With the topic being "the actor that needs to be in more movies," my original pick was Chris Kattan. Between the comic relief he provides in 1999's "House on Haunted Hill" to his dimwitted but lovable portrayal of danceaholic Doug Butabi in 1998's "A Night At the Roxbury" (alongside a then fairly unknown Will Ferrell), Kattan is a much funnier personality than people give him credit for.
But, when thinking about the different Kattan movies that I enjoy, my focus quickly turned to one of his older brothers in 2001's "Corky Romano," Peter Berg (the other being another underrated talent, the late Chris Penn.)
Lately, Berg has been making a name for himself in the field of directing, helming such titles as 2003's "The Rundown," starring The Rock in one of his first starring roles, 2004's "Friday Night Lights," and the upcoming Jamie Foxx vehicle, "The Kingdom."
While his directing skills are quickly becoming some of the most sought-after in Hollywood, Berg's acting skills (and specifically, his comedic chops) are oft-overlooked.
One of his most hilarious performances is Berg's straight-laced portrayal of boxer-turned-rocker-turned-boxer-again, "Irish" Terry Conklin, in 1996's "The Great White Hype." Berg never cracks a smile while delivering some of the funniest lines in the movie opposite Damon Wayans' just-as-deadpan James "The Grim Reaper" Roper, not the least of which is an acoustic song entitled "Mr. Roper, Mr. Roper," in which Conklin enthusiastically promises to "open up a case of butt-whippin'" on Roper.
Also worth checking out is Berg's performance in the afore-mentioned "Corky Romano," playing the tough but illiterate older brother of the title character, as well as his brief role as "Pistol" Pete Deeks in this year's "Smokin' Aces."
Tyler's bottom line: as good of a director as he is, Peter Berg deserves to be on-screen just as much as behind the camera in the future.
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