Top 10 Actors with the Best 2024

Many great films came out in 2024, & many great actors starred in these films. I just released a list highlighting the ‘Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2024’ with actors who either rose to fame, or broke into another level of stardom. This list takes some of those actors, & many other established actors to highlight the 20 I would say had the best year. They had to have had at least two releases in 2024 to make my list. Originally this was going to be a top 10, but I had 10 honorable mentions so I just converted it to 20. That being said, I will separate the top 10 & 10 other just so you’re aware. Starting with the 10 that were originally honorable mentions who I will keep fairly short:

Harris Dickinson (‘Babygirl’ & ‘Blitz’)

Dwayne Johnson (‘Moana 2’ & ‘Red One’)

Nicole Kidman (‘Babygirl,’ ‘A Family Affair,’ & ‘Spellbound,’ as well as the miniseries ‘Expats’ & ‘The Perfect Couple’)

Jenna Ortega (‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ ‘Miller’s Girl,’ & ‘Winter Spring Summer or Fall’)

Aaron Pierre (‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ & ‘Rebel Ridge,’ as well as a lead role in the anthology series, ‘Genius’)

Florence Pugh (‘Dune: Part Two’ & ‘We Live in Time’)

Ryan Reynolds (‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ & ‘IF’)

Saoirse Ronan (‘Blitz’ & ‘The Outrun’)

Cailee Spaeny (‘Alien: Romulus’ & ‘Civil War’)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson (‘The Fall Guy,’ ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ & ‘Nosferatu’)

And now we move on to the Top 10:

Timothée Chalamet- Timmy, Timmy, Timmy. The biggest movie star of the current generation build on his already stellar resume with two wonderful releases in 2024. He played Paul Atreides in ‘Dune: Part Two’ which was the biggest movie of the first half of 2024 and is bound to go down in history as one of the greatest films of all-time. He then ended the year with ‘A Complete Unknown’ in which he played Bob Dylan. I am predicting he will win the Oscar for Best Actor for his role, make 2024 his greatest year yet. And don’t forget the look alike contest trend that happened, which started with the massive Chalamet lookalike contest in NYC.

Danielle Deadwyler- Deadwyler had an incredibly impressive 2024, with 5 feature film releases. A Canadian dystopian thriller, ‘40 Acres’ debuted at TIFF. The Christmas action thriller ‘Carry-On’ debuted on Netflix. The psychological horror ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ released in theaters. The sci-fi thriller ‘Parallel’ released in theaters, which she also executive produced. And ‘The Piano Lesson’ came out on Netflix, & Deadwyler’s role was met with particular acclaim.

Fred Hechinger- Another actor who had movies coming out left & right was Fred Hechinger. Hechinger had a supporting role in Golden Globe & potential Oscar-nominee, ‘Nickel Boys,’ and a supporting role in the experimental film ‘Pavements’ which debuted at Venice International. He also starred as the titular character’s grandson in ‘Thelma’ which he also executive produced. He played the primary antagonist in ‘Kraven the Hunter’ & one of the primary antagonists in ‘Gladiator II’ where his performance was particularly hilarious.

Pedro Pascal- Every year is a big year when you’re Pedro Pascal. His major release in 2024 was ‘Gladiator II’ in which he brilliantly played General Acacius. He also starred in the acclaimed animated film, ‘The Wild Robot’ as Fink the Fox. He had a cameo role in ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ and also starred in ‘Freaky Tales’ & ‘The Uninvited’ which debuted at Sundance & South by Southwest, respectively.

Glen Powell- The breakout star of 2024 was Glen Powell. Powell became beloved due to his charm in interviews, good looks, & movie star vibe. That was encapsulated in his role in ‘Twisters’ and his Golden Globe nominated role in ‘Hit Man,’ which received it’s wide release in 2024.

Margaret Qualley- Qualley had three major releases in 2024, all of which she played starring roles in. The crime road comedy, ‘Drive-Away Dolls,’ the anthology film ‘Kinds of Kindness’ in which she plays four different roles, & ‘The Substance’ which has garnered her many awards nominations, including a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Joseph Quinn- The ‘Stranger Things’ star appeared in two films in 2024, his first major film roles. They both came in major roles in major franchise films, ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ & ‘Gladiator II.’ He played a protagonist & antagonist in the films, respectively, showing off his versatility. He has two major releases coming in 2025, which are helping build a very promising filomgraphy.

Bill Skarsgård- The Swedish actor, Bill Skarsgård had three releases in 2024. His first was his film ‘Boy Kills World’ in which he plays the deaf-mute man known as Boy, which had a wide release in 2024. Then in August he played the titular character in the remake, ‘The Crow,’ which didn’t perform very well. But he then followed it up with a sleeper hit of the year, ‘Nosferatu’ in which he plays the horrifying Count Orlok.

Sebastian Stan- Stan had two releases in 2024. He starred in ‘A Different Man’ as an aspiring actor who undergoes facial reconstruction surgery & in ‘The Apprentice’ as Donald Trump. He received Golden Globe nominations for both, in the Best Actor- Comedy & Best Actor- Drama categories, respectively.

Zendaya- Last and not least, the megastar that is Zendaya starred in two of the biggest films of the year. She had a supporting role in ‘Dune: Part Two’ as Chani, the love interest of protagonist Paul Atreides. She then took on a lead role & one-third of a love triangle in ‘Challengers’ as tennis star, Tashi Duncan, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.