4. John Hawkes
Based on his recent high-quality and relatively successful output (including an Oscar nomination for his very memorable turn as Jennifer Lawrence's grizzled uncle Teardrop in Winter's Bone), it is easy to forget that John Hawkes has been around for over 20 years, appearing in a vast multitude of TV series and supporting roles in films of various size and scope. For the longest time, Hawkes was actually a very successful character actor in large-budget mainstream films; looking back on his filmography, though, I had actually forgotten that he was in many of the films under his belt, including supporting roles in Congo, Rush Hour, The Perfect Storm, Identity, and more. Hawkes has also achieved a modicum of success on the small screen, with a major role in the seminal HBO series Deadwood (alongside an earlier entry in this list, Garret Dillahunt), as well as Danny McBride's thankless brother Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down. While he was toiling away in forgettable mainstream fare, Hawkes had also begun to establish himself as a very memorable and effective leading man in a variety of small, little-seen independent films, including Miranda July's Me and You and Everyone We Know, as well as the aforementioned Winter's Bone and his equally chilling performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene. Hopefully, the increased exposure and success of his buzzed-about (and truly excellent) performance in The Sessions, not to mention a supporting role in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, will further cement Hawkes' leading man status, and increase his profile so that many more can see and enjoy his unique characters and talents.
KEY ROLES: Deadwood (TV series, 2004-2006), Winter's Bone (2008), The Sessions (2012).
NEXT SEEN IN: The Sessions (UK release date: January 2013).