5. Chris Hemsworth - In The Heart Of The Sea
The Actor: Chris Hemsworth is, of course, best known to audiences for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though he did enjoy acclaim (if not particularly serious awards discussions) for his chamelonic performance as James Hunt in Ron Howard's superb biopic Rush. The Role: Hemsworth plays First Mate Owen Chase, one of the crew members struggling to survive as his whaleship Essex sinks after an encounter with a huge sperm whale. He and the other crewmen are forced to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive. Why They Might Win: The trailers certainly suggest that more of the focus will be on Chase than Captain George Pollard, Jr. (Benjamin Walker), and if the pic fulfills the promise of its excellent source material, then Ron Howard and Hemsworth could be looking at a Master and Commander-type success, albeit hopefully with more awards attention for its lead actor.
Jack Pooley
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
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Jack