20 Underused Actors We Hope to See Break Out in 2017

Trevante Rhodes in Moonlight (2016), image courtesy of A24

One of the most gratifying things for movie or TV lovers is seeing a performer come into her own. Here are 20 actors who should get their due.

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to look ahead. We have plenty of reasons to be excited about pop culture in 2017, from the Wonder Woman movie (finally!) to the next sure-to-be-epic season of Game of Thrones. In addition to individual films and shows, however, we can’t wait to watch great performances by great actors.

Moviegoers have a love/hate relationship with actors. Even as we admire and celebrate them, we resent their fame, glamour, and privilege, holding them under relentless scrutiny. After all, why should anyone be paid millions of dollars for, essentially, playing dress-up? The disproportionate amount of attention heaped on actors also devalues the work of directors, screenwriters, editors, and cinematographers, who often contribute just as much to shaping a performance as the actor him or herself.

Yet, there is an undeniable thrill to seeing an actor bite into a juicy role – similar to the vicarious adrenaline rush of seeing an athlete make a highlight-reel play. Actors bring humanity to cinema and television, bridging the distance between the audience and the world onscreen, guiding us through plot twists and CGI-drenched battles. They can move us to laughter and tears with a line reading, a shift of the eyes, or a slump of the shoulders, containing depths in minute gestures. At their best, they transcend spectacle to convey something that feels, if only for a moment, real.

Whatever its (many, many) flaws, Hollywood has no shortage of thespian talent. Not only do established stars like Amy Adams and Denzel Washington continue to amaze, but every year, we encounter a bunch of actors who previously eluded our attention, whether because they’re new to the industry or because they hadn’t found the right opportunity. 2016 boosted the profiles of Lucas Hedges, Trevante Rhodes, and Sasha Lane, among others. Who will we discover in 2017?

Predicting breakout performances is a bit of a fool’s errand, like predicting where lightning will strike; few people had heard of Stranger Things before it debuted on Netflix, much less pegged it as a future hit. But there are plenty of actors we would like to see step into the spotlight, men and women who have yet to fulfill their true potential or who simply deserve more recognition. Here are 20 actors in film and TV that we want to see break out this year.