History SugarWiki / HeReallyCanAct

* ''Manga/VampireKnight'', ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces'' convinced several anime and JRPG fans that Creator/BrycePapenbrook had a significant amount of promise, despite his less-than-stellar performances in earlier shows. ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' only solidified it- his performance as Rin has won unanimous praise from the show's fans.

** On that note, Creator/ElijahWood deserves a mention. He'd been praised for an okay performance in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', but they'd not been overtly positive. Then he played Kevin in ''Film/SinCity'' and scared the shit out of everyone. When he got into ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' as [[AIIsACrapshoot Sigma]], and he steals every scene he's in, making you simultaneously detest and love him at the same time.

** A subtler example is in one of the vlogs, where she has a [[TalkingToHimself conversation with Wormwood]]. She (herself) calls Wormwood a bad parent, to which Wormwood replies, "I'm not a bad ''parent'', I have a bad ''daughter."'' A line that shows she clearly knows Wormwood inside and out.

** He also gets to play AxCrazy in ''LightNovel/FateZero'' as Ryunosuke Uryu, and he sounds like he absolutely relishes it.

* ''Manga/VampireKnight'', ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' and ''VideoGame/TalesOfGraces'' convinced several anime and JRPG fans that Creator/BrycePapenbrook had a significant amount of promise, despite his less-than-stellar performances in earlier shows. ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' only solidified it- his performance as Rin has won unanimous praise from the show's fans.

* Creator/LianaK is best known for her [=YouTube=] videos and past work as a TV host and presenter - but she has several years of experience in acting and improv theatre as well. She puts these to good use in ''WebVideo/{{Bossfight}}'' - playing [[LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles about ten different characters]] and making them all feel like distinct people. She also earned praise for both comic timing and Princess Sparklemuffin's RousingSpeech - which viewers admitted moved them to tears.

** HeReallyCanAct/StarWarsTheCloneWars

** His VA roles in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4 Arena}}'' have to count as this. In the first one, he does the voice-overs for the MC, but he also plays villain [[spoiler: Detective Adachi]], which requires him to switch from the persona[[note]]No pun intended[[/note]] of [[spoiler: a goofy, bumbling police officer]] to an AxCrazy sociopath. He pulls it off without skipping a beat. Then he dips back into the AxCrazy part for ''Arena'' by delivering the [[spoiler: illusory words]] of Yu Narukami, sounding for all the world like his [[spoiler: Adachi persona from the previous game.]] Anyone who doubts his acting talents after that [[InJoke can get stuffed!]]

* Virtually everyone in the English dub of ''[[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood]]'' got this reaction but special mention goes to Creator/CaitlinGlass as Winry Rockbell in S2 E10 ''Backs to the Distance'' (aka the episode where [[spoiler: Winry learns the truth about her parents' deaths and confronts their killer, Scar]].) Even more impressive? She directed not only herself (as the scene was very emotional for her) but also the other voice actors. Whoa.
** From the same series, Creator/TravisWillingham as [[ColonelBadass Roy]] [[ByronicHero Mustang]]. Somewhat typecast as overtly masculine characters without a ton of depth, he had very little experience when cast in the 2003 anime at just 21 years old. While his performance in that version was still well received, he blew everyone's expectations out of the water with his return to the role six years later in Brotherhood. He gave Roy warmth, gravitas and depth beyond even what was seen in the sub and helped to make him one of the show's most emotionally complex characters, as well as nailing his comedic moments. Special mention goes to Part 5 Episode 2 in [[spoiler: the fight with Envy]], which has him giving one of the most [[HeroicBSOD terrifyingly furious screams]] in anime history, as well as the [[TearJerker positively heartwrenching]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regret]] and [[LoveHurts tenderness]] he shows in the scene following that.

* Music/{{Gorillaz}} bassist Murdoc is voiced by Phil Cornwell, who's a comedian by trade. Since the tone in the interviews and animated shorts is usually [[NonSequitur weird and light-hearted,]] this works out pretty well. But in the iTunes session interviews, there are some surprisingly frightful parts, and Cornwell proves himself as an actor by bringing Murdoc across as [[{{Jerkass}} phenomenally scummy,]] even intimidating. The brutal on-tape fights and [[spoiler: [[HoYay suggestive]] chloroform scene]] are played quite convincingly for the characters, adding a dark new layer to the {{Music/Gorillaz}} story development.

* Creator/MeganFox in Music/{{Eminem}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U&feature=related "Love The Way You Lie" music video.]]

* The [[Music/SteamPoweredGiraffe Vice Quadrant]] album was a chance for David Michael Bennett and Isabella Bennett to show off their acting skills as the Astronaut and Commander Cosmo (David), and the Necrostar (Isabella). Compare [[TheComicallySerious The Spine]] to [[TragicVillain the Astronaut]], or [[CloudCuckoolander Rabbit]] to [[BigBad the Necrostar]]. Special mention should also go to the heartbreaking scene of the end of "Oh No", where the Astronaut [[spoiler: is separated from Cosmica, who lets him regain his sanity just long enough for him to see everything he did, before he dies.]].

* Sutton Foster in ''Violet.'' She had already earned respect for her formidable singing and dancing in shows like ''Anything Goes'', ''Theater/TheDrowsyChaperone'', and ''Thoroughly Modern Millie.'' With ''Violet'', she showed that she could deliver a raw, emotional, and heart-wrenching performance without necessarily tapping her brains out. Her tragic naivete and eventual [[HeroicBSOD breakdown]] when she finds out [[spoiler: the TV preacher she idolized couldn't help fix her facial deformity]] were killer.
* Nobody said the man couldn't act, but Creator/LinManuelMiranda's performance during the largely tragic middle of the second act of ''{{Theatre/Hamilton}}'' comes way out of left field. Hamilton's bravado comes crashing down when [[spoiler: his son dies]], and his panic at the beginning of "Stay Alive (Reprise)" and resignation during "It's Quiet Uptown" show that Miranda can bring real gravitas to the character.

** And he does it yet again in ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights''. From Ma-Ti's [[spoiler: death]] to Linkara giving him an idea for another quest, the Critic looks and acts like his whole world has been destroyed. And not just common review suffering, he's 100% broken. Doug should be proud of himself.
** ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'' once again brings his acting chops to the fore as he breaks down and begs the other reviewers to help him [[spoiler: save Ma-ti]]. It's not over the top, it's not wimpy or heartbroken, it's just him owning up to his mistakes and genuinely asking for help for the first time.

** His scenes in the latter and {{cerebus syndrome}}d half of WebVideo/DemoReel can be exhausting on one's emotions. One commenter even said they could have desperately used some ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' birds after Donnie numbly and sarcastically apologizes to the family for giving a bad performance [[spoiler: after hearing that his mother '''killed herself''']], and they think he's kidding.

** 90's Kid [[spoiler: possessed/replaced by the Entity]] is easily the high point.
** Lewis really shows his acting chops in the ''ComicBook/BatmanNoel'' review, when Harvey Finevoice [[spoiler: has to confront his son's death]]. Never has so much anguish been portrayed on the show.

* Creator/MatthewMercer was generally well-received as a voice actor in video games and anime, but he was known for two things: generic BadassBaritone voices ([[VideoGame/TalesOfXillia Alvin]], [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Leon Kennedy]], [[Manga/AttackOnTitan Levi]] and the like) and [[VideoGame/Persona4 replacing]] [[VideoGame/Disgaea4 the]] [[VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma more]] [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight widely-known]] actor Creator/TroyBaker. That changed completely with ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'', where he acts as Dungeon Master for a group of voice actors and reveals himself to be an insanely talented ManOfAThousandVoices. He plays everything from {{Adorkable}} geeks to CampGay wizards to gravelly-voiced vampires and dragons to a [[EnsembleDarkhorse crazy-prospector-esque black powder merchant]], along with a variety of [[CrossDressingVoices female characters]] who each sound distinct and convincing. Even the other players -- all of them professional voice actors -- are in awe of his range.