The 10 Black Breakouts of 2012By Wilson Morales
December 21, 2012
As the 2012 year is set to close in a few days, it’s time look back and acknowledge some of the performers that stood out this year from newcomers and veteran talent who elevated their game to another level.
There were plenty of directors, producers, and actors that brought attention to the films they did and while some of theses films may not have the luxury of having played in numerous theaters or becoming box office hits, the journey that each took or displayed was worthy of attention that captured audiences throughout the year.
In no particular order, here are the 10 Black Breakouts of 2012.
Emayatzy Corinealdi
A year ago, no one knew who she was, let alone know how to pronounce her name, but when 2012 started, and through the guidance of director Ava DuVernay, Emayatzy Corinealdi was a breakout hit in her debut film, the Sundance festival and critically acclaimed ‘Middle of Nowhere. As a woman torn between two men, this Kentucky native showcased a bravado performance that not netted her an Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor, but also garnered a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Upcoming projects include Bille Woodruff’s Addicted with Boris Kodjoe and Qasim Basir’s ‘Destined’ with Omar Epps and Mekhi Phier.
Quvenzhané Wallis
Another starlet to emerge from the Sundance film festival and capture the hearts of many was this precocious little darling by the name of Quvenzhané Wallis. She was only five years old when she was cast as in leading role as Hushpuppy in the critically acclaimed film ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild.’ Not only has the film won several awards, but Wallis has a chance to be the youngest person ever nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress category. Coming up next is a role in Steve McQueen’s film, ’Twelve Years as a Slave.’
David Oyelowo
A veteran in the game since the late 90s, David Oyelowo was unheard of in most circles, except for his native land of England, where he appeared in TV series such as M:I 5. It wasn’t until the last few years, he started to be noticed, appearing opposite Jill Scott in ‘The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,’ and last year’s ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes,’ and the Oscar-nominated film, ‘The Help.’ His career took off this year, with prominent roles in ‘Red Tails,’ ’96 Minutes,’ Lee Daniels’ ‘The Paperboy,’ Ava DuVernay’s ‘Middle of Nowhere,’ Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln,’ and ‘Jack Reacher’ with Tom Cruise. In essence, Oyelowo has become one of the hottest actors in demand. In 2013, he’ll be playing the son to Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey’s characters in Lee Daniels’ ‘The Butler,’ and then will be seen opposite Zoe Saldana in the Nina Simone biopic, ‘Nina.’
Tracey Heggins
She first gained attention in Barry Jenkins’ 2008 critically acclaimed independent romantic drama, ‘Medicine for Melancholy.’ Although some years have gone by with various episodic TV work, Tracey Heggins came back on the film scene this year with a slew of roles in short films (‘The Last/ First Kiss,’ ‘Cherry Waves’), independent films (‘All Things Fall Apart,’ ‘Battlefield America’) and the biggest film of her career thus far, a role in ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.’ With only a handful of African Americans featured in the five films of the franchise, Heggins’s role as the Amazonian vampire Senna caught the attention of many. Coming up next for the New Jersey native is the indie film, ‘LUV,’ which premiere this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Terrence J
With a cast that includes many individuals whose faces we’ve seen before in films, newbie Terrence J was able to hold his own ground amongst that group in Will Packer’s blockbuster hit ‘Think Like a Man.’ Making that transition from the TV world, where he recently quit his job as the host of BET’s popular music video countdown show 106 & Park, was no easy feat. Packer first gave him an opportunity in 2010’s ‘Stomp The Yard 2: Homecoming’ and he also had a small role in this year’s ‘Sparkle’ remake. Not passing up good opportunities, Terrence recently became the co-anchor of E! News, and will be back on the big screen in 2013 with roles in ‘Battle of the Year’ and ‘Baggage Claim.’
Peter Ramsey
Most animation film directors are usually not recognized unless they’ve done more than one successful film and receive commercial exposure, but when you happened to be the 1st African-American filmmaker to helm a big-budget CG animated feature film, you will get attention. Prior to helming Dreamworks’ ‘Rise of the Guardians,’ Peter Ramsey spent numerous years as a storyboard artist and worked on films such as David Fincher’s “Fight Club” and “Panic Room,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula” adaptation. His first gig in the animation world was working on “Shrek the Third” and “Monsters vs. Aliens.” With the success of ‘Guardians,’ we hope to see Ramsey behind the director’s chair once again.
Clarke Peters
Leave it up to filmmaker Spike Lee to once again give a gifted actor the chance to shine in a leading role. After all, it was Lee who gave Denzel Washington numerous leading roles in his films, as well as Wesley Snipes, Mekhi Phifer, Delroy Lindo, Anthony Mackie, and now Clarke Peters. Best known for his roles as Detective Lester Freamon and Albert “Big Chief” Lambreaux, on the HBO dramas The Wire and Treme respectively, Clarke was amazing as the preacher who tries to teach his grandson some wisdom despite his troubled past in Lee’s controversial film, ‘Red Hook Summer.’
Omar Sy
With the exception of British actors such as Idris Elba, David Oyelowo, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Eamonn Walker among many, Black actors from other countries aren’t usually grabbing attention; but when you win the César Award for Best Actor like Omar Sy did in 2011 for ‘The Intouchables,’ you will get national spotlight. He became the first black actor to win the honorary French award. Released in the United States this past May, ‘The Intouchables’ is currently is this year’s highest grossing foreign language film in North America. Sy’s next film includes a role in Michel Gondry’s ‘Mood Indigo.’
Victoria Mahoney
In the words of fellow colleague Armond White, “Victoria Mahoney, director, writer of her debut film, Yelling to the Sky, put together a story that is risk-taking and goes deeper into the complex, controversial subject of colorism (those black folks victimized by the racism of being light-skinned). Mahoney’s movie goes places few filmmakers have ever dared. She deserves recognition. Just think about the way her casting of Zoe Kravitz connects to all our knowledge about Kravitz’s parents Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet–mixed-race blacks whose triumphs and troubles are part of the way we understand contemporary American culture–and ourselves.”
Bradford Young
In the last few years, Bradford Young has emerged as one of the few African American cinematographers whose work, which includes Tina Mabry’s Mississippi Damned and Gloria La Morte and Paola Mendoza’s Entre nos, has received numerous praise. In 2011, the New York native won the excellence in cinematography award at Sundance Film Festival for his work on Dee Rees’ Pariah. He also did an amazing job on Andrew Dosunmu’s film, ‘Restless City.’ He followed that film in 2012 with Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed film, ‘Middle of Nowhere.’ It was also a delight to see that he was also included in the documentary ‘Side by Side,’ a documentary produced by Keanu Reeves that investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation. He is currently prepping to shoot Sebastian Silva’s Second Child.
Dwight Henry
As good as Quvenzhané Wallis was in ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild,’ so too was her co-star Dwight Henry. This little gem of a film introduced the world to two extraordinary actors who were plucked from obscurity and given the chance to demonstrate a level of acting that has captured many hearts. Not bad for someone, who, a year ago, was the owner of the Buttermilk Drop Bakery & Café in New Orleans’s Seventh Ward and landed a huge film role without SAG card. Next up for Henry is a role in Steve McQueen’s ‘Twelve Years as a Slave,’ where he will reunite with Wallis.
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