The Breakthrough Kids

Keisha Castle-Hughes

14, Whale Rider

WOWED US BY: Becoming the youngest-ever Oscar nominee for Best Actress for her heart-wrenching work in Whale Rider

WATCH FOR HER IN: Star Wars Episode III as the Queen of Naboo

Ryan Gosling

23, The Believer, Murder by Numbers, The Slaughter 'Rule, The United States of Leland

WOWED US BY: Drawing comparisons to a young Robert De Niro for his fearless portrayal of a neo-Nazi with a startling secret in the controversial The Believer

WATCH FOR HIM IN: The romantic drama The Notebook in June and the thriller Stay with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in the fall

Kerry Washington

27, Save the Last Dance, The Human Stain, Against the Ropes

WOWED US BY: Bursting onto the scene with raw sincerity in the Sundance triumphs Our Song and Lift

WATCH FOR HER IN: Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story with Jamie Foxx and Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Michael Pitt

23, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Murder by Numbers, The Dreamers

WOWED US BY: Going to the edge in the raucously bizarre Hedwig and baring his character's soul (and more) in the NC-17 The Dreamers

WATCH FOR HIM IN: M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and Asia Argento's The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

Emmy Rossum

17, Mystic River, The Day After Tomorrow

WOWED US BY: Emoting (and singing) so purely and piercingly in the Appalachian-set Songcatcher that we were shocked she had never acted professionally before

WATCH FOR HER IN: The much-anticipated The Phantom of the Opera (right) as Christine

Lindsay Lohan

17, Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Mean Girls

WOWED US BY: Playing both the straightlaced mom and punky daughter with charming, effortless ease in the enthusiastically received body-switching comedy Freaky Friday

WATCH FOR HER IN: High-school flicks Dramarama and Gossip Girl

Emile Hirsch

19, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The Mudge Boy, The Girl Next Door

WOWED US BY: Holding his own with an intimidating Jodie Foster in the coming-of-age drama Altar Boys

WATCH FOR HIM IN: Imaginary Heroes with Sigourney Weaver and Lords of Dogtown from Thirteen director Catherine Hardwicke

Chad Michael Murray

22, Freaky Friday, the WB's One Tree Hill

WOWED US BY: Building One Tree Hill into a breakout hit with his charismatic, sensitive portrayal of small-town loner Lucas Scott

WATCH FOR HIM IN: This summer's A Cinderella Story, playing Prince Charming to Hilary Duff, and the forthcoming horror remake House of Wax

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