The Top 20 Actresses Under 30

We’ve been running this list for six years now – originally it was top ten under 25, a definition we realised was too narrow as our favourite stars got older. Funnily enough this year the youngsters are back in force – only three of our top ten, and one of the top five, are over 25.

What does that mean? Well, obviously we’re not claiming that Mia Wasikowska (ranked 3 in our chart) is as big a movie star as Natalie Portman (ranked 14). And frankly I would be surprised if Carey Mulligan (ranked 5) can command a paycheque comparable with, say, Scarlett Johansson’s (15). Rather, the list is a spot-check, a snapshot of how these talented actresses have fared over the past year or so. The fact is, while Natalie Portman has a large and enthusiastic fan-base, her recent work has been relatively disappointing, and while Scarlett did show some mettle in Iron Man 2 this season, she’s been taking some down time otherwise.

Similarly, in terms of box office numbers, Megan Fox would take some beating because of her Transformers roles – but it is debatable that those films would have performed any less impressively if, say, Emma Stone, had been cast instead. But Jennifer’s Body was box office poison, and Megan was front and centre in that marketing campaign.

To arrive at our rankings, we do look at the box office, and also at awards and critical reception – but also, less scientifically, we try to take the measure of career momentum by looking at the calibre of these actresses projects and collaborators, the kind of roles that they are playing and the buzz they are generating. So whileMichelle Williams (our number 2 pick) may not be rolling in the big bucks, her high showing can be explained by the residual impact of her superb performance inWendy And Lucy (among others); her exceptional work this year in Martin Scorsese’s hit Shutter Island; and the excitement around the Sundance drama Blue Valentine, costarring Ryan Gosling. All that, plus her recent casting as Marilyn Monroe – the very definition of hot, surely?

Tom Charity
tom.charity@lovefilm.com

1. Kristen Stewart

Age: 20
2009 ranking: 9

Credits: Twilight Saga; The Runaways; Into The Wild; Adventureland

Debits: Jumper; What Just Happened

Stewart has played Jodie Foster’s daughter in Panic Room, Meg Ryan’s daughter in In The Land Of Women, and Robert De Niro’s daughter in What Just Happened? Since then, of course, she’s also played Billy Burke’s daughter, Bella Swan, in Twilight – the kind of recurring role in a hit franchise that you could build a career on, assuming you have what it takes to capitalize. Her impressive, gritty performance as Joan Jett in The Runaways suggests that she does – it’s enough to make even Bella-beaters reassess - and Sundance reviews for her turn as a lap dancer in Welcome to the Rileys were equally convincing. With Walter Salles’ On The Road coming up (and more Twilights, of course), Stewart is pulling ahead of the pack.

12. Anna Kendrick

Age: 24
New Entry

With her sophisticated look and subtle, self-effacing comic skills, it’s a mystery how Anna missed the cut last year. This year she already has an Oscar-nomination (supporting) to brag about, for her standout turn as the over-confident college grad in Up in the Air. That joins the Tony nomination she picked up for the Broadway production of High Society way back in 1998. She’s familiar to a whole other crowd of moviegoers for her recurring role as Jessica Stanley in the Twilight series. But we love her for the debate team queen bitch Ginny Ryerson in Rocket Science. Oh, and there’s also the thing she has coming up with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen – possibly called I’m With Cancer. Did I mention Anna’s also playing Scott’s sister, Stacy Pilgrim? (But Mary Elizabeth Winstead is Ramona Flowers.)

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xoxo
Carrie