Sometimes all it takes is that one big opportunity to take an actor from underrated talent to superstar: Empire was that opportunity for Taraji P. Henson; Scandal made Kerry Washington a household name; Jane The Virgin made all the difference in Gina Rodriguez’s career.
Great strides are being made when it comes to having more and more men and women of color in starring roles on TV. However, we’re still a little salty about the following talented actors and actresses who are so close but still far away from the brightest of spotlights. These are actors and actresses who are way too underrated after years of giving great performances.
Regina King
After giving some amazing performances while starring on Southland (very underrated show by the way), King still hasn’t really broken through the glass ceiling in Hollywood. And for goodness sake, a lot of people get her and Regina Hall mixed up on a regular basis (I asked Hall about this, and she says it happens all the time). But King has been showing off her formidable acting talents for quite some time, dating as far back as her performance as Iesha in Poetic Justice. It’s never too late to break through though, as King does have a new role in the critically-acclaimed ABC drama, American Crime.
