The Future of Hollywood Leading Men and Women

Emile Hirsch

(25 years old; this generation’s Sean Penn)

He may be most well-known of this entire list, but he is still one of those faces that far too few people know the name of. He has not yet gotten to the Oscar ceremony (I am still fuming about his snub in 2007), but he has definitely had some worthy performances. Milk, Lords of Dogtown, and of course Into the Wild are three examples. Ever since I saw him in The Girl Next Door, I knew that this guy had the goods. Since that star-making turn, other than Speed Racer, he has strictly done serious movies. This is partly where the Sean Penn comparison comes in. He has the talent and the chops to act in anything, but he chooses films of importance, and I admire that. Plus, his role in Into the Wild was totally a Penn role, which is no mystery as to why he chose Hirsch as his lead in his film.