“ #9: Ryan Gosling

The indie fave turned himself into a mainstream hit this year with a high-profile turn in George Clooney's The Ides of March, an eye-popping one (thanks to his sculpted abs) in Crazy, Stupid, Love, and still kept his acting cred with a possibly Oscar-bound performance in the award-winning Drive. Sexiest -- and most talented -- man alive? Even Bradley Cooper thinks so! ”

“ #8: George Clooney

Everybody's favorite leading man continued what seems to be a non-stop winning streak, directing and starring in the political drama The Ides of March, and positioning himself as a strong contender for a Best Actor Oscar with Alexander Payne's The Descendants -- will he snag a second Academy Award this go-round to go with this Supporting Actor Oscar? ”

“ #7: Jennifer Lawrence

The young actress, who was mainly known for television work, burst onto the scene this year with a mesmerizing turn in the harrowing drama Winter's Bone, which earned her an Oscar nomination. She dazzled as the stunningly blue Mystique in X-Men: First Class, and snagged the coveted role of Katniss in the highly anticipated adaptation of The Hunger Games, coming in 2012. ”

“ #6: Olivia Wilde

Perhaps the most ubiquitous actress of 2011, Wilde started off the year in the sci-fi actioner TRON: Legacy, and kept popping up in both movies and TV. In addition to her role as Thirteen on "House MD", she also co-starred in Cowboys & Aliens, The Change-Up, and played Justin Timberlake's mom (!) in In Time. ”

“ #5: Chris Hemsworth

The Australian-born actor who first made waves with his brief-but-memorable turn as Captain Kirk's father in Star Trek snagged one of the top roles of the summer as the Norse god Thor, and guaranteed himself a reprisal of the role in next year's The Avengers; he'll also tangle with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Hunstman. ”

“ #4: Emma Stone

One of 2010's breakout stars, Stone cemented her status as one of the most popular young actresses on the scene with back-to-back roles in The Help, where she held her own alongside Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, and Crazy, Stupid, Love, where she held her own against Ryan Gosling's abs. Next up: potential blockbuster The Amazing Spider-Man. ”

“ #3: Johnny Depp

IMDb's most popular star tumbled down to number three this year, but remained the highest-ranked male actor, thanks to his reprisal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the summer smash Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Next year, he'll reteam with Tim Burton once again for the adaptation of Dark Shadows. ”

“ #2: Mila Kunis

Playing the seductive dark nymph to Natalie Portman's innocent naif in Black Swan, the onetime star of "That 70s Show" turned into a highly sought-after actress and red carpet mainstay seemingly overnight, and proved her success wasn't a fluke with a snappy and well-received comic turn in Friends with Benefits. ”

“ #1: Natalie Portman

Thanks to her stunning star turn in Black Swan, the lovely Portman flew into the top position on STARmeter this year, with a Best Actress Oscar in tow, as well as a new fiance and baby boy. Always just on the verge of A-list, Portman came into her own this year as a true leading lady, following up her balletic tour-de-force with the more box-office friendly No Strings Attached and Thor, proving she could hold her own in both critical and commercial fare. ”