2. Tom Hardy
Like it did for Michael Fassbender, Band of Brothers also provided Tom Hardy with his first screen role. He dropped out of drama school to take it, playing the part of Pvt. John Janovec, an ill-fated soldier who appears in two episodes. Around the same time, he took a role in another ensemble war piece, Ridley Scotts Black Hawk Down, and it seemed like he was on the way to stardom, particularly after being cast as the villain in Star Trek: Nemesis, sharing the screen with Sir Patrick Stewart. Ultimately, however, the film tanked, leaving Hardy in the acting wilderness for several years afterwards, in which supporting turns in the British gangster films Layer Cake and RockNRolla were his most notable performances. A spot of good fortune meant that everything changed in 2008, when he underwent a huge physical transformation to play the role of Britains Most Dangerous Prisoner in Bronson. Attracting plaudits for the role, he secured parts in Warrior, Christopher Nolans Inception and Tomas Alfredsons Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, co-starring with his acting idol, Gary Oldman in the latter. Nolan would come calling again for 2012s The Dark Knight Rises, giving Hardy the role of Bane, a formidable adversary of the Caped Crusader. Using a voice that has since become a staple of amateur impressionists, he captured the worlds attention and now looks set to profit as a result. The actors schedule for 2013 is currently empty, but his upcoming projects across the next couple of years look set to cement his status as a credible action star. Most notable amongst these is the part of Max Rockatansky, the role made famous by Mel Gibson, in a Mad Max reboot, whilst he is also the first choice to play the role of John Clark in a new series of films based on Tom Clancys novels.