9 Unforgettable Performances by Modern Actors

1. Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Quan Wang

Michelle Yeoh's portrayal of Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once is a tour de force, winning Yeoh her first Academy Award for Best Actress. Yeoh seamlessly embodies the multifaceted character, navigating the complexities of her emotions and the film's intricate multiverse theory-inspired narrative. Her performance is a captivating blend of strength, vulnerability, and resilience, capturing the essence of Evelyn's incredible journey across different dimensions and timelines.

Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) in a universe where people have hotdog fingers in Everything Everywhere All At Once

2. Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner

Adam Sandler's performance as Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems reveals the true depths of the legendary comedian's potential as a real actor. In what is largely considered to be the best of Adam Sandler's movies, the actor serves as the fulcrum of this dizzying portrayal of anxiety and gambling addiction, immersing himself in the chaotic world of the charismatic yet flawed jeweler with a penchant for risky bets.

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) showing off a Furby necklace in Uncut Gems

3. Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank

In 21st century cinema, few other characters have so deeply captured the toxicity of internalized homophobia than The Power of the Dog's Phil Burbank. As the closeted cowboy Phil, Benedict Cumberbatch demands attention and somehow inspires both terror and pity. Cumberbatch creates a character that is both timeless and timely in Phil Burbank.

Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) looking off in the distance in The Power of the Dog

4. Brendan Fraser as Charlie

Brendan Fraser paints a compelling, relatable, and empathetic picture of mental and physical illness as Charlie in The Whale. Critics and audiences alike have sung high praises for Fraser's performance as the reclusive and deeply emotional Charlie. Fraser's expressive delivery and body language fully embodies Charlie's frustrations and regrets about how he has lived his life.

Charlie (Brendan Fraser) looking at himself in the mirror in The Whale

5. Alfre Woodard as Bernadine Williams

As the stoic and conflicted prison warden Bernadine Williams - the central character of Clemency - Alfre Woodard navigates the moral complexities of overseeing legal executions with profound depth. With Bernadine's personal life unraveling from the stresses of her profession, Woodard's role as Williams expertly humanizes Clemency's dark exploration of the weight of capital punishment.

Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard) sitting in her office in Clemency

6. Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies

Marked by a nuanced blend of wit and vulnerability, Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of the legendary Marion Davies is undoubtedly the actor's greatest role to date. Realizing Davies as more than just a glamorous figure, Seyfried's charismatic presence brings to life the challenges faced by a woman navigating the tumultuous waters of Hollywood's golden age.

Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried) holding a cocktail while sporting a devilish smile in Mank

7. Lupita Nyong'o as Adelaide 'Addy' Wilson and Red

Lupita Nyong'o's dual role in Us as Adelaide 'Addy' Wilson and Red is a masterclass in dramatic versatility. Nyong'o seamlessly embodies two distinct characters with contrasting personas and physicality. Nyong'o showcases her exceptional range as a performer, contributing significantly to the intriguing atmosphere of the psychological thriller.

Lupita Nyong'o as Red and Adelaide fighting in the underground in Us

8. Colin Farrell as Padraic Suilleabhain

While The Banshees of Inisherin hinges on the tense breakup of the friendship between the two, it is Farrell's Padraic who does much of the emotional heavy-lifting in this darkly comedic meditation on isolation, miscommunication, and legacy. Farrell delivers the most powerful dramatic performance of his career as a man desperate for companionship and understanding.

Pádraic (Colin Farrell) looking confused in The Banshees of Inisherin

9. Emily Blunt as Katherine 'Kitty' Oppenheimer

The cast of Oppenheimer is filled with A-listers delivering some of the best performances of their entire careers, but one role stands out among the rest - Emily Blunt's portrayal of Katherine 'Kitty' Oppenheimer. Blunt deftly portrays Katherine with both tact and unwavering intelligence, filling the screen with a fiery intensity unlike anyone else in the all-star Oppenheimer cast.

Katherine (Emily Blunt) smiling at J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) in Oppenheimer