15 breakout actors of the decade

Our list of the top breakthrough stars of the 2000s

By Geoff Berkshire, Brett Buckalew and S. James Snyder, Metromix

One of the great pleasures of the movies is discovering an exciting new actor. Those performers that thrill and impress with their talent, looks, relatability and star power.

The following 15 actors made their marks in the past decade, making good on breakout roles with equally impressive bodies of work. They're the actors we're most excited to follow into the next decade, when we know they'll be joined by a whole new crop of breakout stars.

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