Ruth Wilson

British actress Ruth Wilson rose from obscurity to overnight stardom when she was selected to star in a 2006 U.K. television adaptation of "Jane Eyre," which led to a lengthy run of award-winning successes on stage, as well as her leap to Hollywood filmmaking with "The Lone Ranger" (2012). Wilson's performances delivered a confidence beyond her relatively young years that also masked a palpable vulnerability, a quality that drew rave reviews for her turn as Jane Eyre, as well as theatrical productions of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Anna Christie," both of which netted her the esteemed Olivier Award in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Wilson won over international audiences with her riveting turn as a psychopathic researcher on "Luther" (BBC One, 2010- ) before making the leap to features in the 2012 film version of "Anna Karenina." She subsequently made headlines when she was announced as the female lead in Gore Verbinski's take on "The Lone Ranger" (2012), co-starring Johnny Depp, though the film's box office failure had little affect on her career, since she quickly moved to a high-profile role on the cable drama "The Affair" (Showtime 2014- ), staying with the series before leaving in 2018. Wilson's swift ascent to the top of her country's theatrical scene, as well as her burgeoning film career, clearly indicated that movie stardom was in her future.