Hugh Jackman, 'Australia'

( Janie Barrett / 20th Century Fox )

This strapping 6'2" Aussie import is best known for his roles in sci-fi fare like the "X-Men" series. His first claim to fame was as a song-and-dance man (he picked up a Tony for playing Peter Allen on Broadway and an Emmy for hosting those theater awards on TV).

Replacing Russell Crowe as Nicole Kidman's love interest in this lavish Baz Luhrmann adventure set in the Australian Outback during WWII could give this 39-year-old hunk his first shot at Oscar glory. While epics have won lots of Oscars, they tend not to go to their matinee-idol leading men who, when they are not snubbed a la James McAvoy ("Atonement"), usually have to settle for a nomination: Jude Law ("Cold Mountain"); Ralph Fiennes ("The English Patient"); Peter O'Toole ("Lawrence of Arabia"); and even Clark Gable ("Gone with the Wind").

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