4. Dane DeHaan
After getting his break on a pair of HBOs shows (True Blood, In Treatment), Dane DeHaan had a big, big year in 2012. First came the surprise hit/better than expected Chronicle, a found footage superhero film. After a slight misstep with the lesbian/werewolf flick Jack & Diane, DeHaan rebounded with a small, but scene-stealing role in the underrated moonshine drama Lawless. And if that was not enough, he ended the year with an appearance in Lincoln, one of the most acclaimed films of the year. He also had another anticipated film, The Place Beyond the Pines with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, premiere at film festivals, though it does not get a theatrical release until 2013.
Whats Next: The Beat Generation biopic Kill Your Darlings w/ Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Foster, & Elizabeth Olsen; Devils Knot with Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth; and he was just announced as the new Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.