9. Rooney Mara
Perhaps even more unlikely than Mias rise to prominence, Rooneys path led her to be one of the players in 2010s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Talk about auspicious. But then just a few months later she stole the hearts of everyone who has lost in love, and stole the scene from Best Actor nominee Jesse Eisenberg when she provided the impetus for the creation of facebook in The Social Network. She probably could have earned her way onto this list from that little performance alone, but she wasnt done acting for David Fincher. Her performance as Lisbeth Salander cemented her status as an up and coming star. It also earned her a nice little resume boost in the form of an Academy Award nomination. She can be beautiful. She can be a badass. She is not afraid to transform her appearance for a role (and that often equals Oscar goldjust ask Charlize Theron or Nicole Kidman or Hilary Swank or). And she is talented; lets not forget that also helps when earning critical praise. Rooney has followed up her nomination with a solid turn in Steven Soderbergs (last?) theatrical film Side Effects and will soon be seen in Aint Them Bodies Saints. She also is in Terrence Malicks and Spike Jonzes next projects and there is no question they know how to get the best from their actors. She will also likely be reprising her role as Lisbeth in The Girl Who Played with Fire which could lead to her following in Cate Blanchetts footsteps of being nominated twice for playing the same character.