tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

Without a doubt, ten of the hottest young actors today and they come from both sides of the Atlantic! Let's see...we have:

Two French heartthrobs who, at their young age, have been acclaimed by both critics and their peers, many times over. Four British and a Scot. All, except for one, are theatre-trained, familiar with the classics (think: Hamlet, Sylvia, a goat, poets and a host of doomed lovers, royals and their faithful subjects). There is a lone Canadian with a penchant for portraying tragic and fallen heroes or weirdos, just take your pick! And finally, two young guys from Hollywood - one is somewhat immune to the hazzards of being a 'celebrity', while the other is cursed to endure such 'misfortune'. But, alas! both relish playing unpredictable, enduring characters on the big screen!

So, here they are...

# 10 - James McAvoy- Our endearing Scot who has such amazing talent, felt he has to express his 'disgust' over Angelina Jolie. But can we blame him if he prefers romancing the likes of Kiera Knightley, Anne Hathaway and Christina Ricci?

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Why a #10 ranking: First ever winner of the Orange Rising star award, James McAvoy is already a big name in British cinema before he received acclaim for his role in The Last King of Scotland, opposite eventual Oscar winner, Forest Whitaker.

There was this scene in Atonement when Robbie Turner (McAvoy) encountered a group of massacred adolescent school girls; it was the look on his face captured on screen that kept reminding audiences why he was chosen for the role. As tears flow from his face, he showed emotions that alternate from horror to disgust to despair. It was a short scene but the message was clear, the impact precise. Other notable roles are: As Steve, a nice guy and "prosperous car salesman" in the BBC series Shameless, as Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish doctor who arrives in Uganda in the early 1970s to serve as dictator Idi Amin's personal physician in The Last King of Scotland and of course, as Robbie Turner in Joe Wright's Atonement

He was previously ranked #2. Among the actors in the top 10, he's the one with the least amount of buzz - understandly since he got no big movie coming out soon, except for The Last Station.

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Why a #9 ranking: He is the actor that even his peers talk about. He likes to play dark, disturbed characters, but he can also play romantic leads or be an innocent guy who fell in love with a life-size doll. Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling has come a long way from his Disney stint as one of its mousekeeters.

Gosling is also a risk-taker who care little about building an image, Gosling prefers to choose the characters he like to play, and work with the most acclaimed directors without having to deal with hype- in fact he doesn’t need it. While he has the tendency to ‘hide’ and concentrate on his craft, media can’t seem to get enough of him. Says Gosling:

I hear about actors who become the role and I think 'I wonder what that feels like'. Because for me, they're all me. I relate to these characters because aspects of their personality are like me. And I just turn up the parts of myself that are them and turn down the parts that aren't.

Among his famous roles are: As Noah Calhoun in the romantic-drama The Notebook, opposite former flame Rachel McAdams and as the young Jewish Nazi Danny Balint in The Believer. But perhaps he is best remembered for his portrayal of drug addict/history teacher Dan Dunn in the acclaimed film Half-Nelson.

Gosling & Kirsten Dunst are also set to star in new film "All Good Things", a period love story/murder mystery.

As the former #1 - with an Oscar nomination and lots of buzz the previous years - his ranking went down by 7, as he seems to be in acting semi 'hiatus'.

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# 8  - Louis Garrel : Our first French matinee idol belongs to a family of artists and in his first screen appearance decided to go naked and romance both Eva Green and Michael Pitt in equal intensity. But that's just a teaser for he has shown he could act alongside some of French cinema's greats and get noticed.

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Why a #8 ranking: Noted for his breakthrough roles in Bernardo Bertolluci's The Dreamers and Christophe Honoré's "Ma Mere", Louis Garrel is one of Europe's most promising young actors. "Maybe because my father and mother are both directors, and maybe because my grandfather is an actor, the cinema is my life," says the young Garrel. Speaking three languages fluently, including Italian and English, Garrel is a graduate of the Paris Conservatory.

"When you're shooting a film, François pretty much lets you get on with it. The actors are pretty free. But when you're shooting a film adapted from a stage play, you have to bear in mind that you have less freedom as an actor. The fact that you're learning the lines makes you much more obedient," says the actor, describing his work with French director Francois Ozon for A Curtain Raiser.

Seen recently in Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's Actresses and in Christophe Honoré's Les Chansons d'amour, Garrel has been awarded the 2006 Most Promising Actor for Les Amants réguliers (Regular Lovers) at the César Awards in France.

Says NY Times critic Mahnola Dargis in her review of Frontier of Dawn, where father and son collaborated:

The younger Mr. Garrel, whose free-flowing tears and beauty were designed for tragedy, never seems to have to work hard to seduce an audience, and the easiness of his charm can make him appear overly callow. But because he wears it lightly, that charm can also seem like a flimsy defense, which in turn invests him with an acute air of vulnerability.

He is reported to be cast in Bertrand Tavernier next film feature, La Princesse De Montpensier (“The Princess of Montpensier”), together with another top 10 actor, Gaspard Ulliel.

# 7 -Jake Gyllenhaal: He puts on a woman's dress to prove a point. He slams a camera into a vulture's head to prove another. But this young man who made love to Ennis del Mar has earned more than an Oscar nomination, he has proven himself more than capable of becoming an on-screen hero.

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Movie lovers easily recognize Jake for his intensity and dedication to his roles. Not easily blinded by the glitz and glamour of being a celebrity, he remains true to his craft and continues to play challenging and interesting roles. Says Jake:

Some movies you fall a step behind and some you stay in the same place, make the same choices. And then sometimes there are people who know more than you but show you, and that's the maximum you can hope for - doing that with someone who says, "I like you for what you are, and I want you to be in my picture." I didn't have to fake it or put on a mask - all the resources I had inside me were more than adequate. I don't want to pretend to be something ... I'm not pretending any more to fit somebody's mold. That's a long-winded statement but - why not do what you really think, even if it's a mistake?

Why a #7 ranking: With a talent and instinct beyond his years, Jake Gyllenhaal proves an actor can be both a media celebrity and a critically acclaimed actor. Known for his antics on TV talk shows, Gyllenhaal has charmed his way into the hearts of American audiences. But the guy has international appeal and a following that could rival today’s biggest stars. His role as the disturbed teen Donnie Darko and as gulf war veteran Anthony Swofford in Sam Mendes’ Jarhead. But most famous for his role in Brokeback Mountain as the passionate and idealistic Jack Twist opposite Heath Ledger.

He'll next be seen with Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire in the highly-anticipated feature called Brothers.

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#  6 - Gaspard Ulliel- He's our other French heartthrob, who also happens to be a sex symbol, and will soon appear as an Angel who lusts for and falls in love with a French vintner played by an award-winning Belgian.

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Why a #6 ranking: Representing the new wave of French leading men, Gaspard Ulliel has both the looks and the talent to make it big in the world stage. Nominated three times for Most Promising Male Newcomer at the César Awards, the former male model's acting career is just taking off. His most important role is still to come via Niki Caro's The Vintner's Luck, where he plays an angel named Xas, a heavenly creature unlike anyone you have seen before.

Reports a recent interview:

The only child of a stylist father and a runway-show producer mother, the French-born Ulliel grew up around the Parisian fashion world but did not give much thought to his own creative pursuits until age 11, when a family friend provided his entree into film. "She was opening an agency for young actors and asked me to join," Ulliel explains. Small parts in several French TV movies quickly followed, but it was his role last year as a World War II-era drifter in Strayed that made critics take notice.

Aside from Strayed where he played the mysterious teen Jean Delgas (Yvan), he was also noted for his role as Manech, the long lost lover of Audrey Tautou in A Very Long Engagement. But American audiences will remember him for his role as the young Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal Rising. He was particularly impressive, as the local hero, in Jacquou Le Croquant.

He's also reported to be cast in Bertrand Tavernier next film feature, La Princesse De Montpensier (“The Princess of Montpensier”).

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# 5 - Robert Pattinson: He puts himself into this 'gentle' 'fetal like position' to protect himself from the outside world. But then again, he has the guts to portray a gay artist named Dali and a bland, almost fatalistic guy named Art in a movie named How To Be. Is he Hollywood's next golden boy?

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Why a #5 ranking: One of the biggest news in December of 2007 was British actor Robert Pattinson being cast as the lead in the much-awaited film Twilight. Twilight is a young adult / horror / fantasy / romance novel written by author Stephenie Meyer, originally published in hardcover in 2005. The story is about seventeen-year-old Isabella Swan, a girl who moves to Forks, Washington and finds her life in danger when she falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen. We reported earlier that the character of Isabella Swan will be portrayed by Kristen Stewart. Pattinson already has a huge following after the Harry Potter film, but he is more than just a pretty face. Beating out a number of hot and rising teen actors for the Twilight role, he definitely aspires to be a great actor someday.

The young actor recently won a Best Actor award for How To Be at the Strasbourg Film Festival, which was duplicated at the First Glance Film Festival in Hollywood, California

Twilight and its sequel New Moon are not the only feature films for the actor; he also portrayed artist Salvador Dali in Little Ashes and coming up are three more exciting new films, including Unbound Captives and Remember Me.

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# 4 - Jim Sturgess: He sings just like one of the Beatles, kills like one of the most dedicated 'soldier'of the I.R.A.'s and acts like a real royal named Boleyn. This charming and talented fellow who will soon romance the likes of Clemence Poesy is definitely one of moviedom's most dedicated and gifted thespian!

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Why a #4 ranking: Roles that involved singing and acting would probably be one of the most challenging for actors today. It’s quite hard to be good at both. Not every good-looking actor who wanted to play the leading man can sing. There are just a few who can sing and act incredible: James Marsden, Joe Anderson, Zac Efron, and Sturgess. In Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe, Sturgess is Jude, a character as much inspired by the Beatles as the movie itself. From London to his journey in America, Sturgess plays the role perfectly - he can be funny and amusing, romantic and fearless, serious and determined. There is also a fantastic chemistry between the actor and his co-star Evan Rachel Wood.

His performance in Fifty Dead Men Walking is one of the most powerful and enduring acting I have seen in years. Says ScreenDaily:

Sturgess once again confirms his ability to carry a film with a performance that is just as commanding but very different from his most notable roles in Across The Universe and 21.

For that role alone, he earned his place at #4.

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# 3 - Jamie Bell. He started young and went to win the BAFTA Best Actor for his first movie and perhaps he's the youngest among its esteemed recipients. But the aspiring ballet dancer who dreams of swans and lakes is no more. What we have now is a young man willing to test the boundaries of independent cinema with such energy!

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Why a #3 ranking: He'll soon be working with Steven Spielberg for The Adventures of Tintin, but that's just one of his many accomplishments. Bell has been the most consistent and versatile young actor in cinema today.

Ever since his success in Billy Elliot, Bell has built an impressive acting resume, working with such filmmakers as Peter Jackson, David Gordon Green and Clint Eastwood. This he did without compromising his integrity as an actor. Some of Bell’s most famous roles are Smike in the latest adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby, as the angst-ridden teenager Chris Munn in the surrealistic drama Undertow, as Hallam Foe, the latest film from David Mckenzie and of course as Billy Elliot in the award-winning coming of age drama of the same name.

On his performance as Hallam Foe, Ain't It Cool says:Mackenzie also gets fine performances from his cast in particular Jamie Bell as the film's main character Hallum.

Bell does fine work in MR. FOE in creating a nuanced character out of what could have a one-dimensional part. Bell is so good here because he portrays Hallum not merely as a obsessive mother-loving peeping tom but as a young man on the cusp of adulthood who is wrestling with his issues and interests on the way to becoming a man.

Notice how Bell balances a somewhat mild, quiet persona with impassioned verbal precision. When Hallum does speak, he knows precisely what he wants and states exactly what his demands are [ read more ]

Sheer acting talent and the kind of dedication so uncommon in today’s batch of young actors. Plus, a great sense of humor. Says Bell: “You probably won't see me dance in the movies again unless there’s ‘Moulin Rouge 2' or 'Chicago Returns'.”

# 2 - Ben Whishaw: He smells like no other human being the world has ever known, yet he can kill the likes of Daniel Craig in broad daylight and acts like an authentic Bob Dylan many times over. He also enraptured a gifted filmmaker named Campion and become part of her cast in a masterpiece as sublime and as powerful as the filmmaker's most awarded feature.

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Why a #2 ranking: Enjoying the best of both worlds, Ben Whishaw is one actor who has successfully made the transition from theatre to film. After playing Hamlet at the Old Vic in London to much acclaim, Whishaw started doing minor roles until he was chosen to play the perfumer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille in Tom Tykwer’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. Pitting talents with such veterans as Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman, Whishaw held his own and established a reputation as an actor capable of playing intense, dark, even disturbing characters with integrity and ease.

If acting is an exciting adventure (and it certainly is), then you’ll expect Ben Whishaw to be the first to take a ride. Armed with a certain beauty even his male co-stars admit, there is no limit to what Ben can do. In one of his supporting roles in Layer Cake, the scene at the disco bar with Sienna Miller and Daniel Craig comes to mind. While all the actors are great looking, it was Ben who steals the show.

Oh, I failed to mention My Brother Tom, Brideshead Revisited and Jane Campion's Bright Star where Ben plays the lead. It will probably be considered one of his acting highlights...

# 1 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt: He gets himself bloodied from a sexual encounter that's best left unsaid, yet he surprises his audience with a witty, romantic take of a young man desperately in love with someone named Zooey, but even before that, he managed to transform himself into a young, idealistic man out to get the truth behind the murder of someone he used to love.

Is he just a jester out to have fun or a crusader willing to risk it all?

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Why he's ranked #1: With the anticipation for the release of 500 days of Summer building up, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is definitely making the biggest buzz this 2009! Of course, his role in G.I. Joe is perhaps the one getting the biggest buzz. Then there is the news (via Entertainment Weekly) that he's been cast alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page and Cillian Murphy in the next Christopher Nolan film (entitled Inception).

More reasons why: In Greg Arakki’s Mysterious Skin, almost all critics agreed- Levitt is the young actor to watch! Of course, Levitt is no ‘one-movie wonder’, as Brick from director Rian Johnson proves.

Most scripts are bad. I read a lot of them. "Brick" was a good script just to read. It was like, 'Oh my God, these words feel so good in my mouth.' A lot of movies try to set up a world with cool sets, costumes, camera work. In "Brick," the world is born from the words.

We would not be surprised if he plays Spidey or even do a science-fiction-romantic-comedy or perhaps play a murderous psychopathic looking for his next victim.

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