Hollywood has been home to fabulously talented brunettes for decades, including Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. More recently Hollywood's stars with dark and duskily alluring locks have included Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie and Eva Mendes.

Yet time never stands still in the city of dreams, and new faces are appearing on Hollywood's streets of fame every day looking for their big break.

Today's dark and sultry superstars include Katie Holmes, Anne Hathaway and Natalie Portman.

But who are the new stars with luxurious chocolate shades of hair who are vying to be the next to work their magic on the big screen -- and which of them are most likely to be Hollywood's new dark-haired femmes fatales?

Jessica Stroup (23)

STROUP starred in Homecoming, a psychological thriller, alongside Mischa Barton and Matt Long. Yet so far she is best known for her role as Erin Silver on the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off, 90210. At age 23, is it too late for her big screen big lead breakthrough?

Sarah Bolger (19)

DUBLIN-born Bolger has most recently played Jonathan Rhys Myers’s daughter Lady Mary Tudor in The Tudors. She first made an impact in 2002 starring in Jim Sheridan’s Oscar-nominated film In America. She looks like a young Sandra Bullock.

Kristen Stewart (19)

THE face of the moment, following the opening of the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon in which she plays Bella Swan. She first made an impression in Panic Room (2002) playing Jodie Foster’s daughter. A bit of a Juliette Lewis/Winona Ryder mix going on here

Emmy Rossum (23)

THIS singer/songwriter/actress starred opposite Dennis Quaid in The Day After Tomorrow, and with Sandra Bernhard in Dare. She is divorced from music executive Justin Siegel, and is a niece of fashion designer Vera Wang. Her music career may hold back her screen career — or could she be the new Keira Knightley?

Mandy Moore (25)

ALL Good Things singer Moore was left devastated in August by the death of her ex-boyfriend, celebrity disc jockey Adam Goldstein. She has acted in Because I Said So with Diane Keaton and in License to Wed with Robin Williams. Variety magazine described Moore’s acting as ‘appealing’. She reminds us a little of Jennifer Garner.

Jenn Murray (23)

BELFAST-born Murray starred opposite Jason Priestley in the TV version of The Day of The Triffids. She appeared in Sunshower by Irish writer/director Liam Gavin which was selected for the 2009 Raindance Film Festival. Could this Trinity graduate be the new Rachel Griffiths

Jessica Szohr (24)

SHE currently plays Vanessa in Gossip Girl and has mainly done TV work. She was discovered at the age of 17 when she was working as a departmentstore model and is best friends with Rumer Willis (Bruce’s daughter). Yet with her bigscreen face (she has Cameron Diaz-like eyes), her future looks bright.

Ashley Greene (22)

TWILIGHT Saga actress Greene is thought to be romancing The Kings of Leon bass guitarist Jared Followill after the duo were recently seen locking lips at a bash. She originally wanted to be a model but at 5ft 4ins she was considered too small.

- Anna Coogan