10 Breakthrough Performances From 2014's Rising Movie Stars

4. Chris Pratt - Guardians Of The Galaxy

While you could argue that Chris Pratt's breakthrough performance came at the beginning of 2014 with the release of the hugely successful The Lego Movie - in which Pratt voiced the lead character - the real breakthrough in which audiences got to see the actor on-screen doing his thing was Guardians Of The Galaxy. Like Lego before it, plenty of people were sceptical about Guardians Of The Galaxy ahead of release, not least on account of it being the first cinematic installment for a relatively obscure Marvel franchise. It's success was due to a combination of factors, not least a sharp and entertaining script and dynamic direction from James Gunn, but also thanks to Chris Pratt's cocky, brash portrayal of Peter Quill. Pratt's background on the hit-and-miss comedy series Parks And Recreation no doubt gave him the necessary experience with comic timing, and it's his laid-back breezy performance that sets Quill apart from the generic action heroes usually played by actors like Tom Cruise. It remains to be seen how he'll turn out in Jurassic World - the jury is out on that movie until next summer.