The Best and Worst Actors of 2012.
For some actors, 2012 has been a year to remember for others it's been a year to forget. Here we take a look at the best and worst actors over the past 12 months.
Picture Credit: Weinstein / Mirage
Good Year - Jennifer Lawrence
Since Lawrence came to everybody's attention with her standout performance in 'Winters Bone' and has gone from strength to strength this year. First up was massive hit 'The Hunger Games' where she effortlessly brought Katniss Everdeen to life and earned herself a legion of teenage fans, then she went on to star in critical favorite 'Silver Linings Playbook.' Who knows, she could have an outside chance of an Oscar; that would really top off an excellent year for the young star.
Picture Credit: Happy Madison / Columbia
Bad Year - Adam Sandler
2012 may well be one to forget for Adam Sandler; despite 'Hotel Transyvania' propping up his box office takings for the year, he'll still want to move on from 2012 quickly. Transylvania was successful but it was only voice work, when he stepped in-front of the camera for 'That's My Boy' the film was universally panned by critics and it only managed to recoup half of its original budget. For a long time Sandler seemed immune to the critics and regularly churned out money making movies, could it now be the case that he is no longer a bankable star?
Picture Credit: Dreamworks / Fox
Good Year - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Joseph Gordon Levitt's star has continued to rise this year with three attention grabbing performances. 2012 wasn't completely faultless though; he starred in 'Premium Rush;' an average film that proved to be a dud at the box office. It was his turns in 'The Dark Knight Rises,' and 'Looper' that made sure 2012 will be a year to remember for him. In 'Looper' in particular he proved that he was able to carry a film (with a little help from Bruce Willis,) and he's followed that performance with a role in Steven Speilberg's award grabbing 'Lincoln.' Not a bad year at all.
Dreamworks SKG / Saturn
Bad Year - Eddie Murphy
Every year must seem like a bad year for Eddie Murphy; he hasn't had a hit in a very long time but 2012 was poor even by his standards. It was thanks to his abysmal movie 'A Thousand Words,' which failed to earn back half of its (frankly ridiculously expensive) $40 million budget. Murphy's career has been on a downwards spiral for a long time with only his appearances in Shrek helping to prop it up and 2012 saw him crowned as the year's most overpaid actor according to Forbes magazine. He is set to return to voice work next year where he will play Hong Kong Phooey; perhaps 2013 will be a bit better for the man who was once king of the box office.
Picture Credit: Warner Bros
Good Year - Tom Hardy
British actor Tom Hardy will be able to look back on 2012 with a smile; his films 'This Means War,' 'Lawless' and 'The Dark Knight Rises' have all made money but more importantly he's managed to stand out with some engaging performances. In 'Lawless' his turn as the brooding eldest sibling saw him steal the show but it was his career defining performance as Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises' is probably what he'll be most remembered for this year and it's likely to be a role that he's associated with for the rest of his career.
