Manuel here continuing our year end review.
Remember in 2011 when Jessica Chastain went from unknown actress to Oscar nominee in the blink of an eye thanks to the whirlwind of release dates that had her starring in over six films in that calendar year? It was as great a calling card as you could ask for and while Chastain had a relatively subdued year (Crimson Peak, The Martian), other actors gave her a run for her money in the “how many projects can I appear on in one year” race. Not that it’s a contest, but we’re fan of lists here at TFE even as we understand they’re more jumping off discussion points rather than monolithic assertions of quality or taste.
And so find below a list of 15 actors who were extra hardworking and who you couldn’t have missed seeing in 2015. They were everywhere from superhero franchise films and prestige flicks to Netflix series and festival sensations.
Rankings and inclusions were both arbitrary and subjective. Thus, they’re neither binding nor absolute (my personal fave and the inspiration for this post in the first place comes at #2).
15. Bill Murray (Aloha, Rock the Kasbah, A Very Murray Christmas)
14. Nicole Kidman (Grace of Monaco, Paddington, Strangerland, Secret in Their Eyes)
13. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Z for Zachariah, The Martian, Secret in their Eyes)
the ubiquitous dozen after the jump
12. Cate Blanchett (Cinderella, Carol, Truth)
11. Judy Greer (Tomorrowland, Jurassic World, Entourage, Ant-Man, Addicted to Fresno)
10. Mark Ruffalo (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Infinitely Polar Bear, Spotlight)
9. Anthony Mackie (Ant-Man, Love the Coopers, The Night Before, Our Brand Is Crisis)
8. Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina, Show Me A Hero, Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
7. Rachel McAdams (Aloha, Southpaw, True Detective S2, Spotlight)
6. Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation, Inside Out, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Sisters)
And our Top 5
5. Tom Hardy
(Mad Max Fury Road, The Revenant, London Road, Legend)
Hardy had a busy 2015. He even played twins, doubling his odds of inclusion. Will it pay off with an Oscar nod come January?
4. Domnhnall Gleeson
(Ex Machina, Brooklyn, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Revenant)
While Hardy gave us four sides of, one could argue, the same macho coin, Gleeson’s work this year surprises for its variety, so tender and smitten in one, so crazed and fascist in the next. For those who’ve seen it, does he at least get a happy ending in The Revenant?
3. Kristen Wiig
(Welcome to Me, Nasty Baby, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Diary of a Teenage Girl, A Deadly Adoption, The Martian)
I’ve sung the praises of Ms Wiig before but goddamn if that roster of films alone don’t suggest a fearless actress who loves trying different things on for size.
2. Ben Whishaw
(Suffragette, Spectre, The Lobster, London Spy, In the Heart of Sea, The Danish Girl)
My favorite shaggy-haired Brit mostly played character roles this year but you have to admit he’s a stealth scene stealer without ever coming off as such. For anyone hoping he’d continue his path onto gay male leading status, look no further than the fascinating London Spy.
And the award for “2011 Jessica Chastain” (previously known as the "2004 Jude Law") goes to…
1. Alicia Vikander
(Ex Machina, Testament of Youth, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Burnt, The Danish Girl)
J-Law may have earned “Entertainer of the Year” from EW this year (which is all well and good considering the mag’s rubrics) but you have to admit fewer actors had as great of a year as Vikander. She may very well earn her first Oscar nomination for The Danish Girl but her work in Ex Machina best exemplifies her allure; even when you know you shouldn’t be besotted with someone so obviously built to be perfect, you cannot help but be caught in her spell. Thankfully, her next two projects sound most exciting. A Tom Stoppard-written film about the 17th Century tulip mania set in Amsterdam featuring Jack O’Connell, Judi Dench, and Dane DeHaan? A Derek Cianfrance film opposite Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz? Yes, please.
Feel free to tell me who I missed and whether you agree with our undisputed #1 placement -- Nathaniel himself has kicked off the Film Bitch Awards for 2015 with a special Gold Medal for Body of Work which you can see right here.