The last few years have brought about real progress in the ongoing battle to make Hollywood more inclusive. While we’re still nowhere near equal representation in many respects, things are moving slowly in the right direction. Accordingly, there have been and will be a number of extraordinary performances by women of color this year that should factor into the coming award season discussions.
Whether or not they end up nominated for major honors, these are five performances we’ll remember (or expect to remember) from 2019:
Cynthia Erivo in “Harriet”
You might have seen a recent write-up here about an unfortunate controversy concerning some public comments made by “Harriet” star Cynthia Erivo. Said comments are taking some shine away from Erivo’s performance, and rightfully so. The performance itself though is expected to be up to Erivo’s par, which is to say spectacular. Here’s hoping, again, that Erivo smooths over her past comments in as satisfactory a manner as possible, so we can enjoy her talents.
Lupita Nyong’o in “Us”
Lupita Nyong’o has proven to be somewhat automatic in terms of delivering great performances across a broad spectrum of roles. But “Us” might be her best work yet. The film itself may not have been quite as cohesive or impactful as Jordan Peele’s first effort, “Get Out,” but it was still a memorable pseudo-horror romp, and Nyong’o was the best part of it. She would seem to have an outside shot at an Oscar nomination, but even if such an honor doesn’t come her way this time, “Us” was further proof that Lupita Nyong’o can do whatever she wants.
Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers”
Jennifer Lopez may have put in the most buzzed-about performance by a woman this year as the lead in “Hustlers.” It’s the best work of her career on screen and leaves her in an interesting position regarding the award shows. On the one hand, she’s a ways down in the Best Actress odds. U.S. betting markets online are just starting to roll out informed odds for these shows, and it looks right now as if Renee Zellweger is out in front. At the same time though, some odds for Best Supporting Actress are giving Lopez a fair shot. It all depends on which category she winds up in. But either way, this performance will stick with us.
Awkwafina in “The Farewell”
Awkwafina has been a little bit difficult to figure out early on in her acting career. Basically, she seemed to be carving out a niche as the best-friend type, and a reliable supplier of comic relief, through her work in hit films like “Crazy Rich Asians’ and “Ocean’s 8.” But it’s always seemed apparent that she has talent to go beyond such roles, and she proved it with her work in “The Farewell.” Awkwafina is suddenly one of the most promising minority actresses in Hollywood.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph in “Dolemite Is My Name”
There’s an ongoing debate about the forthcoming Eddie Murphy vehicle “Dolemite Is My Name” and blaxploitation. It’s hard to comment much on it before the film is actually released (and uploaded to Netflix). At the same time though, this – like Cynthia Erivo’s work in “Harriet” – certainly sounds like it’s going to be one of the most impactful minority performances of the year. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, best known for her TV roles and her Tony-nominated stage work, is getting some Best Supporting Actress buzz. And at least one major write-up of the film actually cited her work in it as some that “subverts stereotypes of the Blaxploitation era.” We’ll see how all that plays out, but either way, it’s lovely to see Randolph becoming a major new name on the cinematic landscape.
