[13] The Upcoming Adult Presents: 18 Most Surprising Peformances

Let me explain this: I honestly thought it was an ingenious idea to list 18 most surprising performances instead of the usual male, female, child and so on. Surprising is a positive word, but a less used one than "favourite" or "best" - at least in the blogging world. So off I went, opened Google, typed "most surprising performances" to get some input - and you can imagine what I found.

Just to make this very clear in case some people looking for something... else... this is simply a list of the most surprising acting performances I've seen. Actors or actresses that have surprised me with a performance of a character that was very different from what I had seen of their work, and what I had prejudiced them to be capable of....

EMMA Stone – Easy A

Because I had no real opinion on her after Crazy. Stupid. Love. And because she was funny.

ALAN Rickman – Love, Actually

Because he was so... modern!

ZACH Galifianakis – It's Kind of a Funny Story

Because there was depth to his character.

EDWARD Norton – Fight Club

Because again; I had no opinion on him. Except I thought he was one of the most boring looking actors in the world.

SALMAN Khan – Dabangg

Because this was the first time I understood why he is worshipped by the average Indian.

JOSEPH-GORDON Levitt – Mysterious Skin

Because he was never - before or after - more attractive than in this one. And devastating. As far as I know.

PENELOPE Cruz – Vicky Christina Barcelona

Because I finally found out what sexiness means.

QUVENZHANÉ Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

Because it was the rawest, most brutal and most breathtaking child performance I have seen in my life.

KENNETH Branagh – My Week With Marilyn

Because my picture of him was a blonde, handsome Hamlet. And yet that image disappeared as soon as Lawrence Olivier entered the scene.

JESSICA Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty

Because she was so fragile, so angry, so wild, so smart and so lonely.

ZACH Efron – Liberal Arts

Because it was different with a capital D.

KEIRA Knightley – Bend It Like Beckham

Because it was so typical.

AAMIR Khan – Andaz Apna Apna

Because he really was an idiot in this one.

ROBERT Pattinson – Remember Me

Because he proved that shade of talent I had sensed beneath the glimmer to be true. 

PRIYANKA Chopra – Kaminey

Because you could finally see her expressions and talent without all the make-up.

KATE Winslet – Little Children

Because she wore no corset - and was still as wonderful as with it.

JIM Carrey – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Because of the haircut. No, I think it was more than that.

CATE Blanchett – I'm Not There.

Because in the first few moments, I wasn't sure whether this really was her.