7. Leonardo DiCaprio
Probably the most famous actor of this generation, DiCaprio's skill level isn't quite the equal of his popularity but there's no denying that he is among the most talented, and certainly most accomplished, young actors out there. DiCaprio rose to prominence in the early 90's with a string of acclaimed roles, beginning with 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, with Romeo & Juliet, and most noticeably Titanic, following soon after. Titanic made him one of the most famous entertainment figures in the world but unfortunately led into a string of flops. Gradually his performances began to become more impressive and throughout the 2000's he established himself as one of the most skilled actors at choosing great scripts. His movies since then have included Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Blood Diamond, and The Departed and during this remarkable run, DiCaprio combined critical reception and commercial success in a way few actors are capable of. In addition, this period marked the beginning of his ongoing collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. In recent years, DiCaprio's roles have only grown more diverse with Shutter Island, Inception, and Django Unchained showing sidess of him audiences had never seen before. DiCaprio has already been featured in The Great Gatsby this year and will star in Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street which has already garnered some substantial awards buzz. DiCaprio brings an a certain instant credibility to any movie he appears in. He is an excellent chooser of scripts, rarely taking a misstep after he developed enough to be picky with his roles. He also has helped himself by often working with excellent directors, most notably Martin Scorsese but also Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, and Steven Spielberg. While he's not a legendary method actor like Daniel Day-Lewis or Christian Bale, DiCaprio brings a devotion and intensity that few other actors can match, and he's versatile and charismatic enough to make almost any role he takes something to behold.