- George Clooney - Michael Clayton

- Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood

- Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl

- Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild

- Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

George Clooney

Like many actors George Clooney has tried his hand at directing with great results as Good Night and Good Luck saw him Oscar nominated in the director's category.But with Michael Clayton, Clooney is back in front of the camera.Clayton is a burnt out lawyer and professional 'fixer' who gets caught up in events that surround a corporate cover-up.His success with Michael Clayton follows his 2006 Academy Award success where he won Nest Supporting Actor for his role in political thriller Syrianna, which also starred Matt Damon.His role as Michael Clayton has earnt Clooney critical acclaim as well as a whole host of critic's awards including San Francisco film Critics Circle and national Board of Review for Best Actor.

He also received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance but he was beaten on the night by British actor Daniel Day Lewis.

Ryan Gosling

In 2006, at the age of twenty five, Ryan Gosling secured his first Academy Award nomination for his role in Half Nelson.

Now eighteen months later a Golden Globe nomination has come his way for his most recent role Lars and the Real Girl.

Lars Lindstrom is a shy young man who brings home the woman of his dreams. The only problem is she is a sex doll off the Internet.

But unlike everyone else who thinks he’s nuts Lars has found a deep and meaningful relationship.

Having worked with Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Anthony Hopkins as well as having a string of lead roles Gosling is quickly becoming very talented and highly sought after actor.

Daniel Day Lewis

Despite claiming that his role in Gangs of New York, for which he was Oscar nominated, would be his last 2007/8 sees Daniel Day Lewis return to the big screen in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood.

Set over a twenty year period the Will Be Blood follows Daniel Plainview (Day Lewis), who rises from a lowly silver miner to become a successful oil baron.

Following a tip from a visitor named Paul Sunday, whose family sits atop a veritable ocean of oil, Plainview travels to the town of New Boston, California, with his young son.

Sunday’s preacher brother Eli (both roles are played by the excellent Paul Dano) grudgingly accepts Plainview’s ambitions under the condition that he help fund the town church.

As Plainview’s plans come to fruition, a series of events begin to fracture the insular world he has constructed for himself, pitting Plainview against Sunday and forcing him to become even more vindictive and ruthless.

Lewis is possibly favourite to win this year's Best Actor Academy Award, his second, for the role having picked up Best Actor awards at the Golden Globes, National Society of Film Critics' Awards and the LA Film Critics Association in recent months.

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen is at last beginning to shake off his Lord of the Rings tag forming an excellent partnership with director David Cronenberg.

In their second feature together Eastern Promises follows Nikolai, a ruthless and dangerous man who is linked to one of London’s most notorious and organised crime families.

But his careful existence is disrupted by Anna, a midwife, who is searching for the family of a girl who died in childbirth.

Mortensen is famed for his deep research when preparing for his roles and for Eastern Promises he mingled with some of the Russian Mafia in London.

Eastern Promises won the Audience Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year.

Emile Hirsch

Twenty two year old Emile Hirsch gave one of last year's best breakthrough performances in Sean Penn's Into the Wild.

Newly graduated Christopher McCandless walks away from his promising future and privileged lifestyle in search of adventure.

McCandless hitchhikes across America visiting South Dakota, the Colorado River, Slab City California before reaching Alaska where he met his untimely death.

Into the Wild has been met well critically winning a string of awards including: the Gotham Award for Best Feature Film, Mill Valley Film Festival for Best Actor (Emile Hirsch) and the Palm Springs International Film Festival for Director of the Year.

It was also nominated for four Screen Actors Guild awards and seven Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

However it was a surprise absentee with no nominations in the main categories at this year's Golden Globes were it had been expected to do well. It similarly missed out in the BAFTA nominations.

Hirsch will have a change of genre next as he stars in Speed Racer which is based on the 1960's Japanese animated series chronicling the aspirations of a young race car driver.

Tip to win - Daniel Day Lewis for There Will Be Blood

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw