7. Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum is an actor who has really come into his own in 2012, given that myself and countless others had written him off as a pretty brain-dead lug of an actor whose talents didn't extend beyond starring in dance movies and insipid adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels. Oh how wrong we were all proven, then, with Tatum's persistently outstanding performances throughout 2012; starting with Steven Soderbergh's underwhelming spy thriller Haywire, Tatum is one of the few bright spots, memorably having his ass resolutely kicked by Gina Carano's protagonist in the film's opening minutes. From this, he went to star in the surprisingly watchable rom-com The Vow, before really making a name for himself by starring in 21 Jump Street opposite Jonah Hill. His character is a not-so-brainy lug, but Tatum isn't just "playing himself" as many might have suspected; Tatum demonstrates unexpected nuance and a real sweetness that ends up making him a lot more likeable and also funnier than Hill's character. It's with this film that Tatum might have found his niche; the guy needs to stick to R-rated comedies, because he's absolutely hilarious in them. And of course, how could we forget Magic Mike? Tatum, a former stripper, reportedly drew on his own real-life experiences as a former stripper to craft this unexpectedly engaging film from Steven Soderbergh, which gave audiences plenty of shirtless men while also weaving a meaningful narrative. As for 2013? Tatum is again teaming with Soderbergh for his drug drama Side Effects, while also starring in two action films; G.I. Joe: Retaliation and then Roland Emmerich's White House Down.