The fabulous Vanessa Hudgens is hardly the up-and-coming actor you’d expect to find in this column. She’s already a platinum-selling recording artist and has had several enviable roles in major studio productions. Hudgens, who’s less than thirty, has also been profiled by Forbes Magazine as part of their highest-earning young stars ranking. But her upcoming appearance in a movie currently being shot by America’s renegade filmmaker Harmony Korine should give this lovely young actor some indie cred and a chance to get cast in broader roles. The thrilla from Manila (Hudgens is part Filipina and part Irish) is best known for her portrayal of the character Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical series. She started acting

You probably first heard about her in Cloverfield and later in Hot Tub Time Machine. Then, after watching her on the Starz T.V. series Party Down you made up your mind: Lizzy Caplan has all the attributes of a star: good looks and comedic flair (very important, America—look at the previous rise of Jennifer Aniston). With her television series coming to an end in 2010, Caplan has been keeping busy, what between appearances on other television series, like The Cleveland Show, and several movie roles. But Caplan is buzz-worthy now more than ever. A as-yet unreleased movie that’s lighting up the blogosphere is Queens of Country

Mia Wasikowska, whose career was launched loud and clear in 2010 for playing Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland isn't so much a person to watch as she is a person to follow. And by that I don't mean follow her on Twitter but rather keep tabs. Her career is basically ongoing by now, it remains to be seen which roles she will be picking in the next few years and whether all her choices will be judicious ones. I was home last night and watched That Evening Sun by Scott Teems (2009). Wasikowska plays Pamela, a normal teenaged daughter living in deep, rural Tennessee who befriends an unwanted neighbor. The film did not win any Oscar nominations (but it did win a lot of other accolades) but I was struck by the

Now that Dakota Fanning is all grown up who's going to be America’s next sweetheart? We present for your consideration Nicola Peltz. In 2010’s live-action film The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Peltz played Katara, a gutsy princess warrior. Airbender was based on a Nickelodeon original programming that was extremely popular with viewers. Her interpretation had fans gushing according to her Facebook page. Here's what one of them said: "I loved what you brought to your character, playing Katara. She had a different feel to her than what I knew from the show, but it was everything I could ask for in a live action film. I really liked your interpretation of her, thanks! hoping for a sequel!" And so it goes.

Elizabeth Olsen (a.k.a Lizzie Holsen), the third Olsen sister, is emerging as the new Hollywood It Girl according to a recent Nylon magazine interview. What sets her apart from her business-savvy, television-star sisters, is her love of, and early involvement in, theatre. An actor who comes from a theatre background is going to have a broader frame of reference, and overall be better, than one who does not. Olsen recently appeared in two Sundance movies, Silent house and Martha Marcy May Marlene, which was reviewed in Friday's edition.

Whoever knocks Abercrombie & Fitch is going to have to deal with me so don’t badmouth them, especially not in front of actress Katie Cassidy: she used to model for them--one look at her headshot and you'll understand why. All-American beauty Katie Cassidy has made Screen Comment's PEOPLE TO WATCH section and we’re thrilled to be able to talk about this fine young thesp. Cassidy appeared in the CBS sitcom Listen Up and also did some stage work in 7th Heaven the Musical. The twenty-five year old, who reminded us of Hilary Duff, was born for showbiz. Her dad David Cassidy was a 1970s pop star; Katie herself is a native of Los Angeles, California. And Katie's mother was a fashion model.

Who can forget Kat Dennings in 2008’s Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist? Wasn’t she every young man’s fantasy, with that non-conformist appeal and those big, dark eyes? Twenty-five year-old Kat Dennings is our actress to watch. The Bryn Mawr, Pa., native has been consistently showing up on the big and small screen since first appearing in 2000’s Sex And the City. More recently she was credited for her role in Thor (she played Darcy Lewis) and even made a couple of appearances in American Dad. Dennings has landed the lead role in Lives of the Saints, which is currently in production and also stars Meg Ryan and 50 Cents. Just before that, she portrayed