Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin)
How many breakout performances does an actor need to climb into the spotlight? For Gina Rodriguez, it is two. She stormed Sundance in 2012 with a gritty, determined performance in the crowd-pleasing hit Filly Brown. However, that film came and went in theaters without making much of a dent in the cultural marketplace. Now, the Latino actor is making major waves as the titular character on Jane the Virgin, already securing frontrunner status for a Golden Globe win next month.
One of the fall’s biggest small-screen successes, Jane the Virgin pokes fun at melodramatic telenovela conventions while also possessing some of that genre’s qualities. Chaste adult Jane plans to remain a virgin until marriage, although matters complicate when a doctor accidentally artificially inseminates her. Amidst an ensemble of shady characters that all have big secrets and hidden desires, Jane is a beacon of innocence and sweetness – although she is also far from perfect.
Rodriguez grounds the colorful, chaotic comedy with a performance that never feels like it’s mugging or stretching credibility to suit the genre. She takes in both the joy and the anguish of the central premise and reacts to it in a levelheaded way. The bright side is, she is also relatable and filled with nervous energy, not quite the immaculate persona the title suggests. Her swift coming timing and dramatic chops has made Jane the Virgin, both the character and the show, a big hit for the CW. Some people cannot get past the title, but a few glances at Rodriguez’s tender, touching performance, though, and some of that hesitation goes away.