Actors To Watch
A list of 20 great television and film actors that don't get anywhere near enough attention.
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- Actor
- Director
- Editor
Paul Schackman grew up in Los Angeles. He is the oldest of two boys. Prior to acting he was, among other things, a competitive swimmer, a horseback riding instructor and a door to door encyclopedia salesman. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego where he began as a "pre-med" student. It was at UCSD where he stumbled into an acting class which inspired him to pursue a career as a professional actor. He has starred in and directed numerous theater productions. In 2004 he received critical acclaim as the Doctor in a revival of Tom Cole's Medal Of Honor Rag. He starred opposite the late Heavy D in a production directed by Delroy Lindo. From his television debut on the original Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), he has gone on to work in dozens of films and television shows. He played the iconic film composer Bernard Herrmann in the film Hitchcock (2012) opposite Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins. He also worked opposite Steve Carell In Woody Allen's Café Society (2016). Paul is also a well respected Hollywood acting teacher and coach.- Steven is a graduate of American Conservatory Theatre's Advanced Training Program in San Francisco. He has appeared on stage with such companies as American Conservatory Theater, Utah Shakespearean Festival, California Shakespeare Festival and many others. He has made numerous Television appearances including the shows; Grey's Anatomy, Community, NCIS, and many others.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
A native of Chicago, Jeff Daniel Phillips' artistic pursuits began with his studies of Fine Arts abroad in Italy and evolved into filmmaking at the University of Southern California where he received degrees in both. After graduation, he developed a career both behind and in front of the camera. Jeff has over ten years experience working as a production designer, art director and propmaster for film, television, music videos, commercials and print ads. During his studies, Jeff developed a love of acting beginning with roles on stage in productions stateside and in Europe. His theatre work evolved into television roles, most recently landing recurring roles for two seasons on the Marvel series The Gifted for FOX, Westworld, produced by J.J. Abrams for HBO and TV dramedies Claws for TNT and Flaked for Netflix. Also on television, Jeff originated the Geico Caveman character and was spokesman for eight years. During the popular, award-winning campaign he appeared in commercials, print, their website and in the ABC sitcom titled Cavemen. Filmwise, Jeff has had supporting roles in such classics as Robert Redford's Sneakers and David Fincher's Zodiac. More recently he has upcoming leading roles in Becoming also starring Toby Kebbell, Penelope Mitchell and Jason Patric and the much anticipated Rob Zombie feature film Three From Hell, a sequel to Zombie's cult classic The Devil's Rejects. This will be Jeff's fourth feature collaboration with the horror legend acting in Halloween II, The Lords of Salem and 31. Besides acting, Jeff is in the process of developing and writing a Sci-Fi Fantasy series and also an Action-Horror, a Thriller and Heist feature films.- Actor
- Director
Jack Kehler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He worked as a waiter in New York, until he decided to pursue a career in theater at the age of 24. In 1982, he was admitted into the Actors Studio. After a while, he moved to Los Angeles. In his career in Hollywood, worked as character actor in supporting roles on the film as: Strange Invaders (1983), Year of the Dragon (1985), The Last Boy Scout (1991), Wyatt Earp (1994), My Fellow Americans (1996), Lost Highway (1997), Lethal Weapon 4 (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Men In Black II (2002), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), The Last Godfather (2010), Lost on Purpose (2013), A Winter Rose (2016). Appreciated multifaceted actor, today he continues to work in many television and film productions.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Scottie Thompson grew up performing as a ballet dancer. She transitioned into her acting career when she landed a recurring role on the Showtime series "Brotherhood" after graduating from Harvard University with a degree in Performance Studies. She has gone on to continue working in various television shows, films and independent films.- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Adam LeClair was born on 21 June 1978 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for Six Gun Savior (2016), 24 (2001) and Followed (2015).- Actor
- Director
- Editor
John Carroll Lynch was born August 1, 1963 in Boulder, Colorado, and was raised in Denver. It was there John found a passion for acting and became a Denver Broncos fan. He graduated in the mid-80s with a B.F.A. in theatre from the The Catholic University of America / Hartke Theatre Acting program. From then, he continued to work in theatre around the country, but concentrated mostly on his work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, acting in many plays from Shakespeare to Shaw to Chekhov. In the early nineties, John was able to find time away from the theatre to work in film, as productions came through Minnesota. In 1996, he received critical acclaim for his role as Marge Gunderson's simple husband Norm Gunderson in Fargo (1996). He went on to make two more films that year, both of which were conveniently set in Minnesota, the acclaimed Beautiful Girls (1996) and Feeling Minnesota (1996). Since then, John's film career has been on an amazing climb. Much like other well respected actors from the theatre, such as John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, he chooses to play very interesting and diverse roles.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
From February 2014 Dakin is taking on the iconic role of Mickey, the grizzled no-mercy trainer in ROCKY, THE MUSICAL at Broadway's Winter Gardens Theatre. This role was originally played by veteran screen actor Burgess Meredith in the original 1976 movie and he received an Academy award nomination for his achievement.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Mark Boone Junior was born on 17 March 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Memento (2000), 30 Days of Night (2007) and Batman Begins (2005).- Actor
- Producer
Elias Koteas was born on March 11, 1961, in Montreal, Canada. Both his parents are of Greek descent. Elias attended Vanier College in Montreal before leaving to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1981, of which he is a graduate. He also attended the Actors Studio in New York City, where he studied acting under Ellen Burstyn and Peter Masterson. His film debut was in One Magic Christmas (1985). He has also appeared on stage in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Death of a Salesman," "Bent" and "The Cherry Orchard." In 1989 he was nominated for a Genie (Canada's Academy Award) for best actor in Malarek (1988), a true story in which he plays a troubled street-kid-turned reporter for a Canadian newspaper. A somewhat of a breakthrough role for Elias happened in 1990, when he got the role of vigilante Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and its sequels. He is one of Canada's most popular actors and frequently appears in films by Canadian directors Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg. It was Cronenberg's controversial movie Crash (1996) that had Cannes all abuzz in 1996. Elias played Vaughan, a self-appointed "mad scientist" with an unusual fetish--sexual delight in car crashes! The past two years have been busy ones for Koteas, adding six more roles to his resume. As Capt. James Staros, the commanding officer of Charlie Company in The Thin Red Line (1998), he brought sensitivity and compassion to his portrayal of a man who cared about the safety of his men--even at the risk of his own career. In 2000 he appeared in Lost Souls (2000), a thriller starring Winona Ryder, and starred on Broadway with Josh Brolin in the Sam Shepard play "True West."- John Terry, a native Floridian, discovered acting through a series of fortunate events while building custom log homes in North Carolina.
After performing in a few local theater productions, he moved to Alaska where he helped start a river rafting company. On his 30th birthday, he moved to New York and tried full-time acting and stayed with that.
After living in New York, London, and Los Angeles, he now resides 2007 in Park City, Utah, together with his children, son J.T. and daughter Hannah, who is an active soccer player. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Davis, second of three children, was born in Englewood, New Jersey, the daughter of Joan, a librarian (at one time, for the elementary section of Elisabeth Morrow School), and William Davis, an engineer. Davis has described her mother as a "great storyteller" who would take Davis and her siblings to museums or to "something cultural" every Sunday after church. Davis was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey and graduated in 1982 from Tenafly High School. She was a childhood friend of Mira Sorvino, with whom she wrote and acted in backyard plays. She is married to actor Jon Patrick Walker. They have two daughters, Georgia (born August 31, 2002) and Mae (born December 30, 2004).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Maria Bello was born on 18 April, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. She is of Italian and Polish descent. Maria went to Villanova University, majoring in political science. She had every intention of becoming a lawyer, but she took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She discovered she was very good at it, and she was soon cast in small off-Broadway plays, such as "The Killer Inside Me", "Small Town Gals With Big Problems" and "Urban Planning". She later guest-starred on episodes of The Commish (1991), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995), and Due South (1994). She got her big break when producers Kenny Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her in the spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1996) as "Mrs. Smith" (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series 77 Sunset Strip (1958)). The show was canceled after eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot on ER (1994) as "Dr. Anna Del Amico", in which she guest-starred on the final three episodes of the third season. The show's producers were so impressed with her that they asked her back as a regular on the series.- Actor
- Director
- Stunts
Kevin most recently recurred in LAW AND ORDER: SVU on NBC and guest starred in COMPLICATIONS for USA Network. He is well known for his recurring role as "Anthony Cooper" in LOST and lead role of "Roy DeSoto" in Emergency! He also starred in the feature film, I AM I, directed by Jocelyn Towne. He has worked prolifically in film, television and on-stage.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Sam McMurray was born on 15 April 1952 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Raising Arizona (1987), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and L.A. Story (1991). He is married to Elizabeth Collins. They have two children.- A veteran of nearly 100 films, Jon Polito is most recognized for his work with The Coen brothers, as well as his many television appearances as a series regular and guest star. Notable motion picture roles include: Millers Crossing, Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn't There, The Crow, Blankman, and The Freshman with Marlon Brando, and Big Eyes. Directors he has worked with include; Russel Mulcahy, Clint Eastwood, John McNaughton, Tom Hanks, Andrew Bergman, Michael Apted, Ridley Scott, and Tim Burton amongst others. On television, he starred as a series regular on Crime Story, Ohara, Hearts are Wild, The Chronical, and the critically acclaimed Homicide, Life on the Street. Notable guest star roles include the befuddled landlord Sylvio on Seinfeld, his only role as a woman - Rhonda, on The Chris Isaak Show, Gino, brother to Danny Devito's character, Frank, on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Earl Chambers on Modern Family. He starred on Broadway with Faye Dunaway in The Curse Of An Aching Heart, and with Dustin Hoffman in the 1985 Tony award winning revival of Death Of A Salesman, which he also filmed for CBS. He received the Best Actor OBIE award for Off Broadway theatre in 1980. Other awards include the 2001 TELLY for animation voice over in The Dancing Pumpkin which was directed by his brother Jack Polito, The New York Independent Festival Award for Excellence in Acting, and the 2005 Cinequest Maverick Award for his lifetime body of work in Film and Television. In 2012 Jon received the Best Actor Award for the short film Anti-Muse from the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. He credits his success to three people; his mentor Dominic Garvey, his only acting teacher Irene Baird, and to the late, great director, and friend, Paul Bettis. In addition, his inspiration to this day is New York theatre artist, Theodora Skipitares, who taught him film and design in university, and who has since never been far away from his life. She is 'Art' surviving.
- Jayden Lund was born on 18 December 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He is an actor, known for Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007), The Informant! (2009) and Crash (2004).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Bob Stephenson was born in sunny Camarillo, California, where he skateboarded, Boogie Boarded, played baseball and soccer, had a huge Lego collection, and watched loads of television. He was a latch-key kid to John Stephenson, a mechanical/civil engineer for the government, and Olive Stephenson, who had her masters in nursing. He went to a fancy boarding school (Stevenson) in Pebble Beach, California, where he designed and built sets for the theatrical department, and followed a best friend to The College of Idaho, where he played NCAA soccer. After two years in Idaho he transferred to UC Santa Barbara to continue his long tradition of making great friends and receiving poor grades. Upon graduating (5 year plan) he moved to Los Angeles, became a PA and began writing. A few notable directors (David Kellogg, Simon West, David Fincher, Spike Jonze...) read his work and hired him to write music video and commercial treatments. It wasn't long before they asked him to audition for commercials and the films they were directing and the rest is history. This guy is Amazing!!- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Award-winning American actor, writer and director, Chris Mulkey has a long and diverse career in film, television and stage. Chris is best known for On the Basis of Sex (2018), Whiplash (2014), Captain Phillips (2013), Twin Peaks (1990), Castle Rock (2018), Broken Trail (2006), Any Day Now (1998) and Boardwalk Empire (2010).
Chris grew up in the Midwest, majored in acting at the University of Minnesota and spent four years as a company member of the Children's Theatre of Minneapolis. While in Minnesota, Chris starred in Loose Ends (1975), the Grand Prize winner at the USA film Festival. Chris moved to Hollywood 1975, married actress/artist Karen Landry and they moved to Venice Beach. The couple wrote and starred in Patti Rocks (1988), an independent film that won the Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival. Chris and Karen often worked together in film and on stage in LA, New York, and the Twin Cities.
Chris is also a songwriter with original songs featured in films and television and can be seen playing around the country with his band Chris Mulkey and Deluxe.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Frank Whaley is a critically acclaimed actor/writer/director. He is best known for the films Pulp Fiction (1994) and Swimming with Sharks (1994), and has worked with Oliver Stone multiple times. His feature directorial debut, Joe the King (1999), earned him the Waldo Salt Screenwriting prize at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. He was born in Syracuse, New York, and resides in New York City. He is also an accomplished stage actor, working frequently with the New Group theater. Frank is married to the writer Heather Whaley. They have two children.