How would you define a Breakthrough Performance? What are the qualifications and criteria? Does someone who has acted for years deserve recognition for the role of a lifetime? Should only neophytes receive votes? This discussion is what I love about the category.

Breakthrough Performance is entirely in the eye of the beholder. As an example, I didn’t vote for someone whose work I know from 2006. I fully understand why the individual earned a nomination this year, though. Voters see a world of difference between a bit player in an ensemble cast and the anchor of a blockbuster film. And that’s why this person will place high on the list. As always, all we want is for our voters to make the most informed decisions possible with The Calvins. This year was particularly challenging due to several different factors. You’ll see what I mean as the list is revealed.

Yalitza Aparicio is our choice for Breakthrough Performance of the year. She’s the purest form of the concept, as the star of Roma made her acting debut in this film. When we talk breakthroughs, it’s difficult to top what she’s achieved as an Academy Award nominee for Best Actress in a movie that’s the favorite to win Best Picture.

Our staff was wholeheartedly won over by Aparicio’s maturation throughout the film. Despite several traumatic events that occur, her character never lost the part of herself that defined her. Instead, she matured and grew wiser during a voyage of self-discovery. She should probably do a bit of Google research before embarking on her next date, though. That last dude was a loser with a capital LOSE.

From the early going, it was clear that this year's Breakthrough Performance was a three-person race. Then, two women separated themselves from the crowd. Letitia Wright ultimately lost the battle, but we like her odds to win the war. There's some debate about how much Aparicio can or even wants to capitalize on her success. Wright is portraying a beloved character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She’s here to stay.

Wright's second-place finish raises a procedural question. We did not combine her votes for her work as the same character in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. That would have been unfair. Instead, Wright's success here reflects how much she delighted our staff with her caustic wit and kinetic personality in Black Panther. And we're all about those rumors of her becoming the next Black Panther or Iron Woman.

John David Washington has impressed us since day one. Rather than embrace his heritage as the child one of the greatest living actors, Washington has pulled a Joe Hill. He’s avoided identifying himself with his father, Denzel. Instead, he has chosen an offbeat path to celebrity. Washington, a former NFL running back (seriously), starred in HBO’s Ballers before taking on the role of Ron Stallworth in BlacKkKlansman. At this point, his bloodlines and lifetime of training kicked in. Washington’s portrayal of the only African-American ever to join the Klan is the perfect combination of fiery, proud, and antagonistic.

The rest of our top five consists of actors who are a combined 52-years-old. Rami Malek is 37 of those years. The star of Bohemian Rhapsody is who I referenced earlier, as he gained some level of celebrity as a co-star in A Night at the Museum, the Ben Stiller franchise. There’s no debating that his work as Freddie Mercury has put him on an entirely different level, though.

What may blow your mind is that 15-year-old Elsie Fisher is far from an industry novice. You’ve known her and loved her for a long time, even if you didn’t know it. She’s the voice of Agnes in the Despicable Me franchise. The star of Eighth Grade broke out as an introverted teenager trying to find her way through adolescence. To us, she’ll always be the girl who said, “It’s so fluffy!”, though.

We love our Crazy Rich Asians! My favorite film of 2018 (come at me, bro!) claims the sixth and seventh spots in the category. Awkafina had a tremendous year, co-starring in Ocean's 8 and then this film. We preferred her ever so slightly as the comedic relief here than as the comedic relief there. Awkawina helped her friend, Constance Wu, deal with the madness of Asian billionaires with intense familial obligations. Wu's seventh-place performance is probably a tick low, but she has the same problem as Rami Malek. They’re both stars of well-known television programs, which makes their breaking out a bit harder.

I’d be hard-pressed to find commonalities between our final three selections this year. Lady GaGa is the star of an excellent episode of The Simpsons. She may have done other stuff, too. I’m vague on the details. Anyway, she was in A Star Is Born, and you know the deal.

Danai Gurira is the third television actor to transition nicely into film this year as a…warrior. Okay, The Walking Dead actress is a bit typecast. Lakeith Stanfield starred in the weirdest movie of the year, Sorry to Bother You, and he somehow pulled off the corporate America takedown without getting turned into glue. Watch the film to get the joke.

We could have easily gone to 15 or 20 in Breakthrough Performance this year. A few other actors who impressed us are Amandla Stenberg in The Hate U Give, Olivia Cooke in Ready Player One, Olivia Cooke in Thoroughbreds, Zazie Beetz in Deadpool 2, Shameik Moore in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians, Rafael Casal in Blindspotting, and Winston Duke in Black Panther.

2019 Calvin Awards
Calvins Intro
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cast
Best Character
Best Director
Best Overlooked Film
Best Picture
Best Scene
Best Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best TV Show
Best Use of Music
Breakthrough Performance
Worst Performance
Worst Picture

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