What He Has Been In:
Domhnall Gleeson,
30, is the son of Irish actor Brendan Gleeson. He went to the Dublin Institute
of Technology where he studied Media Arts. After graduating, Gleeson began
taking roles in shorts, small British films, and TV series. His first big film
came with a small role in the sci-fi drama Never
Let Me Go.
His next big break came in the Harry Potter Series,
winning the role of Bill Weasley (his father plays Mad-Eye Moody in the series
as well). Gleeson appears briefly in Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and has a slightly bigger role in Part
II (but still rather small overall). He also has a great, but small role in
True
Grit playing one of the bandits caught in the crosshairs.
Other British films of note that
Gleeson has appeared in include the fantastic comic-book action film Dredd, in
which he appears as a criminal, and the IRA drama/thriller Shadow Dancer.
Breakthrough:
Gleeson’s breakthrough, if you
even want to call it that, as the film was not widely seen and he plays the
third or fourth lead, came with 2012’s Anna
Karenina (directed by Joe
Wright), giving him his largest role to date in a major motion picture. The
film stars Keira
Knightley in the lead, while Gleeson plays Levin, a wealthy farmer looking
to court the lovely Kitty (played by Alicia Vikander).
Gleeson is quietly very good as Levin, and has great chemistry with Vikander.
The film is utterly stunning and a must-see for those looking for a film that
is as much art as narrative.
November Film:
In November, Gleeson stars
opposite Rachel
McAdams and Bill
Nighy in the time-travel romance About Time.
The film, written and directed by Richard Curtis, is
about Tim, a young man who is told by his father that he has genetically
inherited the ability to travel through time. Tim then uses this gift to try
and win the heart of Mary. The film mark’s his first true leading role in a big
film. Trailer: Here.
Upcoming:
Gleeson has five upcoming
projects slated for 2014. First, he is set to star with his father, Chris O’Dowd, and Kelly Reilly in John Michael McDonagh’s
Calvary.
Next, he stars opposite Michael Fassbender
and Maggie
Gyllenhaal in the strange dramedy Frank. Then
he stars with Oscar
Isaac and Alicia Vikander in writer Alex Garland’s
feature directorial debut Ex Machina.
Gleeson then stars in Angelina Jolie’s
next film as a director Unbroken
about an Olympic runner who is taken prisoner by the Japanese during WWII. The
screenplay is by the Coen
Brothers. Finally, he is set to star opposite Saoirse Ronan in
the film Brooklyn
about Irish immigrants in New York during the 1950s. He certainly has a
fantastic slate upcoming.
Career Highlights:
4)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
(2011)* – supporting (Blu-ray,
Video
On-Demand, Trailer)
*Editor’s picks
What He Has Been In:
Tom Hiddleston, 32, started his
career, as many British actors do, on television, appearing in such things as, Conspiracy,
The
Gathering Storm, and Cranford.
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he began to get more
roles and bigger roles in Brittan, including a sizable one on the BBC (remake)
detective drama Wallander.
After appearing in Thor,
Hiddleston began booking even bigger films (including some outside England),
including: a great supporting role as F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight
in Paris, taking a leading role in the drama The Deep Blue
Sea, and a supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s
War
Horse.
Breakthrough:
Hiddleston’s breakthrough came as
the character Loki, appearing first in 2011’s Thor. The film was a success, but
not overly so, yet it got his name and face out there as he was one of the best
parts of the film – his performance being equal parts villainous, slimy, and
charming.
However it is Joss
Whedon’s The
Avengers that really has made him a star, and a favorite among the fans of
Marvel’s cinematic universe. The film was a massive hit, and Hiddleston clearly
enjoyed his role as its central villain – basking in his own glory. Maybe more
so than any other actor in the film, Hiddleston emerged as a new talent to
regard.
November Film:
Turning in his third performance
as Loki, Hiddleston is back with this month’s Thor:
The Dark World (directed by Alan Taylor). This
time, however, Loki is not the central bad guy, rather Thor must battle Dark
Elves set on returning the Nine Realms to darkness. But, that does not mean
Loki cannot have his fun as well. The film is highly entertaining, and among
the better films to come from Marvel Studios so far. Trailer: Here.
Upcoming:
Hiddleston has a few upcoming
projects. First he is set to feature in a supporting (possibly cameo) role in
2014’s Muppets
Most Wanted, starring Ricky Gervais and
Tina Fey. The
sequel sees James
Bobin returning in the director’s chair, helming a European jewel-heist
Muppets caper. Next he stars in the animation fantasy The Pirate Fairy,
and finally he stars opposite Charlie Hunnam and
Jessica Chastain
in Guillermo del
Toro’s new horror film Crimson Peak
(slated for 2015). In all likeliness (and hopefully) he will also appear in the
inevitable Thor 3 (though, sadly, he is not scheduled to be in The Avengers: Age of
Ultron – at least as far as we know at present).
Career Highlights:
*Editor’s picks
What She Has Been In:
Elizabeth Olsen, 24, got her
start appearing in a number of her twin-big-sisters’ projects. However, it was
somewhat tough for her early on, always in their (notorious, some might say)
shadow. Finally, in 2011, she was able to make a career for herself on her own
name.
She has since appeared in the
horror film Silent
House, the mystery thriller Red Lights,
the romantic drama Liberal Arts,
and the indie drama Kill Your
Darlings.
Breakthrough:
Olsen’s breakthrough, however, came
in Sean Durkin’s Martha
Marcy May Marlene. Not only did she take the lead role in the film, but she
also gave one of 2011’s most intriguing and brilliant performances. It is
really a challenging character, requiring Olsen to exhibit a vast emotional
range, and yet she beautifully (and tragically) captures each beat.
November Film:
In what may potentially be cool
or completely ill-conceived, Olsen stars in Oldboy
coming Thanksgiving weekend opposite Josh Brolin and Sharlto Copley.
The film is a remake of the wonderful 2003 Korean film
by Chan-wook Park
(and both are adaptations of the manga comic). The film, directed by Spike Lee, is
about a man who is trapped in a room for twenty years and then set free. The
man then dedicates everything he is to figuring out: A) who trapped him and B)
why.
Upcoming:
Olsen has some big projects
upcoming. In 2014, she is set to star opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson
and Bryan Cranston
in Gareth Edwards’s
remake of Godzilla
(hoping to undo all the ill will that 1998’s Godzilla has
brought about). Edwards is a perfect fit – see Monsters. Then,
in 2015, she stars as Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) in The Avengers:
Age of Ultron. In addition to Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James
Spader join the franchise. Although she has primarily done indie films to
date, her future looks to make her a big name.
Career Highlights:
*Editor’s picks
What She Has Been In:
Hailee Steinfeld, 16, has been
acting since the age of eight, but is relatively unknown. She has primarily
lent herself out for short films. While her breakthrough came in 2010, she then
took a break until 2013, filling her schedule. Her first film to come out this
year was Romeo
and Juliet.
Breakthrough:
Auditioning among 15,000 other girls,
the Coen Brothers
chose Steinfeld to play Mattie Ross in their remake of True
Grit. She is fantastic in the role playing opposite Jeff Bridges and Matt
Damon, in many ways stealing the film despite the very good work from all
involved. She gives such a strong performance that she essentially became a
star overnight, which makes it all the more surprising that she then took two
years off. It is the best western of this decade so far.
November Film:
In November, Steinfeld features
in a supporting role in Ender’s
Game, which stars Asa Butterfield
and Harrison Ford
(and is written and directed by Gavin Hood). She
plays Petra, a friend and potential romantic interest to Ender. The film is
about a future version of Earth that has narrowly survived an alien invasion. In
an effort to counterstrike any future attack, the military has turned to
training children to be heartless killers due to their gift for strategy and
susceptibility to brainwashing – Ender is their most promising candidate to
lead their fleet of warships. Trailer: Here.
Upcoming:
Steinfeld has been very busy
since returning to Hollywood. Coming in 2014 she has a supporting role in the
music dramedy Can
a Song Save Your Life? starring Keira
Knightley and Mark
Ruffalo. It is John
Carney’s follow-up to his brilliant and terribly under-seen musical Once. Next, she
features in support in Tommy Lee Jones’s
second feature film The Homesman,
which Jones also stars in opposite Hilary Swank. Then,
for a change of pace, she stars in McG’s Hollywood
action film Three
Days to Kill with Amber Heard and Kevin Costner. Keeping
with the variety of projects, Steinfeld will also star in the Civil War drama The Keeping Room
opposite Sam
Worthington and Brit
Marling. Kyle
Newamn, who also directed Fanboys, is back
with a new comedy Barely Lethal,
in which Steinfeld plays a 16-year-old assassin who just wants a normal life
(it is like the American, watered-down version of Hanna).
And finally, Steinfeld is set to star opposite Sam Worthington in the action
thriller For
the Dogs (also centering on an assassin character, making it three upcoming
projects to do so with Three Days to Kill and Barely Lethal). All six of these films
are slated for 2014, but likely a few will be pushed back.
Career Highlights:
*Editor’s picks
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