The future is a scary thing to think about, especially if you’re Gen-Z. The fear of the unknown is one that applies massively to the future. In Hollywood though, the future can be clearly seen in the talent that is up and coming. Actors like Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya have been dominating the industry as of late, and their fellow young performers are beginning to infiltrate the industry and changing it for the better.
I wanted to compile a list of 22 actors and actresses that I feel will soon begin to command Hollywood, if they haven’t already started. Most of these people are Gen-Z, but there are some that are a few years out of the generation, but I still feel deserve to be on this list.
Jacob Elordi
Birthday: June 26, 1997
Notable works: Euphoria, Saltburn, Priscilla, & The Kissing Booth.
What’s coming up: On Swift Horses, Oh Canada, Parallel, A Narrow Road to the Deep North, & Frankenstein
Starting off with the man of the moment, we have Jacob Elordi. After his role in Saltburn was trending all over the internet, Elordi became the internet’s boyfriend for beginning of the year. He is staying booked and busy with five new upcoming projects as well as the third season of HBO’s Euphoria. He has been nominated for two BAFTAs and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Cailee Spaeny
Birthday: July 24, 1998
Notable works: Priscilla, Mare of Easttown, On the Basis of Sex, & Pacific Rim: Uprising
What’s coming up: Civil War & Alien: Romulus
After starring as Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Cailee Spaeny garnered high praise and attention for the titular role and even won the Best Actress award at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. She is starring in the Alex Garland’s upcoming movie Civil War, and I can only predict she will get bigger.
Archie Madekwe
Birthday: February 10, 1995
Notable works: Saltburn, Gran Turismo, & Midsommar.
What’s coming up: TBA
The unsung hero of Saltburn was without a doubt Archie Madekwe’s character, Farleigh Start. His performance was amazing and had everyone in the theater laughing, and I would argue was the most real character of the film. He also starred in Gran Turismo which was another big movie in 2023. Although he currently doesn’t have any upcoming projects, I just know that the offers will be rolling in.
Harris Dickinson
Birthday: June 24, 1996
Notable works: The Iron Claw, Triangle of Sadness, A Murder at the End of the World, & Where the Crawdads Sing
What’s coming up: Blitz & Babygirl
One of my favorite actors at the moment is Harris Dickinson. After seeing him as David Von Erich in The Iron Claw, I went home and immediately started researching what else he had been in, and realized he has a pretty stacked portfolio. His performance in Scrapper was great and I recommend that movie to anyone who wants a heartwarming watch.
Rachel Zegler
Birthday: May 3, 2001
Notable works: West Side Story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, & The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
What’s coming up: Snow White, Y2K, & Spellbound
The most impressive person on this list is without a doubt Rachel Zegler. She has starred in only three movies, all of which were massive films. She booked her first role in Steven Spielberg’s, West Side Story, while she was still in high school. She starred as Lucy Gray Baird in the new Hunger Games prequel and is set to star as Snow White in a live action adaptation.
Auli’i Cravahlo
Birthday: November 22, 2000
Notable works: Moana, Mean Girls, & Power
What’s coming up: Moana
Getting her first starring role as the voice of Disney princess Moana, Auli’i Cravahlo has left her mark on the industry and she’s just getting started. She recently starred as Janis in the new Mean Girls and is set to reprise her role as Moana in a live action adaptation of the animated film.
Halle Bailey
Birthday: March 27, 2000
Notable works: The Little Mermaid, The Color Purple, & Grown-ish
What’s coming up: TBA
One of the most talked about young actresses of the past year was Halle Bailey. She burst onto the scene starring as Ariel in the live action adaptation of The Little Mermaid and took the world by storm. I have known about Bailey since her and her sister, Chloe, were starring in Disney Channel’s NBT (Next Big Thing) for their music and it is so nice to see her thriving in acting because she is so talented. (And so is her sister!) She currently doesn’t have any future projects lined up, but recently welcomed a baby boy which I am sure is taking up most of her time.
Tom Blyth
Birthday: June 26, 1997
Notable works: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Billy the Kid, & The Gilded Age
What’s coming up: Discussion Materials & A Farewell to Arms
After stealing hearts playing a young Coriolanus Snow in the new Hunger Games prequel, Blyth is set to star in Alfredo Barrios Jr.’s Discussion Materials and a remake of Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, which is sure to have audiences swooning.
Diego Calva
Birthday: March 16, 1992
Notable works: Babylon & Bird Box Barcelona
What’s coming up: On Swift Horses, The American Way, City of Dreams, & Killing Castro
Diego Calva learned how to speak English for his starring role in Babylon alongside Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, and he ended up being the beating heart of the entire film. His performance as Manny Torres is one of the best I have seen and he deserves all of the praise and acclaim that is surely to come. He is set to star alongside Jacob Elordi and Daisy Edgar-Jones in On Swift Horses, which is currently in post-production.
Havana Rose Liu
Birthday: September 30, 1997
Notable works: Bottoms, American Horror Stories, & No Exit
What’s coming up: They Listen
Havana Rose Liu started her career as a model and was even on the cover of Vogue before she started her acting career. She had her breakout role in the comedy film Bottoms which garnered critical acclaim which came with a new Gen-Z following. She also starred alongside Timothée Chalamet in an ad for Chanel Bleu, directed by Martin Scorsese.
Jenna Ortega
Birthday: September 27, 2002
Notable works: Wednesday, Scream, The Fallout, & X
What’s coming up: Miller’s Girl, Beetlejuice 2, Winter Spring Summer or Fall, Death of a Unicorn.
Jenna Ortega starred in many minor roles before booking Stuck in the Middle on Disney Channel, which is where she was first introduced to most of Gen-Z. She has only taken off from there, starring as the iconic Wednesday Addams in Wednesday which gained her an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination.
Nicholas Galitzine
Birthday: September 29, 1994
Notable works: Red, White, and Royal Blue, Purple Hearts, & Bottoms
What’s coming up: Mary and George & The Idea of You
He made waves as Prince Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue and then again as Jeff in Bottoms, making 2023 Nicholas Galitzine’s breakout year. He is set to star in The Idea of You alongside Anne Hathaway, which is based off of a fanfiction on Harry Styles where a mother (Hathaway), chaperones her daughter’s trip to Coachella and falls in love with the lead singer of one of the bands (Galitzine).
Ayo Edebiri
Birthday: October 3, 1995
Notable works: The Bear, Bottoms, Big Mouth, & Theater Camp
What’s coming up: The Sweet East, Thunderbolts, Opus, Omni Loop, & Ella McCay.
2023 was the year of Ayo Edebiri. She is quickly cementing herself as a comedy staple and everything she stars in seems to turn to gold. From The Bear to Bottoms, Edebiri is finding different ways to make audiences laugh. Her role as Chef Sydney in The Bear just recently gained her a Golden Globe and an Emmy and the show is only in it’s second season.
Paul Mescal
Birthday: February 2, 1996
Notable works: Normal People, All of Us Strangers, Aftersun, & Foe
What’s coming up: Gladiator 2, Merrily We Roll Along, & The History of Sound
Coming off of an Oscar nomination for his role in Afersun, Paul Mescal is quickly becoming one of the it-boys in Hollywood. He was recently featured in a Gucci campaign and just wrapped filming for the highly anticipated Gladiator sequel where he will star alongside Pedro Pascal.
Storm Reid
Birthday: July 1, 2003
Notable works: Euphoria, Missing, The Last of Us, & A Wrinkle in Time.
What’s coming up: Killing Winston Jones
One of the youngest actresses on this list is none other than Storm Reid. She captivated audiences in Euphoria as Gia Bennett, Rue (Zendaya)’s younger sister, and is set to return for season three. She also just recently won her first Emmy award for her guest starring role in The Last of Us.
Drew Starkey
Birthday: November 4, 1993
Notable works: Outer Banks, The Other Zoey, & Hellraiser
What’s coming up: Queer
The shining star of Netflix’s Outer Banks is without a doubt Drew Starkey who plays Rafe Cameron, the older brother of Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline). His performance is one that portrays Rafe as charismatic at one moment and downright psychotic in the next. His buzzcut in season three took TikTok by storm and fans are anxiously awaiting the fourth season. His upcoming project is Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, where he will star alongside Daniel Craig.
Ariana Greenblatt
Birthday: August 27, 2007
Notable works: Barbie & Ahsoka
What’s coming up: Borderlands & Scoob!: Holiday Haunt
She also starred in Stuck in the Middle as Jenna Ortega’s little sister, but now Ariana Greenblatt is all grown up and proved her acting chops with her role as Sasha in the highest grossing movie of 2023, Barbie. Her other notable roles include starring as the younger versions of characters such as Ahsoka in Ahsoka and Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. She is only 16 and only just beginning what I predict will be an illustrious career.
Callum Turner
Birthday: February 15, 1990
Notable works: The Boys in the Boat, Emma, & Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
What’s coming up: Masters of the Air & Hedda
Although he is the oldest on the list, I do still think that Callum Turner is one of the most promising up-and-comers in Hollywood. He has starred in a plethora of projects, but is just now getting the recognition that he deserves. His next project is set to premiere this month and is titled Masters of the Air, where he stars alongside Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan as WWII Air Force fighters.
Shameik Moore
Birthday: May 4, 1995
Notable works: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Dope, & Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
What’s coming up: Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and Bright Futures
Known for his voicework as Miles Morales in the extremely popular movie series Spider-Man, Shameik Moore has left his mark on such an iconic franchise and I think he hasn’t even begun to show all of his talent. The Spider-Man: Spider-Verse movies are ones that have left such an impact on culture. Not just with representation, but also in animation style, soundtrack, and overall feel of the films, and I hope to see more of Moore in the near future.
Sydney Sweeney
Birthday: September 12, 1997
Notable works: Euphoria, The White Lotus, Anyone But You, & Reality
What’s coming up: Madame Web, Echo Valley, Eden, & Immaculate
Sydney Sweeney is everywhere, and has been everywhere for a long time, but you may not have noticed. I for one, noticed just how global Sweeney is when I was studying abroad this past summer. She was on the cover of countless magazines, her face was on movie posters all over the underground, and it felt like everywhere I turned, there she was. She has been nominated for two Emmy’s and has shot to household stardom. You may not have realized but she had minor roles in iconic shows and movies such as: Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood, Sharp Objects, The Handmaid’s Tale, Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, and more.
Alison Oliver
Birthday: June 3, 1997
Notable works: Saltburn & Conversations with Friends
What’s coming up: The Order
Alison Oliver has only appeared in five projects and has already shown just how good her acting abilities are. She stole the show as Venetia Catton in Saltburn and the scene of her and Barry Keoghan at the end left me with chills. She is set to star in an unnamed HBO project, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
Barry Keoghan
Birthday: October 18, 1992
Notable works: Saltburn, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, & Dunkirk
What’s coming up: Masters of the Air, Bring them Down, Bird, & The Batman 2
One of the most talked about scenes of the year involved two things: Barry Keoghan and a bathtub. Yes I am talking about THAT scene from Saltburn where Keoghan plays an obsessive college student who goes to live with his friend Felix’s (Jacob Elordi) family during summer break. Keoghan is incredible in everything I have seen him in. He is able to completely transform himself into his work and gives some of the most genuine performances I have ever seen. He has an Oscar nomination for his role in Banshees of Inisherin and won a BAFTA for the role.
Charles Melton
Birthday: January 4, 1991
Notable works: May December, Riverdale, & The Sun is Also a Star
What’s coming up: K-Pop: Lost in America
One of the best performances of the year came from Charles Melton in May December. The film stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman and is loosely based off of the story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Villi Fualaau, the teacher and 12 year old student who started a relationship and ending up getting married. Melton portrays the student that was taken advantage of and is now married to his abuser and truly gives such a touching performance. I watched a little bit of Riverdale and will not lie when I say that I was not expecting him to do as well as he did, and he deserves all of the awards for his portrayal.
Jeremy Allen White
Birthday: February 17, 1991
Notable works: The Bear, Shameless, & The Iron Claw
What’s coming up: You Can’t Win
The final actor on this list is Jeremy Allen White. Now many people may have already been familiar with him through his role as Lip Gallagher on the hit show Shameless, but his role as Carmy on The Bear made him a household name. The role gave him a Golden Globe and an Emmy and I cannot wait for the third season.
All of these young actors and actresses are forces to be reckoned with. I do feel as though I need to note that these are not the only performers that are the futures of Hollywood. There are so many people that I did not include in this list and it was so hard to choose, but this only means that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to how the film industry will look in 20 years time.