4. Chiwetel Ejiofor
The Case For: A criminally underrated actor, Ejiofor has floated in and out of Hollywood without ever really establishing himself. He has an impressively varied CV, with some great roles and some fantastic films. He was great as the fanatical Luke in Children Of Men, and has twice supported Denzel Washington, in American Gangster and Inside Man. Importantly, like Gosling, he can move between clean-shaven and bearded without sacrificing any of his good looks in the process. Also, Ejiofor translated from the Nigerian, actually means baby goose.
The Case Against: Ejiofor has not yet played a leading role in a big Hollywood movie, and worse, appears to have little interest in doing so. Instead, he makes artistic choices, like playing a member of a jazz group in 1930s London. Unless he starts making an effort and lands a leading part in a romantic comedy soon, its unlikely he will gain enough exposure to ever reach the level of popularity required to compete. Also, despite recent rumours to the contrary, Ejiofor when translated from Nigerian, has been conclusively proven NOT to mean baby goose.