company/insanity on The Rachel Zoe Project. Khloé Kardashian regularly has to set herself apart from her fellow sisters (you know, the pregnant one and the proud feminist). Click here to check out our entire bracket of 64 reader-picked competitors, then cast your ballot on Round 1, Day 7′s match-ups after the jump.
I have no idea who Elliot Yamin is, but I have songs of his on my iTunes and I really like them.
Sara, Elliot was one of the three finalists on the season of American Idol where Taylor Hicks won and Katharine McPhee was the runner-up.
lol thanks, I don’t live in America so I had no clue. As much as I hate these idol shows, they really do produce some great talent sometimes, Kelly Clarkson, Fantastia, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood et.c
Loooove Elliott! One of my favorite Idols ever
IMHO, Elliott Yamin is the best contestant not to win AI. Great voice, good song writer, etc. He just didn’t have the “look” for many of the voters. He should have beaten Hick and McPhee running away.
Sorry, Hicks.
Suze, I completely agree. Too many people vote on physical appearance rather than talent, and that’s why the winners are so often total disappointments. Elliott Yamin was by far the best contestant that year.
Yay for Yvette Nicole Brown! She is fantastic on Community. As for Khloe Kardashian, are you kidding me? Keeping up with the Kardashians used to be a guilty pleasure but now that any magazine you pick up has at least one of the sisters in it its lost its charm. If anything the Kardashians are over-valued.
This.
Shirley!!!!
Khloe is obviously underrated among the sisters. She has all the brains.
Khloe actually had a head on her shoulders, unlike her two sisters, and is easily the funniest of the three. She actually seems like she would be friends with anyone.
Sam Rockwell hands down, particularly for his spectacular and hilarious performance on Broadway in Martin McDonagh’s play “A Behanding in Spokane”, alongside the equally amazing Christopher Walken. It’s so under-appreciated that I’m sure most people have never heard of it.
I love “A Behanding in Spokane” !
I became a total fan of Sam Rockwell after he played Zaphod Beeblebrox in “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Wow. And then “Moon” came along, and I was glad to note I’m not the only one who loves him!
I think I liked him best as Guy in Galaxy Quest, but Zaphod was definitely good.
Moon is so incredible he is such an amazing actor. He was great in that movie with Kate Beckinsale too but I cannot for life of me rmember what it was called…
@Krystal: I believe your thinking of Snow Angels, the one where Rockwell and Beckinsale are a divorced couple with a missing daughter right?
Argh! The edge goes to Rockwell, but just barely. They’re both amazing actors and totally underappreciated. And Martin McDonagh should be on this list too. All his work is underappreciated! He’s the most consistently interesting playwright around at the moment.
I can’t decide between Patrick Wilson and Sam Rockwell. I’m practically the president of the “Patrick Wilson and Sam Rockwell Need to be Appreciated more” club. You can’t make me choose EW!
I know! They’ve both been sorely under-appreciated for years. Sam Rockwell was awesome even in Charlie’s Angels (that evil little dance he did–fantastic) and I’ve liked Patrick Wilson since Angels in America.
That funky dance in “Charlie’s Angels” is one of my favorite random moments in any recent movie.
Same here, Mr. Holloway. I’d go so far as to say he was the only memorable part of that movie. That was the first time I’d seen him, been a fan ever since.
Putting Rockwell against Wilson in this bracket is even worse than putting my boy Pete Campbell/Vincent Kartheiser against John Noble to be slaughtered.
Also, can I be Vice President (or at least Treasurer) of your club?
Sure. My “Gary Oldman Needs an Oscar” club could also use a vice president.
Sounds good.
Although now that I think about it, I can’t promise that I wouldn’t overthrow you and seize control of any of these clubs. (Especially when it comes to Patrick Wilson, who I keep telling people has all the tools to be a superstar…it just hasn’t happened for whatever reason.)
I’m with all of you all the way! Especially the “Gary Oldman needs an Oscar” club. I’ll be secretary if I have to! Anyone want in on the “Alan Rickman needs an Oscar” club too?
I’ll join the ARnaO club!
YES.
Yvette Nicole Brown. She’s delightful on Community.
Agreed!
The Avett Brothers rule! They are intense live and full of a lot of heart and soul!
Agree! I love the Avett Brothers and glad they were included.
The Avett Brothers are great, and yet EW puts them up against a former American Idol contestant? Really? That’s just poorly thought-out.
I love the the Middle!
Actually just The Middle!
i have no idea who aNY of the peeps r! & i am proud of that.
LOVED Yvette Nicole Brown ever since she had a one episode stint in The Office a few years back and just totally owned it as a shell shecked office supplies worker stuck with Dwight. So glad she finally got scooped up into a proper role, esp something as awesome as Community.
Looooove Sam Rockwell!
Eden Sher and her adorkable, ballsy Sue Heck win me over every single week. I love her.
i’ve been an eden sher fan since her stint on weeds. nothing in season two was quite as funny as gretchen and kat fighting over shane, and his subsequent puppy-love for both…while we’re at it, let’s add alexander gould to this underappreciated list!
Eden Sher is absolutely brilliant as Sue Heck. She embodies all the all awkwardness, enthusiasm, naivete and aspiration of a girl her age. I think she stands out in a very stron ensemble cast and hope she has a long career!
Ok, everyone MUST see Sam Rockwell in “Gentlemen Broncos.” He’s just hilarious and amazing.
How are the Avett Brothers losing this. That douchebag Yamin couldn’t even win American Idol let alone write a song on his own. The Avett Brothers are true artists and great musicians.
agreed.
I can’t believe they are in a silly poll like this, but even moreso, I can’t believe they are losing!
(to an American Idol contestant!)
Ouch, have ya even heard any of Elliott Yamin’s music before the way harsh judgment?
I hate having to chose between Yvette Nicole Brown and Eden Sher!! They’re both terrific! I also nominate the boy who plays Luke on Modern Family. He’s hilarious.
Yes, it is almost impossible to choose between those two ladies. They are both brilliant!
That’s nice!
Thank you! everyone loves manny on modern family (which he is great), but Luke is by far my favorite!