Other than Beyoncé, which celebrities stuck out this year? We explain why ten celebrities brought their A-game in 2013, and we look at five celebrities who have a promising year ahead of them.
This year was filled with big projects for many celebrities. From Shailene Woodley’s huge career boost to Lorde’s debut and One Direction’s rise up the music charts, many actors, musicians, and writers had a fantastic year. None of the three celebrities we just mentioned made our list in 2013, though.
We’ve picked people for this list that we believe not only had a great career for themselves, but made an impact on their fans as well. These men and women were great role models and fantastic examples of how to excel in their field.
Later in the article we’ll share five celebrities we think made a splash and will be worth watching out for in 2014.
Without further ado, check out our list of 2013’s biggest celebrities! Ladies first.
Best Women of 2013
In 2013, Jennifer Lawrence remains on top of the world. Having picked up her own Oscar for the 2012 hit Silver Linings Playbook, this girl is not going anywhere (except down the stairs at those same Oscars). Fresh from her victory in 2012’s The Hunger Games, Lawrence returned brighter than ever in the followup Catching Fire. Her star turn in American Hustle looks sure to build on her current success.
And that’s not to mention the biggest shock she gave the world this year – when she chopped all of her hair off. The mania that surrounded this minor decision was, of course, ridiculous, but it was evidence of the larger phenomena surrounding Lawrence. She isn’t just Jennifer Lawrence to the world, she is our J.Law. She is the kind of woman who is brutally honest in her interviews, who won’t subscribe to a ridiculous notion of female beauty and she seems legitimately surprised by the success that comes her way.
With so many young actors in the spotlight because they are are having very public meltdowns, it is so refreshing to see someone conquer the world with their talent, and amazing personality. We just want to be her friend (seriously, please be our friend?). And with Mockingjay parts one and two on the way, there is no where to go but up. – Marama Whyte
All hail the Queen! Okay, all queen references aside, there’s no doubt that Beyoncé has to be on this list. She’s had quite the year and even finished it off with a bang bigger than any other musician could possibly hope for.
Beyoncé started the year off normally, getting out some singles and making stops on her world tour. You know, just being Bey. A couple of her songs leaked early, and she hinted that she was working on an album, but there wasn’t an expected release date until 2014 at the soonest.
Beyoncé’s singles “Standing in the Sun” and “God Made You Beautiful” really made a hit in the summer and fall when they leaked, but she really took the world by storm last week when she released her album at the stroke of midnight with absolutely no advanced publicity.
She pulled off something incredible when her album released on iTunes without a single word. Within the first three days she has sold 850,000 albums, vastly overshadowing any other artist who released albums earlier this year. And don’t forget… this is the same year that Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Lorde, and Lady Gaga all released albums themselves.
Oh, and did we mention the fact that the day she released the album it was also Taylor Swift’s birthday? Even Lorde released a single herself that day. Poor ladies didn’t even stand a chance. Like we said: All hail Queen Bey! –Tariq Kyle
J.K. Rowling was the unpredicted queen of 2013. Going into this year, it looked like Rowling was keeping a low profile following the mixed reviews to her first non-Potter book, The Casual Vacancy. And instead, we were hit with two huge surprises that guarantees that Rowling was going nowhere. She wasn’t kidding when she said pen and paper were a priority.
The reveal in July that Robert Galbraith, debut author of successful crime novel The Cuckoo’s Calling, was none other than J.K. Rowling had the world reeling. It was not surprising that Rowling chose to release this new series under a pseudonym in order to escape the inevitable scrutiny that any work she produces will receive. But the quality of the book and its positive reception by both critics and the general public is a mark of Rowling’s talents.
If a secret novel wasn’t enough (and who thought that, following that huge reveal, we would be getting another one), it was announced that we will be returning to the world of Harry Potter in a new film to be penned by Rowling herself. Based off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this new film (and probable series) is sure to be a success. We won’t have to compare the film to the book, and we will be getting the visual experience of the magical world straight out of Rowling’s head. It does not get better than this. – Marama Whyte
Earlier this year Orphan Black premiered to an unsuspecting audience on BBC America directly after Doctor Who. It started off as a small, unknown show, but by the end of its run and all through-out the summer the audience grew into a huge fandom, and we have Tatiana Maslany to thank.
For those of you unfamiliar with the actress, she plays a stunning number of characters on Orphan Black – seven to be exact – and that number will be growing in 2014 when the show adds more clones. “Yeah, yeah,” you might be thinking. But no, Maslany truly is one of the best actresses you will ever see on a television show, period.
It’s a big claim to make, but there’s a reason thousands were upset when Maslany wasn’t nominated for an Emmy earlier this year. Maslany has had a huge year, her career has taken off because of her role on Orphan Black and it’s because of her amazing work on that show that she’s now nominated for a Golden Globe.
Maslany is also the proud winner of the Critic’s Choice, TCA and EWwy awards – all this year. To not include her and her amazing work on this list would be a mistake, and we know that she’ll only get bigger as Orphan Black progresses. –Tariq Kyle
2013 was a year of successful female authors, and none is more deserving of recognition than Veronica Roth. Roth wrapped up her Divergent series with the divisive final installment Allegiant, while the first trailer and stills from the Divergent film adaptation were released.
The Divergent series has now been perched on top of The New York Times best seller list for many weeks, beating out The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments. Given the success of The Hunger Games films and the newest Mortal Instruments book release, this is no small feat for an author.
But Roth also deserves recognition for her courage. Following its release in October, Allegiant has divided the Divergent fandom, the public, and the media alike. Roth’s bold and unapologetic story choices may not be popular with all fans, but they show an author who was so committed to telling the story in her mind that she was willing to sacrifice popular approval in order to do so. And for that, we kind of love her.
The approaching release of the Divergent film adaptation will only mean more eyes on Roth and her series. Allegiant may not be your favourite book, but you can’t deny that its release ensured Roth’s position in 2013. – Marama Whyte
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