4. Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy has somehow found a way to become an up and coming actor on two different occasions. The first time was when he was chosen to be the villain in Star Trek Nemesis but after that movie flopped he was able to rebuild his fledgling career through a series of acclaimed television and theatre roles. His career began to really take off again after he starred in Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla in 2008 and the same year he gained considerable acclaim for his role in Nicholas Winding Refn's Bronson. He came to the attention of mainstream moviegoers with his scene stealing turn in Christopher Nolan's Inception which led to him appearing in both Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Warrior the following year. In 2012, Hardy starred in his biggest role to date as Bane in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, where his overpowering screen presence made him one of the most memorable villains in all superhero films. With his roles in Bronson, Warrior, and The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy has established himself as the go to actor for roles that call for a larger than life presence. Hardy might be the most physically intimidating screen actor working today when he wants to be but at the same time he is able to tone that side of him down in roles such as Inception where he plays a variation of the charming rogue. Hardy's abilities make him one of the best actors of the last few years but his devotion has almost worked against him. Since his most prominent roles have required him to completely change his appearance, many casual viewers would not even be able to match his name to his face. Hopefully, upcoming roles like Mad Max will bring him the recognition he deserves.