You may not know them yet, but you soon will. These up-and-coming young actresses are ready to set Hollywood on fire

Clea DuVall
Age:25
Where you've seen her: As the tough-as-nails teen in She's All That and The Faculty, and as Winona Ryder's freaky roommate in Girl Interrupted.
Her story: Clea has wit, heart, soul, range and a wicked tongue. Her resume is eclectic - a mix of quality roles in smart, if small, screen gems, as well as roles in popular teen genre films. She can play a Bette Davis-style bitch as well as the believable tortured soul.
Her history: She grew up in seedier parts of Hollywood, but she's not as dark and brooding as you'd think. The Simpsons, after all, is her favourite TV programme and she readily admits a love for Cocoa Puffs.
She said it: ‘ I really don't like to go to clubs because I don't drink, and it ain't too much fun to see people drink when you don't.’
About love: Clea says she doesn't have a boyfriend. She won't even reveal her top Hollywood crush.
What's next: She has worked with the likes of Christina Ricci and Steve Buscemi in The Laramie Project and has filmed the horror thriller I.D. with John Cusack and Amanda Peet for 2003.

Scarlett Johansson
Age:18
Where you've seen her:Sarcastic and sullen in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World.
Her story: She was described as ‘ 15, going on 35 ’ by Ghost World director Terry Zwigoff. That's why Scarlett says we won't see her do ‘ ridiculous scripts about mall-loving teenagers ’. Racking up awards on the indie circuit, this rising star has got clout and a hard-core fan base.
She said it: ‘ I'm so tired of hearing casting directors ask if I have a sore throat. The people who have told me that my voice is distinctive, it's unusual, those people have always been close to my heart.’
About love: She's got a boyfriend, but keeps his identity under wraps. She will say, though, that he's a damn fine pool player.
What's next: She has just been seen battling ugly mutated spiders with David Arquette in Eight Legged Freaks.

Jena Malone
Age: 18
Where you've seen her: The dysfunctional daughter in Stepmom and For Love of the Game; the not-so-innocent girl next door in Life as a House.
Her story: Jena was just 10 when she first started acting (with a guest spot on TV's Chicago Hope). Since then, she's seen a steady stream of work and she's bucking the child star curse by entering adulthood with four flicks on the roster. She made the news in 1999 when, at a not-so-tender 15, she sued her mother for mismanaging her earnings. She won legal emancipation in 2000.
She said it: 'I've really learned to surround myself with people who are supportive and easy-going no matter what happens. Those are the friends who last.'
About love: Jena doesn't have a steady boyfriend.
What's next: She has worked with producer/costar Jodie Foster on The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.

Taryn Manning
Age: 24
Where you've seen her: Britney's scrappy friend in Crossroads and Crazy/Beautiful and in guest spots on TV's Boston Public and NYPD Blue.
Her story: It takes much more than a bare midriff and a belly ring to hold your own next to Britney Spears - and her songs - on the big screen, but Taryn Manning had it covered. Brit's first flick, Crossroads, won surprisingly good reviews and had most critics asking after, not the pop starlet lead, but Manning as Mimi, the spunky, down-on-her-luck buddy. As if being a busy actress weren't enough, Manning's a singer in a band, Boomkats, with brother Kellin. In her younger days, she won trophies for dancing and karate. With that, you can safely say she kicks ass.
She said it: 'I was 10, I think, the first time I ever French kissed. I was in a department store. I pushed him back so hard that he fell back and knocked over a shelf. It was totally awkward after that.'
About love: No beau in tow just yet. With her crazy schedule, you can hardly blame her.
What's next: The big-screen adaptation of White Oleander with Michelle Pfeiffer and Renee Zellweger. She's also playing Eminem's girl in his semi-autobiographical 8 Mile. Boomkats just signed with DreamWorks records. Their first album is out in the States in September.

Franka Potente
Age: 27
Where you've seen her: Before scoring international success as the uber-red-headed sprinter in the German flick Run Lola Run, Franka worked mostly in her homeland. She also played Johnny Depp's ill-fated first girlfriend in Blow.
Her story: Rumour has it that she was 'discovered' by a casting agent who struck up a conversation with the feisty-looking beauty in a bar toilet one night. But this rising German star can rely on more than luck - she's pretty talented too. Few can straddle countries - and languages - but Franka's a global big shot. They've even named the German Oscar 'Lola', and salons are still fielding requests for 'Lola Red'. Pretty impressive.
She said it: On her new world fame: 'To put it in a very banal way, I know how to pack a suitcase in five minutes. If you tell me I have to fly to Hong Kong tomorrow, I can do it.'
About love: With Run, Potente caught the spotlight and her man - she's been dating the film's writer/director, Tom Tykwer, since 1998.
What's next: She's the spunky, sexy sidekick to Matt Damon's spy in The Bourne Identity, out in September. Up ahead: the romantic comedy Try Seventeen with Elijah Wood and Mandy Moor.

Kerry Washington
Age:25
Where you've seen her: The wise-cracking, street-smart sis in Save the Last Dance.
Her story: 2001's sleeper teen hit Dance stuck Kerry firmly on the map. Before that, she was a fresh theatre school graduate trying to break into the big time. Now, she's juggling projects co-starring some of Tinseltown's biggest names - Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins and Meg Ryan, to name a few. But even with a full two years' work ahead, Kerry's still got her feet on the ground. She's a certified yoga instructor, in case that Hollywood movie star thing doesn't work out. We're betting it will.
She said it: 'One muscle in me that's strong is my rejection muscle. People say no to me three times a week.'
About love: Kerry's kept mum about her love life.
What's next: She can be seen in the true-life boxing drama Against the Ropes in 2003 with Meg Ryan and The Human Stain with Kidman and Hopkins.