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​​22 Young Performers Taking Hollywood By Storm

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NCSU chapter.


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.

Cameron Crews is the president of Her Campus at NC State. She is responsible for publishing all articles, leading meetings, encouraging all staff, and overseeing the entire chapter. This is her fourth year on Her Campus and her third year as President. Outside of Her Campus, Cameron was the Editor-in-Chief of her high school’s yearbook, which she helped lead to being awarded the best book in the entire state and honored at Columbia University’s scholastic journalism awards. She worked as an intern at Southpark Magazine in Charlotte, NC, where she edited articles, conducted interviews, and assisted the editors. In the Summer of 2023, she attended Regents University in London, England, where she took fashion classes from high players in the fashion industry who have worked with the likes of Andy Warhol, Alexander McQueen, Christian Siriano, and more. She also had the opportunity to interview Brendan Fraser immediately after he won his “Best Actor” Oscar at the 2023 Academy Awards. She interned with one of Hollywood's top stylists Tara Swennen in Summer 2024. She is a senior at NC State University majoring in Communications with a minor in Journalism. After graduation, she hopes to move to LA or London and work in the fashion industry as either a fashion editor or celebrity stylist. Cameron was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, with her younger brother and dog, George Bailey. She enjoys shopping, watching movies, listening to music, writing, hanging out with friends, and traveling in her free time. She is a huge Taylor Swift and Harry Styles fan and has seen them both in concert multiple times. She is also a movie aficionado with some of her favorites being Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood, Barbie, Lady Bird, the Breakfast Club, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.