Sometimes Most times the best actors come from indie movies. They start out as little indie eggs and then hatch into wonderful dragon Hollywood movie actors. Something went wrong with that metaphor/simile but whatever we are excited. We have plucked a few of our favorite dragons out for your viewing pleasure. We are very protective of them. We will fight you if you hate them. Enjoy.

Catherine Keener

This woman is the Meryl Streep of Indie movies. We love her. We love her so much that she is our mascot. Not really, but in reality we cannot stop singing her praises every day around the office. And we literally mean sing…and our interns can’t carry a tune. One thing we really love about her is that even though she gets big budget, amazing “Hollywood” style movies like The 40 Year Old Virgin, she has not once turned her back on indie films.  Take for example, Please Give–one of the most honest and raw performances that was overlooked by the Academy:

She also picks films she wants to be a part of. In Where the Wild Things Are she tore up the screen for only ten minutes as Max’s mother. Just because. Or how about being the only watchable part of Friends With Money? Also, nothing is more terrifying than her performance opposite Ellen Page in An American Crime. You saw just how much of an incredible actress she is playing an abusive and empty parent. We urge you to check out literally any of her movies, because we can vouch for all of them.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Before he ripped our hearts out and punched them in the face to make us cry with his beautiful performance in Brokeback Mountain, Jake was just a little indie kid trying to get by. And by getting by we mean the ultimate of ultimate cult movies. Helloooo Donnie Darko. For every Prince of Persia or Love and Other Drugs, we remember Lovely & Amazing (starring our mascot Catherine Keener too, sigh) and his awesome performance in David Fincher’s Zodiac…

Jake. Go back to indies. We liked all the ones you ever did. Sure, we like watching The Day After Tomorrow on a rainy day as much as the next human, but we like October Sky and Proof better because they show us why you are just so good. We know our stuff Mr. G and so do you.

Jesse Eisenberg

Before he was the man behind the sensation known as Facebook (only in movies, though) and before he was chasing zombies around the globe (in real life), he was in one of our favorite little indies that could, The Squid and the Whale. As Laura Linney’s son he stood out amidst a plot that was spectacular and could have easily overlooked him, but it didn’t. And he rocked it.

Let’s not forget The Living Wake or The Hunting Party either! This kid can pretty much do it all and he knows how to pick a project. Who else could have played Mark Zuckerberg? Probs Catherine Keener, but no one else! He also really surprised us with his performance in Holy Rollers–where he played a Hasidic Jew who got wrapped up in drug dealing. And it totally worked.  Mr. Eisenberg…we are clapping…seriously…for you!

Zooey Deschanel

Those damn blue eyes, why you be so cute Zooey? Why did The Happening have to happen? Don’t get eaten by plants again please because we thought you were too good in (500) Days of Summer. That was the indie-turned-sleeper-hit we all loved to love, especially because her character was so unlikable. Let’s be real though, we are getting real as the color red, Summer only put her on our radar–before that she was everywhere! She rocked the house in the super twisted dark comedy Eulogy…

Not to mention she was the only good part of Live Free or Die, The Good Life, and The Go-Getter. Oh and she totally stole the show from Jennifer Aniston and Jake G (our indie darling above) in The Good Girl.  She, like our mascot, does not turn her back on the indie. And even though she was in Your Highness, we know her new show on Fox “The New Girl” will make us forgive her and love her even more.

Thoughts FilmBuffians? Who are your favorite indie darlings who became mainstream Hollywood? Hit up that comments box.