The 2014 RyMickey Awards - Best Breakthrough

Best Breakthrough doesn't necessarily mean that the folks listed below are new to the scene (although that may be the case) -- it's just that they had a stellar year in 2014 that really placed them on the map (or at least my map).  Here's hoping we see more from all of those listed below in the years to come.

Best Breakthrough of 2014

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

Ansel Elgort - The Fault in Our Stars, Divergent, Men, Women, and Children
Nimrat Kaur - The Lunchbox

Stacy Martin - Nymphomaniac Vol. 1

And the Top Five...

#5 - Jack O'Connell

Unbroken, Starred Up

While I'm not sold on Jack O'Connell as a Star with a Capital S, I think there's something there for sure.  With Unbroken and Starred Up, we got two very different roles showing a wide range of capability from the young actor.

#4 - Essie Davis
The Babadook

Essie Davis has been around since the early 1990s, but she made her mark mostly in the Australian entertainment industry.  New to me, her role in The Babadook was a breath of fresh air in a year where women took an unfortunate backseat to the men in the quality of roles they were given.

#3 - David Oyelowo
Selma, A Most Violent Year, Interstellar

David Oyelowo has been around quite a while.  I first came across him in the British series MI-5 over a decade ago, but with 2014's Selma, he really got an opportunity to shine.  It was such a fantastic year for male actors that he was overlooked at the Oscars (perhaps rightly so...you'll have to wait and see my Top Five), but that doesn't mean his work in the film is any less powerful or effective.

#2 - Chris Pratt

Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lego Movie

While 2015's Jurassic World solidified Chris Pratt as a Star with a Capital S, 2014 was his introduction to superstardom.  While I may not have been as big of a fan as others of both Guardians of the Galaxy or The Lego Movie, there's no denying that both films made him a household name.  His charisma is admittedly infectious and undeniably amusing.

#1 - Damien Chazelle
writer (Grand Piano), writer-director (Whiplash)

This is the first time I've ever included a non-actor on the Best Breakthrough list in the six years I've been writing this blog, but Damien Chazelle irrefutably deserves this top spot.  As the writer of Grand Piano -- a gothic pulpy horror tale that revels in its absurd silliness -- and the director of one of the best films of 2014 Whiplash, he proves to be a multi-talent.  I can't wait to see what's next for Chazelle as I feel he's got what it takes to really make a name for himself in Hollywood.

Previous RyMickey Award Winners

2013   --   2012

2011   --   2010

2009