OUTSTANDING PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Christopher Abbott (Black Bear, Possessor, The World to Come)

Sharon Horgan (Dating Amber, How to Build a Girl, Military Wives)

Lesley Manville (Let Him Go, Misbehaviour, Ordinary Love)

Chris Messina (Birds of Prey, I Care a Lot, She Dies Tomorrow)

Andrea Risenborough (Burden, Luxor, Possessor)

AND THE WINNER:

LESLEY MANVILLE (LET HIM GO, MISBEHAVIOUR, ORDINARY LOVE)

I usually feel like I have plenty of performers to nominate in this category but I happen to believe that due to the pandemic there just wasn't a lot of performers starring in multiple projects. However I managed to compile a list of five actors who starred in at least three films released stateside this past year. Manville has been a fave for years now and with all three of her films released this year the only thing similar between her roles is Manville the performer.

Misbehaviour was the first of her films I saw this year and it is her smallest role. She's fine playing a suffering wife role and there's not much more to say than that as she gets overshadow by many of her brilliant co-stars. 

Next it was Ordinary Love which contains her most impactful role as she's a lead opposite Liam Neeson. Playing a recently diagnosed cancer patient Manville is brilliant playing just about every beat effectively quiet. All she is displaying is coming through her expression as she goes through the trying time of her diagnoses.

Last and most recent of her films I watched was Let Him Go which contains her biggest performance in terms of theatrics. Honestly this performance is basically Manville in full drag playing a wild southern lady like you would expect an actor like Melissa Leo to play. She's fun for the limited amount she's used and when comparing each of these performances it's impressive the range of roles Manville is capable of playing.

Ultimately I'm happy to award Manville this prize as she was watchable in all three of her features this year. When it comes to the future for Lesley next thing we can all look forward too is seeing her play Princess Margaret on the final two seasons of Netflix's The Crown. I am personally excited for this casting because while Manville is beloved for her Oscar nominated turn (Phantom Thread) and previous Oscar snub (Another Year) this series is bound to bring her more deserved attention as it has for previous actors who've played the princess (Vanessa Kirby & Helena Bonham Carter.)