2. Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy burst into the public consciousness after playing Eames in Christopher Nolan's 2010 masterpiece, Inception (for which he earned a BAFTA Rising Star Award). The role gave his career a healthy boost, and landed him roles in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises, and Lawless. He continues to deliver outstanding performances every time he's on screen, and manages to completely disappear into the roles he's given. He's become an audience favorite, and will continue starring in big budget projects in the foreseeable future, with the Mad Max reboot in 2014 and Splinter Cell adaptation currently in development. He got his start in 2001, in the Band of Brothers miniseries, before making his big screen debut in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down that same year. He would star in 22 films and 8 TV projects before 2010, including Star Trek: Nemesis (as the Picard clone Shinzon), Layer Cake, Marie Antoinette, RocknRolla, and Bronson.