20 Underused Actors We Hope to See Break Out in 2017
By Amy Woolsey
Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (2012), screenshot courtesy of Participant Media
19. Emayatzy Corinealdi
Why you should know her: Corinealdi appeared in a smattering of indie and short films and TV movies, as well as four episodes of The Young and the Restless, before she landed the lead role in Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere.
Like the surrounding movie, Corinealdi’s performance as Ruby, a medical student struggling to cope with her husband’s incarceration, sneaks up on you. It eschews Oscar-baiting melodrama in favor of gentle pathos, revealing Ruby’s inner turmoil – her anger, her uncertainty, her restless yearning – in nuances. Watching Corinealdi is like watching light on waves, a kaleidoscope of emotion playing across her face at all times; she makes intimacy as dynamic as conflict.
Given the subdued nature of Middle of Nowhere, perhaps it’s not surprising that the movie failed to catapult Corinealdi to stardom, as reviews predicted. Last year, though, she could be seen in a few memorable supporting turns: Frances Taylor in the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead; Belle in the History Channel’s remake of Roots; and Kira in Karyn Kusama’s dinner party thriller The Invitation. No matter how small the role, Corinealdi makes her presence felt.
Upcoming projects: Corinealdi doesn’t appear to have anything lined up right now. But hopefully, that won’t last long; maybe a casting director will find Middle of Nowhere on Netflix and wonder why this woman isn’t everywhere.