Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

Another actress who made a staggering debut with an award-winning performance, Yalitza Aparicio was specifically cast by director Alfonso Cuarón to bring authenticity to the role of Cleo. As an amalgamation of maternal figures that helped raise Cuarón, Yalitza delivered a debut performance that garnered critical praise. It’s a wonder then that like Gabourey Sidibe in her film debut, Yalitza auditioned for the role by chance. Having studied to be a school teacher, Aparicio had time to kill while awaiting her test results, leading to her audition for the role. Eventually she beat out 110 other actresses and the rest is history.