Talent 2010: The actress, Imogen Poots

(Tyler Shields)

Imogen Poots is all set to build on the success of her recent releases Me and Orson Welles and Cracks and become the most talked-about young British acting talent of 2010. The 20-year-old has been on the fast track to success ever since she was cast as the younger version of Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta as a sprightly 15-year-old. She was mesmerising in the apocalyptic sci-fi sequel 28 Weeks Later and then showed she could do costume drama in Miss Austen Regrets. The actress seemed perfectly suited for a period piece, with her classic beauty, wavy blonde hair, high cheekbones and cat-like eyes.

The general feeling is that Poots needs that one special role in order to go from being actress-on-the-rise to becoming a bona-fide star. The coming year looks likely to provide it, as Poots moves away from being one of the boarding-school girls in Cracks to a star player.

She recently made her first inroads into Hollywood. She put on a convincing American accent to take a role in the Michael Douglas vehicle Solitary Man and she'll soon be seen in Katherine Brooks' supernatural thriller Waking Madison – but it's two movies set in Britain that are creating the most excitement.

Chatroom is being directed by The Ring director Hideo Nakata and is being adapted by Hunger screenwriter Enda Walsh from his own play. The horror film puts Poots at the forefront of the next generation of British stars, including Nowhere Boy lead Aaron Johnson, Hannah Murray and Daniel Kaluuya. The Londoner also has a role in Neil Marshall's Roman epic Centurian, starring Michael Fassbender and Noel Clarke. And all this before she's even turned 21.