A Look Back at 2009 (Part 6)

Much like the New Faces of 2009, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year. With the help of some online research, here are my predictions for the faces of 2010 (in no particular order):

1. Alessandra Torresani – Starring in a pivotal role in the new Syfy series Caprica, the “prequel” (of sorts) to the critically-acclaimed Sci-Fi Channel (nee Syfy) series Battlestar Galactica, Alessandra will be making waves next year as Zoe Graystone, the daughter of the creator of the Cylons, Daniel Graystone (portrayed by Eric Stoltz) before they became the bringers of death to the human race. Viewers can watch the series every Friday night at 9 PM.

2. Joseph Mazzello – The child actor best-known for his role in the fan favorite movie Jurassic Park is now all grown up and set to star in the much-anticipated 10-part HBO mini-series The Pacific that will tell the stories of three Marines involved in America’s battle with the Japanese during World War II. He will co-star with James Badge Dale (24) and William Sadler (Roswell), among others.

3. Portia Doubleday – Newcomer Portia appears in the coming-of-age movie Youth In Revolt based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by C.D. Payne, which tells the story of Nick Twisp (portrayed by Michael Cera) a unique, but affable teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Sinatra and Fellini who falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful, free-spirited Sheeni Saunders (portrayed by Portia) while on a family vacation. The movie also stars Justin Long, Zach Galifianakis, Steve Buscemi and Ray Liotta.

4. Eddie Marsan – Eddie has a long resume of movies and television appearances, but his role in the holiday release Sherlock Holmes (alongside Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams) has gottenhim the attention he so richly deserves. The movie has Holmes and stalwart partner Watson engaging in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England and potential the entire world. Marsan plays Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard. The movie has been in the theaters since Christmas Day.

5. Lily Cole – This UK native made her big box office debut in the movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – the last film made by the late Heath Ledger – which also stars legendary actor Christopher Plummer and features Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in various “transformations” of Ledger’s character Tony. In short, the movie is about a traveling theater company that gives its audience much more than they were expecting. Lily plays Valentina, the daughter of Doctor Parnassus (Plummer) who will become the property of the devil on her 16th birthday, as part of a deal Parnassus made to trade his immortality for youth to be with his true love. The movie opened on December 25 in limited release and had a national release on January 8.

6. Mia Wasikowska – Mia has appeared in movies such as Defiance and Amelia, but on March 5 she will portray the lead role in Tim Burton’s visionary adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, which covers the story of 19-year-old Alice as she returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The movie boasts a cast including Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall.

7. Christian McKay – The movie Me and Orson Welles opened in the theatre late last year, starring High School Musical hunk Zac Efron, but it was UK actor Christian McKay who portrayed the legendary Orson Welles who made an impression on movie-goers. The movie covers the tale of a teenager who is cast in the Mercury Theatre production of “Julius Caesar” directed by a young Orson Welles in 1937.

8. Rose McIver – This talented New Zealand actress has appeared in Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess and The Legend of the Seeker as well as playing Yellow Bear in the Power Rangers, but it is her role in the gripping movie The Lovely Bo nes, which has gotten her worldwide attention. Based on the novel by Alice Sebold, the movie tells the story of a 14-year-old girl from suburban Pennsylvania who is murdered by her neighbor, as she tells her story from Heaven, showing the lives of the people around her and how they have changed all while attempting to get someone to find her lost body.

9. Britt Robertson – Playing the lead character in the upcoming CW series Life Unexpected, Britt will portray Lux, a 15-year-old who has spent her life going from foster family to foster family. She has finally decided to become an emancipated minor. During her journey through the legal maze, Lux finds her biological father, 30-something Nate “Baze” Bazile, who lives above a bar and is astonished to learn he has a daughter. Lux then learns her mother is Cate Cassidy, a star on local radio, along with her boyfriend, Ryan Thomas. A judge decides to grant temporary custody of Lux to Baze and Cate instead of emancipating her. The series debuted on January 18.

10. Matt Smith – Landing the role of the Doctor in the legendary series Doctor Who has catapulted Matt, a relative newcomer, into an all-new realm and marks him as the youngest actor to ever portray one of the most beloved characters in sci-fi history. The transformation of the Doctor (from actor David Tennant to Smith) took place in Part 2 of the movie Doctor Who: The End of Time, that aired in the States on January 2.

11. Christopher Egan – This Australian actor got his start in the Aussie series Home and Away before starring in the short-lived FOX drama Vanished and the short-lived NBC series Kings. He also appeared in the box office movies Eragon and Resident Evil: Extinction; but it will be his turn in the theatrical release Letters to Juliet, starring Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garcia Bernal and the legendary Vanessa Redgrave, that is expected to open on May 7, which will assuredly turn heads and get the worlds’ attention.

12. Michael Fassbender – Michael has appeared in the UK series Hex and the box office movies 300 and Inglourious Basterds, but it will be his upcoming roles in the theatrical release Jonah Hex – coming out next June – and his role in the acclaimed story of Jane Eyre expected for 2011 that will hopefully, finally, get him some much-deserved attention,

13. Kodi Smit-McPhee – This youngster appeared alongside Viggo Mortensen in the movie The Road, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, about a father and his son who walk alone through a burned America, heading toward the warmer south, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing: just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless cannibalistic bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a rusting shopping cart of scavenged food–and each other.

14. Garrett Hedlund – Garrett has appeared in the movies Troy, Eragon, Four Brothers and Georgia Rule, but it will be his turn as Sam Flynn in Tron Legacy, expected to be in theaters next December and stars Michael Sheen, Olivia Wilde, John Hurt and Jeff Bridges, that will, undoubtedly, catapult him into notoriety simply because of the “legacy” of Tron itself.

15. Chris Hemsworth – Starring as the father of James T. Kirk in this summer’s blockbuster Star Trek put Chris on the watch-list of many in the industry; and that one pivotal role has paid off in big revenues for this Australian actor who is best known for his work in his home country’s TV series Home and Away. Chris will not only be playing the lead role in Kenneth Branagh’s theatrical release Thor; but he appears in the Joss Whedon thriller Cabin in the Woods and has the lead role in the remake of the 80’s classic Red Dawn.

16. Liam Hemsworth – Not to be outdone by his older brother Chris, Liam Hemsworth will be starring in the box office release The Last Song based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, which stars Disney sensation Miley Cyrus, Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston. Liam has a wealth of experience in Australian soap operas and will assuredly be on the fast track much like his brother in very short order.

17. Katerina Graham – Starring in the CW series The Vampire Diaries alongside the extremely appealing Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, as warring vampire brothers, and the breathtaking beauty Nina Dobrev, it could be easy for the rest of the cast to simply disappear into the background. However, Katerina has made her character, Bonnie Bennett – a newly discovered witch with incredible powers – leap off the screen and capture the attention of the viewers. She also seems to be in a high demand in the film world, as she will appear in the thriller The Roommate with Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights); the sci-fi movie (with hip-hop flavor) Boogie Town with Brenda Song (another Disney sensation) and has one of the lead roles in the movie Bleachers (which sounds like a modern-day Breakfast Club “remake”).