Rueben's Ramblings

The following list highlights the actors and actresses on television and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention over the past year. They appear in no particular order:

Colin Cunningham

1. Colin Cunningham – Colin stars as John Pope in the new hit summer series Falling Skies on TNT, but prior to that he had a recurring role in Stargate: SG-1and appeared in the box office film Electra alongside Jennifer Garner.

Dylan O'Brien

2. Dylan O’Brien – Newcomer Dylan plays Stiles, the best friend of Scott (Tyler Posey) on the MTV adaptation of Teen Wolf and he will be seen in the upcoming box office film The First Time, starring alongside Molly Quinn (Castle) and Britt Robertson (The Secret Circle).

Miles Teller

3. Miles Teller and Kenny Wormald – Miles and Ken appeared as Willard and Ren (respectively) in the remake of Footloose that came out in the box office in October. Miles got his first big break in the independent film Rabbit Hole where he starred alongside Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart while Kenny appeared in the independent film Center Stage: Turn It Up.

Kenny Wormald

5. Elizabeth Olsen – While she is the younger sister of the Olsen twins, Elizabeth made a name for herself in the much-buzzed about independent film Martha Marcy May Marlene where she starred alongside Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes and Hugh Dancy. She now has four upcoming projects including the thriller Red Lights that stars Robert DeNiro, Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver.

Elizabeth Olsen

6. Michael Fassbender – Michael seems to be everywhere right now, appearing in the box office films Jane Eyre and X-Men: First Class as well as the upcoming films A Dangerous Method and Shame. He will also appear in the films Haywire and Prometheus. Avid TV viewers will remember him from the UK series Hex as well as The Band of Brothers mini-series; and movie goers will recognize him from 300 and Inglorious Basterds.

Michael Fassbender

7. Hayley Atwell – While she appeared in the TV mini-series The Pillars of the Earth and The Prisoner, the made-for-TV movie Any Human Heart and the film The Duchess, Hayley really received attention for her role in the summer blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger alongside Chris Evans. She has three big movies coming up, including The Sweeney with Homeland actor Damian Lewis.

Hayley Atwell

8. Sam Claflin – Just like Hayley, Sam also appeared in the mini-series The Pillars of the Earth and the made-for-TV movie Any Human Heart. But it was his role in this summer’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides that got him noticed; so much so that he will appear in the upcoming film Snow White and the Huntsman alongside Charlize Theron and Kristin Stewart as well as planned film The Seventh Son.

Sam Claflin

9. Jared Gilmore – The talented 11-year-old has garnered attention thanks to his role of Henry on the new fairytale drama Once Upon a Time, but he has also appeared in a recurring role in the hit AMC series Mad Men, several episodes of Hawthorne and the box office film The Back-Up Plan.

Jared Gilmore

10. Bailee Madison – This 12-year-old has appeared in the box office films Bridge to Terabithia and Brothers, but got the attention of movie goers by her recent roles in the comedy Just Go With It alongside Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sadler as well as the thriller Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, which starred Katie Holmes. She also recently appeared in a handful of episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place. She will soon be seen in the FX series Powers and has three more box office films coming up.

Bailee Madison

11. Sean Berdy – Newcomer Sean, who was born deaf, has received rave reviews for his role of Emmett on the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth, starring alongside D. W. Moffat, Constance Marie and Lea Thompson.

Sean Berdy

12. Ashley Rickards – Ashley made waves this summer in the MTV comedy Awkward!, playing totally misunderstood teenager Jenna Hamilton, but she also has had a small recurring role on One Tree Hill. She will soon appear in the Chris Colfer (Glee) film Struck By Lightning alongside Christina Hendricks, Allison Janney and Dermot Mulroney.

Ashley Rickards

13. Felicity Jones – Felicity has been receiving rave reviews by critics and movie goers alike for the independent box office film Like Crazy, but she also appeared in the made-for-TV adaptation of Northanger Abbey and the UK mini-series Page Eight where she starred alongside Rachel Weisz and Bill Nighy. She will be seen in two big projects next year: a Howard Hughes film with Warren Beatty and The Invisible Woman, starring alongside Ralph Fiennes.

Felicity Jones

14. Wilson Bethel – Wilson has appeared in the mini-series Generation Kill as well as the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, but it has been his role as bad boy Wade Kinsella on the new CW series Hart of Dixie that has turned heads. He will also soon be seen in the upcoming film First Ride of Wyatt Earp that will star Val Kilmer.

Wilson Bethel

There were also two groups of actors/actresses (or characters) who made waves this year at the box office and they include the following:

1. The cast of the box office film based on the best-selling novel The Help including Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Ahna O’Reilly, Allison Janney, Anna Camp, Sissy Spacek, Aunjanue Ellis, Mary Steenburgen, Roslyn Ruff and Cicely Tyson.

The Help Cast

2. The cast of characters of the latest box office film The Muppets, including (among others) Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Rowlf, Gonzo, Animal, Rizzo, Swedish Chef, Beaker, Sam Eagle, Scooter, Janice, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the Prawn, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beauregard, Waldorf, Camilla, Sweetums, Bobo, Statler, Marvin Suggs, Zoot, Crazy Harry, Lew Zealand, Uncle Deadly, Link Hogthrob and new member Walter.

The Muppets

Who are some of the new faces from this past year who caught your attention either on television or in film? Please share.

NOTE: I apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I may have made, but I don’t apologize for any of the choices I made.

TOMORROW: Faces to Watch in 2012