War Horse

Character: Maj. Stewart

A mustache-wearing stiff-upper-lip officer, Maj. Stewart is Capt. Nichols' commanding officer and his friendly rival. It's a rivalry that gets a shot in the arm when Nichols, riding Joey, clearly outraces Stewart's mount. That rivalry soon is forgotten, ... more though, as Stewart leads Nichols and his men into battle.

Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch

Mock Cumberbatch all you want, but there's no denying that the man with the most British name ever -- beating out Rupert Grint -- is an actor on the rise. He plays the title role in the BBC's 21-st-century Holmes revamp "Sherlock," and he's about to be seen on the big screen in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." With an extensive list of stage credits, from "Frankenstein" to "The Rhinoceros," Cumberbatch is a real talent, and yet he's not afraid of big-money and big-FX moviemaking, either: He'll be playing the dread dragon Smaug in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit."

(Walt Disney Pictures)