True Detective was a great career move for both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, but it was McConaughey who emerged as the show's breakout star.

Find Out If 'True Detective' Is Built To Last 

Both actors received Emmy and Golden Globe nods for their involvement in the popular HBO crime drama and yet McConaughey has always remained the frontrunner. He even won the Critics' Choice Award in June for his portrayal of Rust Cohle. The role catapulted the actor, known previously for mediocre comedies and a handful of promising dramas, into massive stardom.

With McConaughey's success, it begs the question: Who will be this year's breakout performers? Will one actor or actress rise above the others? The series boasts a handful of major movie stars as well as small screen alum, but the program's track records it's possible that one will emerge as the series' most pleasant surprise.

New Storyline Could Hurt 'True Detective' 

This season's cast includes Vince Vaughn (career criminal Frank Semyon), Colin Farrell (Detective Ray Velcoro), Rachel McAdams (Detective Ani Bezzerides), and Taylor Kitsch (Officer Paul Woodrugh).

Both Farrell and Kitsch have a collection of critically acclaimed dramas under their belts. Farrell starred in In Bruges in 2008 and Minority Report in 2002, while Kitsch starred in HBO's adaptation of The Normal Heart and the true-story 2013 action film Lone Survivor.

True Detective could be a career changer for McAdams and Vaughn. McAdams has played in a number of dramas like State Of Play and A Most Wanted Man, but she remains known primarily for her roles in the hit comedy Mean Girls and romantic movies like The Time Traveller's Wife. Vaughn, in turn, is recognized by most fans as a comedy man. Though he has starred in dramas such as Psycho and Into The Wild, these performers are typically overshadowed by such comedies as Dodgeball and Wedding Crashers.

It would seem that Vaughn most clearly fits the McConaughey profile. He's had a few dramatic roles, a few hit comedies, and a few flops. True Detective could be a career changer for the actor, who has already begun production for the series.

True Detective returns on HBO for a second season in 2015.

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