Sam Worthington

Worthington worked as a bricklayer in Australia before pursuing acting, building a modest career in Australian film and television through the early 2000s before landing back-to-back major Hollywood roles that changed his career overnight.

Cast as the mysterious Marcus Wright months before Avatar made him a global star, Salvation was the role that got him noticed. A relatively unknown Australian actor at the time, he was cast in both major franchise films back-to-back, an unusually fast rise for a performer with little prior international profile.

His performance as a man uncertain of his own humanity gave the film's darker themes real emotional weight, and the role directly preceded the far bigger international stardom Avatar would bring him the same year.