Kevin Zegers is good-looking. That wholesome, all-American, Tom Cruise kind of good-looking normally found only in Tommy Hilfiger adverts and made-for-TV Hallmark movies. Except that he's not American. He doesn't want to be Tom Cruise. And the role that saved his career was anything but family-friendly. Clocking up more than 50 film and TV roles since the tender age of six, Zegers - a native of Ontario, Canada - found himself all acted out at age 20. Unemployed and uninspired, he was just about to call it quits when along came a little flick called Transamerica. Playing a bisexual hustler to Felicity "Desperate Housewives" Huffman's pre-op transsexual was a watershed moment, Zegers says.

- - -

I think movies can strike a chord in a way that I don’t think many things can. So I thought maybe I would give acting a try and by the time I was a senior I had done five or six plays that I just loved. I moved to New York just to give it a shot and it went well and the first opportunity I had on film just sealed the deal. The contrast with theatre is that you have to play to the back of the audience and with film you can be as subtle as you like and really try and mirror reality, that’s the fun part of acting, trying to be authentic. " says Chris Evans.

- - -

-
- - -

- - -

- - -

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

Biggest roles so far: Jason 'Igby' Slocumb, Jr. in Igby Goes Down, and Jimmy Bartlett in Lymelife.

Why he made the top 50: During the start of 2000, Keiran is lording it over at the movie scene, with back to back acclaim for Igby Goes Down and The Dangerous Lives of the Altar Boys. It took him another six years to return to the limelight with an amazing performance (together with bother Rory) in Lymelife.

A notable success at the recent Toronto Festival, Lymelife was praised due to the excellent performances of both Rory and Keiran Culkin.Definitely back on track, Keiran is looking forward to three new feature films for this year and the next.

- - -

Support tMF by clicking these ads! Article continues below...

- - -

- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #35 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and as Dorian Gray in the movie adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic.

Why he made the top 50: Ben Barnes is huge due to his part in the sequel to the first Narnia film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, where he played Prince Caspian. In a major casting coup, it was reported that Barnes had little time to study his character or to train for the action sequences required in many of the movie's scenes, and yet he still managed to make a big impact in the movie.

Commented Alice Jones from UK's The Independent about Barnes grabbing the role as Prince Caspian:

The casting of Barnes – whose only previous film experience was a blink-and-you'll-miss it role in Stardust – as the eponymous hero might be seen as an uncharacteristic piece of risk-taking for the typically cautious, bucks-orientated Hollywood studio. In fact, it's a reflection of the latest trend in a town that is constantly on the look-out for the next big thing. And at the moment, the next big thing is young, little-known British actors.

The only problem I seem to have about Ben is his less than stellar performance in the movies I have seen so far. While he was good in Bigga Than Ben, I expected more from him as Prince Caspian. Is the hype deserving of the talent? We'll soon see as he plays the title role in the horror-drama, Dorian Gray.

- - -

- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #8 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Charlie Prince in 3:10 To Yuma, as Ben Kurtzman in Liberty Heights, as Jake Mazursky in Alpha Dog and as The Stranger in 30 Days of Night.

Why he made the top 50: He's the star you love to hate. Ben Foster seems to prefer playing the bad guy that Hollywood has began to offer him just that- the evil villain! In his three recent films- 30 Days of Night, 3:10 to Yuma and Alpha Dog, Foster was relentless, vicious even, as he played three different characters with such power and conviction, you might run away from him if you happen to meet the guy in public!

As the cold-blooded killer Charlie Prince, Ben Wade's (Russell Crowe) sidekick in 3:10 to Yuma, Foster was perfect for the role. Boston Globe's critic Ty Burr described Foster performance as "mesmerizing."

- - -

- - -

I always knew I was going to be in entertainment, but no one was really making me be there. Like my parents kinda named me Lou Taylor Pucci because they thought it was a good stage name.

- - -

- - -

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

Biggest roles so far: as Marc in Three Dancing Slaves (le Clan), as Reda in The Grand Voyage, as Antoine Sforza in The Grocer's Son and as Said in Caótica Ana.

Why he made the top 50: Cazalé is France's 2008 European Shooting Star awardee. Says Boyd van Hoeij @european-films.net:

"I work with people that I like and respect," explains Cazalé, as if it were the most normal thing in the film industry. "I need to see the person opposite me. After that, we can also talk about what he wants to do as a director, but first I need to meet him and get to know him as a person. This is important if you are going to work together intensely for three months; you need to be on the same wavelength".

Cazalé played the skinhead in Gaël Morel’s tale of three brothers Le Clan (Three Dancing Slaves), while he also played the title role in Eric Guirado’s Le Fils de l’épicier (The Grocer’s Son). Says Cazalé: “I like and admire Gaël Morel and Eric Guirado and that is why I have worked with them. I knew their previous work and was ready to be part of their universe". Though he is most famous for these two vastly different roles, the actor says it is a complete coincidence the films were both made by relatively young directors whose careers are still being formed. [ read more ]

I had the good fortune of watching Monsieur Cazalé in Three Dancing Slaves and The Grand Voyage. What amazes me the most is his ability to dive into his characters and his fruitful attempt to offer something new and exciting to movie audiences. He's both dedicated and fearless, to say the least.

- - -

- - -

Top 50 status: Ranked #22 on the previous list.

Biggest role so far: as Ian Curtis in Control.

Why he made the top 50: Having originally dabbled in TV and theatre acting in his youth, Leeds-based Sam Riley’s energies have been focused on music. The band he fronted, 10,000 Things, secured a major label for the release of its first album, but the band suffered at the hands of major label politics, its release was stalled for a year and the band was soon without a contract. As a result, Riley found himself taking a job in a local warehouse to make ends meet. Disillusioned, Riley reluctantly decided to give acting another shot.

When I first did acting I was auditioning for TV parts, so it gave me a bit of crisis to be a musician with integrity and auditioning for TV parts. It doesn’t really go together,” says Riley, “But I rang up my old agent and Control was the first thing that came up, which was pretty incredible...

Apparently, Riley will not be required to do odd jobs anymore - not ever. With a nomination for this year's Orange Rising Star awards, Sam Riley is one hot commodity.

Coming up are two high-profile films: Franklyn with Eva Green and Ryan Philippe and the English remake of 13 Tzameti.

- - -

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

- - -