Biggest Breakthrough Movie Stars of 2017

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2017’s Breakout Film Stars

2017’s Breakout Film Stars
Mary J. Blige
Timothee Chalamet
Hong Chau
Gal Gadot
Tiffany Haddish
Tom Holland
Ali Fazal
Caleb Landry Jones
Daniel Kaluuya
Barry Keoghan
Dafne Keen
Vicky Krieps
Brooklynn Prince
Kumail Nanjiani
Sareum Srey Moch
Millicent Simmonds
Bill Skarsgard
Kelly Marie Tran
Daniela Vega
Bria Vinaite

2017 saw several  breakout performances in film, many of which earned nominations from various critics’ groups, the Golden Globes, and SAG Awards, and others that made a killing at the box office. Click through our gallery to see the top 20 movie stars who made a huge impression in 2017.

– by Tony Ruiz

“Mudbound”

The nine-time Grammy-winner gave what many critics called a revelatory performance in ‘Mudbound’ as Florence, a fiercely determined wife and mother facing poverty and racism in 1940s Mississippi. The role has earned Blige Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards.

“Call Me by Your Name” and “Lady Bird”

Chalamet appeared in not one, but two major awards contenders in 2017, playing roles that couldn’t be farther apart. He co-stars in “Lady Bird” as a pretentious love interest for Saoirse Ronan, but it’s his starring role in “Call Me by Your Name” as a teenager in love with his father’s grad student (Armie Hammer) that has earned him plaudits from critics, the Golden Globes, and SAG Awards. 

“Downsizing”

In only her second film role, Chau stole scenes from Oscar-winners Matt Damon and Christoph Waltz in her role as a straight-talking cleaning woman in Alexander Payne’s science fiction charmer. The role earned Chau Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and SAG Awards. 

“Wonder Woman” and “Justice League”

Playing the superhuman Amazonian princess, Gadot became a global superstar in not one, but two superhero blockbusters. “Wonder Woman” wowed both critics and audiences, grossing more than $800 million worldwide, while Gadot’s performance in “Justice League” was cited as one of the high points of the fall release.

“Girls Trip”

Haddish’s scene-stealing performance as an unemployed party animal in the R-rated comedy had many critics comparing her work to Melissa McCarthy’s Oscar-nominated turn in “Bridesmaids” and earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Holland’s first appearance as the masked web-slinger in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War” was only a prelude to his first solo outing as Spider-Man in 2017, which was a hit with critics and earned almost $900 million at the worldwide box office.

“Victoria & Abdul”

Already a star in his native India, Fazal earned international attention for appearing opposite Dame Judi Dench in Stephen Frears’s film about the unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria (Dench) and her servant Abdul (Fazal).

“Get Out,” “American Made,” “The Florida Project,” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri”

2017 was truly a banner year for Jones with appearances in four prominent films, particularly his memorable supporting turns in “Get Out” (playing a creepy yuppie) and “Three Billboards” playing the man who rents the titular billboards to a local woman (Frances McDormand). He also appeared in “Twin Peaks: The Return” on Showtime, which despite technically being a TV series ended up on multiple lists of the year’s best films.

“Get Out”

The British-born actor starred in one of the most critically-acclaimed and profitable films of the year as a black man meeting his girlfriend’s white family for the first time. Kaluuya’s role in Jordan Peele’s satirical horror film earned him Best Actor nominations at the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG Awards. 

“Dunkirk” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”

Keoghan had a memorable role as a young man on a rescue mission in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk.” But it was his role as a vengeful teenager in Yorgos Lanthimos’s psychological drama “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” that most caught critics’ attention, earning Keoghan a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards.

“Logan”

In her feature film debut, Keen captured audiences’ attention as a young mutant who comes under the care of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and also possesses some of his abilities. Keen’s role earned her a nomination for Best Young Performer at the Critics Choice Awards.

“Phantom Thread”

The Luxembourg-born actress reportedly put herself on tape auditioning for what she thought was a student film, but instead this role put her toe-to-toe with Daniel Day-Lewis. Krieps plays a young woman who becomes the obsession of a renowned dressmaker, played by the three-time Oscar-winner.

“The Florida Project”

The young actress was only six years-old when she filmed her role as a mischevious and neglected young girl in Sean Baker’s acclaimed drama. Prince’s performance earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Young Performer.

“The Big Sick”

The stand-up comic and actor has made a name for himself with his role on HBO’s “Silicon Valley.” But he broke through as both a leading man and a screenwriter with this sleeper hit about Nanjiani’s real-life romance with his wife Emily (played in the film by Zoe Kazan), who co-wrote the screenplay with Nanjiani.  

“First They Killed My Father”

Sareum Srey Moch was unforgettable in her film debut as the daughter of a Cambodian Lon Nol officer during the rise of the infamous Khmer Rouge in Angelina Jolie’s fourth directorial effort. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards.

“Wonderstruck”

Making her film debut in Todd Haynes’s time-shifting drama, the deaf teen’s performance as a young runaway in the 1920s earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Young Performer.

“It”

The son of veteran actor Stellan Skarsgard and brother of Emmy-winner Alexander Skarsgard (“Big Little Lies”) staked his own claim to movie stardom with his role as Pennywise, the terrifying clown in the 2017 hit adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

After playing a number of supporting roles in short films and on television, Tran became a household name playing Rose Tico, a rebel mechanic in the box office smash. Tran became the first Asian-American actress to have a leading role in a “Star Wars” film.

“A Fantastic Woman”

The Chilean trans actress earned critical acclaim for her role as a young waitress who fight’s to protect her status after the death of her lover, whose family treats her with scorn and suspicion. The film earned Best Foreign Film nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards.  

“The Florida Project”

Vinaite’s screen debut found her playing a reckless mother struggling to make ends meet for her young daughter (Brooklynn Prince) in Sean Baker’s haunting drama about a young woman trying to survive in a rundown Florida motel.

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