Every year brings new, exciting performances from actors old and new, and 2024 has been no different in its first half. Here are the best of the year so far from film and television.

Honorable Mentions:

• David Dastmalchian, Late Night with the Devil
• Donald Glover, Mr. and Mrs. Smith
• Anne Hathaway, The Idea of You
• Kate Winslet, The Regime
• Brigette Lundy-Paine, I Saw the TV Glow
• Katy O’Brian, Love Lies Bleeding
• Ella Purnell, Fallout
• Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country
• Adam Sandler, Spaceman
• Anya Taylor-Joy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Owen Teague, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Zendaya, Challengers & Dune: Part Two

Sarayu Blue, Expats

I finished Lulu Wang’s Expats with a feeling of disappointment overall, but one of the better aspects of the show was in Sarayu Blue’s performance. Perhaps the most three dimensional of the show’s three female leads, Blue’s Hillary Starr has to navigate her crumbling marriage, her desire to be a mother, her support for her friend Margaret’s (Nicole Kidman) grief, and her relationship with her parents, among other things. The writing of Expats too often held the show back from its full potential, but Blue manages to elevate the material, making Hillary into someone with relatable needs and desires. It’s no easy task to act opposite heavyweights like Nicole Kidman and Jack Huston, but Blue holds her own and, in some instances, surpasses her stars, becoming a bright spot in an otherwise dim limited series.

Chris Hemsworth, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Chris Hemsworth makes a meal of his turn as villain Dementus in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and easily gives the best performance of his career. At times equally silly, sad, and scary, Hemsworth leans into the tone of previous Mad Max films and makes Dementus a three-dimensional lunatic. Though he’s light on backstory, we understand so much about him through the little details Hemsworth throws in, like the fate of his family and how he amassed so many loyal followers. And though he’s absent for a good portion of the film in the middle, Hemsworth looms large over the rest of Furiosa by tormenting the heroes from afar. Finally free of the shackles of the MCU, it’s great to see Hemsworth flex his muscles – literally and figuratively – by letting loose and having fun.

Leah McKendrick, Scrambled

Confidence can take shape in a lot of different ways for actors. For Leah McKendrick in Scrambled, she manifests confidence not just in her storytelling and direction, but in her lead performance. As Nellie, McKendrick gets vulnerable as she navigates the possibilities of motherhood and romantic connections as she realizes her window is rapidly closing. Independent romantic comedies can be a tough sell, often devolving into tired character tropes and predictable plotting, but Scrambled provides a breath of fresh air, and McKendrick’s confident performance is the guiding force.

Glen Powell, Hit Man

It’s kind of miraculous that, after 6+ months of hype, Glen Powell’s performance in Hit Man lived up to expectations. Powell is having all kinds of fun with the role, as he gets to play every manner of weirdo, while simultaneously showing off his leading man charisma. It was clear from his supporting turns in films like Top Gun: Maverick and Everybody Wants Some!! that Powell had the kind of movie star energy that doesn’t come around often anymore, but Hit Man shows he has what it takes to lead virtually any kind of project. By navigating Richard Linklater’s numerous shifts in tones and genres within the film, Powell is able to make the film his own, all while sharing electric chemistry with his co-star Adria Arjona. Powell already has a solid slate of upcoming leading roles, and perhaps, when we look back, we’ll have Hit Man to look back on as the kickstarter to a varied and interesting career.

Anna Sawai, Shōgun

It takes a couple episodes of Shōgun for Anna Sawai’s Mariko to emerge as the emotional heart of FX’s limited series, but she makes her presence felt in every scene. Everything the show is trying to accomplish is embodied within Mariko, from the palace intrigue, to the conflicts between Portugal and England, and every other domestic squabble. Sawai portrays Mariko as someone constantly conflicted within herself, from her loyalty to her lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), to her budding love affair with Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), to her Catholic faith, and more. Sawai has been in a number of interesting projects lately, but her performance in Shōgun should catapult her to a brand new level of stardom.