Actors with A-List Potential

There are two kinds of actors in Hollywood. Leading men/Leading Ladies, and the character actors who support them by playing second-fiddle. A-List actors include guys like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, George Clooney and Tom Cruise. The A-List actresses would include the likes of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts. The strength of these names can sell a film. They get top billing and top salaries for their films.

But it's the second-tier names I want to talk about. Some of the second-bannana actors have just as much talent and good looks as the big-name stars but for some reason, they languish below the mega-stars. Most of them have paid their dues for a long time but still have not quite made it to the leading roles. They may have starred in successful TV series but in films they seem to have hit the glass ceiling when it comes to making the leap to movie stardom.

Here is a list of people I think could be just as good--if not better--than some of the top level movies stars of today

5) Patrick Wilson--At first he was mostly cast as the romantic interest for the female leads, as in his early films like Phantom of the Opera and Little Children. But he's branched out to more varied roles, such as the reluctant super-hero Nite Owl in Watchmen and evil CIA agent Lynch in The A-Team. I think he's got more potential than he's used so far and the man deserves watching, because I think he can be a big star. Look for him in the highly anticipated sci-fi epic Prometheus.

4) Richard Armitage--A handsome British actor with a lot of intensity and yet is able to project vulnerability. Starting with an uncredited appearance in the 1999 Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace, he's worked steadily in the industry. He was in North & South but his big break-out role was his excellent performance as Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the BBC Robin Hood series. (2006-2009) Although the series was merely mediocre, Armitage stole every scene he was in with his angst-ridden interpretation of the morally ambiguous Sir Guy. He's appeared in the series MI-5 as Lucas North, and had a role in the recent Captain America: the First Avenger film as Heinz Kruger. Look for him in Peter Jackson's upcoming Hobbit films.

3) David Tennant--Before he became a sci-fi icon, he appeared in the BBC series Blackpool, as Peter Carlisle, and played the title role in the mini-series Casanova. He also had a small but pivotal role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But it was only after he took the starring role in the ever-popular sci-fi show Dr. Who, playing the latest incarnation of the mysterious Time Lord known as the Doctor, that he shot to TV mega-fame. He left that show at the height of his popularity to pursue a film career which has so-far eluded him. Still, his scene-stealing role in the recent Fright Night remake as Peter Vincent shows he has what it takes to make it on the big-screen. He'll be providing the voice for Charles Darwin in the upcoming animated film The Pirates: Band of Misfits.

2) James Roday--I think this guy has what it takes to be the next big comedy star. If the industry is waiting for the next Eddie Murphy or Jim Carrey, I think Roday could fill the void. He spent five years playing small roles in films like Showtime, Dukes of Hazzard, Beerfest and Gamer, then he got the role of faux-psychic detective Shawn Spencer in the cable comedy Psych. Roday's consistently hilarious performance as Shawn is as assured and slick as any big-screen comedian. He has the potential to be the silver-screen clown of the next decade once Psych goes off the air. In the meantime, we can enjoy him each week as the wild-and-crazy Shawn.

1) Idris Elba--I think this guy has more talent and intensity than any of the trendy, A-listers of today and is the most under-rated person working in the industry. The guy is bursting with talent. He's a British actor who's been paying his dues for over 20 years. He first came to some recognition playing "Stinger" Bell in The Wire. He's appeared in others series, including the British version of the Office and The Big C. His movie roles include 28 Weeks Later, American Gangsters and The Losers. Recently, he was a scene-stealer playing Heimdall in Thor. But his best performance has got to be as the maverick cop-on-the-edge in the wonderful BBC series Luther, the best cop show to come along in years. His performance there is absolutely riveting. Look for him in the upcoming, much anticipate sci-fi film Prometheus. He's a man to watch and he has Star written all over him.

These are five names I think deserve watching because they can potentially be the dominant stars at the box office in the future--with luck!