Top 10 breakout stars of 2019: Joey King of 'The Act', Jharrel Jerome of 'When They See Us' and others
The year that has gone by has seen some splendid performances on TV. Especially the portrayal of characters that stem from conflict or work in a conflicted situation. For instance, we saw networks and streaming giants create shows based on true stories with stunning cast members while also serving us a good dose of fantasy and fiction with some creative performances. So here are our top 10 breakout stars of 2019!
1. Joey King - The Act
Actor Joey King was seen in the Netflix film 'Kissing Booth' in 2018 before Hulu's 'The Act'. However, her performance as Gypsy Blanchard, a young girl who is brought up by a mother who reportedly suffered from Munchausen By Proxy was extraordinary.
She brought the conflicts of a girl who loves her mother and yet feels as if she is being held a captive. She seeks the help of her boyfriend online to kill her mother so they could elope and live a happy life far away.
She succeeds, but their plan is not foolproof. She is captured by the police along with her boyfriend and the two receive sentences for their crime. To evoke a sense of sympathy for the little girl, and then to shock the audience later while keeping the sympathy intact, is something King pulled off really well.
2. Jharrel Jerome - Whey They See Us
Actor Jharrel Jerome who played the role of real-life character Korey Wise in Ava DuVernany's Netflix limited series 'When They See Us' won the Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie and rightfully so. The role was played with a conviction that played a very important role in the limited series' acceptance and its resonance with the audience.
The series was about the 1989 Central Park jogger case and Jerome portrayed one of the five boys accused in the case, Korey Wise. Wise also spent the longest time in the prison -- 13 years -- before the confession by another man exonerated the five boys.
3. Jeremy Strong - Succession season 2
Jeremy Strong played the role of Kendall Roy in HBO's 'Succession' and the second season of the show released in 2019. The season sparked a renewed interest in the show that portrayed the life of heirs of a media conglomerate - Waystar Royco.
Kendall is the second son of Logan Roy played by Brian Cox, who, until the end of the first season was the frontrunner to take over the company after his father. However, he tries to plan a coup against his father to get away from being under his thumb, and fails, he is disciplined by his father who now treats him as a corporate slave.
Despite the failure and other setbacks, Kendall, whose rehabilitation method includes cocaine, has an interesting role in the second season. While playing the disciplined son, he also has to plot a safe exit plan for himself. This plotting and scheming as the unfavored son is something Strong nailed with stunning ease.
4. Andrew Koji - Warrior
Actor Andrew Koji played the role of Ah Sahm in the Cinemax show 'Warrior'. The show which was conceptualized by Bruce Lee was brought to life by his daughter Shanon Lee who served as the executive producer on the show.
Set in 1870s San Francisco when a huge Chinese population immigrated to the U.S., Ah Sahm played the role of a brother who is in search of his lost sister. Unknowingly, Ah Sahm gets tangled with one of the most powerful Tongs then.
Coincidentally, the sister he is in search of happens to be a part of a different Tong and she is planning a coup to ensure that the Tong that she belongs to can take over all the businesses of Chinatown. Ah Sahm, who is adept at martial arts ends up trying to make a life for himself in San Francisco, gets involved with an American woman, who is the wife of a senior officer. The ease with which Koji plays a character set in the 80s is one of the few reasons why Koji's performance was exciting.
5. Olivia Cheng - Warrior
Olivia Cheng, also a cast member of 'Warrior' played the role of Ah Toy, the madame of a brothel owned by the Hop Wei Tong. She is not only a madame but also someone who deals in the business of information. Anything there is to know about Chinatown -- the conflicts within the Tongs in Chinatown or conflict between Americans, Irish men and the Tongs -- she is aware of it all.
She is also one of the few members who know that Ah Sahm and Mai Ling are somehow connected. She is the first person that Ah Sahm approaches for information about his sister. Olivia as the Madame who doesn't take sides and solely works for her own good is a character well-performed leading to increasing interest in the actor and the character.
6. Sian Clifford - Fleabag
Sian Clifford plays the role of Claire in one of the best shows of the year, 'Fleabag'. The second season of the show aired in 2019 and with it, the show shed light on Claire, Fleabag's sister. Sian received an Emmy nomination for her performance in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category.
If Claire is the uptight, poised and professional side of the spectrum, Fleabag falls on the other side of it. She is great in the second season, especially, because we now see cracks in the beautiful glass of perfection that she was considered to be. As the cracks gain visibility, Sian's performance adds flavor to the character, in turn, increasing interest in who Claire is and why she is the way she is.
7. Hunter Schafer - Euphoria
Actor Hunter Schafer plays the role of Jules Vaughn, one of the first friends that Rue Bennett (Zendaya) makes when she moves into a new town. This friendship between a recovering drug addict who is bipolar and a transgender girl drives the show as each of their perspectives, their struggles hook you right in.
Jules is well-portrayed by Schafer. Jules, for lack of a better term, is in search of herself. She finds she doesn't fit anywhere in the suburban landscape and a quest to seek herself influences her choices and decision, which in turn affects how Rue narrates this tale about her friends. With this role, Schafer has definitely made a space for herself as a performer and the second season of the same is expected to cement this opinion in place.
8. Kiernan Shipka - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
The second season of 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' aka Part 3 of the show released in 2019 and the titular role of Sabrina is portrayed by Kiernan Shipka. In the first two parts, Shipka's role while quite important, saw her placed completely on the human side of the 'Witch vs Human' conversation.
The third part, however, saw her own the witchy side in her, and even delve just a little bit deeper as she tangled with Satan himself. This variation brought to fore Shipka's performance, and with it, the expectations for her character in the upcoming season has increased.
9. Julia Garner - Ozark
Actor Julia Garner plays the role of Ruth Langmore in the Netflix show 'Ozark'. Ruth is ambitious, and she belongs to a local criminal family, and it is her ambitions that take her to places where many 19-year-olds may dare not go.
This drive and her need to move away from the trailer where she has been brought up, give her a reason to do things that she might have otherwise thought better of. There is also her moral scale -- what is right, what is not has no affect on Ruth's decision or that is how she wants to be known and this rebellious streak in her is well portrayed by Garner.
10. Dafne Keen - His Dark Materials
Actor Dafne Keen portrays the role of Lyra Belacqua in the ongoing HBO show 'His Dark Materials'. Keen's character is the lead of the show and she is someone who has impressed many including her teachers at Jordan College, the Gyptians, and Ma Costa. The third episode of the show revealed her backstory, and this adds to how much of a role she would play in the future of the show. After seeing Keen in the Hugh Jackman-starrer 'Logan', we expect to see her do something great with 'His Dark Materials' as well.
