THE TOP 20: Almost there! These guys have it already- starring roles, amazing projects and multiple chances to work with some of the industry's cutting edge filmmakers. They are more than just 'matinee idols', they rock!

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Poll is now closed! See the final results here!

Chris Evans - As many aspiring actors know, good looks is not enough to become successful in this biz. It takes more than that- perhaps even more important is the guts to take on the challenge posed by a role or how to deal with a difficult director. Chris Evans is not only a goodlooking guy, he is also quite talented.

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" 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.

Famous Roles: As Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four, as Mace in Danny Boyle's recent film, Sunshine and as Ryan in Cellular. The 25 year old Evans has indeed come a long way, from starting out in teen movies where he got noticed to being one of the industry's most sought-after young actors.

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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.

Latest Movies: Twilight is not the only feature for the actor; he is also slated to play artist Salvador Dali in Little Ashes. Two other movies in the works for Pattinson include How to Be and The Summer House.

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Ben Whishaw. 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.

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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.

Latest Movies: Described as someone with boundless energy, the wiry yet elegant Whishaw will soon play two important roles in upcoming featured productions- as John Keats in Jane Campion’s Brightstar and as Sebastian Flyte in the new adaptation of the novel Brideshead Revisited.

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Anton Yelchin. 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.

Latest Movies: Yelchin is now part of the new star-studded Star Trek flick, playing Pavel Chekov.

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Daniel Radcliffe. Earning a whopping $14 million in the latest Harry Potter series is an incredible achievement for someone as young as Daniel Radcliffe.

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"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.

Coming up: 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, The Journey Is the Destination, where he will play the lead role, Radcliffe is as shrewd as he is charming.

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Eddie Redmayne. Robert de Niro personally picked him to play one of the major roles in The Good Shepherd, the spy/thriller film that starred Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. It was enough to send us into frenzy and search for what's available information about this young actor.

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Perhaps the best article about Redmayne is the feature in Variety. Michael Ventre describes the young actor perfectly:

“If Eddie Redmayne isn't one of the finest young actors whom few have ever heard of, he's already on the short list. “ For Redmayne, it started on the boards. While a student at Cambridge, he scored a part in the 400th-anniversary all-male production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" in 2002. "There was a kind of pressure, but I was naive to it," Redmayne recalls. "Rather than be terrified, I tried not to let the situation overwhelm me. That's where I signed with my first British agent."

Latest Movies/ Now showing: The much-awaited Tom Kalin film, Savage Grace, with Julianne More, another major role in The Other Boleyn Girl, with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, and Yellow Handkerchief (taking part at Sundance, as we speak).

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Paul Dano. 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.

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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 that mainstream audience finally got to know him.

Latest Movies: Dano is rumored to be part of the ensemble cast for The Stanford Prison Experiment.

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Jamie Bell. Talented and opinionated, charming and fiercely independent. That’s how we see Jamie Bell.

"I go because that's where the work is, but I like, use and abuse. I fly in for the meetings, and then fly out. That community is really small, so everybody knows each other. I kind of don't like that. It's not really a community I feel very welcome in." says the actor about Hollywood.

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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. 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'.”

Latest Movies/Now Showing: As Griffin in the sci-fi thriller Jumper opposite Hayden Christensen and as one of the brothers in Defiance.

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Michael Angarano. My favorite scene in Lords of Dogtown is when the Z-Boys (Hirsch, Stacey Peralta, et al) visited Sid (played with such sensitivity by Michael Angarano). It was such a heartfelt performance you can't help but feel for the young man who has cancer and is about to die.

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Says Angarano about his character:

“A somewhat awkward and eager-to-please rich kid. Sid will do anything to hang out with the Z-Boys. Whatever he lacks in skating ability Sid easily makes up for in heart, good humor and occasionally, cash”

It's not surprising to note that Angarano has made it a habit to play his characters with just that- heart. The past 2 years has been quite a ride for Angarano in terms of his career as an actor.

Four outstanding features will further consolidate Angarano as one of today's most talented young actors- 2 of which are outstanding films in their own rights: Black Irish, in which he plays 15-year-old Cole McKay and Man in the Chair which centers around a 17-year-old kid who flirts with the law, underachieves at school, and is at odds with his loving mother and his constantly indifferent and derisive stepfather.

Latest Movies: A major role in the Jet Li- Jackie Chan starrer, The Forbidden Kingdom and part of the ensemble cast in Noah's Ark: The New Beginning.

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Shia LaBeouf.

"I'm not an Adonis, that's for damn sure. I've never really thought of myself that way, and it doesn't matter to me. My favorite actors aren't Adonises. Dustin Hoffman is a flawed-looking man; he's amazing to me. Tom Hanks is flawed-looking; people love him. Same with Gene Hackman."

Famous Roles: As Stanley, the wrongfully convicted boy sent to a brutal desert detention camp in Hole, as the young Ditto in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and as Sam Witwicky in Michael Bay's Transformer.

Coming up: The highly-anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

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[ Intro ] [ Top 30 ] Next: The Top 10

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Over the time, hollywood has shown a particular taste for swatch watches as well as casio watches. You may see swiss army watches or the breitling watches occasionally but the truth is that even in pocket watches, public follows the trend set by the stars.

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Comments (28)

WARNING!

Don't test our patience! We've been very nice to all posters, allowing everyone to do their own thang, and act like ten-year olds. We will not tolerate any abusive language or allow anyone to ridicule or insult any of the actors here. You will be banned.

Let this be a warning.

jedmed , April 07, 2008

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Yay, Robert Pattinson! While he's #1 in my book, I'm glad you recognized his amazing talent (and popularity). Yay!

(Oh no, have they crazy tween Twilight fans struck here, too?) *ducks*

Chelsea G. , April 07, 2008

This is a rather late update....

Just a background info, this update is rather late and yes, we @tMF recognized the fact that Robert deserves a higher position, but we cannot alter or change the previous rankings, that would be unfair. The best that fans of Robert can do is to vote for him, that way, he'll definitely be on the top 10.

This is based on tMF's initial top50 list and the results of the previous polls, so we have to honor the final results.

jed , April 07, 2008

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Rob should be at the top of the list!!

Lucy , April 07, 2008

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aww i wish Robert Pattinson was in the top ten... oh well he'll always be number 1 in my book

Shelly , April 07, 2008

Robertftw.

haha, Rob is killing that poll. He should definitely be at the top. His fan base just exploded.

Jade , April 07, 2008 | url

59 and counting...!

Oh my....

Jennilyn , April 07, 2008

Awesome!

Great job on the list so far. I can't wait for the Top 10!

yiddidea , April 07, 2008

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Very impressed by the list so far. You have me extremely excited to see the top ten. So happy to see Robert Pattinson and Jamie Bell up there too! Michael Angarano is not bad either!

Michelle , April 07, 2008

Great Article

tMF,
You have compiled a great list of talented actors. I love your site and have found some very interesting insight to movies and actors I may not have known about before. Thanks for all your efforts to keep us up to date.

be my escape , April 07, 2008 | url

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I hope the top ten will be posted soon... It is a little bit unfair now because the poll is already open for the top 30 and 20... they have already accumulated some votes and the top ten did not... The poll should be opened at the same time I think....

danielbruehlfan , April 07, 2008

ROBERT PATTINSON, DUH!

#1, most definitely! He is the sexiest, hottest, young actor.

KimberlyAttiya , April 07, 2008

ROBERT!!!!!

ROBERT SHOULD TOTALLY BE NUMBER 1! HE IS SO HOT AND THE BEST YOUNG ACTOR!

Kelci Jacoby , April 07, 2008

For the Love of GOD!

If I see another post about Robert Pattinson I will shoot someone.
We all know he's hot...you don't need to tell us a million times.

Stop giving Twilight Fans a bad name.
You make us all look like rabid retarded school girls.

Nicole Lemon , April 07, 2008

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I'm sorry, is this a popularity contest or something? Is enough fangirls showing up demanding their man to be raised to the top is all it takes?

-Having said that, I totally like the ten-10 list, they are some fantastic talents, Bernal, Gordon-Levitt, Hirsch, McAvoy. And who can top Ryan Gosling and his immense talents. Hotness has nothing to do with talent. Well, just my opinion anyway.

Jenn , April 07, 2008

The original top 50

We have our own initial list, based on a number of criteria:

1. Prominent roles in at least 3 films- one of the most important criteria in choosing the top 50, the actors must have at least 2 or 3 prominent roles in recent films.

2. International appeal- not only is he recognized in the States but he is also known in other places as a noted actor, not a star or celebrity who goes partying all the time, but a serious actor determine to work with the best directors and filmmakers in world cinema.

3. Recognition from his peers or from award-giving bodies- some of the actors listed have been nominated or have won acting awards.

4. The X-Factor- it's hard to describe this quality of some actors who seem to have this 'mysterious appeal' or a certain quality that would him quite interesting, that you are compelled to find out more about his movies and his roles.

Of course, one is already popular to a certain extent to be considered in the top50 list.

It's now getting to be a popularity contest since it's based on voting. But it's just one way of generating interest and finding out just who happens to be the most popular actor right this minute. On the other hand, if someone who maintains a website about one of the actors, there is also the chance to campaign for a certain actor and help him move the rankings.

jedmed , April 07, 2008

"Just My Dan Is The Best"

Hello,My Ddear Dan is so HOT....i love Him very much....

Homa , April 13, 2008

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wooooooow
im gonna vote to robert pattinson

cosmic babe , April 20, 2008

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WOW!! I am really glad that Robert Pattinson and Daniel Radcliffe made it onto your list, but I think that both of them should have had higher positions.

katiekat91 , June 08, 2008

edwardcullen!!

yay!!!!someone from twilight!!!!!!......robert pattinson should be on the top 10 though!!!

baz , June 09, 2008 | url

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Shia LaBeouf is ONLY number 11? SAY WHAT? He should really be at least top 5. He has amazing talent!

JESSICACAKES. , June 16, 2008

dan

hi!!!he is so lovly and i crazy for him!!!
dan should totally be number 1!!

hanieh , July 14, 2008 | url

dan...mwaaaxxh!!!

dan.....
you are the music in me...

love u always...

maya , July 23, 2008

dan..mwaaaxxx!!!

anyway dan...

happy birthday!!!

maya , July 23, 2008

Spunk Ransom all the way!!!

Robert Pattinson should at least be on top ten. I mean seriuosly he was great in harry potter but just from the TWILIGHT previews you can see he is like VAMPTASTIC!!!!

GO TWILIGHTERS!!!!!!

I , July 27, 2008

Yay! A Good List.

I loveee Anton Yelchin, Paul Dano, and Jamie Bell. All of them are really talented

? , August 02, 2008

Spunk Ransom rules!

What?! (If your a Twilight fan, that single word is hilarious!) Robert Pattinson should be wayyyy higher! Like, #1, maybe?

Caylie , August 10, 2008

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ROBERT PATTINSON!!!

es demasiado sexy lo amo muxho i creo qe debe de estar en el #1

irais , September 30, 2008

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