The problem with Stuart Townsend is that he's been the right guy at the wrong time, twice. The biggest role he never had was that of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Stuart had auditioned, been hired, went to New Zealand in August of 1999 for training, and was replaced after less then a week of shooting, (the part that ultimately went to Viggo Mortensen.) It's infamy like this that will probably follow Stuart around for a few years, kind of like how Kevin Costner was cut out of The Big Chill. Then Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned was supposed to be Stuart Townsend's real big break. In so far as exposure and getting his name out there and on to the lips of the movie-going public it was. And then tragedy struck and the movie's lead actress Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash before the film was released. It was rumored that Stuart cancelled a press junket for Queen of the Damned, citing he didn't want to exploit the death of his co-star. Not only can you respect his acting but also his morals. It's rare that someone in Hollywood would give up a barrage of publicity so early in one's career. However, it's not this bit of trivia but his talent that has made him one2watch4.

Stuart began his film career while attending the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin where he appeared in student films. He made money by boxing until he was cast in his feature film debut Trojan Eddie in 1996. Since then he's done ten movies in five years. One of the quirkiest and most enjoyable to watch is About Adam. In this sleeper, Stuart plays a devilish rogue who goes about seducing all the sisters in one family (including One2watch4 Frances O'Connor,) and even manages to turn the brother on with his lilting voice and seductive whisperings.

Next up for this Irish thespian is Trapped with Kevin Bacon and Charlize Theron. Trapped, renamed from 24 Hours, is a thriller about a husband and wife whose child is kidnapped. Stuart has also been signed on to play Dorian Gray in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with Sean Connery. It's slated to begin shooting in June in Prague then moving onto Iceland and Morocco. So what is Iceland like in June? Something tells me Stuart will have no trouble melting a few glaciers.

Credit: ones2watch4.com