Viewers are still split on whether she's "the voice of our generation," but we do know that Lena is not her Girls character: She's confident and doesn't need her parents' cash to survive in New York City (as her $3.5 million book deal attests). In just six months and a handful of episodes, she's wowed us with her willingness to bare her naked body and her commentary on self-involved but also helpless Millennials struggling with the damning praise that we are special snowflakes and the harsh reality that we aren't.
Photo: FayesVision/WENN.com
Anna is like your new, less contrived geek girl: This firecracker got on our radar -- and earned an Oscar nomination -- for her offbeat role in Up in the Air, but when you watch her in interviews it's like your best friend is talking to late-night hosts. She's still bashful about her fame, yet still comes off as a seasoned pro. Of her movies this year, Pitch Perfect might be the one most indicative of Anna as a person: She sings a capella, cracks jokes, and even raps.
Also, she's a Redditor, but keeps her username private—though she still works Reddit things into her movies, like the "Cups" trick from Pitch Perfect. Take that, Olivia Munn.
Photo: RHS/WENN.com
Viewers are still split on whether she's "the voice of our generation," but we do know that Lena is not her Girls character: She's confident and doesn't need her parents' cash to survive in New York City (as her $3.5 million book deal attests). In just six months and a handful of episodes, she's wowed us with her willingness to bare her naked body and her commentary on self-involved but also helpless Millennials struggling with the damning praise that we are special snowflakes and the harsh reality that we aren't.
Photo: FayesVision/WENN.com
The girl we will always know as Juno hasn't had another career-defining role, but it's early yet. However, it's always a treat to see her pop up in a variety of movies. She killed it as Rainn Wilson's masked-hero sidekick in Super, a mix of Robin and Hit-Girl with a lot more uncomfortable sexual tension. She even poked fun at the self-involved starlet in Woody Allen's To Rome with Love.
Next up, look for her to star in the video game Beyond: Two Souls despite not being a gamer herself. The game developers were just that impressed with her as an actress.
Photo: Marie Claire
Another Pitch Perfect cast member! Personally, I've been a fan of Brittany's since she played shy Meg Pryor on American Dreams and got to dance on American Bandstand. In the years since, she's poked fun at that quiet persona by playing the villain in Hairspray and the Cady Heron-esque protagonist of the underrated John Tucker Must Die.
But Brittany is hitting her stride with movies like Pitch Perfect, where she dyed her hair red, gleefully took off all her clothes, and gives the a capella her all. Let's see her in more leading-lady roles, especially now that we know she can sing!
Photo: Brian To/WENN.com
Seriously, Pitch Perfect is the key to landing on our list, it seems. It's hard to believe that a year ago Rebel was known simply as "the weird Australian roommate in Bridesmaids." She's turned what could have been a one-note cameo into a career path, with high-profile roles in Bachelorette and Struck By Lightning.
Rebel refuses to let Hollywood or anyone shame her for being fat, argues against what makes her uncomfortable in movies, and just signed a deal to write and star in her own comedy! As long as it means more talk show appearances where she sings and raps, we're set.
Photo: Brian To/WENN.com
Saturday Night Live continues to be somewhat bland with brief surprises, and one of those consistently surprising us is new cast member Kate McKinnon. The show's first openly lesbian cast member, Kate won a NewNowNext award from Logo for her work on The Big Gay Sketch Show before moving to 30 Rock and unveiling all of her celebrity impressions.
In one recent episode alone, she did brilliant impressions of The Long Island Medium and the woman responsible for Beast Jesus, that had us doubled over in laughter at her delivery. We can guarantee that we'll at least watch Kate's SNL bits for the rest of the season.
Photo: NBC
Rather than graduate from McKinley High, Lea has gotten at least another year out of her star-making role on Glee, with her character Rachel Berry now living out every aspiring performer's dream in New York City. The same can be said for her real life, as she's gearing up to play Dorothy in the new animated film Dorothy of Oz. We're curious to see where her career takes her when she decides she's done playing a high schooler, but for now we'll look for her outrageous fashion sense and that voice.
Photo: FayesVision/WENN.com
Who would've thought that Karen Smith would be so smart and career-savvy? The pretty idiot that Amanda played in Mean Girls is even funnier once you realize how sweet and talented she is in other projects. Though she's had some missteps with subpar movies (Letters from Juliet, Chloe), she seems to have found her footing with musicals. She's become an unlikely music star with Mamma Mia! and now playing Cosette in Les Miserables. We can't wait to see what else she has in store for us next year!
Photo: Mr. Blue/WENN.com
Leighton is one of those actresses that you just so want to see succeed, especially considering her less-than-savory beginnings. Gossip Girl is ending at the perfect time, right as her starring role as Blair Waldorf is starting to feel like a bad caricature. She's already laid the groundwork for a movie career, with some roles (The Oranges) better than others (Monte Carlo). What I've long loved about Leighton is that she doesn't take herself too seriously: She'll go from wearing Blair's outrageous bows to starring in the uber-campy The Roommate, yet you still respect her for having fun with the part.
Photo: Honopix, PacificCoastNews.com
It's too bad that Ellie was already 25 now that we've discovered her haunting single "Lights"! Did you know that she performed Elton John's "Your Song" at last year's Royal Wedding? This girl's the real deal.
For the end of 2012 and early 2013, look for her new, darker album Halcyon and for her music on the soundtrack of movies like Dakota Fanning's cancer drama Now Is Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna look up some Ellie Goulding lyrics.
Photo: Steve Searle/WENN.com
