THE GENTLEMEN:
Why: Portraying Oscar Grant, a young man shot and killed by a transit officer in 2009 Oakland, Michael B. Jordan triumphs by painting a full picture, presenting Grant with all of his strengths and weaknesses. In watching Fruitvale Station, we feel the tragedy of his death but also the beauty of his life, and that’s in large part thanks to Jordan’s graceful screen presence. Oscar was a family man, a criminal, a kind soul and a man on the threshold of taking control of his life, and through Jordan’s fantastic performance, he’s also wonderfully, heartbreakingly human (as evidenced in the clip below).
What’s Next: That Awkward Moment, a comedy with Zac Efron and Miles Teller. Jordan is also rumored to have roles in John Hillcoat’s heist drama Triple Nine, sports drama Creed and Fox’s Fantastic Four reboot.
Why: This Somali actor came out of absolutely nowhere (Abdi was working as a chauffeur before he responded to a Minneapolis casting call) to steal hijacking thriller Captain Phillips out from under Tom Hanks – no easy task, considering Hanks is currently tipped to receive a Best Actor nomination for his role as the titular captain. Abdi inflected his performance as Abduwali Muse, the leader of the hijackers who commandeer Phillips’ ship, with electrifying menace and conflicted humanity. An immediate contender for Best Supporting Actor this year, Abdi turned in a powerhouse performance while never demonizing the real, desperate men who have been forced to turn to piracy in Somalia today.
What’s Next: Abdi is currently directing a film called Ciyaalka Xaafada, which explores the lives and struggles of the first generation of Somali-Americans living in Minneapolis.