Breakout Stars of 2013: Michael B. Jordan, Kendrick Lamar and Mike WiLL
These new and vet celebs had the best year ever.
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Breakout Stars of 2013 - These actors, singers and rappers were already soaring stars, but this year their careers hit peak heights that made them household names. Check out BET.com's look at entertainers who broke the mold in 2013.
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Chiwetel Ejiofor - The British-born actor is best known for solid supporting performances in She Hate Me, Talk to Me and American Gangster. But critics and movie going audiences agree that Chiwetel Ejiofor's starring role as Solomon Northrup in the slavery drama 12 Years a Slave is his ultimate breakthrough role. Next, the 36-year old will star in Savannah and Half of a Yellow Sun before year's end. Ejiofor is also attached to the big screen biopic Fela, now in development.(Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Kerry Washington - Nobody in Hollywood had a more fantastic year than Kerry Washington. Season three of the red-hot political drama Scandal returned to record ratings, the 36-year old earned a Emmy nomination for Best Actress and she topped the list of People’s Best Dressed. Washington's personal life was equally as fab; she secretly married football star Nnmandi Asomugha and as of October 2013 was confirmed to be expecting her first child. (Photo: ABC/Eric McCandless)
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Lupita Nyong'o - It’s rare that a talent enraptures filmmakers, audiences and critics alike in their very first movie role but Lupita Nyong’o pulled it off. The Mexican-born Kenyan actress, who made her feature film debut as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave, has completely dazzled Tinseltown. Nyong’o, a Yale Drama school graduate, will next star in the action thriller Non-Stop. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Miley Cyrus - With her hip thrusting gyrations and scantily clad attire at 2013’s MTV Music Video Awards, Miley Cyrus forever erased images of Hannah Montana from pop culture’s consciousness. The 21-year old claimed the infamous twerk dance (made famous in strip clubs) as her signature move then appeared naked in her music video for "Wrecking Ball." After spoofing herself on Saturday Night Live, she capped off the year by smoking a joint on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards. It's obvious the world can’t wait to see what Ms. Cyrus does next. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Kendrick Lamar - The most intriguing figure in hip hop since Tupac Shakur had a great 12 months. Kendrick Lamar’s debut album good kid, m.A.A.d. city put the entire rap game on pause. The release was filled with message driven, insightful and anecdotal rhymes, like the hit single, “Swimming Pools.” Plus, the rap rookie's biting 'King of New York' guest verse on Big Sean's single "Control" managed to shake up the game. In that moment, the Compton native's lyrics singlehandedly brought back boasting rites in hip hop. (Photo: Bill McCay/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Chadwick Boseman - Chadwick Boseman wasn’t a household name before he took on the iconic role of Jackie Robinson in the film 42. But after his stirring, galvanizing human performance of the legendary athlete that broke baseball's color barrier, the South Carolina native definitely created a name for himself. Boseman will tackle another legendary icon for his feature film follow-up as the lead in the biopic of The Godfather of Soul, James Brown. (Photo: Fernando Leon/Getty Images)
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Steve McQueen - In 2011, Steve McQueen wowed the film world with the controversial drama Shame. But the British director’s follow-up movie 12 Years a Slave literally put the filmmaker on the breakout star map. With his interpretation of the true-life story of Solomon Northup, McQueen created a bold, daring cinematic statement on the horrors of slavery that will be forever imprinted in the heads of all the film’s audience. Now, the 44-year old is on the short list of possible Academy Award-nominated directors for 2014. (Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
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Danai Gurira - As the sword wielding zombie killer Michonne in The Walking Dead, Danai Gurira redefined what a strong Black woman on TV looked like. Fearless, tough and an ultimate survivor, the 35-year old epitomized a modern day warrior woman. She also expanded her depth and range as an actress as Adenike Balogun in the Andrew Dosunmu-directed drama Mother of George. By playing a conflicted wife with a dilemma that threatens her marriage, Gurira allowed viewers to glimpse all colors of her genius. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
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Chance the Rapper - Handpicked as one of Complex magazine's "10 New Chicago Rapper's to Watch," Chance the Rapper, also known as Chancelor Bennett, has become a huge star in hip hop. The 20-year old’s second mixtape, Acid Rap, was certified platinum and featured guest appearances by Twista and Childish Gambino. This year, Bennett was also nominated for a BET Hip Hop Award, he performed at Lollapalooza and hit the road for his own Social Experiment Tour. (Photo: Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)
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