14. Jason Clarke
Anyone could have predicted Australian actor Jason Clarke was poised to have a big year just by looking at the three huge movies lined up for 2012 Lawless, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Great Gatsby. Even with Gatsby getting pushed to 2013, Clarke still clearly had a nice and highly productive year. After years of Australian film/TV work and minor roles in Hollywood films, Clarke finally had the string of films that should guarantee him much more notice. Though he took a back seat to his more famous on-screen brothers Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf, Clarke brought a quiet and menacing intensity to Lawless. And in a film full of great performances, he is getting some of the most positive mentions (second only to the Oscar-nominated Jessica Chastain) for his role in Zero Dark Thirty.
Whats Next: The Great Gatsby w/ Leo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, & Carey Mulligan; playing a young Abe Lincolns father in The Green Blade Rises; White House Down w/ Channing Tatum & Jamie Foxx; and Mojave w/ Oscar Isaac.