A breakout moment in Hollywood can happen at any age and stage. , there are plenty of talents to discover, from the formerly incarcerated man whose story inspired the film he stars in to the 鈥淚t鈥� bully whose childhood dream of playing an ape in a movie came true.
Here are five actors audiences are sure to be buzzing about this summer.
CLARENCE MACLIN IN 鈥淪ING SING鈥�
Clarence Maclin didn't know he had knack for acting until he was in prison, where he found the Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program and an appreciation for Shakespeare. His experience provided the inspiration for 鈥淪ing Sing,鈥� where he plays himself in a cast that includes Oscar nominees and Paul Raci as well as a group of formerly incarcerated men.
鈥淚t almost was overwhelming when I had to go back and put the greens on again and go back into that mindset of being in prison,鈥� Maclin, 58, said. 鈥淗owever the purpose of what we were doing outweighed the apprehension.鈥�
After working on the idea for years, he loved being on set and said there were 鈥渘o butterflies鈥� when it came to acting in front of the camera. Domingo, he said, helped him appreciate the nuance that the camera can capture.
A breakout film from last fall鈥檚 Toronto Film Festival, more than a few 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� reviews have called Maclin鈥檚 performance starmaking. He鈥檚 read them and still can鈥檛 believe it. But mostly, he鈥檚 excited to take the film on the road and get the message out.
鈥淚鈥檝e made a lot of mistakes in my life, but luckily I got an opportunity to redirect and try to correct some of those,鈥� said Maclin, who was incarcerated for more than 15 years for armed robbery. 鈥淚 would like to be able to show this in every prison in the country and do a question and answer. Sometimes a little bit of hope is all you need.鈥�
鈥淪ing Sing鈥� opens in limited release on July 12 and an expansion will follow in August.
JOSEPH QUINN IN 鈥淎 QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE鈥�
Nobody comes out of 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� anonymously, but Joseph Quinn, who played Hellfire Club leader Eddie Munson, was a little surprised by the attention. On vacation with friends on a small island in Italy, one looky-loo in the morning multiplied into a big crowd by the end of the day. Still, not everyone knew who he was.
鈥淭he manager of the hotel was like 鈥榳ho are you鈥�?鈥� Quinn recalled, laughing.
But mainly it鈥檚 led to life-changing opportunities for the 30-year-old British actor who is starring alongside Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong鈥檕 in 鈥� 鈥� (June 28) and later this year will be sharing the screen with Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal in 鈥淕ladiator II鈥� (Nov. 22). He鈥檚 also been tapped to help in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Human Torch.
鈥淲hen you go and you see ancient Rome and you see Denzel Washington inhabit it and watch Ridley Scott make a film, those things have a profound change in you," Quinn said. "It expands your idea of what鈥檚 possible.鈥�
But first up is the highly anticipated 鈥淨uiet Place鈥� prequel, which focuses on a new pair of characters in New York on that first day of the invasion.
鈥淭he whole experience was great fun,鈥� Quinn said. 鈥淚 learned a lot from Lupita and the way to conduct oneself in an environment like that. She鈥檚 punctual, brave, fearless and knows exactly what she wants and what she doesn鈥檛 want.鈥�
UK audiences can also see him soon in the independent film 鈥淗oard.鈥�
ABBEY LEE IN 鈥淗ORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA鈥�
Abbey Lee remembers being in New Mexico when she got an email from her agent saying that Kevin Costner wanted to send her a script and speak with her. The idea that Costner even knew who she was, she said, was shocking.
The project was 鈥� ,鈥� his Civil War era epic about the Westward expansion in America that Warner Bros. is releasing in two parts this summer (June 28 and Aug. 16). Her character, Marigold, is a woman without a family or a home who is fighting for a better life.
鈥淪he uses sex work as a means to survive,鈥� Lee, 36, said. 鈥淟ike everyone in this film, she鈥檚 somewhat brown and worn down but she鈥檚 also a very hopeful person and a very resilient woman with a strong will to live.鈥�
The Australia native worked as a model for years before she had a few big acting breakthroughs, notably in 鈥淢ad Max: Fury Road.鈥� Modeling gave her opportunities to travel, and get a paycheck, but it always felt like a job, she said.
鈥淢y passion is the craft of acting,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou get to utilize not just your body, but your brain and your heart and your emotional capacity. And you keep changing and growing: Each role shifts your perspective on the world and your life.鈥�
Filming 鈥淗orizon,鈥� Lee fell in love with riding horses and was overwhelmed by not just the beauty of Utah but also the scope of the film.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such an epic piece,鈥� she said.
IZAAC WANG IN 鈥淒脤DI鈥�
Izaac Wang had been on some big films before 鈥淒矛di,鈥� including 鈥淕ood Boys鈥� and 鈥淐lifford the Big Red Dog,鈥� but it wasn鈥檛 until he looked at his schedule that he realized just how big of a commitment a leading role was.
鈥淚 was like 鈥榳ait, I鈥檓 working every day鈥�?鈥� Wang laughed. 鈥淢y mom was like, 鈥榊eah, you鈥檙e working every day.鈥�
In 鈥淒矛di鈥� he plays a 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy on the summer before high school in the Bay Area in 2008. The film was one of the big discoveries of the Sundance Film Festival, and a special jury award for its ensemble. It鈥檚 getting a theatrical release from Focus Features on July 26.
Wang was born in Minnesota, moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 3 and started acting around age 8. While he鈥檚 thought about giving it up in the past, 鈥淒矛di鈥� was a turning point because it was such a fun experience. He鈥檚 considering studying theater in college too.
鈥淚 love acting in general because I get to be a goofy, silly, imaginative guy,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 play with my stuffed animals still. I鈥檓 16-years-old, I still do it.鈥�
OWEN TEAGUE IN 鈥淜INGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES鈥�
Unlike the other actors on this list, audiences will not see Owen Teague鈥檚 face on the big screen. Well, not exactly. He鈥檚 the star of 鈥淜ingdom of the Planet of the Apes,鈥� a new film set many years after Caesar鈥檚 reign when the apes have become the dominant species. He plays an ape named Noa.
鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to play a performance capture ape since I was a little kid,鈥� Teague said. 鈥淭his was one of those auditions where I was like 鈥楪od, I鈥檇 give anything to do this movie.鈥欌��
The 25-year-old from Tampa, Florida, got his first big break on the television series 鈥淏loodline,鈥� which led to playing one of the bullies in 鈥淚t鈥� and Julia Louis-Dreyfus鈥� son in 鈥� 鈥� among other credits. Teague said he worried early on that he was only playing 鈥渂ad guys.鈥� Villains are fun, he said, but he wanted the chance to do everything.
For this movie, he went to ape school and worked closely with a movement coach so that it would feel second-nature by the time they started filming. His character, Noa, is the sheltered son of their clan鈥檚 leader who has to go on an eye-opening journey to save his family.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of pressure on him to live up to his father鈥檚 expectations.鈥� Teague said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 this part of him that wants to know what鈥檚 out there.鈥�
And he recommends seeing it on the big screen: 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the most astounding things I鈥檝e ever seen.鈥�
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
