Youth Impact Report
Variety’s annual Youth Impact Report profiles actors, digital content creators, musicians, and others who rocked showbiz in the last year, as well as a few pros behind those burgeoning careers.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobbie Brown and Gaten Matarazzo -
Jay Alvarrez and Alexis Ren
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Trailblazing digital tastemakers/filmmakers/social media titans/aspirational couple scored a six-month, multi-platform national Hyundai campaign, “Full of Life,” for the carmaker’s new compact SUV. The campaign scored over 1 million YouTube views, while gaining Hyundai more than 100,000 new Instagram followers overnight. The pair this year teamed with Illumination Entertainment and NBCUniversal to help market the Minions Surf Capsule Collection. The social media pull of Alvarrez and Ren, with 11-plus million combined social media followers, 59-plus million views on his YouTube channel, and 6 million followers on her Instagram account, made them a natural choice for with to launch Snapchat’s new feature, Memories. Alvarrez, 23, also stars in the new Armani Exchange fall/winter campaign. The pair works with environmental philanthropies as well. “I’m not only a model, but a role model,” says Ren, 19. “I believe that my mind will take me further than anything else on my career path,” says Alvarrez.
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Cho Seong-jin
Image Credit: Courtesy of Cho Seong-jin Cho made headlines in the classical music world last October when he became the first Korean to win the Chopin Intl. Piano Competition. Some 50,000 copies of Cho’s album, recorded at the competition, sold out in less than a week in South Korea, where classical music albums are rarely considered profitable. His role model? “Beethoven, Schubert, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky … I like them all, I play their pieces out of respect,” says Cho. He joined Deutsche Grammophon’s roster of artists this year, and is booked for almost 70 concerts across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. in 2016 and 2017.
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Pete Davidson
Image Credit: Courtesy of Pete Davidson Get ready to feel old: Pete Davidson is the only “Saturday Night Live” cast member to be born in the 1990s. The 22-year-old has racked up credits on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Guy Code” and done stand-up on “Adam Devine’s House Party,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” and “Comedy Underground With Dave Attell.” Davidson was also a roaster on the “Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber.” He joined “SNL” in 2014 and is the fourth youngest member in the show’s 40-year history. “I feel very lucky to be a part of ‘SNL.’ One day I would love to do a movie with Dave Chappelle. That’s my dream!” says Davidson.
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Dolan Twins
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Dolan twins With over 10 million fans between them, 16-year-old creators Grayson and Ethan Dolan, known simply as the Dolan Twins, have taken digital platforms by storm, recently taking home two Teen Choice Awards. They rose to prominence through their comedic skits on Vine, which has translated to over 2 million YouTube subscribers, and now they are on a six-city U.S. tour selling out shows. “We want to eventually get into traditional acting in films. However, we believe that social media is still on the rise and we’re currently having a lot fun with what we’re doing,” say the twins. “So, no matter what, we will always keep up with social media.”
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Fifth Harmony
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fifth Harmony ”The X-Factor” birthed the biggest girl group in the world right now: Fifth Harmony. It is the first girl group to reach 1 billion views on YouTube with music video for “Worth It.” “Work From Home,” the first single from sophomore album “7/27,” scored the group’s first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Lauren Michelle Jauregui, Karla Camila Cabello, and Dinah Jane Hansen are now on a global “7/27 Tour.” “Everything about ‘7/27’ — the album’s subject matter, our increased involvement in the creative process, and touring in countries we’ve never been — feels like a true evolution for us,” say the group in a statement. “We’re no longer five girls who were put together on a singing competition show; we’ve really found our sound as a musical unit.”
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Connor Franta
Image Credit: Courtesy of Connor Franta Influential gay YouTube vlogger, creator, author, and entrepreneur, the 23-year-old began his career on YouTube six years ago, and now has more than 18 million followers. Reflecting the power of social media in utilizing digital platforms and reach he’s built his global brand, Common Culture, that includes music, coffee, clothing, and a summer camp. He curated Billboard-charting compilation series, co-founded Heard Well (the first record label powered by social tastemakers), and inked a deal with Red Distribution. Partnered with Supergravity Pictures via Heard Well to release “Gayby Baby,” for which he also helped curate music. Franta wrote 2015 bestselling memoir “A Work in Progress,” and was awarded Logo’s Social Trailblazer Award, and Thirst Project’s Governor’s Award. “I honestly feel like I can be anyone, do anything, and that state of mind is utterly liberating,” he says.
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Becky G
Image Credit: Courtesy of Becky G Multi-talented Latina powerhouse, Covergirl face and YouTube star scored a No. 1 single, “Can’t Get Enough,” featuring Pitbull, on the Latin Billboard chart, sang with Pitbull at the Copa Americano final, and toured with Demi Lovato and Katy Perry. The 19-year-old’s latest single, “Break a Sweat,” debuted to raves. Cast as Trini in Lionsgate’s upcoming “Power Rangers” reboot, she lends her voice to animated film “Gnome Alone,” and guest starred on Fox’s “Empire.” “Every day, I push myself to be better than I was yesterday,” she says. “Sometimes I surprise myself at how far I can go. I want to play my part in making the world a better place by inspiring my generation to be the best they can be.”
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Selena Gomez
Image Credit: Courtesy of Selena Gomez Few performers have had a better year than Gomez. Her sophomore studio album, “Revival,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts — her second No. 1 album — and she is currently on an 82-city world tour. Adding to that success, “Hotel Transylvania 2,” for which she voiced the film’s Mavis, grossed over $470 million, she appeared in “Neighbors 2” and had a cameo in “The Big Short.” To top it off, Gomez is executive producing an upcoming Netflix series. Oh, and she’s the most followed person on Instagram, with 93.3 million followers.
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Greg Goodfried
Image Credit: Courtesy of Greg Goodfried Goodfried reps some of the top talent in the digital field including Michelle Phan, Kandee Johnson and Jenn Im, the Merrell Twins, Thomas Sanders, and Lauren Elizabeth. Famous for the viral “Lonelygirl” web series of nearly a decade ago, Goodfried says he watches a lot of online content. And while emerging platforms such as Snapchat and Periscope are good, “YouTube is where you’ll see original formats,” he says. “The creators show more of their original voice than any other platform.” As for his clients, the “Merrell twins have a massive online following, over 1.4 million YouTube followers.” They make comedy videos, challenge videos, and do collaborations with their friends, sing and, act. Johnson started out with makeup instructional videos on YouTube and grew a following from there. “I appreciate a good makeup video,” Goodfried jokes. “I do get a lot of good skincare products.”
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Andrew Graham
Image Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Graham Graham started by checking out who the big YouTube stars were following and then, he says, “I made key strategic signings. Fortunately, being in the right place at the right time, and a bit of pixie dust” helped him land such stars as Ricky Dillon and Connor Franta (also on Variety’s Youth Impact list). Other clients include digital stars Kian Lawley and J.C. Caylen. Being at CAA helps him place his clients in crossover projects. “For me, true multihyphenates have a genuine community,” Graham says. “There are viewers and community. Viewers watch, community buys your things. Kian and J.C. have a very genuine community that powers entrepreneurial endeavors.”
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Ariana Grande
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock At 23, former Nickelodeon (“Victorious”) and Broadway (“Thirteen”) actress Grande is now the first artist in Billboard’s Hot 100 history to have the lead single on her first three albums debut in the top 10. She’s sold 1.3 million albums in the U.S., grossed $41.8 million on her “Honeymoon Tour” last year, and can boast 4 billion YouTube views. She’s also got a powerful social media presence, with 81.6 million Instagram followers and 40.7 million on Twitter, and will appear in NBC’s “Hairspray Live!” in December. As Republic Records exec VP Charlie Walk told Billboard last year, it’s about more than having a four-octave range. “She breathes life into songs and makes them matter.”
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Eva Gutowski
Image Credit: Courtesy of Eva Gutowski College freshman Gutowski didn’t want to wait for her real life to begin, so she started filming that life and putting it up on YouTube (using her dad’s camera purchased to take prom photos). Three years later the Cal State senior has 6.8 million subscribers and YouTube’s No. 1 original scripted series, “How to Survive High School.” She’s just announced another series for YouTube Red with the working title “Me and My Grandma,” a multi-generational buddy comedy. Having gone from beauty videos to comedy, she’s also giving motivational talks at high schools. “You don’t have to have everything handed to you to make something of your life,” she says. “Nobody gave me those followers — I earned them. That’s what I want people to know.”
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Gigi Hadid
Image Credit: Courtesy of Gigi Hadid Hadid followed in her mother’s modeling footsteps and skyrocketed to superstardom, with the help of social media — 21.4 million Instagram followers alone — and bestie Kendall Jenner. She walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2015 with said bestie, and appeared in Taylor Swift’s star-laden “Bad Blood” video. Hadid can be seen in multiple fashion campaigns, including a cheeky take on Tommy Hilfiger’s “Girl” fragrance. She’s also taking a stab at designing with a capsule collection for Tommy Hilfiger for release later this year. But she’s also branched out from fashion — Hadid co-directed the music video for DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean.”
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Halsey
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Halsey may have started out singing covers on YouTube just a few years ago, but the 21-year-old New Jersey native is already en route to a highly successful career. She’s sold out venues including Madison Square Garden, and delivered a buzzed-about set in her coveted Coachella berth. Halsey, who strives to create music that incorporates visual elements, considers directors Quentin Tarantino and Spike Jones as her influences. Her proudest accomplishment to date? “My greatest highlight so far is becoming more comfortable with myself and creating a narrative with my fan base,” says Halsey.
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Domina Holbeck
Image Credit: Courtesy of Domina Holbeck With a knack and keen eye for identifying young talent, Holbeck for the past eight years has helped groom performers Ally Ioannides (“Parenthood,” “Elementary”), Aubrey Peeples of “ Nashville,” Michael Campion of Netflix’s “Fuller House,” Dove Cameron, of Disney’s “Liv and Maddie” who’s also set to film “Descendants 2” for Disney’s TV channel, Steele Stebbins of “Vacation,” Desiree Ross (who is also on the Youth Impact Report) of OWN’s new hit series “Greenleaf,” Thomas Barbusca of Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer” and the upcoming “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,” Aubrey Anderson-Emmons of “Modern Family” and breakout actor/recording star Jordan Fisher ( Fox’s “Grease: Live”). “I want to continue developing talent and cultivating amazing careers. My team at Abrams inspires me daily,” says Holbeck.
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Tom Holland
Image Credit: Courtesy of Tom Holland The hot Brit actor and new Spider-Man made his Spidey debut as the superhero in the $1 billion-plus mega-hit “Captain America: Civil War” and just began production on “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” He’s already completed James Gray’s Amazon adventure biopic “Lost City of Z” opposite Charlie Hunnam, Rob Pattinson, and Sienna Miller. “I feel an actor is only as good as the roles he is given, so I hope that clever writers and talented filmmakers keep at their craft and that I might be in a position to take my shot,” Holland says.
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Sami Housman
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sami Housman Housman started in the UTA mailroom, and is now working alongside Mitchell Gossett, CESD’s senior VP, motion pictures, television and digital talent, as a new breed of youth agent with both digital influencers and mainstream media talent on their rosters. Integral in introducing and curating careers of today and tomorrow’s top talents, including Bryce Gheisar (series regular on Disney XD’s “Walk the Prank,” shooting Lionsgate’s feature “Wonder”), Ricky Garcia (Disney Channel’s “Best Friends Whenever”), Nyle DiMarco, who won “America’s Next Top Model” cycle 22 in 2015 and “Dancing With the Stars” this year. She also works with digital talent and merges them with traditional media and vice-versa, including YouTuber Ben J. Pierce and actress Diamond White (leads in Verizon go90’s “Guidance”). “There’s no greater high than telling a client they booked the role — whether it’s their first or 50th,” she says.
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Kylie Jenner
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kylie Jenner As a member of the Kardashian Klan, Jenner is fast creating a name for herself separate from her family. In addition to unveiling a cosmetics line, Kylie Cosmetics, earlier this year, the 19-year-old says she strives to use her powerful social media presence — almost 71 million followers on Instagram — to promote positivity. She launched an Instagram campaign #IAmMoreThan in 2015, aimed at “sharing stories from people who had gone through serious struggles,” says Jenner. Additionally, she credits her mom and sisters as her role models, saying “they give me so much great advice and always support me in following my dreams.”
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Jazz Jennings
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock This LGBTQ activist and transgender teen has achieved several milestones, including publishing a memoir, becoming a spokesmodel for Clean & Clear skin care and being featured in a reality series with her family – all before her 16th birthday. The best reaction she’s received to “I Am Jazz”? “When someone tells me that my story was capable of saving their life, it’s truly the most heartwarming occurrence and I’m humbled to know that I can help people realize that life is worth living,” she says. Up next? She’ll be speaking at the 2016 Social Good Summit at the United Nations, looking to share her message with youth internationally.
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Kim Hwan-hee
Image Credit: Courtesy of Kim Hwan-hee The 14-year-old actress stunned audiences with her presence in Korean helmer Na Hong-jin’s Cannes entry “The Wailing,” which earned $50 million from 6.88 million admissions in the box office in South Korea. In the occult thriller, Kim played a disease-stricken girl, possessed by an evil spirit. Her signature line, “So what’s important?,” quickly became popular and popped up in numerous parodies. “I hope I win best new actress award,” says Kim. “Best actress and best supporting actress awards may still be available sometime later, but best new actress is now or never.” Kim’s next project is KBS TV drama “The Way to the Airport.”
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“Jelly” Lin Yun
Image Credit: Courtesy of Lin Yun There’s a line in “The Mermaid” in which Lin’s character, Shan, is criticized for having “eyes that are like peas, and a nose that is too big.” No matter, her fellow creatures still use her as the honey trap to seduce a shallow billionaire and convert him to their ecological cause. That Shan manages to succeed is testament to Lin’s spot-on, fresh but understated performance in her first feature. The film’s $530 million box office in China made her an overnight star. The 20 year old now has two plum roles coming up: LeVision Pictures’ “L.O.R.D.: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties,” conceived and directed by Guo Jingming, the geek genius behind the “Tiny Times” franchise; and “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons 2,” directed by fantasy action master Tsui Hark for Alibaba Pictures.
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Peyton List
Image Credit: Courtesy of Peyton List When List’s parents suggested she pick a hobby, they didn’t realize it wasn’t going to be soccer or basketball, says the 18-year-old, who made her acting debut in soap “As the World Turns” in 2002. Her parents were good about taking her to auditions, but what helped was being in L.A. for one. List appeared in 2004’s “Spider-Man” and followed it up with “27 Dresses,” both “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” pics and Disney Channel’s “Jessie.” But she’s really made a name for herself on the Disney Channel’s hit series “Bunk’d.” Among her upcoming projects Legendary’s “The Thinning” and “The Swap.” What List really wants to do is write. She and her twin brother, Spencer, have penned a comedy based on their lives. “We have the same quirky sense of humor,” she says. ”I really admire Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham, they all do their own thing and write their own. Really cool, such cool women.”
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Keiynan Lonsdale
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock The 24-year-old Australian’s career kicked into high gear in 2015 with roles in “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” and The CW’s “The Flash,” in which he plays iconic DC Comics hero Wally West. “He’s always willing to grow and learn, even if he doesn’t necessarily show it to other people,” Lonsdale says of his quick-witted (and footed) character. Newly promoted to series regular status for “The Flash” season
three, Lonsdale says we can expect to see a Wally who is “completely content and happy with who he is” now that he has become the superhero known as Kid Flash. “He’s confident, and maybe a little cocky.” -
Demi Lovato
Image Credit: Courtesy of Demi Lovato Lovato’s powerhouse voice quickly catapulted her from Disney Channel star to global pop star: her latest release, “Confident,” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last fall. She’s also been on a blockbuster tour in support of the record, and last year, she, Nick Jonas and music executive Phil McIntyre formed Safehouse Records. But her activism is where she’s shining the most, having received GLAAD’s Vanguard Award in April. “Every small action can help to ignite a big and permanent change,” says Lovato. Her honesty with her fans about her struggles with bipolar disorder has been instrumental in building her influence. “I allow my fans to see the best and worst of me and I think most people relate to that,” she says.
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Hari Nef
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hari Nef In the past year, the 23-year-old Nef became the first transgender model to sign with IMG Models. In addition to making her TV debut in Amazon’s “Transparent,” she was Elle U.K.’s first trans cover model. Nef also became an advocate at the National Center of Transgender Equality. “It wasn’t something that I asked for, but something I embraced,” she says. “I’m really proud that I’m working with such a great organization.” Nef continues to strive not only for transgender equality, but is also “very on-board with the new initiatives for gun control, because these are issues that affect the trans community.”
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Logan Paul
Image Credit: Courtesy of Logan Paul Logan Paul has over 20 million followers on his social media platforms — he definitely knows how to command an audience. Although he first started out doing loops on Vine, he’s now reached digital stardom and has partnered with top brands including Pepsi and Taco Bell. He’s also ventured into the film world, starring in several low-budget features, including the upcoming horror pic “The Thinning.” On his bucket list? “[To] play the lead role in an action hero movie. There’s an awesome character named ‘Quasar.’ We’re identical. And he’s a part of The Avengers! (Hint hint, Marvel).”
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Keke Palmer
Image Credit: Courtesy of Keke Palmer Palmer takes a star turn on hit Fox series “Scream Queens,” and wowed audiences earlier this year in that network’s blockbuster “Grease Live.” But fame isn’t what’s important to her — it’s giving back. The actress said she learned from those she’s worked with “that you always have to give back what you’re given [because] that’s what keeps the arts alive.”
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Park So-dam
Image Credit: Courtesy of Park So-dam The 24-year-old actress was in some of 2015’s biggest Korean films: “Veteran,” “The Throne,” and “The Priests.” Park won multiple awards for her role in “Priests,” which grossed $38 million from 5.44 million admissions. Now Park is back on the stage in a revival of the award-winning 1997 play “Closer.” “I’ve always had my passion for stage plays, because I majored in theater acting at school,” says Park. “I hope she becomes an actress who can appeal to the wider world,” says Hwang Joo-hye, CEO of Park’s management agency.
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Lele Pons
Image Credit: Courtesy of Lele Pons Lele Pons may only be 20 years old, but she’s already has 11 million Vine followers and almost 8.6 billion loops, making her the #1 female Viner in the world. She was just signed as a content partner by the Shots app in its evolution into comedy. However, her contributions go beyond social media — Pons was invited to the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama in October 2015 to help launch the Better Make Room campaign by spreading the campaign’s key messages through social media. She subsequently released a book “Surviving High School” in April. A classically-trained singer, Pons acknowledges opera legend Maria Callas as “one of [her] biggest inspirations.”
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Charlie Puth
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Plenty of earnest young singer-songwriters have built up fan bases through YouTube, but it’s hard to think of one who subsequently exploded into the mainstream as dramatically as 24-year-old Puth. After kicking around the internet for years, the singer-pianist landed a Top 40 single in early 2015 with “Marvin Gaye,” then attained immediate ubiquity with the follow-up, “See You Again.” Commissioned as a Paul Walker tribute for the film “Furious 7,” the song spent 12 straight weeks at No. 1, and was nominated for three Grammys and a Golden Globe. His major label debut, “Nine Track Mind,” reached No. 6 on the album chart earlier this year.
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Daisy Ridley
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock No actor had a more momentous year than 24-year-old Daisy Ridley, who was plucked from relative obscurity by J.J. Abrams to star in what was arguably one of the most anticipated films in cinematic history: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Not only did Ridley inspire a new generation of fans — especially young girls — as scrappy heroine Rey, she became the emotional anchor of the beloved blockbuster franchise reboot, holding her own opposite such cinematic titans as Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. In addition to the upcoming “Star Wars” sequels, Ridley is set to star in Lionsgate’s dystopian thriller “Chaos Walking,” “Ophelia” with Naomi Watts, and reteam with Abrams for fantasy drama “Kolma.”
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Emma Roberts
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Despite the giant shadows cast by her famous aunt Julia and father, Eric, the 25-year-old actress has carved out her own highly successful movie and TV career. Ryan Murphy used Roberts extensively in his “American Horror Story” anthology, and she’s been leading his “Scream Queens” on Fox, now heading into season two. Lionsgate’s thriller “Nerve,” starring Roberts, has taken in $28 million and counting since its July 27 release — a strong start for a lower-budget pic. Upcoming projects include “Billionaire Boys Club,” opposite Taron Egerton, Kevin Spacey, and Ansel Elgort; and horror-thriller “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” from writer-director Osgood Perkins, which premiered at Toronto 2015 and will be released by A24 Films in partnership with DirecTV this month.
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Saiorse Ronan
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock The 22-year-old actress received a well-deserved Oscar nom for her luminous performance as the conflicted heroine in 2015’s “Brooklyn” to add to her supporting actress nomination for 2008’s “Atonement.” Upcoming projects include drama “Loving Vincent” about the life and death of the tortured artist Vincent Van Gogh; Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” directed by Michael Mayer, co-starring Annette Bening: “Lady Bird,” about a young woman’s adventures in Northern California, directed by Greta Gerwig, produced by Scott Rudin Productions; and “On Chesil Beach,” a drama about a young couple on their honeymoon, set in the early 1960s. That drama brings her back into the Ian McEwan universe, as the novelist adapted the screenplay from his novel.
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Amandla Stenberg
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amandla Stenberg Amandla (it means power in Zulu) was aptly named – she began her career at 4 doing catalog shoots and made a big impression as Rue in “The Hunger Games.” She earned a Teen Choice Award in 2012. Last year, the 17-year-old social-justice warrior — who is headed to NYU in the fall — made headlines when her short “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows” went viral, and she was invited to one of Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sessions. She starred in the Sundance hit “As You Are,” and next stars in drama “Everything Everything,” period romantic drama “Where Hands Touch,” and is attached to star in Fox 2000’s “The Hate U Give.” She’s also one of the faces of Stella McCartney’s new fragrance, Pop, and teamed with Stranger Comics to co-create “Niobe: She Is Life,” a graphic novel about a female warrior.
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Sophie Turner
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Her professional acting debut as Sansa Stark on HBO’s global blockbuster “Game of Thrones” has sent the 20-year-old’s career into the stratosphere. She’s scooped up four SAG nominations for the role, and she and her character all but dominated the game-changing sixth season. She’s also scored this year as Jean Grey in hit franchise “X-Men: Apocalypse.” Next she stars opposite Ray Liotta in “Alone,” and in “Huntsville” alongside Shea Whigham. “I aspire to forge a career in projects that I hope resonate with audiences and make them think,” Turner says. “To achieve this whilst continuing to fuel my passion for acting would be a wonderful thing.”
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Michael Barbieri
Image Credit: Courtesy of Michael Barbieri The young actor stars as a streetwise kid opposite Theo Taplitz in Magnolia’s coming-of-age Sundance hit film, “Little Men,” directed by Ira Sachs. That was his first feature, which led to lots of phonecalls to his agent. He is shooting Sony/Marvel reboot “Spider-Man: Homecoming” opposite Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton, and Donald Glover. He recently wrapped the Nikolaj Arcel-directed adaptation of Stephen King’s bestseller “The Dark Tower” alongside Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. “I want to become the best actor I can be and learn from the actors I work with. I’ve been inspired by Ira Sachs, who’s become a mentor and friend, and by my two idols, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro,” he says.
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Annalise Basso, Shree Crooks, Nicholas Hamilton, Samantha Isler, George MacKay and Charlie Shotwell
Image Credit: Courtesy of Bleecker Street Matt Ross’ Sundance and Cannes hit “Captain Fantastic” revolves around an unusual family unit: Viggo Mortensen plays papa to a big brood living well off the grid in the Northwest woods. Finding talented young actors was not the issue; finding talent young actor who could convincingly portray kids who were skilled in hand-to-hand combat, hunting, yoga, taxidermy, rock climbing, and engage in lofty debates about literature and thought was the tricky part, but the filmmakers nailed it. “Everything in life has to do with the people you choose to collaborate with,” Ross said in a July Variety interview. “When you cast kids, you cast their families. And it’s not an accident these are lovely children; they have lovely parents.”
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Auli’i Cravalho
Image Credit: Courtesy of Auli'i Cravalho The 15-year-old native Hawaiian is Disney’s newest heroine, voicing the lead in the upcoming animated “Moana,” directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Filmmakers auditioned hundreds throughout the Pacific Islands before finding the singer-dancer who initially did not pursue the coveted role. But after several auditions, including her first trip to Burbank, she was cast thanks to raw talent. “My greatest desire is to be the best person I can possibly be. I want to explore all of my passions. And knowing the possibilities are endless? It’s incredibly empowering.”
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Sophia Anne Caruso
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sophia Anne Caruso At 15, Caruso is already making her mark on the stage. From 2015-16 she starred in the David Bowie-Enda Walsh Off Broadway musical “Lazarus,” directed by Ivo Van Hove, and she recently made her Broadway debut opposite Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams in David Harrower’s “Blackbird,” directed by Joe Mantello. “David Bowie always played in my house so I knew what an icon he was, but I always think of him as just a person,” Caruso says. “He never acted like a star.” Homeschooled to make time for singing, acting and dancing, Caruso continues to search for plum roles both on screen and stage. “I really like doing plays on Broadway, but I also really want to do more TV and film,” she says. “It pays the bills.”
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Kiersey Clemons
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Clemons broke big playing a geek in Sundance favorite “Dope” last year and has been capitalizing on that strength since, with complex genre-friendly roles in the upcoming pics “The Flash” and the “Flatliners” remake. (She also recurs on “Transparent,” underscoring that she’s one of the more fearless young actresses today.) But she’s not picking parts based on some big career trajectory, she says: “I choose what feels honest and accommodates my personal life.” And as for making an impact in the industry, she’s clear on how to do it: “Just by being young, female and black,” she says. “Being on the screen in this industry is an impact in itself.”
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Ian Colletti
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock Colletti has the dubious distinction of playing a character named after an anus. As drooling teen Arseface on AMC’s hit adventure drama “Preacher,” based on the Garth Ennis comic book series, Colletti spends long shooting days in a prosthetic face mask. “It’s about as comfortable as it looks,” says Colletti, who appeared in Daniel Barnz’s 2008 film “Phoebe in Wonderland.” “It covers the whole lower half of my face which poses technical challenges. I can only drink smoothies. It covers your nose, and if you sneeze it doesn’t paint a very pretty picture.” Next up is Ted Geoghegan’s indie horror film “Mohawk.” Says Colletti, “If there’s a character I’m not sure I can pull off, that’s the character I want to play.”
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Desiree Ross and Lovie Simone
Image Credit: Courtesy of Desiree Ross and Lovie Simone “Greenleaf” has given OWN a real boost in ratings (it’s been renewed for season two), and the two young actresses on the Oprah Winfrey nighttime soap are filled with gratitude and excitement that they got cast alongside such stellar performers as Lynn Whitfield, Keith David and Winfrey herself. “I was watching ‘How to Get Away With Murder,’ and saw Lynn and said, ‘That’s going to be my grandma!,’” says Ross, 17, who plays Sophia Greenleaf on the show. “I keep learning from it. It is the first show I’ve ever done,” says Simone, 18, who plays Zora Greenleaf. “Even watching the sets, even when they’re made, in a day. It’s pretty cool. That’s my favorite part — watching everything come together.” Both actresses embrace the wisdom of the veterans on set, and love their roles on the show. “She’s me really but without the drug part,” says Simone of her role. “She’s the one you want to hang around — she’s cool, she’s fun. But then there’s a twist to her. I love her.” Ross notes that she loves being on a show that’s about storytelling, and about issues.
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Royalty Hightower
Image Credit: Courtesy of Royalty Hightower With a name that sounds tailor-made for success and dance moves inspired by her idol Beyonce, the 11-year-old from Cincinnati, and member of YouTube hits Q-Kidz Dance Team, was a major breakout star of Sundance 2016 thanks to her starring role in indie “The Fits.” She’s filming “And Then I Go” for producers Laura Smith and Rebecca Green (“I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “It Follows”), and is attached to star in independent action drama “Ruby in Murdertown.” “I hope to keep acting. If that doesn’t work out, my mom says I can always just be a kid. After all, I have my whole life to have a career.”
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Olivia Holt
Image Credit: Courtesy of Olivia Holt Disney TV show graduates can sometimes stumble in the real world but Holt, 18, is proving otherwise. The former star of shows like “Kickin’ It” and “I Didn’t Do It” has multiple movies in the can (“The Standoff,” “Status Update”) and drops her first album in the fall. The onetime competitive gymnast emerged from a showbiz family (dad Mark sang in a “hair band in the ’80s called Romeo Wild”) and she’s aware of the pitfalls of growing up in the business. “I’m not a life guru, but if I can share my stories with people, that’s a perfect way to connect,” she says. “It’s about spreading positivity.”
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Liza Koshy
Image Credit: Courtesy of Olivia Holt Digital influencer, recently signed by CAA, has parlayed relatable cross-cultural appeal and physical comedic sensibility from Vine darling (4.8 million followers) to YouTube sensation (3 million subscribers and counting, plus 120 million-plus views in one year for her videos). Koshy, 20, has also crossed over into traditional media, starring in Tyler Perry’s planned October release “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” and the upcoming Hulu original “Freakish.” A formally trained dancer, Koshy also hosts Nigel Lythgoe’s choreography competition show “Every Single Step” on Verizon’s go90 platform. She’s also teamed with Samsung and M&Ms. The Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has not gone unnoticed in Koshy’s world, as she’s invented the character of Jet, the World’s Greatest Olympian, for her site. “I admire and I’m inspired by true comedic female voices such as Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, and Mindy Kaling. I hope to fashion my career in a similar way — bringing my own unique perspective and voice to make people laugh.”
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Judah Lewis
Image Credit: Courtesy of Judah Lewis Playing a teen with an identity crisis who bonds with a widower in “Demolition” earned critical applause and buzz at the 2015 Toronto fest for Lewis, 15, who recently completed “The Babysitter.” But he’s actually an acting vet, having worked in his parents’ theater company as a toddler — which may explain how he handled not landing the “Spider-Man” reboot role so maturely: “If I had to lose it to someone, Tom Holland is the one to lose it to,” he says. Anyway, he can boast that he and his dad Mark share a screen credit in “Demolition.” “[Director] Jean-Marc Vallée heard my dad was an actor while we were filming, and he was like, ‘We have to get him in!’”
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Billie Lourd
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock As the sorority girl/insane asylum patient/medical student Chanel #3 on “Scream Queens,” Lourd, 24, was perfectly matched with creator Ryan Murphy when it came to a wicked sense of humor: they both like “dark, creepy, mysterious, rich, disaffected, hilarious” characters, she says. But the daughter of Carrie Fisher also has proved unafraid to embrace the family’s “Star Wars” legacy — she’s appearing in the latest J.J. Abrams-led entries — while also choosing to carry her agent dad Bryan’s, not her mom’s, surname. “I would like to be who my mom has been,” she says. “Not afraid to be a little weird.”
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Bella Ramsey
Image Credit: Courtesy of Bella Ramsey “Game of Thrones” has already produced plenty of fan-favorite characters, but in season six, it was 12-year-old newcomer Ramsey who stole the show with her steely portrayal of Lady Lyanna Mormont, who confidently went toe to toe with Kit Harington and Liam Cunningham. The internet predictably went wild for her and her stern demeanor. “I like how strong she is for what she believes in,” Ramsey says of her character. The British thesp admits she’s still adjusting to her newfound fame: “Suddenly half the world knows who I am. I’m getting requests for auditions because people have seen me on ‘Thrones’ — it’s crazy but amazing.”
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Emily Robinson
Image Credit: Courtesy of Emily Robinson Starting out as a New York City-based child actress with bits on soaps, in theater, and on “Saturday Night Live,” Robinson, 18, has seen her life and career transformed by a regular recurring gig as two characters on “Transparent.” The show, she says, “makes me want to create work that empowers individuals.” She’s certainly personally empowered, having written, directed, produced and starred in short “Virgin Territory,” and she’ll be in no fewer than three upcoming movies, including “Going Under” with Bruce Willis. “I want to see more coming-of-age stories about strong, flawed female characters,” she says. “I just want to make things that inspire and excite me.”
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Karol Sevilla
Image Credit: Courtesy of Karol Sevilla The 16-year-old Mexican performer is already a veteran of commercials and telenovelas, and her star is seriously on the rise as the Disney Channel Latin America’s latest discovery. Sevilla tops series “Soy Luna,” which Disney Latin America is betting big on, and the payoff looks certain, with a second season in the works. Like other Disney Channel stars, Sevilla sings and dances, and has been performing since she was 6.
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Theo Taplitz
Image Credit: Courtesy of Theo Taplitz The Los Angeles-born actor, filmmaker, and musician has done more in 13 years than most people twice his age. His short films have screened at national festivals and have been included in programs at the Lincoln Center and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. His film acting debut, playing an introverted kid in Ira Sachs’ “Little Men” alongside co-lead Michael Barbieri, was a Sundance sensation. And his band, Last Stand, just recorded its first original single, “Dream Eater.” “My personal hero is Charlie Chaplin because he did it all — acted, wrote, directed, composed, and did his own stunts.”
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Owen Teague
Image Credit: REX/Shutterstock As chain-smoking bad boy Nolan Rayburn on the Netflix drama “Bloodline,” the 17-year-old effortlessly exudes teen angst and brooding menace thanks to acting chops he’s been polishing since he was just 4 years old growing up in Florida. He started in theater and TV and moved into film (the recent sci-fi thriller “Cell” and the upcoming remake of “It”). He also makes live action and animated short films. “I’m lucky to be working in the film and TV industry, with its amazing potential to catalyze change; I want to grow as a filmmaker to help heal our world,” he says.
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Twice
Image Credit: Courtesy of Twice Launched and managed by South Korea’s entertainment major JYP Entertainment, the K-pop girl band debuted in October 2015. Their second mini-album, “Page Two,” released in April, sold over 145,000 copies and hit No. 1 in all online daily and weekly charts in the country. With five Korean members (Na-yeon, Jeong-yeon, Ji-hyo, Da-hyun and Chae-young), three Japanese (Momo, Sana and Mina), and a Chinese performer (Tzuyu), the multinational band has swept the board at major Asian music awards in the past year.
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Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobbie Brown and Gaten Matarazzo
Image Credit: Courtesy of Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobbie Brown and Gaten Matarazzo The success of Netflix series “Stranger Things” has been almost global, and the praise that the young cast has garnered has put them on everybody’s radar. “Their real life personalities greatly informed the characters, the dialogue, and the story,” says co-creator Ross Duffer. “Every day they came to set filled with so many wonderful ideas. We tried our best to respect them as artists and collaborators, and we think the show is so much better for it.” Co-creator Matt Duffer echoes his brother’s sentiments. “We knew these kids would make or break the show. With our casting director Carmen Cuba leading the way, we sifted through nearly a 1,000 auditions from all over the world. There were a lot of great auditions, but we all felt that these kids were in a class by themselves. They just felt just so unique and so authentic. They felt like real kids. They felt like stars.” Exec producer Shawn Levy notes that “these kids came in with such a fierce intelligence, such unique personalities and instincts, with a presence that is so rare; and it’s proven to be the lifeblood of our series and the ferocity of people’s reaction to it.”
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Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Noah Schnapp
Image Credit: Courtesy of Joe Kerry, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Noah Schnapp The success of Netflix series “Stranger Things” has been almost global, and the praise that the young cast has garnered has put them on everybody’s radar. “Their real life personalities greatly informed the characters, the dialogue, and the story,” says co-creator Ross Duffer. “Every day they came to set filled with so many wonderful ideas. We tried our best to respect them as artists and collaborators, and we think the show is so much better for it.” Co-creator Matt Duffer echoes his brother’s sentiments. “We knew these kids would make or break the show. With our casting director Carmen Cuba leading the way, we sifted through nearly a 1,000 auditions from all over the world. There were a lot of great auditions, but we all felt that these kids were in a class by themselves. They just felt just so unique and so authentic. They felt like real kids. They felt like stars.” Exec producer Shawn Levy notes that “these kids came in with such a fierce intelligence, such unique personalities and instincts, with a presence that is so rare; and it’s proven to be the lifeblood of our series and the ferocity of people’s reaction to it.”