LA Noir by Jack Davison for The New York Times December 11, 2016

The best actors of 2016 – as chosen by Times film critic A.O. Scott and critic at large Wesley Morris – channeled classic film-noir looks and scenarios for a series of photographs and virtual-reality films all shot amid the bright sun and deep shadows of Los Angeles.

The actors featured in this year’s issue include:

Casey Affleck of Manchester by the Sea
Don Cheadle of Miles Ahead
Viola Davis of Fences
Krisha Fairchild of Krisha
Taraji P. Henson of Hidden Figures
Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders & Trevante Rhodes of Moonlight
Royalty Hightower of The Fits
Isabelle Huppert of Elle & Things to Come
Sasha Lane of American Honey
Ruth Negga of Loving
Natalie Portman of Jackie
Kristen Stewart of Café Society, Certain Women, Personal Shopper & Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Emma Stone of La La Land
and Denzel Washington of Fences

Jack Davison photographed the sixteen actors in The New York Times Magazine’s Great Performers Issue.