Twenty years ago, Hollywood studios had a strict formula for their casting, directing, and production roles. Rather than investing in innovation and new faces, major films were assigned to major celebrities, and upstart actors and actresses were stuck with minor roles, indie films, and otherwise unknown opportunities.

Oh, how things have changed. The most successful film of 2010 – James Cameron’s Avatar – drew success without a major actor in the leading role. Besides Sigourney Weaver’s supporting presence, the film – one of the biggest of all time – was almost completely devoid of star-power. It’s clear that audiences have grown tired of the same old acting talent, and are demanding a new wave of Hollywood stars.

These ten rising stars and ambitious Hollywood upstarts are the ones filling those shoes. From 50-year-old Austrian unknowns to 20-something American natives, this new wave of actors, actresses, and multi-purpose filmmakers are destined to be the big stars of tomorrow. If you’ve grown tired of stale A-list acting talent, invest in these names and enjoy the entertainment returns.

Katrina Bowden

Known for her role as Cerie Xerox in NBC’s 30 Rock, Katrina Bowden has displayed more than just her great looks on-screen. Despite her relatively small role in 30 Rock, she’s managed to pick up major parts in three upcoming movies, and even a cool role in Fall Out Boy’s latest music video.

While it’s easy to write Katrina off as another Hollywood blonde barbie doll, there’s certainly more to her than meets the eye. This successful actress and model is known just as much for her fun on-screen quips and quick dialogue on 30 Rock as she is for her looks.

 Christoph Waltz

What’s a 54 year old Austrian TV actor doing alongside a bunch of 20-somethings? Christoph Waltz may not fit the age profile of most other up-and-coming Hollywood celebrities, but he certainly outdoes them when it comes to pure acting skill. After his incredible performance as Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 World War II epic Inglourious Basterds, Waltz picked up universal acclaim from the mainstream press, film critics, and Hollywood’s many awards ceremonies.

Despite his relatively late success, Christoph Waltz is no Hollywood slouch. The ultra-skilled polyglot and actor is on the radar for almost every major Hollywood studio, and is reportedly turning down offers like no one’s business.

Matt Czuchry

Gilmore Girls co-star Matt Czuchry is long overdue for his Hollywood breakthrough. A supporting character on the ultra-popular teenage TV show, Czuchry has starred in a range of low budget comedies, almost none of which have cracked into the major marketers.

However, despite his lack of major Hollywood successes, Czuchry possesses some acting chops that are destined to take him far. With his bad boy charm and surprisingly young looks (Czuchry is 32 years old) this versatile actor can take on almost any role, from high school student to yuppie professional.

Kristen Stewart

After being “discovered” by a casting agent during an elementary school play, Kristen Stewart has grown to become one of young Hollywood’s most impressive acting upstarts. Her 2002 role in the David Fincher thriller Panic Room established her as a bankable child star, and her subsequent performances in teen hits Twilight and New Moon have made her a lasting performer.

Set to renew her role in the upcoming Twilight film Eclipse, Kristen is reportedly enjoying her new-found success. A Los Angeles native, this show business upstart is looking towards a long-lasting acting career.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s road into acting is miraculous, even by Hollywood standards. After deciding on a whim to audition for the 2007 comedy Superbad, Christopher dragged his high school friends along to his audition, and even took his glamour shots with a cellphone camera.

 Michael Cera

Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s co-star in Superbad, Michael Cera is well-known amongst cult TV fans for his role as George Michael Bluth in Arrested Development. After the under-appreciated TV show’s cancellation, Cera has moved onto major Hollywood films, starring in Superbad, Juno, and the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Cera’s dry wit and nerdish charm has clearly caught the world by storm. Despite fears of being typecast, this smart and business savvy young actor appears to be forging a long-term Hollywood career.

 Ellen Page

22-year-old Ellen Page has been taking Hollywood by storm since age 18. Her role in 2005’s Hard Candy added strength and depth to the young actress’s resume, and made her a bankable star not just for indie comedies, but psychological thrillers and very serious dramas. After starring in a number of successful films, Page got her big break in the 2007 indie hit Juno.

Three years later, Ellen Page is acting as steadily as ever. Her most recent picture, Whip It, features Page delivering a convincing and powerful performance beside Drew Barrymore.

 Sam Worthington

This Australian actor was a virtual unknown until he was cast in the leading role in 2010’s biggest movie: James Cameron’s Avatar. Delivering an awesome performance as the disgruntled and sensitive marine Jake Sully, Worthington managed to bring life to a part that wasn’t exactly blooming with emotion.

 Chris Pine

It’s difficult to think of a sci-fi character more iconic than James T. Kirk. Maybe Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker can compare, but few other characters even come close. While most Star Trek fans hold William Shatner’s decades-long portrayal of the Enterprise captain the definitive performance, Chris Pine’s 2009 role definitely deserves some credit.

After his notable Star Trek success, Chris Pine is set to take on the role of Jack Ryan, a character that’s previous been played by Hollywood legends Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, and Harrison Ford.

 Mia Wasikowska

Australian-born but American-based actress Mia Wasikowska has enjoyed some remarkable recent success. Following a string of TV-based roles, she was given the title role in Tim Burton’s latest cinema creation – Alice In Wonderland.

Following her work with the dark and artistic cult director, she’s set to work with well-known director Gus Van Sant on a new project.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have recently been named as the highest paid actor and actress of the last year. So far both Daniel and Emma have starred in 6 installments of the Harry Potter series and there’s more to come. In terms of their net worth, Radcliffe tops the list and even features in the top ten being the youngest to do so. His net worth is estimated to be at approximately $60 million allegedly being paid $16 million for the fifth Potter film. 

The 20 year old actor is however mulling over what his life will be like post the Potter series. According to fellow co-star and friend, Rupert Grint aka Ron Weasley, the real world seems scary. However, Radcliffe has proved his acting skills beyond Harry Potter and the list of successes can only be expected to increase. And if his splurges are taken into consideration, it doesn’t seem that Radcliffe is too concerned having recently purchased a $8 million home in New York. His property worth alone stands at $20 million now.

Emma Watson ranks below Radcliffe though her net worth stands at an astounding $24 million. Catapulting to fame when she played the role of Hermoine Granger in the Harry Potter, Watson says that she may live to be a 100 years old but she will always be proud to be a part of the Potter franchise.  Apart from the Potter series, this actress in now the face of Burberry and can be seen their 2009 Fall/Winter campaign while earning a six figure sum under this contract. This 19 year old actress states that she will be an “uncontrollable wreck” when the filming of the last Potter film is finished.

Apart from the Potter series, Watson has also starred in big screen projects like The Tale of Despereaux and Voice (2008). However, possibly the biggest news has been that Watson plans to give up acting in order to pursue higher studies. She is recorded to have said that she wants to be a “proper, proper nerd” and will be studying at the prestigious Yale University in the U.S. As explained to Interview magazine, Watson misses school life and plans to study English, History, Politics, Art and French.

Hollywood is famous for its movies and glamour and equally infamous for its many, many shocking scandals. Counting down all the Hollywood scandals is almost a leviathan task however here are some of my picks.

1. It would be a sin not to begin with Michael Jackson whose whole life has been nothing short of a scandal. The King of Pop, a well deserved title, and Hollywood’s very own Peter Pan has been no stranger to controversy. From a peculiar affinity to sharing his bed with minors to disfiguring surgeries, from an abusive childhood to his recent tragic demise, the moonwalking superstar has been erased literally and figuratively. In 1993 he faced charges of child molestation which was settled out of court for a whopping $15 million and landed up in court once again in 2005 for the same charges. The recent death of Jackson caused even more controversy as the superstar’s addiction to prescription drugs was exposed. His physician Dr. Conrad Murray has been held responsible for his death and charges of involuntary manslaughter are to be brought up against him.
2. Roman Polanski, the critically acclaimed and Oscar winning director, is no stranger to scandal. His pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Manson family in 1969. In 1977, the then 44 yr old Polanski took a 13 yr old girl to Jack Nicholson’s house for a photo shoot. He plies the girl with Champagne and part of Quaalude before engaging in non-consensual sex.  Two weeks later, Polanski found himself in front of the grand jury. Upon hearing he could face jail time of 50 years, Polanski bolted for France. Of course, that did not stop Hollywood from bestowing him with an Oscar award for direction for The Pianist. He was not able to receive it though since he is barred from entering the U.S.
3. Ingrid Bergman, the Oscar winning iconic actress who was considered to be a devoted mother and wife shattered her impeccable image in 1969 when news of her affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini got out. Rossellini, then married and Bergman, mother of a 10 year old daughter became pregnant with his child. What followed was intense public condemnation and religious groups calling to ban her movies. The then Senator, Edward Johnson, denounced the actress as “a powerful influence for evil” and went to the extent of asking for banning her from the country for “moral turpitude”. The couple however wed after Rossellini gave birth to their child and had twins later before separating in 1956. Rossellini did however lose custody of her daughter with her previous husband during the divorce proceedings. All was forgiven when she received the Oscar for the best actress in the movie Anastasia.

Another one of the grossest and most famous scandals is probably when Woody Allen married his ex wife, Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon Yi. Perhaps what these scandal’s say about Hollywood is that no matter what your crime is that as long as you rake in the money, people can learn how to forget.

There ought to be no competition here as Harry Potter is clearly the winner. No book or movie has created more hysteria than this. The world seemed to have turned upside down when the books were released exciting both kids and adults alike. And what can be said about Daniel Radcliffe? He’s a teenage phenomenon who has girls from practically every continent swooning. The same can’t be said for Robert Pattison a.k.a Edward Cullen though. He is popular no doubt but nowhere near Radcliffe in terms of fan base and that of course, should be credited to the role he played.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson (Hermoine Granger) are easily the highest earning kids on the block. Coming back to the books, Harry Potter is by far ahead in the lead. It is a book with deep symbolisms and life lessons. It is about unity, standing up for your friends, for what is right and it is about the ultimate victory of good over evil. On the other hand, Twilight is nothing but a mindless romance between teens with no substantial message at all. It all revolves around a brainless school girl whom all boys seem to fall in love with, two of whom happen to be dangerous, mythical creatures.

Twilight is basically about a stupid girl without any personality whereas Harry Potter has very human, complex and believable characters. In terms of the movies, Harry Potter again scores better as it has amazing, exciting action sequences and can at times be scary too. Twilight’s saving grace is perhaps the hotness quotient of the male actors and the chemistry between Pattison and Stewart.

Of the latter could be alluded to the fact that there isn’t much to portray anyway excepting blank, mysterious expressions. The current box office also gives evidence to the fact that Harry Potter being the bigger grosser with The Half-Blood Prince already on its way to replace Twilight as the fastest selling in terms of advance ticketing. The 7^th book in the HP series is to be made in 2 parts which is understandable considering they need to develop the plot better. There’s so much to be included that no way can so much be packed into just 2 hours. In conclusion, considering all factors such as depth of plot, star power of the cast and box office success it cannot be denied that Harry Potter is indeed the winner in this battle.

If you’re reading this article you’re obviously a Brangelina addict. Come on. Admit it. How many times have you skipped reading the latest news of this ‘it’ couple? I would guess never. 

When Brad and Jen broke up all hell seemed to have broken lose.  A million hearts shattered to see their golden couple part ways and some even sited that ill fated day as “a day of infamy”, a term used for befitting catastrophes such as Pearl Harbor or Hiroshima bombings. With the split the world seemed to be divided in two teams; Team Jolie and Team Jen. As if being in either team made any difference since neither would be footing your bills anyway. 

I guess seeing Brad and Jen together gave hope to the disillusioned masses that fairy tale endings are indeed possible. But as time heals everything, Brangelina were gradually accepted and Brad’s infidelity forgiven. Although I don’t think we ever accepted Brangelina wholeheartedly if the reactions to their possible break-up says anything. Yes. You heard it. Hollywood’s best looking couple may quite well be on their way to splitsville.  Speculations are on in full swing fuelled by new twists such as the secret bachelor pad Brad Pitt’s bought for himself in Los Angeles. The Daily Mail claims that it’s so that he can keep himself away from Angelina and most importantly, to escape the media attention once the official word of their spilt is out.

Howard Stern had a lot to say about Brangelina claiming he is privy to a lot inside gossip nobody else is. He claimed that he knows for a fact that the couple has broken up and blamed it all on Angelina Jolie. He says that Angelina comes with a lot of excess baggage which is why her ex Billy Bob Thornton left to which I will quote “”I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” 

Rumors have been further fuelled by reports that the couple has been visiting lawyers to prepare themselves for a break up. Apparently, they’re planning a pre nuptial agreement so they can split all their property and finances equally and also to decide the custody rights of the children.

Neither party has denied nor corroborated the rumors keeping everyone guessing. However, Brad and Angelina accompanied with their eldest son, Maddox showed up at the SuperBowl American football final recently. The couple was seen hugging, kissing and laughing and as to whether this was a genuine night or an effort to squash rumours, time will tell. To those of you who read this till the end, if so much interest was shown in world peace, we’d have world peace! Of course, if you’re addicted to tinsel town gossip you might want to indulge in Jolie’s U.N work and maybe it would enlighten you that there are worse things going on in Syria than in Brangelina’s bedroom.

Oprah Winfrey is very easily one of the richest women in the USA. In fact she was once found to be the highest earning single woman in the country and as it appears she has no problems with it. As far as her interviews go and what she has to say in them she is pretty blatant about admitting to her riches and wealth and she feels no shame in flaunting them. Whether it is on her show where it was always visible for everybody to see that she is among the richest women in the country to being giving with the money that she had, may we feel safe to say that she has achieved the perfect balance as far as a wealthy person can achieve.

She has always admitted that she has a closet full of clothes and shoes and she is absolutely excited about it and will never lie about the kind of money that she has, she is said to be worth more than $ 1 billion. She has always been open about it, making it very evident to all her audiences that she is rich and has no hesitation in sharing either.

For instance, she herself had related an incident when she was returning from one of her many trips to Africa where she had been visiting for charity work. She says that she had gone for the trip with one of her rich friends, and when they were returning from the trip, her friend apparently asked her if she was feeling as guilty as she was, she was obviously disturbed with what they had just seen and probably flying back in a private jet to a home with a swimming pool and a closet full of clothes and shoes might have pricked her conscience somewhere and she asked Oprah the question. 

Even though Oprah’s comments such as these make it clear that she is proud of her earning power and she is not afraid to flaunt it, we are also all quite sure just how benevolent she is as well with that same money. On her shows, invariably she helps some people out with money or material things that they are in actual need of. She makes sure that it is a personal gift from her company instead of being completely a sponsorship by some other company so that the help that she is extending is entirely her own.

Just when everybody might have been wondering how great the ‘Princess Diaries’ star Anne Hathaway has grown and how celebrated a celebrity she has become, there are soon enough new news from the Hollywood department that crop up that might bring her morale down. For instance, what could get worse than dating a prisoner? Anne Hathaway was in a serious relationship with her now ex boyfriend Rafaello Follieri but the couple’s relationship kind of struck rock bottom when he was taken in by the cops and imprisoned for fraud and related crimes. The couple broke up while he was still in prison, and truly all of Anne’s friends were wondering what could go worse for her since she was in the middle of another heartbreak yet again.

However, apparently things can go worse for her, because hardly five months after her previous break up she entered in a relationship with actor Adam Shulman. Of course he is not a loser in the sense that one would look at him and wonder why Anne Hathaway is dating him. But the fact is that there are several sources that tell that her friends are not entirely happy about their relationship. There are sources that claim that Adam Shulman is nothing but an opportunist and chances are that Anne is heading for another heartbreak when she discovers the true “him”. Even when he was studying in Brown University, Shulman was known to be a player and that too, he had a reputation of chasing after girls with a lot of money and those who were heiresses. So if this kind of news is to be believed, then one wonders about Anne Hathaway’s choices.

Not only that, but Anne has also recently admitted that she has been jealous of Angelina Jolie for quite sometime now. She claims that the one thing that she is whole heartedly jealous of Angelina for is her ability to kiss on film like she really means it. According to Anne Hathaway, she finds it very difficult to act out a kissing scene for the movies because she cannot be a natural at it and it makes her uncomfortable.

Whatever the case may be with her current romance (whether rumors about Adam Shulman are to be believed or not) we only hope that Anne gets over her kissing crisis and sails through her current relationship much better than the one she experienced last.

Who would have thought that pretty people like Gerard Butler can have romance woes? Aren’t problems in love life associated with people who are plain and having boring and unglamorous jobs to do, how can a man look so good and actually claim that he is struggling where his romantic front is concerned. However, just because he claims that he is having love crisis does not mean that you start imagining that the women he is usually involved with are any plain Janes either. Hollywood beauties like Jessica Simpson and also Jennifer Aniston are the kinds of women who have been linked with him as far as the Hollywood rumor mills have it, and the men would think why Gerard Butler is having problems with some of the most desirable women in the world?!

However, Gerard claims that most of the women he gets attracted to initially all turn out to be mad sooner or later. Of course what exactly he means by mad or crazy is not really known, because however far the famous women associated with him are concerned do not exactly appear to be crazy. Nonetheless, he blames his sorry romantic life on the women he chooses to date. He claims he had never thought that he was one of those guys who dig crazy and hyper women but as it turns out, he cannot help but fall for women who are too much to handle for him.

However, he also claims that there is no fixed pattern of women that he is actually attracted to. According to him, one day he might be attracted to a woman who is soft and quiet and reserved while the next woman who he is attracted to might be outspoken and strong and powerful. There is no fixed type of woman for him apparently and as he believes that is the problem that he faces because he doesn’t exactly know what kind of a woman he wants in actually and thus who he should be looking for. Although he has not taken any names of the women he finds too much to handle.

Not only has he been talking about this, but as it appears he has also been thinking of the future a lot and how he plans on settling down. Gerard Butler thus claims that he plans on settling down with a  family and children as soon as he can find the right woman for him. However, he also claims (and by now we all know how confused he is) that he is at times hopeful and wishful and wonders why he isn’t married already with children of his own and then sometimes he is grateful that he didn’t take the hasty decision of marriage and children as he knows he can move on to that stage of life later when he is ready.

Finally, what we can genuinely pray for is that he unknots the thoughts in his head soon and figures out what he wants!

Give Your Spring Savings A Spring Clean And Save Thousands

Spring time is here! The birds are singing, the days are getting longer and people are full of optimism for the New Year. Many people see this as a great opportunity to clean up the home. Those who take the advice of Moneysupermarket.com will also give their finances a spring tidy.

By taking a few easy steps people could see themselves making savings of up to £3,469. They could use the savings to pay for a wonderful Summer Holiday or a brand new car.

Claire Francis, editor at Moneysupermaket.com, said, ‘after months in the cold and dark, spring is just round the corner and what better time to take charge of the family’s finances by checking to see that you’re making the most of your financial products. There are some really easy savings to be made, just by spending half an hour reviewing where you’re at financially’.

British people could see themselves making significant savings on their mortgages this year. The average standard variable rate has risen considerably over the last few months. The cost of borrowing has fallen and there has been an increase in the loan to value rate on many mortgages.

Mrs Francis commented, ‘with Base Rate at an all time low and only likely to increase, now may be the time to consider a longer term fixed rate mortgage. For those with high level of savings it may also be a good time to consider an offset mortgage to make best use of all your capital’.

‘Whatever your circumstances shopping around for the best mortgage and keeping a close eye on mortgage rates throughout the year is advisable to ensure you get the best deal. Someone with a £150,000, two year mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society fixed at 3.09% could save themselves £1634.76 a year against the average SVR rate of 4.69%’, she continued.

Significant savings can also be made by making the best out of credit cards. 28% of the British population make purchases using ‘plastic’ at least once a week. 25 % of those that use their cards, use them only when they can get reward points. A further 11% only use their credit cards use them for cashback and 0% purchases. This still leaves a considerable proportion of people who are not taking full advantage of potential savings.

Those people choosing to take out a loan could also see themselves making savings. ‘Loan rates are at an all time high but we have started to see rates on the leading deals drop in the last few months. If a £7,000 five year loan at an average rate of 12.33% APR is swapped to an Alliance and Leicester loan at 8.9% APR, an annual saving of £156.77 could be made’, Francis said.

Further savings can be made on car and home insurance policies. Many people seem to be of the belief that they should be covered for every possible eventuality. In reality they may not need the amount of cover that they have chosen to purchase. It may be worthwhile paying monthly rather than annually for insurance as this will usually cut costs.

Those young drivers who are on the look out for a bargain on their motor insurance should consider adding the name of an older driver to their chosen policy. This could result in some welcome savings.

Combining the TV, landline and broadband internet into one bundle could see consumers making savings of up to £170 a year.

Yes we all know what Simon Cowell’s ratings are as far as popularity is concerned and there surely are more than just a few people in the world who would like to say some harsh words to him. In fact even his hair doesn’t get him places, he was recently voted in a poll as having one of the top worst haircuts in Hollywood at the moment. In any case, some one has got to love him, right? Yeah there actually are several people who would swear by Simon Cowell’s profound remarks and as they would like to believe- blatant truths. Nonetheless, we have to take one person’s opinions into consideration; Ellen DeGeneres.

The two main reasons why Ellen’s views on Simon are important are that she is going to debut as the new judge of the latest American Idol Season and thus her opinions on her co-judges do matter and also because Ellen seems to be one of those celebrities who has no grudges and problems against any fellow celebrity in Hollywood. Ellen likes everyone, or so you would have thought.

Recently on Entertainment Tonight, Ellen was asked about her opinions on Simon Cowell her co-host and she was quick to remark that he was actually “meaner than I thought”. She went out to explain how she would be quite empathetic towards the people Simon would very simply gun down with some mean remark. Of course nothing less can be expected out of someone so nice! Also, there are actually rumors that are spreading about these two celebrity judges of American Idol and many claim that there have already been clashes between Simon and Ellen and that things are not calm between them

In fact recently apparently, there was a recording of the show’s episode that Simon was late for and he had kept the crew and the others waiting, nonetheless when he did turn up he made it a point to personally apologize to Ellen and she is said to have accepted the apology full heartedly without maintaining any grudges.

There is however a lot of debate about how fruitful putting Ellen DeGeneres as a judge on the show is even before her episodes have been aired, as many people seem to believe that she does not really have a clear cut and straightforward opinion on anybody and she would not be able to critique the contestants on the show. However, as it appears her opinions on Simon Cowell are pretty clear, even though she might not mean it in a way to offend him. However, we can now only wait and watch what the reaction of the rest of the country is regarding Ellen as a judge once her debut episode airs on television.