Where you've seen him before: "Red Tails," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "The Help," "The Last King of Scotland," BBC drama series "MI-5"
Breakout Roles: "Jack Reacher," "The Paperboy," "Lincoln"
Why: An acclaimed British stage actor who won raves for his title performance in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2001 production of "Henry VI," Oyelowo enjoyed supporting roles in two of last year's biggest films - "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and "The Help" - but really got a chance to shine in George Lucas's Tuskegee Airmen flick "Red Tails," with his performance generally regarded as a standout among the film's cast. This fall, the rising thesp appears in no less than three high-profile projects: Spielberg's buzzed-about "Lincoln" biopic, "Jack Reacher" opposite Tom Cruise and Lee Daniels' controversy-laden potboiler "The Paperboy" with Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman. Oyelowo's career has been simmering for awhile now, but with a slate like that it may just reach a full boil by the end of the year.

- Chris Eggertsen