Every now and again you stumble across an actor who makes a deep impression, whether through a series of bit parts and supporting roles—or occasionally as the lead.
This list
focuses on talent who captured my attention in the last year or two, and I’m
hoping have chances to shine in 2017 and beyond. The kind of actors who inspire viewers to keep tuning in, who make characters seem so real, and who know how
to truly emote.
(When working
on scripts these are the thespians I imagine playing the parts. Fingers crossed
I’ll work with at least a few of these amazing performers one day.)
20. Susan
Wokoma
Britain’s Wokoma
has popped up here and there over the years—including Chewing Gum in 2015, and
a past episode of Misfits—yet new series Crazyhead is where she owns the screen.
Raquel, her character, is not great at communicating subtly, but what she lacks
in tact she makes up for in bravery.
Like Buffy,
the character is fighting demons while attempting to maintain new friendships—a
haphazard, complicated road, swinging from action to heartbreak and hilarity. Wokoma’s
interpretation of the role, brash but vulnerable, is what makes the series. Dynamic
in front of the camera, I’m guessing we’ll see a lot more of this talented
performer.
19. Johanna
Braddy
Over the
last decade or so Johanna Braddy has had numerous regular TV roles, as well as
single episode appearances in shows like Criminal Minds, Suburgatory, and Necessary
Roughness, as well as animation voice work, but in 2015/16 she hit her stride
with a fabulous part in UnREAL, and a role in Quantico.
The
character of Anna in UnREAL showcased Braddy’s acting chops: contestant on a
Bachelorette-style show, she’s soon reeling from her father’s unexpected death,
while battling an eating disorder. Anna vacillates between competitive
ruthlessness, rationalization, and emotional vulnerability. Many actors would
have disappeared in the flood of beautiful contestants; Johanna Braddy’s
performance made Anna deeply memorable.
18. Phumphothingam Nawat
Love Sick
The Series is a BL (boy love) show from Thailand I only saw this year, with
mostly inexperienced actors and a rough way of filming that created a
documentary-like feel. A tale of high school romance between two teen boys,
there is a clumsiness and energy that creates a rare sense of authenticity.
Nawat
plays Phun, the son of a politician. His dad wants to set him up with a friend’s
daughter, so he asks Noh to be his fake boyfriend…. Except the fake part
doesn’t last long. Both lead actors are great, but I especially loved Nawat’s
performance. He makes Phun extremely real thanks to a subtle emotive presence
onscreen. Next up Nawat stars in the popular U Prince series.
17. Echo Kellum
Fans of
Arrow have seen the addition of Echo Kellum to the regular cast as Curtis Holt
(and also Mr. Terrific). In a vigilante world where many characters are stoic,
dark and uber cool, the awkward friendliness of Curtis works in contrast. After
a beating, he begins training, and Kellum humanizes the difficult transition to
superhero. Holt is also the first openly gay male character in the series.
Kellum has
appeared in a number of shows over the last few years, including Sean Saves The
World, You’re The Worst, and Hot in Cleveland, as well as voice work for the animations
Elena of Avalor, and Rick and Morty. Thanks to his engaging energy, his characters
stay in your mind; expect Kellum’s popularity to keep growing.
16. David
Mazouz
If the young
Bruce Wayne in Gotham looks familiar, it’s because the actor also appeared as
the son of Keifer Sutherland’s character in Touch. (Not bad for someone in his
early teens!).
Most people
familiar with Batman know his parents were murdered. Mazouz made that element
of the mythology chillingly real: watching the young Bruce suffer makes for
heartbreaking television. Just like in Touch, the actor excels at emotionally
complex scenes. Vulnerable, wounded, thoughtful and brave: kudos to Mazouz for
bringing a new facet of the Batman legend to life on the small screen.
15. Ryu Hwa
Young
With only a
few kdrama roles under her belt, this South Korean actress has already made an
impact on audiences; I first saw her in Ex-Girlfriend Club. Previously a member of a girl group, she’s transformed into a
confident actress, and a major talent.
In the drama
Age of Youth (also called Hello, My Twenties! on Netflix and often referred to
as South Korea’s version of Girls) Ryu Hwa Young’s character Kang Yi Na has
numerous lovers who fund her high-end lifestyle; yet underneath the sexual
confidence and emotional distance are deep scars from a traumatic past. This is
riveting stuff: she exudes strength onscreen, owning every scene. Can't wait to see her next project.
14. Richard
Harmon
Speaking of
actors who burn up the screen, Harmon’s intensity has made him the go-to actor
for troubled, multifaceted characters. While he’s appeared onscreen from a
relatively young age, in the last few years he’s had standout roles in
Continuum, Bates Motel, and The 100.
The time
travel tropes of Continuum gifted Harmon a meaty role as a teen who grows up to
be the future leader of the rebellion. Time travelling agents want to either protect
or assassinate him. Meanwhile present day Julian is a teenage boy going through
tragedies, forced to face the repercussion of choices he hasn’t made yet. Over
on The 100, his character Murphy progresses from a violent bully with murderous
tendencies to an unpredictable ally.
13. Yang Yang
Love o2o is
a romantic drama between college students who meet in an online game before
they do in real life. Chinese heartthrob Yang Yang plays genius Xiao Nai. I liked
Yang Yang’s performances in The Whirlwind Girl and The Lost Tomb; Love o2o
cemented the impression he’s more than just a pretty face.
The
collected way Yang Yang plays Xiao Nai is interesting. (In a Western TV show
the female lead would crack his calm veneer, or he’d turn killer, but this kind
of supreme control is seen as desirable in a Chinese drama.) Xiao Nai plays
life like a game, always a step ahead, and is fiercely loyal to those around
him. Yang Yang brought a reserved character to life in a way that implied
controlled intensity and fascinating depths.
12.
Scarlett Byrne
Byrnes is
probably best known for appearing in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts
1 and 2. She gave a standout performance in the seventh season of The Vampire
Diaries as half witch, half vampire Nora who wakes up in the modern world to
discover, among other things, it’s okay to be gay. Dealing with relationship
issues and life-threatening supernatural conflicts, Byrne’s delivery makes a character
that might have been two-dimensional into a relatable being.
Previously
she gave a fantastic performance in Falling Skies as Lexi. Genetic tampering
accelerates Lexi’s growth; she becomes a human/alien hybrid distrusted by
humans, and manipulated by aliens. A mix of dangerous and naïve, Byrne’s
portrayal of the teen confirms her appearance in The Vampire Diaries wasn’t a
fluke: she has a penchant for playing unearthly and vulnerable, yet powerful
characters.
11. Jamie
Clayton
If you’ve
seen Sense8, you know Jamie Clayton gives a powerhouse performance as
transgender blogger Nomi, who has to deal with both sci-fi problems and
societal ones thanks to her family’s intolerance. I liked the parallel drawn
between the two states of persecution: in each case, being different to the
established “norm” puts characters in danger—in myriad ways.
You might
have also caught her recent appearance in film The Neon Demon, and many remember
her from the series Hung. I find Clayton really intense onscreen, and I love
the emotional energy she brings to a role. Yes, she’s at the center of the
Sense8 ensemble cast, but I’m hoping the next couple of years bring another
show that focuses solely on her asa lead.
10. Max
Brown
Australian
actor Max Brown has appeared in long-running Aussie stalwart dramas Home and
Away and Neighbours. He’s also worked behind the camera, as a producer and a
writer. Now his acting credits are on the rise.
Most recently
Brown can be seen in TV program Bringing Our Stories Home, which explores (meaning
documents/dramatizes) narratives linked to the First World War. This year he
also appeared in Secret City, a Foxtel original Australian political thriller
series. Brown played Kevin Dang, a student who falls afoul of Chinese authorities.
The suppressed tension and bold emotions he delivers make a stark impression.
9. Hannah
Marks
I’ve always
liked Hannah Marks onscreen, back to the days of Weeds and Flashforward, and
more recently in Necessary Roughness and Awkward. She’s had one-episode
appearances in shows like Castle, Grimm, and The Following. At present she
appears in new Netflix series Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency as the
long-suffering Amanda.
I think
Marks is perfect for this role: her character has a disease (made up, for those
wondering) where she hallucinates and experiences resulting pain. A dark
comedic thread is present—this is based on a Douglas Adams book after all—and
that is the kind of role Marks excels at playing, because while she nails the
emotional gravitas she also manages to weave a humorous vibe through her
performances.
8. Lee Won
Geun
Cheer Up!—also
known as Sassy Go Go—is a 2015 Korean series addressing teen bullying, suicide,
cutting, education corruption, parental pressure, and the differing treatment
of academic and non-academic high school students. Lee Won Geun played Kim
Yeol, the school’s golden boy who reluctantly becomes involved with the lowest
ranking performers through forced participation in a cheerleading club.
Lee Won
Geun’s performance was outstanding. This year he took a supporting role in South
Korea’s version of The Good Wife, and a lead in web series Thumping Spike 2.
Hopefully in 2017 the actor will take more leading roles. His sweet
vulnerability and understated intensity bring gentler emotional elements of the
narrative into play.
7. Millie Bobby Brown
One of the
standout performances of popular 2016 series Stranger Things came from young Millie
Bobby Brown as Eleven, a child with extraordinary abilities. Before that Brown made
single episode appearances in Modern Family, NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy. She also
had a role in Intruders, a sci-fi show I actually like a lot more than Stranger
Things (I know I’m relatively alone with that opinion).
Brown also played
a young Alice in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Millie Bobby Brown will
undoubtedly have a lot of opportunities in the next few years, considering the
intensity of her onscreen presence, rare in one so young. Look forward to
seeing what projects she chooses.
6. Kaniehtiio
Horn (also credited as Tiio Horn)
Kaniehtiio
Horn is amazing. The Canadian Mohawk actor is one of the best things about Defiance
(unrecognizable under SFX makeup as Rynn) and put in an incredible performance
as Destiny Rumancek in Hemlock Grove; sure, the character is a scammer, but
that doesn’t mean she doesn’t possess legit supernatural skills. I also loved
her appearance as (the original Wizard of Oz inspiring) Dorothy in an episode
of Supernatural.
In 2016 her
credits include roles in The Strain, Blank Page, The Man in the High Castle,
and What Would Sal Do. Translation: I’m not the only who thinks this woman is brilliant.
Next up, I want a show starring Horn. Onscreen she has this gritty, authentic
energy that makes it seem like you’re watching a documentary, infused with wry humor.
5. Landon
Liboiron
Another Hemlock
Grove alumni, Liboiron, makes the list. Currently in new Netflix series Frontier,
alongside Jason Momoa, Liboiron is one of my favorite actors. There are few
things I dislike more than werewolf stories, yet I’ve seen all episodes of
Hemlock Grove. His character is so sad and brave in that series!
Some will remember
Liboiron from Terra Nova, and many are familiar with his work in Degrassi: The
Next Generation. (I even recall a handful of appearances in Life Unexpected.) He
recently appeared in short series Last Teenagers of the Apocalypse—written and
directed by Avan Jogia—as the amnesiac Grim. Liboiron’s characters are always
so soulful onscreen.
4. Mackenyu
Mackenyu is
an American actor also fluent in Japanese, meaning he can appear in both
English and Japanese speaking productions. What makes him stand out is that he
immerses himself so completely in the parts, I often don’t realize until
writing reviews and checking the cast that it is in fact Mackenyu again. Emotive
and intense onscreen, even the way he moves and stands changes with each role.
From a
coldhearted contemporary dancer in Yume wo Ataeru, to a talented, troubled
saxophonist in Aogeba Toutoshi, and an introverted grieving teen in the
Chihayafuru film trilogy, Mackenyu is a major talent. He’s recently been cast
in Pacific Rim 2, and fingers crossed he’ll score a major role in a US TV drama
series in the near future.
3. Britne
Oldford
A quickly
cancelled Pretty Little Liars spin-off, Ravenswood is a spooky show about teens
doomed to die as a result of a town’s supernatural pact. Oldford’s character
was tense but empathic, a great performance that helped carry the series
through its pilot season.
You might
have also seen her in The Flash last year, playing Shawna Baez/Peek-a-Boo. This
year she appeared in Syfy series Hunters. Next year she’ll appear in the
second season of The Path. Oldford has a confident screen presence. Looks like
this Canadian is set tocontinue to expand her CV with impressive performances.
2.
Genevieve Angelson
In the last
few years Angelson has added a series of standout performances to her resume. You
might recognize her from House of Lies, or from short-lived series Backstrom. (This
role in particular was well done because she played the rule-following
character providing contrast to the zany/eccentric lead.)
Angelson
really hit her stride in Good Girls Revolt, a drama looking at the struggles of
female journalists in the newsrooms of America during the sixties and
seventies. Her character Patti throws herself full throttle into her career,
and that passion brings her as much pain as it does success: struggling against
sexism in the workplace is neither easy nor fun. The role won her many fans,
and the future looks bright for Angelson.
1. Sean
Teale
Starring in
new science fiction series Incorporated, a show that includes Ben Affleck and
Matt Damon among its executive producers, Teale is perfectly cast as the
corporate guy in a money-ruled dystopian future. Thing is, Teale’s character
Ben is nowhere near as clean-cut as he seems: in fact, he’s running the biggest
con in an attempt to save a loved one.
Teale has
built a great resume of performances; you might remember him from roles in Reign,
Mr. Selfridge, and Skins. Good to see him in the lead here. With Incorporated,
it’s like he’s playing multiple parts since he has to be ruthless and duplicitous,
but also kind and loving. For the character the lines are blurring, and Teale
really communicates that inner conflict to the audience.
