The Criminally Underrated Oscar Isaac

Already garnering nominations for his leading role in the Coen Brothers' latest, Inside Llewyn Davis, the 33-year-old Guatemalan actor is finally getting the recognition he deserves after performing in a menagerie of roles in the last decade. Check out his best characters below.

The Lost Cause - Standard Gabriel in Drive (2011)

While everyone mooned over Ryan Gosling for his strong silent routine, Isaac played an ex-con that owed a hefty amount to an Albanian gangster for protection on the inside. I kind of felt bad for his character. He comes out of prison, eager to reunite with his girl (Carey Mulligan) and his son, and she's busy...awkwardly hanging out with the new hot neighbor, who rocks an extremely random scorpion member's only jacket.

The Abuser - Blue Jones in Sucker Punch (2011)

In this fantasy action film, he played a pretty convincing, sadistic asylum orderly that takes a bribe to lobotomize a young girl (Emily Browning) who knows too much. Once the procedure is done, he tries to sexually assault her. And if THAT'S not enough, the girl enters an alternate reality, where Isaac plays a sleazy brothel owner who whores out the patients to dirty old men. It's certainly not the typical role for a leading man, but it's a rarity when one can play heroes and villains.

The Crusader - Michael Perry in Won't Back Down (2012)

Eager to give his students the education they deserve, Isaac's character bravely risks his job to stand by two crusading mothers (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis) and change the system. It's one of very few films that he's done that doesn't involve danger or suspense. Playing an average Joe is as underrated as he is.

The Hero - Evgeni in W.E.

This was a tricky film for many reasons. For starters, it was directed and co-written by Madonna, so...that could've been a clusterf*ck. Then, of course, there's the fact that it takes place in two time periods—one set in flashbacks. Isaac's present day character is a Russian museum security guard who is attentive towards and enamored by a battered wife (Abbie Cornish), who is obsessed with the scandalous love story of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. Isaac doesn't get much screen time, but in that short period, he establishes a believable connection with the woman and provides an interesting parallel between the two romances.

The Piner - Reeves in 10 Years (2011)

I, personally, think that one of the hardest roles for most male actors to nail is The Lover, in all its forms: The Piner, The Charmer, The Boy Next Door, etc. There's a certain level of sincerity that must be felt by the audience, otherwise the love story will fall flat. With his sleepy eyes and soothing voice, Isaac delivers every line with such guilelessness it's as if he's not reading from a script. In this high school reunion indie, a bunch of classmates meet up to relive the past and accept their present. Isaac's character is a famous singer with a very well-known hit single, and the girl (Kate Mara) he's interested in, a former loner, seems fairly oblivious that it's actually about her. Watch her come to that realization here!

Yeah that's right. He can sing!

Keep that in mind this month when you watch Inside Llewyn Davis, where he plays a struggling folk singer in the 60s, opposite Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan.