6. Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender has firmly established himself as one of Hollywood's best actors. He's earned critical acclaim for his parts in Hunger, Fish Tank, and Shame, and won over general audiences and fanboys alike for roles in 300, Inglourious Basterds, X-Men First Class, and Prometheus. He's often the best part of whatever he's in, even when playing smaller roles (like in Haywire in 2012), and shows no signs of stopping. He's starring in two films this fall, 12 Years a Slave and The Counselor, will reprise his role of Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and will produce and star in the Assassin's Creed adaptation (slated for 2015). He first started acting on the stage and, believe it or not, played Mr. Pink in a 1995 play adaptation of Reservoir Dogs (which he produced and directed). After several theater roles, he landed a role in Steven Spielberg's Band of Brothers HBO miniseries in 2001. He achieved mainstream success after his first film role, as Stelios in Zack Snyder's 300. He then began the rise to stardom, after several smaller, critically acclaimed projects, and then skyrocketed to success in 2009 with Inglourious Basterds.