Items20The creator’s order
  1. 1CherCherBorn 20 May 1946Moonstruck is the clearest starting point for Cher's ability to make a larger-than-life story feel emotionally grounded. As Loretta, she combines brisk comic timing with the guardedness of someone whose sensible plans are beginning to collapse. The scenes with her family matter as much as the…0i
  2. 2Frank SinatraFrank SinatraBorn 12 Dec 1915Sinatra's dramatic work is especially persuasive when the familiar assurance begins to fracture. From Here to Eternity gives his restless energy a vulnerable edge; The Man with the Golden Arm pushes further into the desperation of a man struggling with addiction. These are substantial characters…0i
  3. 3Barbra StreisandBarbra StreisandBorn 24 Apr 1942Funny Girl demonstrates how musical performance can itself be screen acting. Streisand's Fanny Brice uses wit and bravado as both attraction and defence, and the songs continue that character work rather than interrupting it. The comic timing is immediate, but the emotional changes inside a number…0i
  4. 4Queen LatifahQueen LatifahSet It Off and Chicago make a revealing pair. As Cleo in the former, Latifah is part of a friendship whose loyalties give the heist story its emotional weight. As Mama Morton in the latter, she turns authority and transactional charm into a sharply defined musical character. The performances ask…0i
  5. 5Jennifer HudsonJennifer HudsonBorn 12 Sept 1981Hudson's Effie in Dreamgirls is memorable for more than the scale of the singing. The performance makes pride, hurt and the fear of being displaced part of the character's musical force. Her show-stopping number lands because it is also an argument by someone who cannot accept what is happening to…0i
  6. 6Lady GagaLady GagaBorn 28 Mar 1986A Star Is Born gives Gaga a role close to music but far from a simple appearance as herself. Ally's early guardedness and her growing confidence need to remain connected as the scale of her life changes. The quieter exchanges with Bradley Cooper are crucial: listening and reaction make the stage…0i
  7. 7BjörkBjörkBorn 21 Nov 1965Dancer in the Dark is an unusually demanding example of a musician carrying a dramatic film. Björk's Selma moves between exhausting everyday circumstances and an imagined musical world, with the performance holding those modes together. Her vulnerability is central, but so is the character's…0i
  8. 8Tupac ShakurTupac ShakurBorn 16 Jun 1971Juice makes Shakur's screen presence central to a friendship becoming dangerous. As Bishop, he turns the desire for status into a pressure that changes the behaviour of everyone around him. The effectiveness lies in the escalation: bravado ceases to feel like a shared performance and becomes…0i
  9. 9Ice CubeIce CubeDoughboy in Boyz N the Hood gives Ice Cube a character whose defensive attitude cannot entirely conceal hurt and disappointment. His force within the group is important, but so are the moments when that force no longer provides an answer. The family relationships give the performance a particular…0i
  10. 10Yasiin BeyYasiin BeyCredited 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.…0i