3. Samuel L. Jackson
One performance that really flew under most radars until the film actually started being screened - given that he didn't feature much at all in the trailers - is Samuel L. Jackson's spellbinding turn as Stephen, the cranky old man who helps to run one of Candie's properties. He's instantly suspicious of Schultz and Django when they show up, and it seems clear pretty early on that he might end rumbling them (we'll let you guess what happens). Though Jackson has excelled as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's been crying out for a truly meaty role for years, and he gets it here, playing up to his aggressive, angry stereotype, albeit inserted into the body of a 70-something-year-old man, complete with hilarious grey hair and a hunched back. Jackson is one of those fantastic actors who can't seem to say no to a project, so many seem to forget just how great he is, but there's no doubting how much he gives to Django Unchained; he's far more integral to the plot than the advertising seems to suggest, and his final appearance in the film is beyond hysterical. Don't be surprised if he gets nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.