Queen Elizabeth Recognizes Mark Rylance, ‘Moonlight’ Star Naomie Harris on Honors List

Stretching back as far as 1890, the British monarchy has made a habit of releasing a New Years Honors List every December 31, naming outstanding Britons who will receive new orders of chivalry or other official designation. (It’s a type of being knighted, but special in some key way that I don’t fully understand; Britain’s system of honors is awful confusing.) The list singles out British-born figures who have made outstanding contributions to the nation’s “society, business, or culture.” That particular definition comes from Deadline, who noted earlier today that some familiar faces from the cinema of 2016 will soon join the esteemed ranks of the hono(u)red British: actors Mark Rylance and Naomie Harris will be among the class of 2016 inductees, adding a few letters (but what important letters they are) to their names.

Stage veteran Rylance has had a monster of a year in 2016. He started out by taking home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in February for his turn as the would-be turncoat in Steven Spielberg’s Cold War drama Bridge of Spies. Come summer, The BFG didn’t put up the box-office numbers that Disney executives hoped, but critics and audiences agreed that Rylance lent a warm soul to the title titan. And in the world of television, Rylance has dazzled viewers with his starring turn in the period piece Wolf Hall on the BBC.

Naomie Harris has been doing fine work onscreen since she was a child, but she turned in what could be her strongest performance to date as Chiron’s ailing mother Paula in Moonlight. Previously, she made her mark on the world of blockbusters are the latter-day Moneypenny in the Daniel Craig-era James Bond pictures, and made key appearances in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films as well as 28 Days Later.

Rylance and Harris are joined in this year’s roster by former Spice Girl and current fashion scion Victoria Beckham, and Vogue commander-in-chief Anna Wintour, among others.