Christopher Eccleston

Like most of his British peers, Eccleston got his start on stage. But while many of his contemporaries quickly hustled to Hollywood, this intense, wild-eyed player stayed put, making his name on British TV, notably as a police officer who met a terrible end on the popular crime series Cracker. Although he made a memorable film debut as a mentally challenged man accused of murder in 1991's Let Him Have It, Eccleston's movie career didn't pick up until the late '90s, when he appeared in a succession of projects (Elizabeth, eXistenZ, Gone in 60 Seconds). But his breakthrough on both sides of the pond came in 2005 when he put his distinctive mark on an iconic role as the ninth incarnation of the title character in Doctor Who. Although he was beloved in the part, winning the "Most Popular Actor" at the 2005 National Television Awards, he left the series after a single 13-episode season amidst rumors that he was unhappy in the role. Two years later, he signed on to another small-screen sci-fi blockbuster, Heroes, as an invisible man with a very visible chip on his shoulder.