3. Best Star-Making Performance - Chris Pratt (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
In what will no doubt go down in Hollywood lore, during the audition process for Guardians of the Galaxy James Gunn had no intention whatsoever of even considering the idea of having 'the chubby guy from Parks and Rec' taking the lead role in his comic book blockbuster. Completing a breakout year following his enthusiastic voice performance in The Lego Movie, Chris Pratt finished the year as a bona fide movie star, and one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Pratt gave the character of Peter Quill a seemingly effortless blend of charm, wit and charisma, and proved as adept with the action scenes as he was with the more comedic elements of the movie. Since then, Pratt has been hugely in demand; the actor takes one of the lead roles in the highly-anticipated Jurassic World, turned down the part of Nathan Drake in Uncharted, entered negotiations to join the Magnificent Seven remake and signed on to the interesting-sounding comic book adaptation Cowboy Ninja Viking. Not bad when you consider Guardians of the Galaxy was his first major lead role in a movie.
Runner Up - Dan Stevens (The Guest)
The Guest is without a doubt one of the year's best genre movies; part psychological thriller, part horror, part action and incredibly entertaining. Watching the movie, it is impossible to fathom that Dan Stevens made his name starring in Downtown Abbey. Playing the titular house-guest, Stevens is nothing short of magnetic and delivers a performance that effortlessly switches from charming and charismatic to cold and calculating in an instant, providing one of the year's most memorable characters in the process. If more Hollywood big-wigs saw The Guest, they might just realize the potential Stevens has as both a leading man and action star.
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