10 Breakthrough Performances From 2014's Rising Movie Stars

2. Jack O'Connell - Starred Up

Residents of Derby, the small city in the heart of the UK where Jack O'Connell hails from, were over the moon when they heard that he'd managed to get Angelina Jolie to use the immortal introductory phrase of their shire "Hey up mi duck!" at a Hollywood awards ceremony. Fortunately for O'Connell this was far from his greatest achievement in the film industry. Having slowly worked his way up the billings with a string of British independent movies - and no doubt learning a thing of two from co-stars like Michael Fassbender (Eden Lake) and Tim Roth (The Liability) - O'Connell truly broke through and won over audiences and critics playing violent young offender Eric Love in Starred Up. British cinema has something of a tradition for hard-hitting prison dramas, and O'Connell's intense yet empathetic turn here is worthy of a place alongside Ray Winstone in Alan Parker's 1979 borstal drama, Scum. With a starring role in the Angelina Jolie directed Unbroken and acclaim for his role in '71 (still awaiting a wider release), Jack O'Connell looks set to climb the ladder of fame and prove himself to be a great actor capable of a diversity of roles.