The Top 12 Breakthrough Actors Of 2014

Ben Schnetzer (Pride)

The Best Picture nomination for Pride at the Golden Globes definitely surprised a lot of people, save those who actually saw the British feel-good comedy earlier this fall. Based on a true story about an unlikely alliance between queer men and women and a struggling mining town, the film featured a big ensemble. Many of the cast members were esteemed English actors, like Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West. A good chunk of the cast, though, was comprised of up-and-comers. Out of those young stars, none made quite as big an impression as the New York-raised Ben Schnetzer.

As Mark Ashton, the motivating Irish activist whose fervor to help the miners (with the group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) puts the story into shape, Schnetzer gives a shattering but soulful performance. The actor’s contagious energy whips up both the fire of the characters and the interest of the moviegoing audience.

The role is not just full of flair, but also shows a bruised humanity underneath. Ashton was a universally beloved figure among the tight-knit LGBT community he heralded from, and so it makes sense that Schnetzer gives a performance that is hard to resist. (Sadly, Ashton died of AIDS in 1987, a few years after the events featured in Pride.) With tough honesty but a delightful presence, he brings the enthusiasm needed to get audiences to invest in this fascinating true story. It is a remarkable tribute to an irrepressible figure that left the world much too early.