4) Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Boyega had at least shown before how capable he could be in a feature. Totally unproven in Episode VII is Daisy Ridley, her first time in a feature film taking the movie’s other co-lead spot (her and Boyega complement one another beautifully). Unlike Boyega, though, Ridley doesn’t act like a pro – her power is located in the fact that she still seems plucked from obscurity.
Where Boyega’s instantly confident, Ridley’s a rough diamond, with an unpredictability and a freshness you hardly ever see from actors at the movies, and not ever from leads in films as big as the new Star Wars movie.
Ridley’s the big revelation in a revelatory cast (who knew Adam Driver could do villainy? Who knew Oscar Isaac could play the matinee idol?), and stardom inevitably beckons.