AGE: 26.

PROVENANCE: Akron, Ohio.

RUSTIC CHARM: Hollywood’s newest darling had an unlikely start, growing up in rural surroundings. “It is so funny because I was always embarrassed because I never had formal training in acting. I basically grew up in the backwoods.”

SOUND START: Bennett—whose first screen role was as an up-and-coming singer in 2007’s beloved Music and Lyrics, starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant—credits her mother for cultivating her creative side. “My mom was an artist, and she had this amazing ability to transform everything into something beautiful.”

PACKING A CAREER PUNCH: Later this month, Bennett appears in Antoine Fuqua’s action-packed The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington. “It was a complete departure for me. I play a Russian woman in the face of adversity.”

BACK TO BASICS: Despite a host of upcoming projects on the docket—including as yet untitled films by Terrence Malick and Warren Beatty—Bennett says she’s simply appreciative of everything that has come her way. “I don’t need anything else at this point. I could move back to Ohio and grow old and tell all my stories.”