An iconic acting performance isn't something that's easy to pull off. A lot of quality thesps can give great acting turns, but creating something that's truly iconic? That requires some perfect, alchemic understanding between actor and character that only materialises every so often. Take some of the defining performances of 2014. One of the best of the year undoubtedly came in Nightcrawler - as vampiric media man Lou Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal didn't just give a dedicated acting turn, he created a character out of whole cloth, the likes of which audiences had never seen before. Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler, then, gave the definition of an instantly iconic performance - his interpretation of Lou Bloom is bold, idiosyncratic, surprising and it immediately leaves an indelible mark. It was probably the single most iconic performance of 2014, and audiences had to wait until the end of October to see it. This year we're less spoilt for choice; 2015 isn't even halfway over yet, and already the year has unleashed some unforgettable performances on cinema audiences. Whether the remainder of 2015 is going to surprise further remains to be seen (awards season, with its standout Oscar-baiting performances, is yet to come, after all). For now, here are ten instantly iconic performances from the first half of 2015.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
