Anna Gunn has shown her wide range and versatility in her nearly thirty-year career. Working almost exclusively on television, Gunn became a household name when she appeared as Skyler White in AMC's critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad.
Whether it was a one-off guest appearance or a reoccurring role throughout, Gunn has turned in one noteworthy performance after another over the years. Unfortunately, not every project was a gem and even the best actors find themselves in a stinker every now and then.
Being Frank (2018) - 6.1
In Being Frank, Gunn played Laura Hansen, the mother of a young man who tries to have fun with his friends despite the interruption of Frank played by Jim Gaffigan. Though Gaffigan is responsible for some of the best standup specials of all time, he failed to make an impression as Frank. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews upon its release at film festivals. Though a small independent film, it had a star-studded cast, it couldn't move the critical needle and it received a middling score on IMDb.
Sleepwalkers (1997-1998) - 6.1
Sleepwalkers was a short-lived sci-fi TV series about scientists who could enter people's dreams to try and help cure them of psychological problems. Anna Gunn only appeared in one of the show's episodes as a mother whose son is being treated by the scientists. Though her episode is one of the highest-rated of the show, it is also only one of two that actually aired nationwide. The network produced nine episodes but pulled the plug on it after only two aired on TV. Even though it starred a young Naomi Watts, Sleepwalkers was a big flop.
Secrets of Eden (2012) - 5.7
Secrets of Eden was a made-for-TV movie produced for the Lifetime channel. It starred John Stamos as a pastor who becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. In the middle of her memorable run as Skyler on Breaking Bad, Gunn was featured heavily in the film as Detective Catherine Benincasa who is looking into the case and actively investigating Stamos. She was the second-billed actor in the film but it did little to impress viewers who reacted mostly poorly to it.
Equity (2016) - 5.5
The independent film Equity put all of its eggs in the Anna Gunn basket. Gunn plays a financial analyst named Naomi Bishop who gets caught up in a corruption scandal and has to work herself out of it using her savvy.
Though the film received middling positive reviews when it was released to film festivals, it garnered a low rating on IMDb. Despite this, Gunn flexed her chops as an actress and showed that she could carry a film instead of being a supporting player.
Moment Of Truth: Caught In The Crossfire (1994) - 5.4
Shows like Law and Order and NYPD Blue had a profound effect on the television landscape of the 1990s. Moment Of Truth was a TV movie starring cop show mainstay Dennis Franz as a reporter who goes undercover for the FBI. Anna Gunn co-starred as FBI agent Alex King, and got a fair amount of screen time. Though she turned in a sold performance only a few years into her career, the TV movie is hardly remembered today. Garnering only fifty ratings on IMDb the film was not well received by those who did remember it.
Indecency (1992) - 5.3
In only her second role, Anna Gunn plays a small part in the TV movie Indecency. Following a young woman who works in advertising that starts an affair with one of her employees after she has a nervous breakdown, Indecency was very much in line with the TV movie dramas of the time. Gunn doesn't get much time to shine on screen and her appearance is largely forgotten. Earning a measly 5.3 on IMDb, the film wasn't fondly remembered.
Santa Fe (1997) - 5.1
An ex-cop returns home to Santa Fe to find that his wife is entangled in a cult and he works to free her from their evil influence. A few years into Gunn's career she plays a very small part in the forgotten action drama.
TV mainstay Gary Cole wasn't enough to elevate the project and the reviews it received upon its release were middling at best. Gunn wasn't given enough to do in the film to move the needle either and on IMDb it barely cracks a fifty percent score with around one hundred reviews.
Lost Souls (2000) - 4.8
Starring Winona Ryder and a cast of veterans including John Hurt and Phillip Baker Hall, Lost Souls was an independent horror-thriller. Telling the story of a journalist who meets a priest that believes he has been chosen to be the antichrist, the people who saw the film didn't like it all that much. Anna Gunn plays a small part and gets very little screen time in the film that mostly focuses on its two leads. The film's all-star cast brought it to the attention of over ten thousand IMDb users and yet it could only muster a sub 5.0 rating.
Junior (1994) - 4.7
Junior was the low point of the careers of most of the people involved with the film. A scientist, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger develops a way for men to become pregnant. Anna Gunn, in what was her biggest project up until that point, played a receptionist at the birthing center where Schwarzenegger visits. The film was a big-budget studio feature and was panned horribly upon its release. Even the Danny Devito and Schwarzenegger pairing didn't work the second time around. Fortunately for Gunn, her appearance in the film was brief enough that she isn't associated with it. Despite an all-star cast and crew, the film seemed almost doomed from the start and the reviews reflected that.
Without Evidence (1996) - 4.1
In Without Evidence, Gunn was able to sink her teeth into a big role and she shares top billing with her co-star Scott Plank. The film tells the story of a man who investigates a drug ring in a prison after his brother is murdered. Though a small budget feature, the film was able to land Angelina Jolie in a supporting role which overshadowed the rest of the film completely. Though Jolie was a star, her part in Without Evidence was far from one of her most underrated roles. Unfortunately for Gunn, and all involved, the film was universally panned by critics and has been largely forgotten with only one thousand ratings on IMDb.