You don’t have to be in your twenties to have a banner year. Even though it feels that way sometimes.
Phil Klay, 31
Why: After serving in Iraq as a public affairs officer, his debut short story collection, Redeployment, won the National Book Award for fiction.
Penguin Press / Hannah Dunphy
Gaby Hoffmann, 32
Why: The former child star (remember Sleepless in Seattle?) has been quiet over the last decade, and is now seemingly everywhere. In 2014 alone she starred in Transparent, Girls, Wild, Obvious Child, and Veronica Mars.
Amazon
Allison Tolman, 33
Why: Almost a complete unknown until landing the lead role in Fargo as Molly Solverson, a job that earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
FX
Carrie Coon, 33
Why: It was a big year for Carrie Coon — she stole the spotlight in both her first television series, The Leftovers, and her first movie, Gone Girl.
HBO
