4. Richard Jenkins
I doubt you were expecting old Richard Jenkins in amongst this A-List, er, list, were you? The fact is Jenkins is one of the great underrated character actors and one of my favourite actors ever, and he was in 4 major movies this year, bringing a touch of class to every single one he was in. His weary expression and hidden depths pushed up comedy horrors and slightly boring Brad Pitt dramas from being rather good films to being great ones. Hes a film-improving presence, always has and always will be, and this year was no exception.