What makes an amazing actor? What causes an ordinary moviegoer to become an ardent, hardcore fan? Are good looks enough in today's almost cutthroat competition to create the next big Hollywood star? Are talents really being recognized, and are fans mature enough to embrace the really talented actors?

And the biggest question of all: who are the hottest, most talented young actors today? The Movie Fanatic asked industry insiders, ordinary movie fans, film critics and reviewers to give us some of their top choices. We also based our list on the latest announcements coming from British, German and French cinema industry reports. Most important of all, the list features some of today's most exciting emerging talents in cinema. [ Get to know more about the mechanics in choosing the top 50 here. ]

Here's the Top 50-

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

Biggest role so far: As James, in Twilight. The major antagonist of the novel Twilight, James is depicted as a merciless "tracker" vampire who hunts human beings or, in some cases, animals, for sport. James is described as unusually gifted at what he does and always gets what he wants, though it is later revealed that a then-human Alice Cullen escaped his clutches some time ago by being turned into a vampire before James could attack. Unlike the Cullen family, he drinks human blood as his food source

Why he made the list: He maybe the villain in the upcoming Twilight, but Cam Gigandet has the looks and the talent to play the lead. The 26-year old actor just grabbed six new feature films come 2009. One of them is the much-anticipated Kid Cannabis, a drama based on the true story of Nate Norman, a 19-year-old Idahoan who grew a multi-million dollar marijuana operation by smuggling the herb into the U.S. from British Columbia. Gigandet will also join Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Woody Harrelson in Oliver Stone's Pinkville. These two features would certainly give Gigandet the extra mileage on his quest to become one of Hollywood's most bankable young stars.

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Top 50 status: Ranked #46 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As the young Marcus in About A Boy, Ralph Compton in Wah-Wah and as Tony Stonem in Skins (TV).

Why he made the list: While he seems to be just your typical boy-next-door, Nicholas Hoult demonstrates maturity beyond his age - he’s decent, respectful and shows a deep understanding of his work in the entertainment industry. He also knows how to play the game - he’s not shy but is reserved to the extent that you’ll never find him behaving arrogantly or being too sure of himself. But he does know he looks good and that he has loads of fans!

How’s that for starters? So where is he going now? After such an amazing run on Skins, fans of Hoult are waiting for his next move. While he may have sacrificed education to take on more challenging roles, he still thinks of school as being an important part of his life plans. With killer looks and the ability to act and drive girls crazy, why would anyone want Mr. Hoult to go away?

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Top 50 status: Ranked #42 in the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: As William Miller in Almost Famous and as Zia in Wristcutters: A Love Story.

Why he made the list: Being labeled "The Next Big Thing" in Hollywood when you're still a teenager is hard to live up to. Just ask Patrick Fugit. He received rave reviews for his performance in "Almost Famous" as an aspiring young music journalist. But it was his co-star Kate Hudson who went on to movie stardom. And other co-stars, like Jason Lee and Philip Seymour Hoffman, also went on to bigger things. But after "Almost Famous," it took Fugit five years to find another major role that he felt was as good.

I remember thinking at the time, 'Wow. What am I going to do now?' and 'I hope this isn't as good as it's going to get,' “Fugit said at the Sundance Film Festival.” Unfortunately, it was, for awhile.

The 22-year-old actor has been seen in a handful of supporting roles since then, most notably "White Oleander," in which he appeared opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman. But he's rejected several projects that would have given him a lead role. That is until "Wristcutters: A Love Story" came along: "I wanted to find something that was different, not just the dumb comedies and other things that were being offered to me," Fugit said during an interview in the Volkswagen Lounge on Park City's Main Street.

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

Biggest role so far: As Ryno de Marigny in Une vieille maîtresse (The Last Mistress).

Why he made the list: Fu'ad Ait Aattou always wanted to be an actor.

I grew up in the north of France and I came to Paris almost 10 years ago, to be an actor. I went to acting school for three years. I went to lots of auditions, but nothing happened," says Fuad.

In order to remain in Paris and pursue his dream, he turned to modelling instead. With his good looks, he immediately became a sensation. His first big break into movies turned out to be both controversial and sensational. There was news about French director Catherine Breillat searching for a young actor to play the lead in her new film, An Old Mistress. It was said that she needed someone who represented an ideal of male beauty, someone who looked like a Renaissance painting. And, at the moment when she despaired of ever finding him, she says, she saw a young man in a crowded cafe, and knew immediately that he was the one.

The young man sitting in the cafe was Fu'ad Ait Aattou. Philippa Hawker reports:

When Breillat called, she brought him in for a reading, and it didn't go well. "I did a scene from La Maman et la Putain" — Jean Eustache's devastating 1973 exploration of male-female relationships — "it's one she does for all her movies, when I'm begging a girl not to leave me. And she didn't like it. She told me to try again, two weeks later, with a scene from An Old Mistress, and this time" — he says with a smile, the relief still palpable — "she liked it".

He was cast on his 25th birthday. "Maybe you won't believe me, but it's true. I told myself, I have until 25 for my dream to come true, or I was going to go home to the north of France."

What's next for Monsieur Ait Aattou? It's sad to note that because he was first known as a male model, people are not really taking him seriously as an actor. He said with some impatience:

It took me 10 years to get my first part. I don't want to wait another 10.

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

Biggest roles so far: as John McFarland in Gus van Sant's Elephant and as Stacy in Lords of Dogtown.

Why he made the list: Among van Sant's young discoveries, John Robinson is definitely the most talented- in fact, he's quite underrated! Besting more than 3,000 young and aspiring actors in Elephant, Robinson performed with such precision and maturity his role as the young student John McFarland in the controversial film by Van Sant which mirrors the Columbine school shootings.

He also held his own among the crop of young talents in Lords of Dogtown. The Catherine hardwicke film is a fictionalized take on the group of brilliant young skateboarders raised in the mean streets of Dogtown in Santa Monica, California. The Z-Boys, as they come to be known, perfect their craft in the empty swimming pools of unsuspecting suburban homeowners, pioneering a thrilling new sport and eventually moving into legend.

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Top 50 status: Ranked #40 on the previous list.

Biggest roles so far: as Pierre Morhange in Les Choristes and as François Seurel in Le Grand Meaulnes.

Why he made the list: One of the youngest in the top50 hotlist, French teen actor Jean Baptiste Maunier has an acting resume a lot of older actors would envy. As Pierre Morhange, Jean Baptiste Maunier captured the hearts of Parisians in the highly successful Les Choristes (The Choir). Directed by Christophe Barratier, the film is about a passionate music teacher who arrives at a correctional boarding school for boys and transforms their lives through music. Maunier plays the rebellious Morhange who pretends to be a young devil but sings like an angel. The movie also paved the way for Maunier to secure further interesting movie roles, among them Le Grand Meaulnes, with another top French talent Nicolas Duvauchelle.

Young Maunier's talent is not limited to playing roles in period films. He also played it cool in last year's French comedy, Hellphone. Definitely one of France’s most promising young actors, expect fireworks from this talented guy!

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

Biggest roles so far: as Simon in Nanny McPhee, as Romulus Augustus in The Last Legion and as Samuel Brawne in the upcoming Jane Campion film, Brightstar.

Why he made the list: Just like JP Maunier, Thomas Sangster is one of the youngest on the list. His rumored starring role in Tintin is one for the books. Here's just an intro:

Teenage actor Thomas Sangster is set to take on the role of cult comic hero Tintin in the upcoming movie franchise, according to reports. The 17-year-old Brit, who has starred in hit movies Love Actually and Nanny McPhee, is said to have emerged as the frontrunner to play the intrepid young reporter in a trilogy of films based on the famed comics by Belgian cartoonist Herge, aka Georges Remi. And Sangster sparked further speculation he is to be handed the lead role in the planned film trilogy after flying to Los Angeles to work on test action sequences with renowned moviemaker Steven Spielberg, who is to direct the first installment in the franchise. Although Sangster's agent has refused to comment about his involvement with the project - due to start shooting in the autumn - the representative admits the Brit has travelled to Hollywood for meetings and urges fans to "watch this space".

Just get yourself updated here!

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

Biggest roles so far: as Jess Aarons in Bridge to Terabithia, as Shane Fahey in Firehouse Dog and as Sean Anderson in Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Why he made the list: If you've failed to watch Bridge to Terabithia, then you missed one of 2007's most important films. Not only is Hutcherson a future leading actor in Hollywood, he just got what it takes to capture the imagination of all sorts of fans- from young teens to even matured adult viewers. He has that emotional intensity that River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke used to have when they were just kid actors.

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Top 50 status: Ranked #28 in the previous list.

Best roles so far: as Accio Benassi in My Brother is an Only Child and as Martino Papucci in Napoleon and Me.

Why he made the list: Arguably the most talented young actor in Italy right this minute, Germano's appeal is not limited into dramatic roles. He is in fact quite a comedian. With an immense following in his native Italy, the 27-year-old actor has yet to make his presence felt in Hollywood. Says european-films.net:

Recently returned from the Cannes Film Festival, where he wowed audiences as the protagonist of the political Un certain regard drama Mio fratello è figlio unico (My Brother is an Only Child), Italian actor Elio Germano is lining up several new projects for him to star or co-star in. First up is Il mattino ha l'oro in bocca (lit. The Morning Hour Has Gold in Its Mouth), an adaptation of the autobiographical book Il giocatore (The Player) from Italian radio celebrity Marco Baldini. The film will be directed by Francesco Patierno (Pater familias) and, like the book, will detail Baldini’s obsession with betting on horses, which led to losses of billions of Italian lire. Germano is set to play Baldini. Also coming up soon for the actor who shot to fame at home as the pivotal character in the period piece N – Io e Napoleone (N – Napoleon and Me) is the new film from Napoleon director Paolo Virzì.

2008 looks set to be a very busy year for Elio Germano, as he begins shooting Come dio comanda by Gabriele Salvatores in February and anticipates the release of Francesco Patierno’s Il Mattino Ha L'Oro In Bocca and Tutta La Vita Davanti by Paolo Virzi. Luchetti's film My Brother is an only Child for which Elio was awarded with the "David di Donatello" will have a release in German, UK and US cinemas in Spring. Germano also won the "European Actor 2007" category at the 20th European Film Awards in Berlin for the same film.

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

Biggest roles so far: as Linus in Fanboys, as Adam Rove in Joan of Arcadia, as Danny in the Education of Charlie Banks and as Pete Egan in The Invisible,

Why he made the list: Chris Marquette is definitely ready for that elusive leading role. He's been giving such great performances in his recent films: The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, The Invisible, and The Education of Charlie Banks among others. But in all of these films, he played supporting roles. It's about time he gets to play the star in a cool movie- Kid Cannabis.

Oh and yes, he's also in another cool movie called Fanboys. Set in 1998, the story tells of a group of friends who, eagerly awaiting the premiere of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, decide to break into Skywalker Ranch and steal an early print of the film. The reason: one of them is suffering from cancer and wishes to see the film before his death. A road trip begins as the friends encounter William Shatner, obsessed Trekkies, and other colorful characters. Marquette will play Linus, the guy suffering from cancer.

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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 | Top 10

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Comments (15)

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I have only seen Hutcherson in Zathura and I like him in that! I have Bridge to Terabithia on DVD but have yet to watch it. NOw i need to go home and watch tonight!

kellyw73 , September 26, 2008

Cam

It's good to see Cam get some well-deserved recognition. I watched Never Back Down the other day and he is just so good at being the bad guy. And his looks don't hurt either!

JenCal , September 26, 2008

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Thomas Sangster and Josh Hutcherson...two kids I feel like I've watched grow up! I'm glad they are continuing to do well in their adolescent and growing careers, and will continue to look for their future projects.

As for Cam, well, I'm looking forward to him in Twilight, and I've seen that he has much more coming up, so I'm sure that Twilight will be just the beginning!

Looking forward to the Top 40!

blearyeyedmesgirl , September 26, 2008 | url

Is that Rupert Grint? WOW!

It's so nice to see him featured on this list for the first time. And he has 2 movies coming out that aren't Harry Potter stuff? I had no idea! He seems like a such a funny guy in his interviews. I will thoroughly enjoy any film he works on. He is a fantastic actor.

I wish him all the best!

Laura Hills , September 27, 2008

Thomas Sangster! At last!

I'm so glad Thomas Sangster has been recognized on the list! He has so much potential & is annoyingly underrated.

Chloe , September 27, 2008

??

WHERE IS ROBERT PATTINSON????

Oh....I guess he'll be number one. Okay, I'm mollified now.

Clarissa , September 27, 2008

Come out with the rest soon - I want to see Robert Pattinson (as number one, of course)

Don't forget

Robert Pattinson (of course, as # 1 hottest)
Elijah Wood (have you seen his beautiful blue eyes??)
Orlando Bloom (he hand RP have something in common: awesome hair)

Trianna , September 27, 2008

:O

Cam should NOT be number fifty. He's hotter than all of they guys on this page!

Kyla Smith , October 01, 2008

thank God!

thank God his included i thouhgt his not..bcuz when i check fr 50 to 10 the name JIM STURGESSis not yet appearing,then when i get in the top 4 i just shout seeing his name and pic on the screen!...

summer garcia , October 07, 2008

cam

i thought cam was qoning to be in the 20's or 30's
cam is hotter than most of the guys on this list

ashleyx3 , October 07, 2008

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*going to be*

ashleyx3 , October 07, 2008

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josh hutcherson thats good at least.. anyone else surprised not to see freddie highmore or just me? i mean he's not stellar or anything but i think he is equally as good as some on this list and has acted with several amazing actors like johnny depp.. i thought he should be on

hi there , October 09, 2008

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Words cannot describe how shocked I was to find Chris Marquette on his list. I've loved him as an actor for years and it's great to see somebody else actually knows he exists!

Cassie Hannah , October 10, 2008

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You know who they forgot!
MATTHEW LEWIS!
Gosh!

Alex Neave , October 14, 2008

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Yay!!!!
Jean-Baptiste Maunier!!!! He is sooo amazing, Les Choristes is one of my favorite movies and Hellphone is really funny :) He is also a really good singer!
Hopefully he will be in some English language movies now seeing as he's at school in New York...
I also think that Freddie Highmore should be on here

Ella , November 02, 2008

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