Big 2015 Films: The Martian, Steve Jobs TV has saved an entire generation of actors. When movies are becoming increasingly divided into mega-budget blockbusters and small indie films, an entire raft of thespians have found the mid-range movies they used to populate pinched. In a previous time that would have been time to throw integrity to the wind or give up on that next ivory backscratcher, but with the Golden Age of Television in full swing (can the phrase "we seem to be living in a..." be banned - we are, just accept it) there's a way to get your cake and eat it over thirteen weeks. One of the biggest successes of this method is Jeff Daniels. He had a notable cinema run in the nineties, immortalised in comedy history with Dumb & Dumber, but as time wore on he became increasingly less prolific. Then came The Newsroom. HBO's Aaron Sorkin-scripted drama put the actor front and centre, gifting him some of the best material he's ever worked with. And, in 2015, that translated into a sizeable movie comeback. The Newsroom most likely played a large role in getting Daniels cast as Apple CEO John Sculley in Steve Jobs, but he's also popped up this year in a similar authority role as NASA head Teddy Sanders in The Martian. Both are traditional positions of power, but with sharp dialogue and varied emotional levels he managed to deliver memorable turns. Next year he looks set to complete the ascension, appearing in Divergent (every actor needs at least on sci-fi blockbuster to their name now apparently). Here's hoping he doesn't suck as much as that series has so far.
