They earned millions or helped make billions for their movies, they won awards or landed a role which could change their career.
Here are five actors who monopolized the media's attention this year.
Chris Pratt, the king of the box office
Following the success of "Guardians of the Galaxy" in 2014, this star of "Parks and Recreation" triumphed this year at the box office thanks to his role as a velociraptor tamer in "Jurassic World".
His career is now on the up. While waiting for the follow-ups to these two blockbusters, Chris Pratt is currently focused on the Antoine Fuqua western, a remake of "The Magnificent Seven", and on the science fiction movie "Passengers". His name comes up regularly as a new Indiana Jones in a possible fifth opus. Watch this space.
Eddie Redmayne, the Oscar-winner
The year 2015 got off to a good start for this young Brit. In February, he won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything".
Not long after that, there was much talk about him as he was seen dressed as a woman in the first promotional pic for "The Danish Girl". This role could earn him a second Oscar nomination and perhaps even another golden statuette.
He was also seen in "Jupiter Ascending" by the Wachowskis, and made the news for having landed the role in the Harry Potter spin-off "The Fantastic Beasts".
John Boyega, the new generation
"John, you're the new star of Star Wars", J.J Abrams told him in 2014 in a London cafe. "It will change your life for ever," added the screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. And he wasn't wrong.
From one day to the next, the actor who up until then had been playing supporting roles, has been propelled into the glare of the media headlights. He now represents the new "Star Wars" generation in his role as Finn, a stormtrooper on the run.
This role has already created much debate and caused much soul-searching among fans. John Boyega is likely to have a very intense end to the year when "The Force Awakens" is released in mid-December.
Benedict Cumberbatch, the chameleon
Already in demand on the small screen since 2010 thanks to his role in the BBC series "Sherlock", this British actor nevertheless found time for the movies in 2015. His role as the mathematician Alan Turing in "Imitation Game" earned him an Oscar nomination.
He can play all sorts of roles, and proved it by shooting "Zoolander 2", a zany comedy starring Ben Stiller, followed by "Doctor Strange", the next Marvel hero to be brought to the big screen.
In the meantime, it has been announced that he will star in "The Current War" as Thomas Edison after being seen in "Black Mass", released this fall.
Robert Downey Jr., the richest
For the third year in a row, this American actor was the best paid in the world with estimated earnings of US$80 million. A feat that is down to only one role – that of Tony Stark alias Iron Man.
This year, he put on his armor again for the second "Avengers" movie, "Age of Ultron" and the third instalment of "Captain America", "Civil War", which will hit screens in 2016. For each of these movies, Marvel is said to have paid him US$40 million.
There are rumors in Hollywood that Robert Downey Jr is trying to increase his fee to US$50 million for a fourth "Iron Man" movie.
