But who are these people? Where have we seen them - or, more importantly, when can we see them realise their potential? Metro presents the 10 actors we believe will have the most impact both here and abroad during the next 12 months.

1 ELIZABETH DEBICKI

21, Melbourne

Where you've see her At this point you probably haven't, unless you caught her on stage earlier this year in the Melbourne Theatre Company's The Gift.

Where you should look out for her In Stephan ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' Elliott's A Few Best Men and then in Baz Luhrmann's epic The Great Gatsby, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

Elizabeth Debicki practically stepped straight out of drama school on to the set of A Few Best Men but it's her recent casting in the not-insubstantial role of Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby that has given her career a dream start.

''I was on a tea break during a rehearsal when Baz phoned me with the news that I had got the part of Jordan,'' she says. ''I was so surprised and … overwhelmed.''

Debicki has been described as the next Cate Blanchett but while her talent has yet to be proven on screen, her passion is as convincing as it is kind of sweet.

''Every time I see a good play or watch a good movie, I have the same feeling I had as a child of wanting to be that person on stage or wanting to run through the forest with a big dress on.''

2 BELLA HEATHCOTE

23, Melbourne

Where you've seen her On TV in Neighbours, on the big screen in acclaimed Aussie war flick Beneath Hill 60 (2009).

Where you should look out for her Opposite such nobodies as Brad Pitt (in Cogan's Trade, 2012) and Johnny Depp (in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows, 2012).

It's likely one of the few films Meryl Streep leaves off her CV but the performance of one of her co-stars proved pivotal in turning a 12-year-old from Melbourne on to acting. ''I remember being completely mesmerised by Isabella Rossellini in Death Becomes Her [1992],'' Bella Heathcote says.

Last year Heathcote won the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship and now she's working with some of the world's biggest movie stars - but the prospect of fame and fortune that comes with the latter is not what drives her.

''My main ambition as an actor is to have longevity,'' Heathcote says. ''I want to do this for the rest of my life and be able to choose roles for all the right reasons.''

3 RYAN CORR

22, Melbourne

Where you've seen him He turned up on the second seasons of Underbelly and Tangle but he's best known for his role on Packed to the Rafters.

Where you should look out for him Alongside Ryan Kwanten and previous Metro Next Big Things cover star Bojana Novakovic in Not Suitable for Children.

Ryan Corr has already come a long way from singing Backstreet Boys songs in auditions - as he did for children's series The Sleepover Club in 2003 - but he was recently reminded exactly how long he had harboured a desire to act.

''A few weeks ago my mother found a note I had written in grade 5, when our teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up,'' Corr says. ''My note read 'I think I'd like to be an actor.'''

Corr followed in Bella Heathcote's footsteps as this year's recipient of the Heath Ledger Scholarship and believes the sky is the limit.

''I think being a part of this industry is about doors opening and you being brave enough to step through them.''

4 ALICE ENGLERT

17, Sydney via New Zealand

Where you've seen her Possibly in The Water Diary, a segment of the art-house film 8 (2008). But we know that's probably a little obscure.

Where you should look out for her In Singularity, directed by Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission) and starring Josh Hartnett.

When your mum is Jane Campion - the first female director to win the Palme d'Or and only the second to be nominated for an Oscar (both for The Piano, 1993) - it's hardly surprising she'd be a significant influence.

''My mother is a storyteller and that is what I strive to be, too,'' Alice Englert says.

''Acting is a way of doing that … I am constantly amazed by people and their complexities; never make assumptions or stereotypes because there is always a more interesting story in the truth.''

The work appears to be flowing for Englert, too.

After shooting Singularity in India earlier this year, in November she starts preparation on Bomb, a British film set in early-'60s London and directed by Sally Potter (Orlando).

Oh, and yes, we know Englert was born in New Zealand but that never stopped us from adopting Russell Crowe, did it?

5 TIM POCOCK

25, Sydney

Where you've seen him Playing a young Scott ''Cyclops'' Summers in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Where you should look out for him On the second season of ABC3's Dance Academy, which Pocock recently finished filming.

If Wolverine can play Peter Allen, it should be no surprise that Cyclops used to sing opera. Indeed, that was Tim Pocock's introduction to acting. ''There was one particular performance of Billy Budd, directed by Neil Armfield, where I started to cry on stage and I instantly regretted that no one in the audience could see my tears because they were so far away,'' he says. ''That's when I realised that I wanted to be an actor on screen.''

Sure, Dance Academy is popular and Pocock has done the near-mandatory spot on an Aussie soap (Home and Away) but nothing has come close to his experience alongside Hugh Jackman in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

''It's every kid's dream to be a superhero, so I guess I can tick that off my bucket list.''

6 KIRUNA STAMELL

30, London via Sydney

Where you've seen her Fleetingly in Moulin Rouge! (2001) but more memorably in the recent British TV series Cast Offs.

Where you should look out for her In Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's keenly anticipated Life's Too Short.

''Having dwarfism, I was worried about falling into derogatory stereotypical roles,'' Kiruna Stamell says. ''But seeing [dance company] DV8's production in Sydney in 2000 of The Cost of Living … showed me how expressive the arts and performing could be.''

Yes, Stamell is a dancer as well as an actor - Baz Luhrmann created her role of La Petite Princesse in Moulin Rouge! after seeing her dance - but her talents don't stop there. Long based in London, she has recently been doing the stand-up circuit there but is coming home to stage her first solo show, Why Dwarves Hate Christmas, in Adelaide next year.

By then, however, Life's Too Short will have made her a star and will hopefully have opened a few minds. ''Through my acting, I would hope that I can challenge people's opinions and raise issues that maybe they haven't confronted before,'' she says.

7 BEN SCHUMANN

22, Melbourne

Where you've seen him As part of the white-hot young ensemble of Foxtel comedy-drama series SLiDE.

Where you should look out for him Opposite Justine Clarke and Kat Stewart in the third season of TV drama Tangle and in Aussie features Moonlite and John Doe (both 2012).

When the only high-school subject you're ''semi-capable of doing'' is drama, it makes sense to pursue it professionally. That's what Ben Schumann did and now he's never short of something, ahem, interesting to do when he goes to work. ''Each day brings memorable moments, such as masturbating in a wardrobe or being kidnapped, gagged and chained to a wall,'' he says of his profession.

Schumann hopes to work overseas but is happy to hone his skills locally first. ''I have so much to learn and experience here before I could consider making the leap over. There are so many fantastic Australian filmmakers, writers and actors I would love to work with.''

8 ANNA McGAHAN

23, Brisbane

Where you've seen her Lighting up Underbelly: Razor after impressing in another popular small-screen show, Spirited.

Where you should look out for her In two features due this year: Undertow with Peter O'Brien and Reef and Beef with fellow writer-actor Aaron Davison.

Fellow writer-actor? Yes, Anna McGahan is much more than just a pretty face. ''My main focus at the moment is a play I have written and am producing,'' she says. ''It's called He's Seeing Other People Now and is an experiment with evolving relationships/identities in a dystopic, censored setting.''

Before taking acting seriously, McGahan took the occasional role while studying for a degree in psychology.

''[Acting] only served to feed this bohemian-exhibitionist streak in me, until a particular indie short called In So Many Words … I found the honesty addictive.''

Underbelly is teaching her other valuable lessons. ''Re-creating the infamous Nellie Cameron-''Black'' Aggie punch-up … we were a little overcome with the adrenalin and I couldn't move the next day. Should've stretched more.''

9 MEYNE WYATT

22, Sydney via Kalgoorlie

Where you've seen him Treading the boards earlier this year in the acclaimed Griffin Theatre productions Silent Disco and The Brothers Size.

Where you should look out for him In Bloodland for the Sydney Theatre Company next month and in an upcoming film adaptation of hit play The Sapphires.

Meyne Wyatt almost went down the ridiculous path of journalism before his success in an Aboriginal Theatre course suggested his talents might be better used as an actor.

''As a kid, I wanted to show off and make people laugh,'' he says. ''I was obsessed with Jim Carrey.

''Anything he did was gold and I'd attempt to mimic every role he ever did … To find out that I have the ability to entertain and potentially move people was something that made me take my profession seriously.''

Even at 22, Wyatt knows the best thing an actor can hope for is ''to be continuously working'' but he sees no harm in aiming high.

''I want to work here but there are also ambitions for … West End, Broadway and, of course, I want to make it in Hollywood.''

10 JESS HARRIS

29, Melbourne

Where you've seen her Doing skits for, and bringing some much-needed laughs to, Rove Live. Also Hamish Blake and Andy Lee's Real Stories.

Where you should look out for her As one of the leads in the six-part TV comedy series twentysomething, which Harris also co-wrote and co-produced.

''I love being ridiculous and finding the humour in life and making people laugh,'' Jess Harris says. If her attitude doesn't win you over - or the fact that she used to re-enact scenes from The Princess Bride to amuse her family - her vivacious performance in twentysomething surely will.

Even between finishing her education and finding her vocation, Harris remained confident ''the burning desire to prove myself would always catch up with me''.

Now that she has proven herself, don't think small-screen comedy is all you'll see her doing. ''I would also love to stretch my legs and take on some dramatic roles. I feel like I have only just started my journey.''Class of 2010 continues to impress on the stage

Metro's Class of 2010 top 10 next big stage actors have hit the spotlight in a big way since we profiled them. Now starring in TV series Wild Boys, Krew Boylan had her short film, Fully Famous, nominated for best music video at the 2011 LA Comedy Awards. Perez Hilton loved it so much he posted a clip on his site last month inspiring more than 25,000 hits.

Pacharo Mzembe moved from portraying a Nigerian missionary in suburbia in Belvoir's Gwen in Purgatory to playing Ghost Tang in the second series of Spirited and Karim in Australian fantasy movie Sinbad and the Minotaur. He can be seen next in Nine's TV series Underbelly Razor.

Sarah Snook moved from stage to screen this year, starring in Packed to the Rafters, Spirited and with Lisa McCune in Blood Brothers, the telemovie about Jeffrey Gilham and the 1993 murders of his parents. She also starred in Julia Leigh's haunting feature Sleeping Beauty and is filming Not Suitable For Children with Ryan Kwanten and Bojana Novakovic.

Lizzie Schebesta has continued impressing stage reviewers, this time in Sport For Jove's production of Shakespeare's As You Like It. Herald reviewer Jason Blake described Schebesta as ''a cracker: clear as a bell in thought, voice and action''.

Fans swooned in The Elephant Princess, but Miles Szanto has now written and directed The Alien Boy, a short film about a young Hungarian immigrant dealing with bullying. Partly funded through Screen NSW, it will be released next month.

We're still waiting on his musical about adventurer Alby Mangels, but Chris Ryan scored a Green Room best actor nomination for Thyestes by Malthouse Theatre and the Hayloft Project.

Josh McConville impressed critics in STC's In The Next Room - or The Vibrator Play, opposite Jacqueline McKenzie, and as the lustful Dennis in the STC production of Joe Orton's dark farce Loot at the Opera House. Next is a revival of The Boys, which opens Griffin Theatre's 2012 season. McConville plays Brett Sprague, the role that launched David Wenham's career in 1991.

The My Darling Patricia team of performers, directors and theatre-makers can be seen in their critically lauded theatre work Africa at Sydney Theatre Company until tomorrow. The multitalented visual performance company's next project is Posts in the Paddock, co-produced with Urban Theatre Projects and premiering in Sydney in November, and Ted Head, based on a collection of short plays for children by British poet Ted Hughes.

Charlie Garber continued his winning role as Adam Two on Spirited, co-created and performed in Imperial Panda festival hit Masterclass with Gareth Davies, made short film Loveless and impressed in Lally Katz's recent play Neighbourhood Watch.

James Mackay has scored roles in Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffe's Singularity, as a British soldier in Raj-era India, and horror-thriller Redd Inc., both being released next year.

LENNY ANN LOW