Though he was five years removed from an Oscar nomination, in 2011 Ryan Gosling was everywhere, skyrocketing into A-list territory thanks to "Crazy Stupid Love,""Drive" and "The Ides of March." In 2012 it was Channing Tatum, who scored three hits ("The Vow,""21 Jump Street,""Magic Mike") and delivered the best work of his career in "Mike," a movie that was much better than anyone expected. (Sorry to those who just wanted the film suggested by the ads, which was pretty much two hours of stripping.)
Looking at the movies slated for release in 2013, there's no obvious choice for this year's actor who will go from a mildly familiar name and face to an absolutely huge star who's like OMG the coolest hottest thing of all time. As of now, however, there are a few particular people worth considering:
Chris Pine
In 2012, the widely disliked "This Means War" and generally ignored "People Like Us" failed to assert the "Star Trek" and "Unstoppable" star as a non-franchise, non-Denzel Washington-movie leading man. This year, Pine's return as Capt. Kirk in the highly anticipated sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" and, perhaps more significantly, taking over the Jack Ryan role from the likes of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck for "Jack Ryan" may streamline his stardom and solidify recognition that's still dangling on the periphery.
Liam Hemsworth
Being the youngest guy in "The Expendables 2" (and Miley Cyrus' fiance/husband/whatever) doesn't earn you a ton of clout, and Gale was mostly on the sidelines in "The Hunger Games." There's reason to believe Hemsworth will be a bigger factor in the big-screen "Catching Fire," and starring roles alongside Ford ("Paranoia") and Dwayne Johnson ("Empire State") could also help vault Hemsworth to the next level. Maybe.
Armie Hammer
He burst onto the scene playing both twins in "The Social Network," but neither "J. Edgar" nor "Mirror Mirror" favorably showcased Hammer's charm or talent. His starring role with Johnny Depp in "The Lone Ranger" could make Hammer a major talking point again, and several other reported upcoming top-line efforts could only further that perception.
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