Djimon Hounsou Blood Diamond jimon Hounsou's acting career has flourished since he traded in his days as a model for an acting career. Hounsou has given intense performances on the big screen in Amistad and Gladiator, and received his first Oscar nod for his turn as an AIDS-afflicted neighbor in Jim Sheridan's In America. He gets his second nod for his work in Blood Diamond playing Solomon Vandy, a fisherman who forges an unlikely alliance with a white man (Leonardo DiCaprio) in a quest to recover a rare pink diamond, the kind of stone that can change their lives.
	Alan Arkin Little Miss Sunshine lan Arkin knows what it feels like to be Oscar worthy. In 1967, he scored a Best Actor nod for The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming and another in 1969 for his soulful performance as a deaf and mute silversmith in the drama The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Almost 40 years later, Arkin is again garnering Oscar buzz for his role as a foul-mouthed grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine -- a moving film that follows a family of six to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California, to fulfill the deepest wish of 7-year-old Olive.
	Jackie Earle Haley Little Children ackie Earle Haley is best known for his portrayal of Kelly Leak, the motorcycle-riding, cigarette-smoking little leaguer in The Bad News Bears. Haley has also appeared in numerous films including Damnation Alley and The Day of the Locust. Since then, Haley's career was relatively dormant, but was revived when he landed a part in All the King's Men. His role in Little Children, playing an out-of-jail sex offender alongside Kate Winslet, has earned him critical praise. He's already won a string of critics awards this season making him the dark horse in this race.
	Eddie Murphy Dreamgirls ddie Murphy has never been nominated for an Oscar, let alone won any other prestigious awards in his 25 years of acting. A comedic actor (Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop), Murphy's career died down for a short period (think Vampire in Brooklyn) but he made a comeback playing light, kid-friendly parts in The Nutty Professor and Daddy Day Care. Murphy has never tackled a juicy, dramatic role until Dreamgirls. His character James "Thunder" Early -- the fiercely talented, but self-destructive R&B singer -- also showcases Murphy's singing talents. Even if he doesn't win, it will still get him recognition.
	Mark Wahlberg The Departed ark Wahlberg has come a long way from his rapper days in Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, but his "good vibrations" continue to pay off. Wahlberg, who has built his acting cred, first gained critical acclaim for his role as porn star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights (which some say was Oscar-worthy). He gets his first nod for his portrayal of a tough, foul-mouthed detective named Dignam in The Departed, where he goes head to head on the big screen with Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio. The role is one of Wahlberg's best to date, and may give him an edge to win this race.