Rising Stars 2006

December 16, 2007 TC Kirkham

RISING STARS 2006

On our recent episode, "To Rise And Fall In L.A.", we chose 20 of the hottest up and coming young stars. Below, you’ll find the 20 we picked, along with some information and links for each of the actors and actresses we think are fast rising stars! Each stars’ name is linked to their IMDB entry (except for Tyler Andrews; the listing in the IMDB for that name is NOT the same actor, so his link has been changed appropriately).

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

	TYLER ANDREWS Tyler stars in three great short films available from writer/producer/director Scott Schirmer, based in Indiana – "Boy In The Making", "House Of Hope", and "Off The Beaten Path". It’s too bad he doesn’t get more exposure, as Kim and I both think he has tons of charisma and deserves a shot at the big time. ScottSchirmer.Com
	MICHAEL ANGARANO What can I say about Michael that I didn’t say on the show? He is a truly gifted, electric performer who grabs each part and runs with it. He won my Poppie for 2005 Best Supporting Actor for his role of "Sid" in "Lords of Dogtown" and he has a number of other projects either available now on DVD ("Dear Wendy", "One Last Thing…", "Sky High") or coming to theatres soon ("Black Irish" (now making the film festival rounds), "The Bondage", "Snow Angels", "Man In The Chair", "The Final Season"). You can also catch him on Will & Grace repeats, where he plays Jack’s son, Elliot, and on six episodes of the upcoming season of the Emmy-winning thriller series "24" starting in January. MichaelAngarano.Com (Official Site)
	JAMIE BELL Jamie has been making a name for himself ever since the release of "Billy Elliot" several years back, but if you haven’t seen him since then, you should check him out. He has a large supporting role in Peter Jackson’s excellent remake of "King Kong", and lead roles in "Dear Wendy" and "The Chumscrubber", and is currently onscreen in Clint Eastwood’s new war epic, "Flags of Our Fathers". We think Jamie’s star is only beginning to rise, and at just 20 years of age, he’s got a long career ahead of him. Jamie Bell Fan (Fan Site)
	EMILIE DE RAVIN This beauty is best-known for her role as "Claire" on the hit TV series "Lost", and she came to the big screen this year in the critically acclaimed indie flick "Brick". Emilie has superstar written all over her, and we both think she’s going to go a long way! EmilieDeravin.Com (Official Site)
	NOAH FLEISS The nephew of Heidi Fleiss, Noah’s been on screen for years as a child actor in movies like "Josh And S.A.M" and "Joe The King", and is now making waves as a young adult in the indie smash "Brick". He has several films upcoming, and we know his star is on the rise.
	MEAGAN GOOD Meagan is all over the place these days. In addition to her turn as drama queen Kara in the indie fave "Brick", she’s also been featured in a number of other movies lately, including "Roll Bounce" and "Waist Deep". She’s also serving as a co-producer of her latest project, "Miles From Home". This beauty is taking the reins and making a name for herself and we think she’s destined to go far…
	JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT Already well known for his co-starring role in the long running sitcom "3rd Rock From the Sun", Joseph has made a spectacular transition to the big screen. He recieved rave reviews for his starring role in 2005’s disturbing child molestation movie "Mysterious Skin" and for his role as "Brenden", the "Sam Spade" of the critically acclaimed indie film "Brick". Next up, you can see him co-starring with Cuba Gooding Jr and Helen Mirren in "Shadowboxer", and as a hitman-in-training in the upcoming thriller "Killshot", which is looking to be his next big breakthrough role. Joseph has clearly left his sitcom days far behind him, and is destined for big things as his career moves into it’s next phase.
	WILSON JERMAINE HEREDIA Wilson created the role of "Angel" in the Tony-winning musical RENT back in 1996, and recreated the role for the critically-acclaimed movie. Kim was electrified by his performance in the movie, and he’s got a number of different projects on the burner, and frequently turns up in TV shows and projects as well. WilsonJermaineHeredia.com (Official Site)
	KEIRA KNIGHTLEY This classic beauty has been on the rise since her first turn as Elizabeth Swann in the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movies. She has since won critical acclaim for her starring turn in "Pride And Prejudice", and shed her beautiful image to star as a down and dirty bounty hunter in the film "Domino". No doubt about it, Keira is here to stay, and her star keeps getting bigger and bigger!
	SUNNY MABREY After spending her early career days as a model and video actress, Mabrey moved to feature films with "The New Guy", and had a featured role in "XXX:State Of The Union" opposite Ice Cube. But it was as supermodel Nikki Sinclaire, the object of terminally ill teenager Dylan’s fantasy obsession in "One Last Thing…" that she first came to our attention. She also had a featured role this past summer as a flight attendant in the already-legendary "Snakes On A Plane". And no doubt the future will be bringing more great roles for this talented actress…
	ELLEN PAGE Ellen’s been around a while, doing small parts in various movies, but in 2006, she exploded onto screens all over the world. She is the star of the critically acclaimed indie film "Hard Candy", and went mainstream as "Kitty Pride" in "X-Men:The Last Stand". Her schedule is full of great new projects, and we have a feeling her 2007 is going to be great as well… EllenPage.Org (Fan site)
	CONNOR PAOLO Best known as "Travis" on the daytime drama "One Life To Live", Connor has been slowly making his name in feature films as well. He’s had small roles in "Alexander" (playing the young Alexander) and "Mystic River" (again, playing the younger version of Sean), and has recieved critical acclaim for two episodes of "Law & Order:SVU" that he’s done. His first major role in a film came this summer, as Nicolas Cage’s eldest son in "World Trade Center", and he’s poised to breakthrough in a big way in the big screen adaptation of the bestseller "Snow Angels", starring opposite Kate Beckinsale and Michael Angarano. The Connor Paolo Files (Fan site)
	ROBERT PATTINSON Kim was enchanted with this young englishman who make his breakthrough as the ill-fated Cedric in "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire", and she sees big things in his future. He’s been active on the "PotterCon" circuit, and has also been involved in a number of productions in the UK, and looks poised to find his star rising on both sides of the Atlantic in the near future… RobertPattinson.Org (Fan site)
	BRANDON ROUTH Who would have believed that a few episodic guest shots and a role on daytime drama would lead to "Super" things for this young actor? He stepped admirably into some hard-to-fill shoes in "Superman Returns" this summer, and is contracted for two sequels, and he’s also bound to show up in other places as well. You can catch him next in "Denial", which was actually shot BEFORE the role that made him famous. BrandonRouth.Com (Fan site)
	JAKE SANDVIG Jake first won us over as "Lash" in the sleeper hit "Sky High" in 2005, and can now be seen on the new CBS hit sitcom "Twenty Good Years" starring opposite John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor. He also has two more films in the can awaiting release – "Parental Guidence Suggested" and "Finishing The Game". A character actor with the potential to become a household name, for sure….
	AARON STANFORD Best known for his standout performances as "Pyro" in the last two "X-Men" movies, Stanford has a host of credits racking up. He stars in the upcoming ABC television series "Traveller", which is set to premiere in January and was picked as one of the best new shows of the season by popular TV site TheFutonCritic.com, and can next be seen on the big screen in the upcoming films "Flakes" and "The Cake Eaters". Aaron Stanford….Actor (Official site)
	STEVEN STRAIT Ladies around the world swooned when Steven burst onto the scene in 2005 as the gruff but still lovable rogue "Warren Peace" in Disney’s sleeper smash "Sky High" and as the star of the indie film "Undiscovered". Now on screen in "The Covenant", and currently shooting Roland Emmerich’s latest epic, "10,000 BC", this actor/musician/model is definately someone to keep a close eye on! The Next Big Thing…Steven Strait (Fan site)
	TRACIE THOMS Tracie co-starred in the short-lived but critcally-acclaimed show "Wonderfalls" (currently running repeats on LOGO) before taking on the role of Joanne Jefferson in the screen adaptation of the Broadway smash RENT. Currently, she is a regular on the CBS series COLD CASE and is continuing her career in the movies with a featured role in the summer blockbuster THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Tracie Thoms Online (Fan site)
	KELLY VITZ Kelly made her feature film debut as "Magenta" in the Disney hit "Sky High" in 2005, and has since been filming a number of different movies. She’s featured prominently in the upcoming screen version of "Nancy Drew", and has roles in two other films coming to theatres in the next year or so. This young beauty is poised to make her move…be watching for her!
	NORA ZEHETNER Nora’s had a featured role in the tv series "Everwood" for a couple of years, but it was as femme fatale "Laura" opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s "Brenden" in the indie smash "Brick’ that she really turned heads. Nora is currently a featured regular on the new NBC hit series "Heroes" and has several more films due out in the next year.