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HOME arrow tMF Exclusives arrow tMF Top 50 Hottest Young Actors - THE TOP 20
tMF Top 50 Hottest Young Actors - THE TOP 20 Print E-mail
Written by Jed Medina   
Monday, 29 September 2008

Making good career moves - almost there! I always think of young actors as capable of making lots of headway - even in the short period between our April rankings and this one. I remember that a Zac Efron fan sent me an email demanding an answer as to why Zac was not part of the list:

Please do tell me, is Zac not hot enough for you?

He's not. But that was six months ago. How could Zac impress me when all I'd seen was High School Musical? I could enjoy a more 'acclaimed' musical courtesy of Jean Baptiste Maunier in Les Choristes! But Zac really made waves and so have a lot of the young actors on the list - and one in particular has impressed me a lot: Aaron Johnson.

Grabbing the 10 spots on the Top 20 are all mainstays of the previous list, Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Cera, Channing Tatum, Anton Yelchin, Jeremie Renier, Paul Dano, Andrew Garfield and Louis Garrel.

[ Get to know more about the mechanics in choosing the top 50 here. ]

Here's the Top 20 -

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- - -
Top 50 status: First time on the top 50 list.

Biggest roles so far: as Richard Samuels in Me and Orson Welles and as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical series.

Why he made the top 50: Zac is certainly a revelation! With his drive and ambition to become a better actor, he has chosen to prove his critics that there is more to him than just singing. But hey, any actor who can sing and act well is always a good thing - and everyone knows Zac Efron as one of the leads in Disney's High School Musical. It certainly gave the young actor good leverage in Hollywood. There was an interesting interview from Chicago Sun-Times and I quote:
I just had this ear for music and I went around singing all the time," he says. "We were a regular family and I was always involved in sports," he says. "Like I said, I was short for my age, so sports weren't going to become a career. But my parents knew I could really sing. And they saw I was serious about it." [ read more ]

Zac Efron's latest flick, Me and Orson Welles, received major acclaim during its early screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Richard Linklater, Zac plays a teenager in the Orson Welles directed play "Julius Ceasar" in 1937 who starts a torrid affair with the character played by Claire Danes. Says ScreenDaily:

Teen heart-throb Zac Efron gets to prove his acting chops alongside Claire Danes, Ben Chaplin and newcomer Christian McKay.
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Top 50 status: Ranked #6 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Paulie Bleeker in Juno, as Evan in Superbad, as Nick in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.

Why he made the top 50: Comedy as they say is not for everyone. You need to be an extremely talented actor to make viewers laugh. But Michael Cera certainly can and it seems comedy is his forte. He is so good at it; he’s been cast in a number of upcoming high-profile comedic roles.

From playing George Michael Bluth in the offbeat Fox comedy Arrested Development to his more recent roles in Superbad and Juno (as Ellen Page’s partner, Paulie Bleeker), Cera is looking forward to more comedy, and fame of course. Cera, along with Clark Duke, wrote and starred in a series of short videos released on their website. In 2007, they signed a deal with CBS Television to write, produce, direct, and act in a short-form comedy series entitled Clark and Michael. Cera is also currently in a band called The Long Goodbye with Clark Duke and Christian Buenaventura.

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- - -
Top 50 status: First time on the top 50 list.

Biggest roles so far: As Danny in Dummy, as Robbie in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and as Owen in Nearly Famous.

Why he made the top 50: I first saw Aaron Johnson in The Illusionist, one of my favorite movies of all time. He plays the young Eisenheim (the adult role is played by Edward Norton, of course). At 18, Johnson has already played his share of challenging and juicy roles in both movies and TV, and IMDb reports that his training includes attending the prestigious Jackie Palmer Stage School, which is located in High Wycombe, where he is tutored in drama, tap, jazz, acrobatics and singing.

As an indication of his rising status, ScreenDaily recently announced that Aaron is one of this year's Stars of Tomorrow, a list of up and coming talents from the UK. Here's more:
Aaron Johnson had an early taste of Hollywood, featuring as the younger version of Edward Norton's character in The Illusionist in 2006 and as a sidekick to Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in 2003's Shanghai Knights. This year he graduates to leading man status with two very different films. The first is Gurinder Chadha's Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging in which he plays the school heart-throb alongside fellow Star of Tomorrow Georgia Groome (see opposite). The second is Dummy, directed by Matthew Thompson (a 2004 Star of Tomorrow), which has just screened at Edinburgh and sees him as a teenager coping with his mother's death with the help of drugs and sex. "I have a huge passion for acting but I'm interested in variety, both in the characters I play and the kinds of films I'm involved with," says the 18-year-old. He has just been cast opposite Susan Sarandon in Shana Feste's The Greatest, produced by Pierce Brosnan's Irish DreamTime.

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- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #16 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As Harry Potter in the JK Rowling's HP Tales, as Maps in December Boys and as John Kipling in My Boy Jack.

Why he made the top 50: Earning a whopping $14 million in the latest Harry Potter series is an incredible achievement for someone as young as Daniel Radcliffe.
Ultimately it comes down to whether we're still enjoying it. If we are then I think we would be sort of stupid not to do them. As long as I'm doing other stuff around the same time, I think it'll be fine. Also, I sort of try to read the books when they come out impartially and not make up my mind, but the fact is when I was reading the sixth, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, there were bits in there where I was going, 'God, I would love to do that because it's so good.'" says Daniel about playing the role.
Perhaps the most popular among the top 50 young actors in the list, Radcliffe's acting resume is not limited to the Potter movies anymore- with a controversial stint in theatre for Equus and an upcoming drama feature, Journey, where he will play the lead role, Radcliffe is as shrewd as he is charming.
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- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #21 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Young Antonio in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints, as Tyler Gage in Step Up, as Sgt. Steve Shriver in Stop-Loss.

Why he made the top 50: One of Hollywood's most exciting new talents, former model Channing Tatum is being touted to be the next 'big thing'.

With my career in general, I feel like I’m finally getting to do the roles that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a slow build; you can’t ever get the roles that you want in the beginning of your career because you don’t have the buzz or the heat, or whatever the hell it is you need for the agents and the studios to be happy. They want you to do a little bit at a time until you get the chance to work out and do the roles that really mean something to you.

Many were surprised by his amazing performance in Ditto Montiel's A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. But Tatum is just waiting for the right time and the right role to make people take notice.

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Top 50 status: Ranked #25 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As Bruno, the young and confused teen who decided to sell his child in the award-winning L’ Enfant, as Jean, the Nazi-prosecuted homosexual in Un amour à taire, as Thomas d'Apcher in the horror-thriller Brotherhood of the Wolf and more recently as Luc Cornet in Joe Wright’s Atonement.

Why he made the top 50: If you’re looking for a talented young actor who can be good in both leading and supporting roles, then you need look no further. Belgian-born Jeremie Renier is your man. A favorite of the award-winning duo, The Dardenne Brothers, Renier has all the right stuff.

Renier was picked to play the lead role of Sobran in the much-anticipated film by Niki Carro, The Vintner’s Luck. He is also part of the ensemble cast in this year’s Sundance opener, In Bruges.

- - -

- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #17 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Charlie in Charlie Bartlett, as Zack Mazurski in Alpha Dog, as Tommy in House of D.

Why he made the top 50: There was this David Duchovny flick called House of D that starred a very young but talented Anton Yelchin. The Russian-born Yelchin was already making a name for himself in TV and it was just a matter of time before he started making movies. Duchovny cast Yelchin as the young Tom Warshaw (the older version is played by Duchovny himself), an American artist living in Paris, who begins to discover who he really is, and returns to his home to reconcile with his family and friends.

After that, Yelchin went on to play one of the leads in Alpha Dog. But it was in Charlie Bartlett that Yelchin took his career to the next level...

Although hundreds of hopefuls auditioned for the role of Charlie Bartlett, Anton Yelchin essentially sealed the deal in his first meeting with Poll. “He blew me away,” recalls Poll. “I just felt like here’s Charlie Bartlett. He was incredibly empathetic and really funny. And what made me realize he was perfect is that he said it was the honesty and optimism of Charlie that drew him to it. If anyone was ever destined to play a part, I think it was Anton as Charlie Bartlett.” says director Jon Poll.

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- - -
Top 50 status: Ranked #29 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Jack Burridge in Boy A, as Todd Hayes in Lions for Lambs and as Anton in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

Why he made the top 50: His performance in Boy A alone was enough to put Andrew Garfield in the spotlight: in fact he is one of the European shooting stars for 2008:

Andrew Garfield was born in America but his family moved to the UK when he was just a child. He trained at Central School of Speech and Drama in London and graduated in 2004. Andrew is currently shooting The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus with legendary director Terry Gilliam, in which he appears alongside Heath Ledger (following his untimely death, it has been reported that he will be replaced by Johnny Depp), Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits. His film debut was in 2007 playing opposite Robert Redford (co-starring with Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise) in Redford's Lions for Lambs. He went straight on to shoot Boy A, directed by John Crowley. Previously screened at the Toronto and London Film Festivals, the film is due for general release in 2008. Andrew has received stand-out praise for his performance in the lead role.

To complement an exceptional 2007, Andrew was named one of "10 Actors to Watch" by Variety magazine in the United States and one of the "UK Stars of Tomorrow" by Screen International.

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- - -

Top 50 status: Also ranked #14 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Howie in L.I.E., as Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine, as Paul/Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood, as Brian in Gigantic.

Why he made the top 50: Not many young actors can afford to choose their roles, let alone not star in the usual no-brainer teen movies that have been so common you could puke just thinking about it. Much has been said about Paul Dano and how awesome he is. As Howie Blitzer in the indie film L.I.E., Paul portrayed a 15-year-old boy who got involved in a sexual relationship with an older man (played by the brilliant Brian Cox). While there are no explicit sex scenes, the movie was still given a NC-17 rating by the MPAA. Says filmcritic.com:

Dano is quiet and at first glance seems so withdrawn as to be transparent. We’re so used to child actors whose dramatic choices are broad and obvious (calling Haley Joel!); it’s surprising to see one who actually listens throughout any given scene. The restraint is admirable.

Dano went on to win four acting awards for this role. The indie film opened many doors for the young actor, and since then, he's found a way to excel in every role he undertakes. He was awesome in the Emile Hirsch-starrer, The Girl Next Door, although he only played a supporting part. He also held his own admirably against Gael Garcia Bernal in the James Marsch film, The King. But it was in Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood that mainstream audience finally got to know him.

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- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #24 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As Theo in The Dreamers, as Ismaël Bénoliel in Love Songs and as Pierre, the Son in Ma Mere.

Why he made the top 50: 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. Coming from a family of artists, Louis is a natural actor.

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.

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The tMF HITLIST: Get the latest rankings and updates on your favorite young actors. Here's the current rankings so far: Top 50 | Top 40 | Top 30 | Top 20
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Comments (25)

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Hmmm...
Maybe it's because I'm impatient for the Top 10, but these guys are kinda...eh...to me. And yet, I like them. Love Michael Cera, and am looking forward to Nick and Nora...and Paul Dano, and I even agree with Zac Effron, and of course Radcliffe is in the Top 20...

Top 10 soon though...right? smilies/wink.gif
blearyeyedmesgirl , September 29, 2008 | url
EW
damn all of them are not hot at all smilies/shocked.gif
escapethefate , September 29, 2008
...
You've peaked my interest to see a couple of these guys who I was not familiar with.
kit katt , September 29, 2008
Yeah still is not Robert Pattinson on the list
yesss
this is so incredible i just hope ROBERT will be on the top 1
please!!!!
bye
LUV ROBERT PATTINSON
Andrea88 , September 29, 2008
...
The term "hot" is not supposed to be referring to the actor's looks but rather their talents and Hollywood's demand for these actor's fortes. That being said, I disagree with the other posts that feel these actors aren’t living up to standards. I must admit that I am surprised by two of these actors’ positions, Cera and Tatum. I would have thought Cera would have been higher on the list. For his age, he has demonstrated immense talent, the TV series opportunity is amazing news, and his humorous lines are incredibly delivered in such a nonchalant style, the lines become funnier. Comedy, in my opinion, is the hardest medium in entertainment, lines have to be delivered in a precise manner and you have to acquire timing.
As for Channing, I was a bit shocked to see him this far up the list. Perhaps it could be that with the exception of his part in A Guide to Recognizing your Saints, I haven’t seen his acting as exemplary. I know he is cast in next year’s GI Joe film, which I’m sure is going for the blockbuster action platform, but as for true talent, I guess I’m just not convinced yet. I am not even going to touch on his acting in Step Up.
Concerning the other actors, Radcliffe is a no-brainer and Dano has proved himself as a genuine actor outside of The Girl Next Door (which I didn’t think was too horrible) and thought his parts in Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood were nothing short of outstanding. I have to express dislike for Efron. I just don’t see any real originality there. I had to find something to do to keep me from going insane when I was watching Hairspray. In the case of HSM, let’s just say Mickey Mouse loves his cheesiness. However, I do have great respect for Anton, huge in fact. I first saw him in Along Came a Spider, but then I saw him in Alpha Dog. Although the film was tainted by Justin Timberlake, Anton still kept my attention. Then I saw him in Fierce People and I could shoot myself for not seeing Charlie Bartlett yet. I already know I’ll like it. Next year he’ll be seen in Star Trek and Terminator Salvation, two outlets were more audiences will have the opportunity to see Anton as I do, a first-rate soon-to-be movie star. Sorry for the long post lol.
myheartsnsocal , September 29, 2008
Rob is in the Top 10 for sure!!!
So happy that Rob is not in this list, yet. I am assuming that he's in the top 10. He deserves it.

Totally loving Aaron Johnson. I love him in Nearly Famous. He is such a cutie and he can definitely act. I know GG is all the rage in the states but teen-oriented shows in the UK are more thought-provoking and has more substance with actors who can really act.
spuddevaughn , September 29, 2008
robert pattinson louis garrel
i saw louis garrel and i thought it was robert pattinson for a second and i was like :O he cannot be 11!!
llol but then i realised
vicy , September 30, 2008
...
Michael Cera... always a delight to see.
Daniele Radcliffe...of course.

I guess you haven't seen Zac Efron's Miracle Run? He was great there, playing one of the autistic twins. He was nominated for that role, if I'm not mistaken. And that was before High School Musical.

Channing Tatum...surprised that he's on this part of the list. Really. Why?

Paul Dano...I'mliking him more and more.

I have to disagree with Robert Pattinson being the number 1 on the list, though. *shrugs*.
kja , October 02, 2008
...
By the way, I think what's another interesting about this list are the movies. I want to watch them all and I have to shamely admit that I've only watched a few among those that are mentioned here. So, thank you.

Channing Tatum...don't get me wrong. I like this guy, too, but I think he's way too much up ther on this list.
kja , October 02, 2008
...
am i the only one who think Dan Rad is the least talented on the whole list? yes he is famous and yes we see great improvement in the fifth HP film and yes he is willing to try different roles that i think is good for an actor. but still, deep down i think he's the least talented on the list.
user , October 06, 2008
:)
smilies/shocked.gifsmilies/shocked.gifsmilies/shocked.gifsmilies/shocked.gifsmilies/shocked.gif i cnt belive zac efron didnt make the top 3...he's hotter than all of them put together!!!!!!
jem , October 08, 2008
...
Zac is so hot he is the number one smilies/smiley.gif
Cathi , October 08, 2008
seriously...
I don't mean to be disparaging of your choice (actually I do so please excuse me) but seriously Channing Tatum at number 16? He's the most wooden actor I have ever seen.
Shell , October 09, 2008
...
hmm yeah channing isnt great or anything in my opinion but i guess he's got a lot of movies and from all i've seen his roles sort of require that hardness.. i donno time will tell. daniel radcliffe no surprise.. good for him. and zac efron also no surprise he's really becoming more than just that guy in high school musical.. haven't heard of most of them i'll have to check them out!
hi there , October 09, 2008
...
oh and michael cera surprised that he's all the way back here he's very well known and i've never seen him do anything less than what should be expected of actors.
i dont agree with robert pattinson being #1 either.. but whatever it's their list not mine and he does deserve to be on.
hi there , October 09, 2008
...
WHY ISNT DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ZAC EFRON AND JAMES MCAVOY IN THE TOP 10?
susan , October 11, 2008
...
WHY ISNT ZAC EFRON IN THE TOP 1O???????????????
annie , October 11, 2008
Grow up and show it!
You're a fan right? So, stop being immature and try to show some class... If you want to argue with the list, explain why he needs to be ranked higher, not just ask why.
jed , October 11, 2008
daniel Radcliff?
I feel that Daniell Radcliff should have not been on this list especially #17. it is unfair to his co star Rupert grint since he is much hotter, a better actor, and does not get at all as much publicity as him.(although rupert deserves it) The only reason why he is more well known is because the diectors of Hp cut out a lot of rupert's parts so daniel would be more likeable. Now, people rarely even know Rupert's grint's name and i know that is why he is not before Daniel on this list.
Ruperts biggest fann , October 13, 2008
CHAN
what is Channing Tatum doing on 21 place?! you nots? he shoud be on 1.º!! came on!!! CHAN you're the best!!!
KISSES
"BURN RUBBER NOT YOUR SOUL"
BLACKBUSA , October 18, 2008
waah!
chan's hot! any upcoming movie!?!??! i miss him on the big screen! :) haha dan radcliffe? no comment:))
laraketchup , October 24, 2008 | url
AARON JOHNSON SHOULD BE HIGHER
well he's not that well-known yet, but i really think he's very talented. his eyes have their own acting skills, i swear.
turner sky , October 30, 2008
...
I can't help but comment on all the harsh words toward Zac Efron. Everyone bases their criticism on his acting in the High School Musical franchise, but it seems they fail to remember that that movie is geared toward children and pre-teen girls. And with it's incredible success, his acting can't be too terrible to them. Even pre-teenagers can discern bad acting (From Justin to Kelly, for example). Also, in Hairspray, the character had already been developed in previous films/musicals. Major deviation from that set personality (shallow, somewhat narcissistic) might upset fans. Up until Me and Orson Welles, Zac hasn't had the opportunity to truly create a character. And with its awesome reviews, I think it's clear he's capable.
Aimee , November 01, 2008
...
Aaron Johnson.


Phwoar. :]
Soulie , November 04, 2008
...
Dan Radcliffe is a cutie pie, but he'll always be Harry...
BeccaLouWho , November 17, 2008

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