Best Actor

Critically hailed for his dramatic roles, Don Cheadle deftly displayed his comedic side in 2012 on the new hit cable series House of Lies. Playing successful, cutthroat consultant Marty Kaan, Cheadle uses any means necessary to get his clients the information they need.

This past year, the hip hop veteran flexed his acting muscles on the big and small screen. Along with lending his voice to the animated sequel Happy Feet 2 and playing Halle Berry’s hubby in New Year’s Eve, Common now stars in the AMC western series Hell on Wheels.

One of Hollywood’s sexiest actors, Idris Elba finally hit the A-list, landing major roles in superhero films like Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and Thor. The former star of The Wire also won a best actor Golden Globe for playing antihero detective John Luther in the BBC America series, Luther.

Kevin Hart’s comedic star power is box office gold. His independently produced stand-up documentary Laugh at My Pain grossed over $7 million last year. He also added his improvisational brilliance to romantic comedy Think Like a Man, helping make it a number one hit two weeks in a row.

Denzel Washington returned to the silver screen, poignantly reprising his bad cop image, for the action thriller hit Safe House. Among his many accolades, the acting icon is also a Tony Award-winner for his 2010 role in the Broadway revival of Fences.