The 17 Rising British Actors Most Likely To Do A Cumberbatch

Meet the new Britpack, everyone. These are all very good actors.

17. Yasmin Paige.

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The Form: Came to fame as Maria in The Sarah-Jane Adventures before graduating to grown-up acclaim in Richard Ayoade’s Submarine.

The Buzz: Her turn as tomboyish Jordana Bevan marked her out as a more of an indie-ish character actress than your average former child star.

Next Up: She’s reuniting with Ayoade for his second movie, an adaptation of Dostoevsky’s The Double.

16. Sacha Parkinson.

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The Form: Parkinson made Tumblr shake as Sian in Corrie, one half of the show’s first lesbian couple.

The Buzz: Since leaving the Street, she’s made the transition to grown-up drama with ease, appearing in Channel 4’s gritty The Mill, and By Any Means.

Next Up: She can next be seen in BBC One’s drama Truckers.

15. Dakota Blue Richards.

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The Form: Made her movie debut at 13 as Lyra in The Golden Compass before leading the third-generation cast of Skins as Franky.

The Buzz: Franky’s journey from outsider to rebel was one of the successes of the unloved third Skins cast, and she’s been on a steady trajectory ever since.

Next Up: After a turn in spooky ITV drama Lightfields, she’s keeping on a cult tip, taking the lead in Stéphanie Joalland’s sci-fi movie The Quiet Hour, out next year.

14. Asa Butterfield.

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The Form: Since making his name as a child in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Butterfield’s steady rise led him to taking the lead in Martin Scorcese’s Hugo.

The Buzz: The intensity of that first project lent him indie cred from the off, but he’s consistently kept up an edge beyond his years in previous projects.

Next Up: Starring alongside Harrison Ford in sci-fi movie Ender’s Game as an unusually gifted child sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future alien invasion.

13. Arthur Darvill.

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The Form: Rory in Doctor Who, of course.

The Buzz: Darvill’s everybloke charm took Rory from bit player to one of the most beloved companions ever, and along with Karen Gillan he’s facing one of the more successful post-Who careers.

Next Up: A steady stream of stage work, before a second series of Broadchurch next year.

12. Maisie Williams.

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The Form: Williams won significant acclaim as Ayra Stark in the already-crowded cast of Game Of Thrones.

The Buzz: At 15 she is the youngest ever actress to win a Best Supporting Actress Portal Award, the same year that she was submitted for consideration at the Emmys. She also caused an internet fuss with that Red Wedding Vine.

Next Up: Thrones will keep her busy for a while, but there’s film roles on the horizon in Gold and We Are Monsters.

11. Craig Roberts.

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The Form: Roberts impressed as a recurring guest in Being Human, but it was the lead in Richard Ayoade’s Submarine that really made his name.

The Buzz: Roberts is carving a niche as one of the most distinctive young character actors of his generation, and is expanding into writing with short comedy The Sheepish Approach. He’s also turned up in music videos from The Killers and Manic Street Preachers.

Next Up: Starring alongside Harvey Keitel in social series The Power Inside, and next year will star alongside Seth Rogen and Zac Efron in US comedy Neighbors.

10. Katherine Kelly.

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The Form: RSC-trained Kelly pretty much stole Coronation Street as the feral scally with the heart of gold, Becky McDonald.

The Buzz: It’s probably all there for her, but she’s currently following the Sarah Lancashire / Suranne Jones post-Corrie career path and doing the classy ITV 9pm thing.

Next Up: Currently filming a second series of Mr Selfridge for ITV, she will then star in crime thriller The Guilty. One-off supernatural drama The Last Witch alongside fellow Corrie veteran airs on Sky Living this autumn.

9. Bronagh Waugh.

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The Form: Waugh’s Hollyoaks character Cheryl was first brought in as a comedy caricature, but the strength and warmth of her performance turned her into one of the shows’ most popular characters.

The Buzz: Waugh has already cracked the post-soap career, breaking hearts and holding her own opposite Gillian Anderson as the wife of a serial killer in BBC Two’s The Fall.

Next Up: A second series of The Fall will air next year.

8. Damien Molony.

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The Form: Molony impressed when he replaced Aidan Turner as the smouldering vampire is Being Human, and pretty much made the show his own.

The Buzz: His portrayal as plummy psychopath Hal ran deep, and his predecessor Turner ended up in The Hobbit.

Next Up: Still serving his TV apprenticeship, the Irishman can next be seen BBC One’s Ripper Street.

7. Emmett Scanlan.

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The Form: As tortured gay gangster Brendan Brady, Scanlan was the undoubted star of Hollyoaks for three years, and his line in psychopaths extended to acclaimed indie movie Charlie Casanova.

The Buzz: The Dubliner owned the screen and brought Hollyoaks more acclaim that it had done in years. He’s picking his post-soap projects well, appearing alongside former co-star Bronagh Waugh in The Fall. So good we've bent the rules and put an Irishman in.

Next Up: As well as the second series of The Fall, he will star in independent movies Lapse and Patrick’s Day.

6. Jack O'Connell

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The Form: Bad boy Cook in the second generation of Skins, which led to a role opposite Michael Caine in crime thriller Harry Brown.

The Buzz: O’Connell looks like comfortably following Skins alumni Nicolas Hoult and Dev Patel into the Hollywood big leagues.

Next Up: The big budget blockbuster world beckons, with a role in next year’s 300 sequel, Rise Of An Empire.

5. Freya Mavor.

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The Form: Mavor is already looking like the breakout star of the third Skins generation.

The Buzz: Her tiny pixie frame hides a fierce intensity which she brings to most roles she approaches.

Next Up: Starring next to Karen Gillan in the forthcoming romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending, and then in Dexter Fletcher’s Proclaimers musical Sunshine On Leith.

4. Emun Elliott.

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The Form: Scotsman Elliott plays gay in Comedy Central’s original sitcom Threesome, as well as the lead role of John Moray in BBC One costume drama The Paradise. Also appeared in a minor role in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.

The Buzz: He’s working his way up, but Elliott looks like a surefire leading man in the making. Also: fit.

Next Up: A second series of The Paradise is on the way.

3. Andrew Scott.

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The Form: Another Dubliner. After years as an acclaimed stage actor, Scott became a household name as Moriarty in Sherlock.

The Buzz: Scott became a superstar in the space of one very short scene at the end of Sherlock’s first season, which says all you need to about his magnetic performance.

Next Up: He may or may not turn up in flashback in the new series of Sherlock, but next up he stars alongside rising Brits Tom Hardy and Olivia Colman in US thriller Locke.

2. Kaya Scoledaro.

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The Form: Scoledaro made her name as the enigmatic Effy in the first and second generations of Skins. Roles in Moon, Clash Of The Titans and Wuthering Heights followed.

The Buzz: She’s pretty much there already, not far behind her screen brother Nicolas Hoult.

Next Up: Her next big movie role comes next year in Wes Craven’s post-apocalyptic The Maze Runner.

1. Colin Morgan.

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The Form: It was Morgan’s quietly intense performance in the lead that elevated Merlin from teatime fluff to something beloved and a bit special.

The Buzz: After five years of intense shooting on Merlin, he’s plotting his next move carefully, but a relocation to LA looks likely.

Next Up: Morgan can next be seen in Quirke, BBC One’s new crime noir adaptation of the Benjamin Black novels.