Hollywood’s New Class of It Girls: Snakkle Takes a Look at the Best of the Breakthrough Actresses in 2012!

Breakthrough Role: My Own Worst Enemy

Current darling of the Disney Channel, Bella Thorne got her first big break on the short-lived My Own Worst Enemy, starring Christian Slater and Taylor Lautner. It was her first recurring role and won her a Young Artist’s Award. She currently headlines the popular teen show Shake It Up! on the Disney Channel.

Breakthrough Role: Wizards of Waverly Place   Bridgit Mendler, another breakout Disney star, got her big break as a guest on the show Wizards of Waverly Place. From there, she landed a role headlining her own Disney show, Good Luck Charlie. She also starred in the 2011 Disney TV movie Lemonade Mouth as the lead singer of a high school band. This spring, Bridgit will release her first studio album with Hollywood Records.

Breakthrough Role: Kick-Ass   For a 15-year-old, Chloe Moretz already has an impressive resume of films and accompanying nominations and awards. Her breakthrough role in the 2010 film Kick-Ass garnered her critical acclaim, along with six Breakthrough Artist awards from various organizations. She can be seen in the current Oscar-nominated film Hugo. In May she will appear with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in the Tim Burton film Dark Shadows.

Breakthrough Role: Martha Marcy May Marlene   The younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Elizabeth often starred in her sisters’ productions. This year she premiered two films, Martha Marcy May Marlene and Silent House, at the Sundance Film Festival. She can be seen next starring opposite Robert De Niro in the psychological thriller Red Lights.

Breakthrough Role: Phoebe in Wonderland   Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota Fanning, got her start playing the younger version of several of her sister’s roles. In 2006 she booked her first lead roles in the movies Reservation Road and Phoebe in Wonderland. This year she appeared with Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson in We Bought a Zoo. In 2013 she is slated to star with Max Irons in the film Vivaldi, about the famous music composer.

Breakthrough Role: Superbad   In the past five years, Emma Stone has become a household name due to her roles in the comedy hits Superbad, Zombieland, and Easy A. Her film The Help is an Oscar contender for Best Picture. Next up, she can be seen as comic-book character Gwen Stacey in a reboot of the Spiderman film series costarring Andrew Garfield.

Breakthrough Role: Like Crazy   Felicity Jones, originally from Birmingham, England, was introduced to U.S. audiences in the film Like Crazy. She was recently named as the new face of Dolce and Gabbana.

Breakthrough Role: The Help/Tree of Life   It’s hard to pinpoint an exact role as Jessica Chastain’s breakout performance, mostly because she premiered 6 films in 2011. Her roles in Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter, and The Debt all garnered her critical acclaim and dozens of awards/nominations. Next up for Jessica is the Depression-era drama Wettest County with Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman.

Breakthrough Role: The Blind Side   Lily Collins is the daughter of famed musician Phil Collins and his second wife, Jill Tavelman. She first broke onto the scene playing the daughter of Sandra Bullock in the 2009 film The Blind Side. This year she starred in the film Abduction with Taylor Lautner. Her next role has her playing Snow White, opposite Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, in the Snow White remake Mirror, Mirror.

Breakthrough Role: Alice in Wonderland   Mia Wasikowska’s first major role was the lead in Tim Burton’s 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland, which won her the Hollywood Film Festival award for Best Breakthrough Actress. She has a supporting role alongside fellow It girl Jessica Chastain in Wettest County. She will play the lead role in the upcoming drama Stoker, costarring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode.

Breakthrough Role: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo   In 2010 Rooney Mara beat out heavyweights Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Carey Mulligan, along with fellow It girl Mia Wasikowska, for the role of Lisbeth Salander in the movie Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The role has won her numerous awards, including a nomination for Best Actress at the upcoming Academy Awards. Next up, she can be seen in the drama Lawless and the psychological thriller The Side Effects. The future will surely see her reprising her role as Lisbeth Salander in adaptations of the Millennium Series.

Breakthrough Role: The Descendants   In 2011 Shailene Woodley starred opposite George Clooney in the comedy-drama The Descendants, for which she was a Golden Globe nominee for Best Supporting Actress. Since 2008 she has appeared as the lead character in the ABC Family drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager.