Lemondrop

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" won't be out until December 2011, but Hollywood has long been abuzz over who would play the leading role of Lisbeth Salander. Well, the wait is over. The lucky lady? Actress Rooney Mara.

If you're wondering who the hell that is, you're not alone. Director David Fincher was reportedly looking for an unknown to star in his adaptation of Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy" books, casting the actress over A-list contenders like Natalie Portman, Carey Mulligan and Emma Watson.

You'll know her soon enough, though. Rooney (who is the younger sister of actress Kate Mara) first worked with Fincher on "The Social Network," playing Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg's ex-girlfriend.

Though it's probably safe to say that "The Social Network" and Fincher's trilogy will be the biggest hits of her career thus far, she's not a total nobody. She snagged some indie cred by appearing on Filmmaker magazine's list of "25 New Faces of Independent Film" in 2009, following her roles in "Dare"and "The Winning Season," both of which debuted at Sundance last year. You might also know her as Michael Cera's best friend's love interest in "Youth in Revolt" or as the girl who doesn't die in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (the 2010 remake, not the 1984 classic).

But lest you think she's just another featherweight pixie dreamgirl, here's a fun fact: She's also football royalty. Her father is a V.P. with the New York Giants, her maternal great-grandfather is the Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., and her paternal grandfather is Giants founder Tim Mara. (Thus, Rooney Mara. Neat!) So, not only did she land a plum role, she probably also gets free wings at two separate stadiums. Some girls have all the luck.