Celebs pick their favorite up-and-comers

Image credit: Benicio del Toro: Dan McMedan/ImageDirect

CHARLOTTE ROSS (''NYPD Blue'') Todd Field, director of ''In the Bedroom.'' The riskiness of letting the camera hold on a person and not having a speed time frame to go through. Particularly if you are doing a lot of TV, it fascinates me as something I would love to do.

PORTIA DE ROSSI (''Ally McBeal'') Diane Lane. I think she was really amazing [in ''Unfaithful''].

MATTHEW LILLARD (''Scooby-Doo'') Ryan Gosling [''Murder by Numbers'']. He's probably the best young actor I've seen in a long time. And Linda Cardellini is about as It as it gets.

BRIAN COX (''The Rookie'') Benicio Del Toro is probably the best of the young actors. I like his involvement in the work and his rigor. The way he places himself is really very exciting.

JENA MALONE (''Donnie Darko'') If [director] Andrei Tarkovsky were still around, I'd say he was my It man, because I think he's great. And it's awesome to see the Darren Aronofskys and the Wes Andersons and the Spike Jonzes going out there and pushing new boundaries.

TRAVIS TRITT (singer) Montgomery Gentry.

DOMINIQUE SWAIN (''Pumpkin'') Jena Malone and Jake Gyllenhaal. I've been a fan of Jena's for years. I'm super-impressed by their talent, and I'd really love to work with them.

MATT DAMON (''The Bourne Identity'') Baz Luhrmann. With ''Moulin Rouge''...he broke every standard rule of directing...almost as a way to prove that they can be broken and the film can still work.

DOUG LIMAN (director, ''The Bourne Identity'') [''Run Lola Run'' director] Tom Tykwer. Every time I see a movie that he does, he is taking chances and pushing himself and not trying to repeat.

JAKE BUSEY (''Tomcats'') Guy Pearce. He is mysterious and charming and endearing. He is one of those you look at and you go, ''What's he thinking? Is he a good guy or a bad guy?'' I like performances that keep you guessing.

DONNIE WAHLBERG (''Boomtown'') Linkin Park. A lot of guys just scream and yell, but they scream and yell and rap and make beautiful music and have beautiful melodies. That's what will give them longevity.