Yasiin Bey

Credited as Mos Def in Something the Lord Made, Bey plays Vivien Thomas opposite Alan Rickman's Alfred Blalock. The drama depends on both professional reliance and an unequal relationship, giving him room to convey intelligence, pride and frustration without turning every feeling into a speech. Their scenes together are the essential viewing. His screen work and music developed alongside one another, so this is not a claim that acting began after rap fame; it is a particularly strong example of the musician sustaining a fully realised dramatic role.