Now we’re getting meaty.

And there’s no ham like an actor.

And that’s why we love them.

Here are all of my favorite thespian achievements of 2019 in film, save for the Academy Awards’ Big Four official categories, which are reserved for The (forthcoming) Stevens.

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DEBUT

On the big screen. Ranked not only in terms of the listed performances; I also factor in how much future success I believe their turns indicate (the same applies for the Breakthrough category below).

 

1. Honor Swinton Byrne, The Souvenir
2. Jimmie Fails, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
3. Tom Mercier, Synonyms
4. Erika Karata, Asako I & II
5. Shuzhen Zhao, The Farewell
6. Julia Stockler & Carol Duarte, Invisible Life
7. Keith Williams Richards, Uncut Gems
8. Djibril Zonga, Les Misérables
9. Eliza Scanlen, Little Women
10. Melvin Gregg, High Flying Bird
11. Julia Fox, Uncut Gems
12. Byron Bowers, Honey Boy
13. Cardi B, Hustlers
14. Amber Chardae Robinson, Stuber
15. Dogu Demirkol, The Wild Pear Tree
16. Himesh Patel, Yesterday / The Aeronauts
17. Lily Banda, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
18. Sanya Malhotr, Photograph
19. Noa Fisher, Uncut Gems

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BREAKTHROUGH

Personal breakthroughs for me individually, not globally, nor even necessarily nationally. They either entered my (TV-abstinent) radar, or elevated my impression of them.

 

1. Franz Rogowski, Transit / In the Aisles
   • Became one of my favorite actors overnightyear
2. Camila Morrone, Mickey and the Bear
3. Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
4. Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood / Adam / Donnybrook / Strange But True
5. Tom Burke, The Souvenir
6. Valerie Pachner, A Hidden Life / The Ground Beneath My Feet
7. Carloto Cotta, Diamantino
8. Taylor Russell, Waves / Escape Room
9. Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale
10. Marcello Fonte, Dogman
11. Liron Ben-Shlush, Working Woman
12. Gabriela Cartol, The Chambermaid
13. Ana de Armas, Knives Out
14. Calvin Demba, Mickey and the Bear / Yardie / Last Christmas
15. Jonas Dassler, The Golden Glove
16. Maya Erskine, Plus One 
17. Juli Jakab, Sunset
18. Juan Barberini, End of the Century
19. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dolemite Is My Name
20. Ioana Iacob, I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians
21. Félix Maritaud, Sauvage
22. Diana Lin, The Farewell
23. Jack Lowden, Fighting with My Family
24. Dev Patel, The Wedding Guest
25. Awkwafina, The Farewell
26. Emelie Jonsson, Aniara
27. Octavio Pizano, Ms. Purple
28. Alia Bhatt, Gully Boy
29. Joel Fry, Yesterday
30. Ranveer Singh, Gully Boy
31. Angus Imrie, The Kid Who Would Be King
32. Kulvinder Ghir, Blinded by the Light
33. Babou Ceesay, The Best of Enemies
34. Siddhant Chaturvedi, Gully Boy

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YOUNG PERFORMANCE

By “young,” I mean adolescent. As in, not Florence Pugh young.

 

1. Nguyen Phuong Tra My, The Third Wife
2. Samantha Mugatsia, Rafiki 
3. Asier Flores, Pain and Glory
4. Marguerite Bouchard / Romane Denis / Rose Adam, Slut in a Good Way
5. Julia Butters, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
6. Azhy Robertson, Marriage Story
7. Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Adam
8. Paola Lara, Tigers Are Not Afraid
9. Maxwell Simba, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
10. Emma Nelson, Where’d You Go, Bernadette 
11. Sheila Munyiva, Rafiki
12. Niamh Wilson, Giant Little Ones
13. Noah Jupe, Honey Boy / Ford v Ferrari 
14. Jonathan Aranbayev & Jacob Dylan Igielski, Uncut Gems
15. Viveik Kalra, Blinded by the Light
16. Finn Little, Storm Boy
17. Gedion Oduor Wekesa, Styx 
18. Taylor Hickson, Giant Little Ones

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CAMEO

Singular thespians in singular singular scenes.

The category’s dominated by celebrities because cameos often feed off our familiarity with their fame, specifically the audience’s awareness of the actor’s reputation, and how the cameo plays around with these expectations (often for comedic, meta, self-referential, self-aware effect). Ultimately, we’re watching the actor — and we’re aware of the actor — more than their character.

 

1. Simon Chinn, The Amazing Johnathan Documentary
2. Martin Lawrence, The Beach Bum
3. Keanu Reeves, Always Be My Maybe
4. Robert Pattinson, The King
5. Sharon Stone, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
6. Al Pacino, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
7. Matt Damon, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
   • The contemporary Cameo King?
8. Cardi B, Hustlers
9. Bill Murray, Zombieland: Double Tap
10. The Rock, Fighting with My Family
11. Nick Jonas, Midway
    • His version of Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity, sans Oscar.
12. Little Steven Van Zandt, The Irishman
13. Kyle Mooney, The Unicorn
14. Patti LuPone, Last Christmas
15. Matthew Maher, Captain Marvel
16. Mel Brooks, Toy Story 4
17. Richard Kind, Bombshell 

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CAMEOS

This time, the singular singular scenes go plural; the movies built upon litanies of cameos:

 

1. Uncut Gems
2. Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
3. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
4. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
5. Midway
   • A movie that’s basically a feature-length series of cameos.
6. Dolemite Is My Name
7. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

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CAMEOERS

My favorites cameoers who came to cameo a couple of times, with each of their respective turns listed in order of personal preference.

 

1. Sharon Stone, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese / The Laundromat
2. Bruce Dern, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood / The Peanut Butter Falcon
3. Snoop Dogg, The Beach Bum / Dolemite Is My Name / The Addams Family
4. Scott Mescudi (AKA Kid Cudi), Drunk Parents / Jexi
5. Thomas Haden Church, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Hellboy

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DEBUT ENSEMBLE

1. Give Me Liberty

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BREAKTHROUGH ENSEMBLE

1. Brittany Runs a Marathon

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YOUNG ENSEMBLE

1. Adam
2. Under the Silver Lake
3. This Is Not Berlin
4. Tigers Are Not Afraid

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ENSEMBLE

With a preference for movies that rely on deep casts, and each member relatively equally. As always, both size matters, AND how it’s used.

 

1. Parasite
2. The Laundromat 
3. Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
4. The Dead Don’t Die
5. Uncut Gems
6. Pain and Glory
7. Diane
8. Chained for Life
9. Gloria Bell
10. Climax
11. The Souvenir
12. The Irishman
13. The Beach Bum
14. Marriage Story
15. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
16. Non-Fiction
17. The Farewell
18. Perfect Strangers
19. Little Women
20. Knives Out
21. Midsommar
22. At War
23. Mickey and the Bear
24. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
25. Toy Story 4
26. In the Aisles
27. Les Misérables
28. Dolemite Is My Name
29. Official Secrets
30. Grass
31. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
32. Midway

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YEAR OF THE YEAR

Ranked in order of the totality of their combined 2019 work. And, after the actor’s name, their movies are listed in order of the relative strength of their performances in each.

 

1. Brad Pitt, Ad Astra / Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
2. Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse / Pasolini
   • …let’s ignore Motherless Brooklyn
3. Adam Driver, Marriage Story / The Dead Don’t Die / The Man Who Killed Don Quixote / The Report / Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
4. Tilda Swinton, The Souvenir / The Dead Don’t Die
5. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory / The Laundromat
6. Franz Rogowski, Transit / In the Aisles / A Hidden Life
7. Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum / Serenity
8. Juliette Binoche, High Life / Non-Fiction
9. Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse / High Life / The King
10. Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy / The Peanut Butter Falcon
11. Florence Pugh, Midsommar / Fighting with My Family / Little Women
12. Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum / Always Be My Maybe / Toy Story 4 / Replicas
13. Al Pacino, The Irishman / Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
14. James Badge Dale, Mickey and the Bear / The Standoff at Sparrow Creek / Little Woods / Donnybrook / The Kitchen
15. Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood / Adam / Donnybrook / Strange But True
16. Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell / Us / The Kitchen
17. Jess Weixler, Chained for Life / The Death of Dick Long
18. Lupita Nyong’o, Us / Little Monsters / Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
19. Bruce Dern, The Mustang / Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood / The Peanut Butter Falcon / Freaks
20. Dennis Quaid, The Intruder / A Dog’s Journey / Midway
21. LaKeith Stanfield, Uncut Gems / Knives Out
22. Regina Hall, Little / Shaft
23. Ian McKellen, The Good Liar / All Is True / Cats
24. Valerie Pachner, A Hidden Life / The Ground Beneath My Feet
25. Sharon Stone, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese / The Laundromat
26. Laura Dern, Marriage Story / Little Women / Trial by Fire / JT LeRoy / Cold Pursuit
27. Matthias Schoenaerts, The Mustang / The Laundromat / A Hidden Life
28. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood / Bombshell / Slaughterhouse Rulez
29. Alexander Skarsgård, The Hummingbird Project / Long Shot / The Aftermath / The Kill Team
30. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Waves / Luce / JT LeRoy / Bolden
31. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes / The Man Who Killed Don Quixote 
32. Danny Glover, The Last Black Man in San Francisco / The Dead Don’t Die / Always in Season / Jumanji: The Next Level
33. Jacki Weaver, Poms / Out of Blue / Zeroville
34. Aldis Hodge, Clemency / Brian Banks / What Men Want
35. Bill Skarsgård, It Chapter Two / Villains
    • Jekyll and Hyde in appearance and acting, Hyde and Hyde in the morality of the characters.
36. Dev Patel, The Wedding Guest / Hotel Mumbai
37. Tracy Letts, Little Women / Ford v Ferrari 
38. Jesse Eisenberg, The Art of Self-Defense / The Hummingbird Project / Zombieland: Double Tap
39. Sam Claflin, The Nightingale / Charlie’s Angels
40. Rosalind Chao, The Laundromat / Plus One
41. Emile Hirsch, Never Grow Old / Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood / Freaks
42. Taylor Russell, Waves / Escape Room
43. Sam Rockwell, Richard Jewell / Jojo Rabbit 
    • Must we mention The Best of Enemies?
44. Lucas Hedges, Honey Boy / Waves
45. Judy Greer, Where’d You Go, Bernadette / Driven / Playing with Fire
46. Guillaume Canet, Non-Fiction / My Son
47. John Lithgow, Bombshell / The Tomorrow Man / Pet Sematary / Late Night
48. Dan Stevens, Her Smell / Lucy in the Sky
49. Diane Keaton, Poms / Hampstead
50. Chris Cooper, Little Women / A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood / “Henrietta Bulkowski”
51. Mike Epps, The Last Black Man in San Francisco / Dolemite Is My Name
52. Topher Grace, Under the Silver Lake / Breakthrough

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CROSS-MEDIUM YEAR OF THE YEAR

The actors who shined both under a spotlight and in front of the camera, on stage and screen:

 

1. Adam Driver
   • Stage: Burn This
   • Screen: Marriage Story / The Dead Don’t Die / The Man Who Killed Don Quixote / The Report / Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
2. Deirdre O’Connell
   • Stage: Dana H. / Before the Meeting
   • Screen: Diane
3. Ian McKellen
   • Stage: Ian McKellen on Stage: With Tolkien, Shakespeare, Others … and You 
   • Screen: The Good Liar / All Is True / Cats
4. Jonathan Pryce
   • Stage: The Height of the Storm
   • Screen: The Two Popes / The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
5. John Lithgow
   • Stage: Hillary and Clinton
   • Screen: Bombshell / The Tomorrow Man / Pet Sematary / Late Night
   • Note: John Lithgow may always be our beloved John Lithgow, deftly bringing characters to animated life in his immediately-endearing fashion, but he still finds distinct nuances true to each character within his generally-recognizable, consistent persona.
6. Cillian Murphy
   • Stage: Grief is the Thing With Feathers
   • Screen: Anna
7. Emily Davis
   • Stage: Is This A Room
   • Screen: The Plagiarists 
8. Utkarsh Ambudkar
   • Stage: Freestyle Love Supreme
   • Screen: Brittany Runs a Marathon  

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ANIMAL

In the immortal words of Mel Brooks:

“Leo: Actors aren’t animals! They’re human beings.

Max: Have you ever eaten with one?”

 

1. DOGS!!!, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
2. Dogs, Los Reyes
3. Bulls, Our Time
4. Gulls — The Lighthouse
5. Dachshund, The Art of Self-Defense
6. Ellen, The Farewell
7. Brandy, Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
8. Sphynx Cat, Gloria Bell
9. Dogs, Dogman
10. Mr. Percival the Pelican, Storm Boy
11. Marcus the Mustang, The Mustang
12. Dogs, Parasite
13. Purse Dog, Hustlers
14. Bella the Dog, A Dog’s Way Home
15. Enzo, The Art of Racing in the Rain
16. Goat, Loro
17. Dogs, A Dog’s Journey
18. Tragic Dog, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
19. Rodeo, Rojo
20. Goose the Cat, Captain Marvel
21. Kittens, Jawline
22. Chicken on Head (Don’t Mention It), Missing Link
23. Under the Silver Lake 
    • Thematically essential, beguilingly so…