Actor Enver Gjokaj, a man who Marisa says is one to keep an eye on because of his impressive range

We here at Movie-Thoughts find it very interesting to keep tabs on actors throughout their careers, especially from the time when they make their big break to when they become a full-fledged star. Below is a list of 7 actors and actresses from movies and/or television shows that our writer Marisa Carpico contests are worth keeping a close eye on, because you’re bound to see more of them in the future. Some names you might recognize, as they’ve been in the professional acting arena for several years, but they might not have thus far had the kind of notoriety that propels the gifted few into the “A” Class of Hollywood. Sometime later we’ll also be posting Clifford Bugle’s actors list, so keep an eye out for that as well!

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Lea Michele: Glee fans will know her as the borderline-obnoxious overachiever, Rachel from Fox’s hit show, but before she lusted over the cute quarterback, she lusted over the cute rebel in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Spring Awakening.  As a successful Broadway actress with plays like Awakening, for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, and Les Misérables on her résumé, Michele clearly has talent.  Her abilities are on display in every episode of Glee where she lends her incredible vocals to tracks like “Don’t Stop Believing” and “My Life Would Suck Without You,” both of which had strong performances on the Billboard Top 100 Chart.  However, though her singing is certainly excellent, her acting is just as interesting.  During her show-stopping performance of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl during the “Sectionals” episode, Michele lent the song an energy and abandon that made her character’s desperate need for fame evident.  Michele’s skill at bringing Rachel to the point of unbearable, but always making her vulnerable and talented enough to keep viewers from hating her is likely what garnered her a Golden Globe nomination.  The big challenge for Michele in 2010 will be to find roles that show off more than just her vocal talents.

Jeremy Renner: Before his role in the Golden Globe and Oscar nominated film The Hurt Locker, few people had heard of Jeremy Renner, but his powerful performance in the film as bomb expert James puts him in a good position to win the Best Actor Oscar.  Renner plays James as a man who is just as volatile as the bombs he diffuses and in every scene, James seems on the edge of a either a psychotic episode or an incredible act of violence.  Renner plays James as a man driven by the danger of war who becomes dependent upon everything war offers him and becomes unable to interact with others.  For Movie-Thoughts’s opinion on the film, check out the initial review here.  Though he was inexplicably overlooked for a Golden Globe nomination, Renner’s performance will likely attract attention from directors in the future.  His next projects include Ben Affleck’s next directorial effort The Town and a rumored role as Hawkeye in the upcoming comic book adaptation, The Avengers.

Lee Pace: Most known for his role as Ned in the late ABC drama/comedy, Pushing Daisies, Pace played the adorable pie maker who can raise people from the dead with a single touch, with both sweetness and a sense of humor.  His Golden Globe-nominated performance showed a subtle command of his character and his portrayal was always endearing.  Though the show, with its crazy premise and lush mise-en-scène, offered plenty of chances for an over-the-top performance, Pace’s subtle performance made Ned the calming and realistic center to the show’s outlandish world.  However, Pace isn’t just good at playing the nice guy, he also gave a surprising performance as Amy Adams’s love interest in the comedy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.  Though he still plays a version of the nice guy, he played the role with a bit of an edge.  Rather than being overshadowed by Oscar nominee Adams or Oscar winner Frances McDormand, he made his character just as interesting.  Pace has quite a few releases for 2010 including a small role in this month’s romantic comedy When in Rome and the role of Phil Winslow in the summer tent-pole picture Marmaduke.  Hopefully the trouble-making Great Dane won’t overshadow him.

Michael Shannon: Shannon has toiled away for quite a few years as a character and met the most acclaim of his career last year when he was nominated for his stunning performance in last year’s Revolutionary Road.  Though he appeared alongside such heavyweights as a Kathy Bates, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, Shannon was the only actor nominated for an Oscar.  Unfortunately, he was nominated against Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.  Any other year and he would have had a good chance of winning.  In a film full of remarkable performances, Shannon nearly stole the show with his role as the slightly deranged son of Bates’s character.  He certainly overshadowed Bates, even shoving a hand in her face to stop her from talking in one of the film’s best moments.  Shannon has three films slated for 2010 with the Kristen Stewart-starring biopic The Runaways in March and the Megan Fox-starring Jonah Hex in June.  Just as in Road, Shannon won’t likely be overshadowed despite the stars in those films.

Kristen Stewart: Speaking of Kristen Stewart, though it may be an unorthodox choice, she is also an actress to watch during the coming year.  Now, 2010 won’t be a big year in terms of fame for Stewart—she couldn’t possibly become more famous thanks to the Twilight saga—rather, her acting skill is the thing to watch this year.  Before vampire-mania took over the world, Stewart was a promising young actress who had shown surprising talent in films like Sean Penn’s Into the Wild and Adventureland.  This year may mark a return to form.  Though neither film has a definitive release date yet, she should appear in two very small independent features The Yellow Handkerchief and Welcome to the Riley’s.  The latter film will offer the most significant break from her weak Twilight persona, Bella, when she plays Mallory, a prostitute and stripper.  The role should allow Stewart to display more emotions than brooding and swooning.  Biopic The Runaways premieres in March where Stewart will play real-life rocker Joan Jett and considering the trailer shows her breaking things in typical rock’n’roll style, it’s likely she will express all of the passion and willpower Bella lacks.  And if all that doesn’t work, Eclipse comes out in June and, as usual, she will likely outshine her attractive male costars.

Bryce Dallas Howard: Speaking of Twilight, Howard was recently added to the cast in the role of Victoria as a replacement for Rachelle Lefevre.  Like Stewart, Howard isn’t exactly unknown, she appeared as a second love interest for Peter Parker in the third Spiderman film and certainly isn’t lacking any connections considering her father is director Ron Howard.  What Howard lacks is a little more exposure.  What could offer more than the ubiquitous vampire love story?  Howard has gained acclaim in the past for her Golden Globe-nominated role in the HBO adaptation of As You Like It and her breakthrough performance in M. Night Shyamalan’s disappointing film, The Village.  Though Eclipse likely won’t offer Howard much room to show her acting ability, her other 2010 release Hereafter, directed by Clint Eastwood, should.  Both roles should bring Howard plenty of notice and in the coming years, audiences should have a chance to be captivated by her considerable acting ability.

Enver Gjokaj: Unlike some of the other actors on this list, Gjokaj is basically an unknown.  His most significant role to date is as Victor on the recently cancelled Fox show, Dollhouse.  As one of the title’s said “dolls,” Gjokaj’s character has a different personality inserted into his brain each week.  Through this contrivance, the actor shows a considerable range, something the show’s lead Eliza Dushku sadly lacks.  Whether he plays a petty Russian gangster, a serial killer or the love struck doll Victor, his performances are often the strongest and most fun to watch in any given episode.  Even more astonishing is his gift for accents, which the writers seem to throw at him purely for fun.  Though Gjokaj grew up in northern California, given his name and his skill, he actually could have passed for a Russian when his character was introduced.  Though Dollhouse will likely be remembered as yet another unfortunate failure in Joss Whedon’s television career, hopefully Gjokaj’s excellent performances will not go entirely unnoticed.  Even if they do, the fact that he will play a young Robert De Niro in his next film certainly couldn’t hurt his career.

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