Kendrick was nominated for an Oscar two years ago for playing an ambitious young businesswoman opposite George Clooney in "Up in the Air." In the comedy "50/50," she plays another young go-getting, an inexperienced psychologist who gets in over her head when she counsels a young man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) diagnosed with spinal cancer.

"The Artist" received glowing reviews at the Cannes Film Festival this year, as did its stars Jean Dujardin, who plays a silent film star whose career is on the wane, and Bejo as his love interest, whose star is on the rise. Dujardin has received the lion's share of attention -- and a Cannes Film Festival win for Best Actor -- but the Academy admires young women in their breakthrough performances, and support for the film overall could be significant if distributor and Oscar svengali Harvey Weinstein gets his way.

Larson is a promising young actress who has appeared for three seasons on Showtime's half-hour dramedy "'United States of Tara." Her biggest film roles to date have been in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" and the teen comedy "Sleepover." In "Rampart," she plays the embittered lesbian daughter of Woody Harrelson's corrupt LAPD cop.

Mulligan gives supporting performances in two films this year: "Shame," in which she plays the sister of a sex addict, and "Drive," in which she plays a single mother in danger from the criminals extorting her ex-convict husband (Oscar Isaac). Most of the attention for "Drive's" actors has gone to Ryan Gosling for his taciturn lead performance and Albert Brooks for his against-type work as a violent mobster. Mulligan plays Gosling's love interest, but the performance may be too subtle to catch the attention of voters, and "Drive" may not be embraced by the Academy enough for Mulligan to ride the wave of support.

Mulligan has become ubiquitous since earning a Best Actress nomination for "An Education" two years ago, appearing in "Never Let Me Go" and "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." This year, she has noteworthy supporting roles in both "Drive" and "Shame." In the latter, she plays the sister of a man with a sex addiction (Michael Fassbender). The film has received acclaim but it has also courted controversy for its graphic sex. Thus far, most of the Oscar attention for the film has gone to Fassbender.

Moore got her start on "General Hospital" and in the Brat Pack films of the 1980s. She starred in the Best Picture nominated romance "Ghost" (1990) and then the Best Picture nominated drama "A Few Good Men" (1992), but Moore herself has not been as well received. She has never been nominated for an Oscar, but she has received four Razzie Awards. She earned an Emmy nomination for producing the HBO film "If These Walls Could Talk" and recently directed a segment of the Lifetime breast-cancer anthology "Five."

Watson's performance in "War Horse" has not been seen, and the trailer gives little indication of the strength or prominence of her role, but Watson is an admired British actress who was twice nominated in the leading race (for "Breaking the Waves" and "Hilary and Jackie"). If "War Horse" is as good as hoped, she could ride the wave of support.

Wood is only 24-years-old, but she already has an extensive resume that includes the Oscar-nominated films "Thirteen" and "The Wrestler" and collaborations with Woody Allen ("Whatever Works") and Ron Howard ("The Missing"). This year, she was nominated for an Emmy for Todd Haynes's miniseries "Mildred Pierce." In "The Ides of March," she plays an intern involved in a scandal. Reviews for the film overall have been generally positive but with few raves, and its box office performance has been middling.

British actress McTeer was previously nominated for Best Actress for the comedy "Tumbleweeds." In "Albert Nobbs" she plays a woman masquerading as a man opposite Glenn Close, who plays a similarly cross-dressing title character. McTeer's supporting turn received positive reviews when the film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, prompting buzz that she might contend for an Oscar. Gender-bending performances have historically done well at the Oscars. Linda Hunt won this category for playing a man in "The Year of Living Dangerously."

Chastain, a little known actress before 2011, is having a breakthrough year with major roles in "Coriolanus," "The Tree of Life," "The Help," "The Debt," and "Take Shelter," in which she plays the wife of a man with apocalyptic visions. The film has not received much attention since its release, though most of the attention for the film has gone to her co-star Michael Shannon.

Chastain appears in numerous films in 2011; the young actress might be honored for "Coriolanus," "Take Shelter," "The Tree of Life," or "The Help." In "The Tree of Life," her performance may be overshadowed by director Terrence Malick's style and existential themes. Meanwhile, "The Help," in which she plays a local outcast in a Southern community, is considered a likely contender for Best Picture, but most supporting-actress support for the film will likely go to Octavia Spencer as a maid who strikes back against her racist employer. If neither performance generates clear momentum, she is at risk of splitting her vote.

Chastain, a little known actress before 2011, is having a breakthrough year with major roles in "Coriolanus," "Take Shelter," "The Help," "The Debt," and Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," in which she plays a mother mourning the death of one of her sons and countering the harsh discipline of their father. Both "The Help" and "The Tree of Life" are strong contenders for Best Picture nominations. She could be nominated for one film as a way to recognize her work throughout the year, but she's at risk of splitting her own vote.

Taking on the role that won Marcia Gay Harden the Best Actress Tony in 2009, this two-time Oscar champ ("The Accused," 1988; "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991) is fearless portraying a mother seeking retribution for the injury her son sustained at the hands of another boy. 

Dench became an Oscar favorite late in life; she has been nominated six times in the last fifteen years, winning this category for "Shakespeare in Love" (1998). Her performance as J. Edgar Hoover's mother in Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar" has yet to be seen, but Dench must always be considered a strong possibility at the Oscars, and Eastwood has a strong track record with actors, directing five actors to Oscar wins.

Dench plays Dame Sybil Thorndike, a veteran stage and screen actress who mentors Marilyn Monroe during the production of "The Prince and the Showgirl." Oscar voters love actors playing real people, especially recognizable icons (Cate Blanchett won this category for channelling Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator"), but Dench's role in "My Week" is relatively small. Dench, who has received a whopping six Oscar nominations in the last fifteen years (winning this category for "Shakespeare in Love"), gives a higher-profile performance in Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar."

Greer is best known for her roles in the TV series' "Arrested Development," "Miss Guided," and "Two and a Half Men" as well as her supporting roles in the films "The Village," "13 Going on 30," and "Love and Other Drugs." She has a relatively small role in "The Descendants," but she's a scene-stealer. Though more attention has gone to her co-star Shailene Woodley, if "The Descendants" receives wide support from the Academy, Greer could receive her first Oscar nomination.

Winslet is arguably the most successful actress of her generation at the Oscars, receiving six nominations and a Best Actress win for "The Reader" before the age of 35. "Carnage," about two sets of parents fighting over their children's playground fight, is adapted from the Tony-winning Broadway play "God of Carnage," which earned a Tony Award for Marcia Gay Harden and a nomination for Hope Davis. Polanski recently directed "The Ghost Writer," which failed to break through at the Oscars, but he directed "The Panist" in 2002, earning an Oscar for Best Director and winning Best Actor for Adrian Brody.

Cotillard plays a 1920s Parisian woman who enchants a 21st century Owen Wilson in "Midnight in Paris." She previously won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Edith Piaf in the 2007 film "La Vie en Rose." Playing a supporting role in a Woody Allen comedy has worked well for other actresses in this race. Dianne Wiest won two supporting Oscars for Woody Allen films ("Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Bullets Over Broadway"). Mira Sorvino won for "Mighty Aphrodite." And most recently Penelope Cruz won for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Tomei is an Oscar-winner for "My Cousin Vinny" and since then has received nominations in this category for "In the Bedroom" and "The Wrestler." Reviews for "The Ides of March" have been generally positive, but not glowing, and its box office performance has been more or less consistent with expectations, but disappointing relative to its competition. Also, Tomei's role as a New York Times reporter is a small one, giving her only a handful of scenes that lack the emotional impact of her co-star Evan Rachel Wood.

Only rarely do broad comic performances earn Oscar nominations, but there is precedent when the performance receives universal acclaim and the actor is well liked: Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean," Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder." McCarthy has had a breakthrough year thanks to her Emmy-winning star turn on the CBS sitcom "Mike & Molly" and her scene-stealing work in the film "Bridesmaids." The film was a smash hit at the box office and McCarthy's profile has risen to the point where the Academy might want to give her a proper coronation.

Watts made her career breakthrough in "Mulholland Drive" and then earned her first Oscar nomination for "21 Grams," but despite being considered a possible contender in subsequent films "King Kong," "Eastern Promises," and "Fair Game," she has been unable to return to the Oscar race. She appears in "J. Edgar" as the title character's longtime secretary Helen Gandy; films by Clint Eastwood have historically done very well in the acting races, though most of the attention for "J. Edgar" in this category has gone to her co-star Judi Dench, who plays Hoover's mother.

Spencer has given mostly comic performances during her career as a character actress, but in "The Help" she gives a scene-stealing turn as a maid fired by her racist employer. The performance is largely comic, but with the added gravitas of a subplot involving her abuse at the hands of her husband. This kind of broad, brassy performance has done well before in this category: Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny," Whoopi Goldberg in "Ghost," Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls."

Mostly known for her performances in romantic comedies, Bullock has flexed her dramatic muscle in recent years in films including "Crash," "Infamous," and "The Blind Side," which became an unexpected blockbuster hit in 2009 and won her an Oscar for Best Actress. In "Extremely Loud" she plays the grieving widow of a man killed on 9/11. It's her first role since her Oscar win, so we can be sure she has the Academy's attention.

As Lucy, the older sister of the title character, Paulson is both confused and concerned as to what has happened. This TV and stage vet is a standout in this indie film. 

Johansson has been acting since she was a child and has given acclaimed performances in "Manny & Lo," "Ghost World," "Lost in Translation," "Girl with a Pearl Earring," "Match Point," and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," receiving four Golden Globe nominations along the way, but she has yet to be nominated for an Oscar for her work. In "We Bought a Zoo," she's directed by Cameron Crowe, who earned a Supporting Actress bid for another young starlet in 2000 (Kate Hudson in "Almost Famous").

To date, Woodley's greatest claim to fame is her leading role on ABC Family's teen drama "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," but her role as George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants" could be a breakthrough role for her. This category is known for rewarding young actresses; Tatum O'Neil ("Paper Moon") and Anna Paquin ("The Piano") won as children, and recently Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement") and Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") have been nominated.

Redgrave is one of the most honored living actresses, but it has been several years since her last Oscar nomination. She has strong buzz for her role in Ralph Fiennes's modern interpretation of Shakespeare's play "Coriolanus," playing the title character's mother Volumnia. Redgrave previously won this category for 1977's "Julia."