Variety’s 2021 Power of Young Hollywood Impact List

24KGoldn

Musician

San Francisco’s 24kGoldn took a chance when he abandoned a full scholarship to USC for a music career. “I want to show people that if you work hard, you can make your dreams come true — and it’s a lot more fun when you do it with a smile on your face,” he says. The 20-year-old genre-blending artist’s plan worked: last year, his jubilant single “Mood” (featuring Iann Dior) became a ubiquitous smash, racking up more than a billion Spotify spins and spawning a remix featuring Justin Bieber and J Balvin. His debut album, “El Dorado,” arrived in March, but he’s already plotting his next chapter — a TV show based on his life, in which he stars.

Omar Apollo

Musician

With roots as a Soundcloud upstart, the R&B-adjacent musician Apollo, 24, found unexpected viral acclaim after he started uploading songs to Spotify in 2017. In the years since, the Mexican-American artist, who sings in both English and Spanish, has released two breakthrough EPs that led to “Apolonio,” his debut album that impacted in October. Putting out a record during the pandemic came with its own set of challenges: “I think people really connect to [songs] differently after they see them live,” says the Indiana native. He’s kept busy in the meantime, releasing his Disha Hot sauce line and queuing up his fall Desvelado tour, with stops at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

Angel Bismark Curiel

Actor, “Pose”

Known for the role of Lil Papi Evangelista on FX’s “Pose,” Curiel’s character has educated him in a way that he’s gratified to find has resonated with viewers as well. “Through Papi, who is so certain in himself and his love, I get to challenge cis men, all cis people — gay or straight — who dare to question the validity of trans women,” says Curiel, 25. The actor isolated from family during the pandemic to remain healthy while shooting the final season of “Pose,” knowing his lifelong asthma made him more vulnerable to COVID-19. Though worthwhile, some guilt lingers from the decision.

Priscilla Block

Musician

Country music has been slower than some other genres to build success stories out of TikTok or viral videos, but Block, 25, was made for it, with her highly relatable, sometimes humorous ability to keep things real. Fans have gotten good tastes of a Mercury Nashville album due next year. “‘Just About Over You’ is the song that’s changed my life,” as her first top 30 radio hit, Block says. “But ‘Thick Thighs’ is one that gets the biggest reaction. Live, by the time that you hit the hook, ‘thick thighs save lives,’ people lose their minds and are screaming. There’s not a lot of country songs that are like, ‘Here’s my body. I love it. I own it.’“

Clairo

Clairo — aka Claire Cottrill — was a freshman at Syracuse University when “Pretty Girl,” one of many songs she’d posted on YouTube since she was an adolescent, went viral. She finished up that year of school and went straight on tour opening for Dua Lipa, and hasn’t looked back. While her initial releases continued a bedroom-pop vibe, her latest, “Sling,” unites her with Taylor Swift/ Lorde/ Lana Del Rey collaborator Jack Antonoff for something that sounds like nothing either of them have done in the past: early ‘70s pop, a la Carole King and Nilsson, a comparison Clairo agrees with wholeheartedly. “This album feels more intimate for me, almost scary to release,” she says. “I was working on songwriting a lot during the pandemic. The time alone helped me focus on improving.” And while that intimacy is largely an invitation to the public into her personal life, sexuality and struggles with depression, when asked, she says simply, “I’m not sure what else I’d have to write about.”

Lana Condor

Actor, Producer 

Condor’s starring role in Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and the subsequent films in the series began garnering her attention. Work now on HBO Max’s film “Moonshot,” the Hulu series “Take Out” and Netflix series “Boo, Bitch” — she is both starring in and producing the latter two — are keeping her busy. The pandemic presented an opportunity to reassess and the 24-year-old wants to take on work that’s meaningful. Born in Vietnam and adopted by an American family that moved frequently, Condor’s life history is “a huge part in my understanding of the human experience when it comes to stories to tell and people to play.”

Bradley Constant & Adrian Groulx

Actors, “The Young Rock”

Constant plays a 15-year-old Dwayne Johnson trying his best to seem cool, calm and collected in the hot series based on the Rock’s real life, but much of that ease comes from Constant himself. “I’ve always had the mentality that whenever I get that role, I’m sure it’ll be something cool. It could be 10 years down the line. I was never in a rush,” Constant says about his career before booking “Young Rock.” And now: “Dwayne is rubbing off on me, seeing how hard he works and how much he does every year. So I’m very hungry.”

Groulx giggles about the similarities between himself and 10-year-old Dwayne Johnson, his “Young Rock” character. “We both love our dads to death. We’d do anything for our dads,” he says. “We always want to hang out with the big guys, dad’s friends, and we never hang out with someone our age.” The company he keeps may be the reason the 12-year-old actor is already so forward-thinking: “As I grow up, I want to teach kids — and maybe even adults, if I can — that they can really do anything with their life. As long as they’re go-getters!”

Emma Corrin

Actor, “The Crown”

A breakout turn as Princess Diana in the fourth season of Netflix’s “The Crown” catapulted Corrin, 24, to international attention. She picked up a Golden Globe for her work and is currently an Emmy nominee for the role. Corrin auditioned for the show by chance when she was hired to stand off camera and do chemistry reads with some casting options for the role of Camilla. Prepping as though it were a real audition, including accent work, she eventually earned the job. The English actor will next appear in the feature film “My Policeman,” directed by Michael Grandage, for Amazon Studios.

Charli D'Amelio

Content Creator

D’Amelio, 17, has amassed nearly 170 million followers combined across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube and reigns as TikTok’s top content creator. D’Amelio’s currently at work on two projects with her sister Dixie (also on this list): podcast “2 Chix,” and clothing line Social Tourist. She’s also scheduled to appear on her family’s Hulu series “The D’Amelio Show,” about their daily lives. As her career evolves, D’Amelio says she’s always setting new goals once the previous ones are realized: “That way, you’re always striving to be better at what you do, but you’re also never bored.”

Dixie D'Amelio

Content Creator

D’Amelio has been growing her pop music career working with LA Reid and collaborating with Wiz Khalifa and Liam Payne. The 19-year-old’s new clothing line Social Tourist with sister Charli, also on this list, makes sense intuitively as she’s been gaining traction in the fashion space covering V Magazine and working with top designers. D’Amelio is also involved with her family’s Hulu series “The D’Amelio Show” and is working with Charli on podcast “2 Chix.” With followers come trolls and D’Amelio says she tries to stay off her phone and “spend time with my family, friends and dogs” as a distraction.

Chase Dillon

Actor, “The Underground Railroad”

The preternaturally talented and poised Dillon, who is 11, electrified audiences as Homer in Barry Jenkins’ Amazon Prime series “The Underground Railroad.” Dillon’s nuanced performance is striking, and he credits Jenkins for helping everyone get through the challenging material. “Barry made me, and the cast, and crew, comfortable. It was just amazing. He wouldn’t rest until everybody was comfortable,” he says. Dillon also credits Jenkins with inspiring him to write and direct his own material. He’s got an animated short on deck while looking ahead to stretch his talent in more dramas, comedies and even superhero roles.

Polo G

Musician

“My potential is unmatched,” says rapper Polo G on the opening track of his third album “Hall of Fame,” which dropped in June. While that may be an overstatement, he does have a point: the project debuted at No. 1 and is pushing towards a billion total Spotify streams in just over a month. The project marked a new peak for the Chicago native, 22, who spent the past few years taking hip-hop by storm and nabbed his first chart-topper in June with “Rapstar.” “That was on my list of goals for the year when I wrote them down,” he says. “Being this young, you need to realize over time you have a lot of potential to be better than you are now.”

Barbie Ferreira

Actor, “Unpregnant,” “Euphoria”

Professionally, Ferreira has been garnering attention for her acting in the HBO series “Euphoria” as well as the film “Unpregnant” on HBO Max. Personally, the 24-year-old has become known for her outspokenness about body positivity, a quality that influences her career choices as well. “I’m drawn to characters and scripts that are easily misunderstood and that are open to interpretation — stories that don’t live in the binary space of good or bad, but somewhere in the middle where we all float,” says Ferreira. Up next for her is a role in Jordan Peele’s Universal film “Nope,” set to premiere July 22.

Antonia Gentry

Actor, “Ginny & Georgia”

The first season of Gentry’s Netflix series “Ginny & Georgia” wrapped just before the pandemic hit, which caused concern about the show’s fate. But series creator Sarah Lampert offered Gentry, 23, support. “She really encouraged me to fuel all of that nervous uncertainty and energy into something positive. For me, that was writing, playing piano, and raising a bunch of plant babies.” Currently shooting her first feature film, Gentry looks for projects that are positive, encouraging, and authentic. “I’m stoked about all the new things I get to do and be part of — if anything, it makes me hungry for more.”

Girl in Red

Musician

Girl in Red, aka Norwegian singer Marie Ulven, released her debut album, “If I Could Make It Go Quiet,” to acclaim in spring — from Taylor Swift (who tweeted an unsolicited rave) as well as critics (it made Variety’s mid-year best albums list). The 22-year-old’s casual honesty in song is bracing. “I never say I’m a queer icon, but now that I’m aware of that role, I’m embracing it,” Ulven says. Songs including “Seratonin” are candid about mental health, but her first U.S. tour next year will be jubilant. “If people relate to a song like ‘Summer Depression,’ I want to tell them you’ll be OK, because the same person who felt those things is now happy.”

Amanda Gorman

Poet

It was a moment watched by audiences around the globe. On the January day President Joe Biden took the oath of office, Gorman, at the time 22 and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, recited her poem, “The Hill We Climb” to usher in a new era. Harvard grad Gorman has since published articles in the New York Times and has three books forthcoming from Penguin Random House. “I was so nervous when I was reciting the poem,” says Gorman. “In my head I just kept hearing, ‘Don’t mess this up!’ Luckily, I had years of performance experience behind me so my instincts kicked in even as my brain short-circuited. I knew to just keep putting one word in front of the other, and speak what I felt to be true.”

Gottmik

Drag Performer

Appearing on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” changed Gottmik’s life for the better. The first trans man (24-year-old Kade Gottlieb, when not in drag) to compete on the show is on a mission to push gender boundaries. “My whole drag persona is about being punk rock and crashing the ‘cis-tem,’ so being able to show people a different angle of the gender spectrum by just being myself is insane.” People often share their own journeys with Gottmik, recounting how seeing her on TV encouraged them. “‘Drag Race’ really helped me realize that the best way to inspire or connect with anyone is just by being honest and being your 100% authentic self.”

Avani Gregg

Content Creator, Actor

Gregg, 18, is an actor and self-taught makeup artist, and won the 2019 Shorty Award for TikToker of the year, while keeping her 50 million-plus followers highly engaged. She can also been seen on her Facebook Watch show, “Here for It With Avani Gregg,” while her memoir, “Backstory,” will be released in September. She also has a makeup collection with Morphe. For Gregg, staying home during the pandemic led to a greater quantity of work product. “I was able to create a lot of content and post consistently,” she says. “I am grateful to have been able to connect and engage with my audience because everyone was on their phone and on social media.” Gregg plans to continue focusing on the things she enjoys most as her career progresses.

Jack Harlow

Musician

Rapper Harlow started 2020 with the release of his five-times platinum-certified single, “What’s Poppin” — and then COVID-19 struck. But the 23-year-old didn’t slow down, dropping a remix of the song with DaBaby, Lil Wayne and Tory Lanez in July. He then turned isolation into introspection on his debut album, “That’s What They All Say.” “It made me dig a little deeper than party records, because there was no parties,” Harlow says, describing his writing style as “surgical” and “vivid.” Harlow was recently featured on Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby,” and says he wrote his verse “from the heart.”

Myha'la Herrold

Actor, “Industry”

Poised to return to the second season of HBO’s “Industry,” Herrold, 25, leads the charge in a finance drama, a space where Black women are rarely seen. She relishes giving viewers a chance to recognize themselves on screen. “That is why representation is important,” says Herrold. “It’s not about ticking a box, it’s about letting people know that their stories, their lives, are precious and worthy of being celebrated. It’s an enormous privilege and I’m honored that I get to be a part of it.” In the future, Herrold looks forward to playing a classic ingenue — preferably in a musical.

Olivia Holt

Singer-Actor, “Cruel Summer”

Holt’s made an impact on Freeform’s ”Cruel Summer,” the network’s most-watched show, and she also starred in Freeform’s Marvel series “Cloak and Dagger.” Holt, 23, says that the experience of working on “Cruel Summer” was incredibly rewarding: ”Everyone worked so hard on this show, during the pandemic, making it the best it could be.” Along with acting, Holt is set to release her album and has already generated singles like: ”Generous,” “History,” “Phoenix” and the latest, ”Next,” released in June. Holt sees her music as evolving. ”This new area of music for me feels untouchable. I’ve been making music since I was 15 years old, and I’m now entering my mid-20. I have new tastes, new experiences, and I feel like I’ve finally solidified my vision for my music career.”

Emilia Jones

Actor, “Coda”

Having one’s film become the toast of Sundance is likely always a surreal experience for a young actor. But it was probably unusually so for Jones, star of the multiple-award-winning “CODA,” who got to experience it without ever setting foot in Park City. ”I was in a big field, doing a night shoot the night it premiered,” Jones remembers, “I kept checking my phone every five minutes when I had a signal, and it almost didn’t feel real.” The 19-year-old — who has been acting professionally since the age of 8, and also stars in Netflix’s “Locke & Key” — spent nine months learning American Sign Language for her role as the titular child of deaf adults, but that was hardly the only adjustment she had to make while acting largely alongside co-stars who are deaf. “ASL is such an expressive language, because there are no words to hide behind,” she says. Jones is finishing up Season 3 of “Locke & Key,” and then will dive straight into her leading role in “Cat Person,” Susanna Fogel’s feature adaptation of Kristen Roupenian’s internet-breaking New Yorker short story. “All I can say about it right now is that the script is so good,” Jones says. “So good.”

Jxdn

Musician

Twenty-year-old TikToker-turned-musician Jxdn is one of the driving forces at the helm of the recent pop-punk revival, alongside Blink-182 drummer and mentor Travis Barker. After gaining popularity online as a member of content hub Sway House, Jxdn set his sights on music and caught the ear of Barker, who made him the only signee of his DTA Records. Jxdn dropped his debut album, “Tell Me About Tomorrow” in July and is set to embark on a 40-date tour in September. Of Barker’s influence, Jxdn says: “I’m taking what he’s giving me and applying it to my life, and I think that’s really why I’m going to go far.”

Erin Kellyman

Actor, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

Kellyman, 22, is following her turn in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” with roles in “The Green Knight” and the new Disney Plus/Lucasfilm fantasy series “Willow,” based on the classic 1988 film. “‘Willow’ will be something really special … I honestly couldn’t be more excited about this role and these stories.” Aware that her burgeoning career brings with it a platform, Kellyman hopes to use it to speak up for people, communities and issues that matter most to her. “I hope that my career can go hand-in-hand with giving representation to young people, and allow me to address matters within society through the characters I portray.”

The Kid LAROI

Musician

At just 17 years old, Australian artist the Kid Laroi has solidified himself as a genre-shifting hitmaker. Since breaking through in the U.S. with his emotive single “Without You,” Laroi has signed with manager Scooter Braun and collaborated with Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. Laroi and Bieber’s latest team effort, synth-heavy track “Stay,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is a frontrunner for 2021’s song of the summer. When it comes to producing a hit, Laroi’s philosophy is simple: “I just make the song – and if it feels good to me, it feels good.” When Laroi first played a “Stay” demo for Bieber, he knew it was special: “He kept asking me every time we’d hang out, ‘Where is that “Stay” song?’“

Alan S. Kim

Actor, “Minari”

Last year Kim, 9, stole viewers’ hearts in “Minari,” a role that earned him a Critic’s Choice Award and made him the youngest actor ever nominated for a BAFTA. This summer, he’s working on a new film, “Latchkey Kids.” Asked what he likes most about being on set, meeting new people or learning about filmmaking, he says, “I like them both.” Memorizing lines can be challenging, but Kim has a trick. “When I don’t memorize it, I sleep, and then the next day I just remember it all.” When not working, Kim enjoys playing with his dog and being a kid.

Xolo Maridueña

Actor, “Cobra Kai”

Maridueña, 20, has already spent half his life as a working actor, but says being part of the Netflix series “Cobra Kai” is a special blessing, in part because it spans genres including comedy, drama, romance and action. “Getting to dip my toes into all these genres has been helpful, not only in becoming a more well-rounded actor, but in showing people I’m capable of doing more than one thing.” He says his goal is “to make sure more Latinos are being brought into the industry in roles that are authentic and reflective of them.” Maridueña was recently cast as the titular superhero Blue Beetle in the HBO Max adaptation of the DC comic.

Lia McHugh

Actor

McHugh, 15, will become a household name after Marvel Studios’ ”Eternals” is released Nov. 5. She stars as Sprite alongside such big stars as Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek. Although McHugh has garnered many credits in the horror genre, she is not specifically drawn to it. “I like the drama aspect of it. I choose roles based on my interest in the character and what kind of story is being told,” says McHugh. In “Eternals,” she got to work with powerful women. “Angie and Salma were incredible to work with on this film. Watching such experienced actresses was incredibly inspiring. Being on set with them pushed me to do my best and I got to know them very well and I feel like we became a little bit like a family in real life too!”

Jessie Mei Li

Actor, “Shadow and Bone”

Filming “Shadow and Bone” in Hungary was a great bonding experience for Li, 25, and her series co-stars. “We were very lucky that we wrapped at the end of February 2020. When we got on the flight home a few people were in masks, and I remember thinking ‘Oh, blimey, like this is this is a bigger deal than I thought.’“ During lockdown she learned new skills, but is excited to be filming the Netflix action feature “Havoc.” “My dad used to be a detective inspector in Hong Kong, so the man could not contain his excitement when I told him about this new job.”

Flo Milli

Musician

After her singles “Beef FloMix” and “In the Party” picked up steam on TikTok, Alabama rapper Milli parlayed her viral success into a major label deal with ‘94 Sounds via Sony Music’s RCA Records. With an unmistakable flow and a sarcastic lilt in her cadence, the 21-year-old released her debut mixtape in “Ho, Why Is You Here?” in July 2020, which led to a nomination for new artist at the BET Awards. “I really went with the flow,” she says of releasing her project during the pandemic. “I cared more about growing as an artist and didn’t really expect for it to get to where it got. It was a real blessing.”

Whitney Peak

Actor, “Gossip Girl”

Peak’s credits include “Molly’s Game” and “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” before landing her biggest role yet: the lead in the buzzy, rebooted ”Gossip Girl,” for HBO Max. Peak, 18, looks forward to the audience’s reaction to the new series. “I can’t wait to see how it’s received and how many connections viewers can make to the characters. I’m also looking forward to growing and learning with and from Zoya,” says Peak, referring to her character. Peak is also a brand ambassador for Chanel, and hopes to highlight the venerable fashion house’s versatility. “Chanel makes fantastic clothing and it’s often assumed to be for a specific age group, but I want to show that it is high fashion, but it can be street, it can also be cool.”

Bella Poarch

Content Creator, Singer

Poarch, 24, created the most-liked TikTok video in 2020 and is the most followed woman of color on the app with 77 million-plus followers. She signed a deal with Warner Records ahead of her debut single “Build a Bitch,” the video for which earned 75 million views in its first week alone. It became the biggest debut ever for a new artist on YouTube and led to a Billboard Hot 100 ranking. Poarch’s online presence made her a target for trolls who left comments encouraging suicide. “I felt like I was back in school being bullied,” says Poarch, “but after a certain point I realized none of it matters.”

Addison Rae

Content Creator

When Rae started posting videos to TikTok in 2019, she had no intention of becoming the highest-paid creator on the app. Though for Rae, who started dancing competitively at age 6 and has always wanted to pursue a career in entertainment, TikTok is just the beginning. With new music on the way and a starring role in Netflix’s upcoming movie “He’s All That,” the 20-year-old says she “still pinches” herself about all her new opportunities. “People have a specific knowledge of me from TikTok, but acting is a huge passion of mine, so I hope that I can continue to let people see more sides of me.”

Cooper Raiff

Filmmaker, Actor, “Sh*thouse”

The best bet Raiff, 23, ever lost was when he tweeted a link to his short film — shot over five days during spring break — to Jay Duplass, betting he wouldn’t watch it. He did. Duplass mentored Raiff and encouraged him to rewrite it as a feature; 2020’s “Sh*thouse” wowed the festival circuit and launched Raiff ’s multi-hyphenate career. “I spend most of my time writing, but there’s nothing more fulfilling than being on set and feeling like you’ve directed or acted in a great scene, knowing that everyone else feels same kind of magic.” He next stars opposite Dakota Johnson in “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” a film he wrote, produced and directed. Raiff has multiple film and television projects in development.

Michael Rainey Jr.

Actor, “Power Book II: Ghost”

Rainey — who played Tariq through the entire run of Starz’s “Power” — thought exec producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was kidding about Tariq being the central figure of “Power Book II: Ghost.” But when the showrunner broke the news, “I was like, this is definitely serious because Courtney Kemp does not play around. When she’s breaking news to you it is definitely 100% factual.” Rainey, 20, was up for the challenge. “This such a huge opportunity that Courtney, 50 Cent and Starz and Lionsgate have given me. I want them to be happy that they believed in me and gave me the responsibility to carry the show on my shoulders,” he says.

Angourie Rice

Actor, “Mare of Easttown”

As Kate Winslet’s daughter Siobhan in HBO’s hit series “Mare of Easttown,” Rice, 20, brought a complicated teen to life, a young woman dealing with family tragedy, a murder, her own sexuality and a mother with her own issues. Oh, and that particular Pennsylvania accent too. She says that although she is an avid reader, sometimes she struggles with scripts, but she “flew” through “Mare of Easttown.” “From a very young age, [Siobhan] has to care for her nephew, she kind of has to play peacemaker between her parents and her mom and her grandmother and she has all this adult responsibility while she’s trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be in the world, and I really connected with that.” The versatile Rice will be seen in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” as she’s played Betty Brant in that superhero series, and proves her comic chops with Rebel Wilson in upcoming comedy “Senior Year.” “I was really excited to do comedy after ‘Mare,’ you know, it was sad, and it was hard being in that sad world,” she laughs. “I was really excited to do something more lighthearted.”

Josh Richards

Entrepreneur

Richards, 19, is doing what all influencers dream of, but few accomplish: parlaying his popularity into real-world success, thanks to his entrepreneurial vision and mentorship from power players like Mark Wahlberg, with whom he co-founded CrossCheck Studios. The actor-writer-musician — who co-founded the TikTok management/ production company Sway House and has partnered or invested in other businesses — has TV shows, movies and docs in the works. “I want to revolutionize Hollywood as we know it and prove that anyone can do the impossible if they put their mind to it. I hope I get to serve as a pioneer and trailblazer for other creators to pursue their dreams.”

Hunter Schafer

Actor, Writer “Euphoria”

What would be most actors’ role of a lifetime is Schafer’s first gig. On HBO’s wildly successful drama ”Euphoria,” Schafer, 22, shines as the fiercely independent Jules, who is Rue’s (Zendaya) love interest in the series’ first season. Schafer and her character Jules are both trans, but their gender identity is far from the most interesting thing about them. In 2020, when production on ”Euphoria’s” second season halted due to the pandemic, Schafer teamed up with showrunner Sam Levinson to co-write and star in ”Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob,” a special episode that scooped up two Emmy nominations.

Rebecca Shaw & Ben Kronengold

Writers

Shaw and Kronengold — who began dating and writing together as freshmen at Yale — did a comedy bit for their 2018 commencement address, posted it online, and the video went viral. They soon signed with UTA, and within a year were writing for ”The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” ”We’d always wanted to write in late night. It was our first love and something we were over the moon to be able to do,” Shaw says. Half of their time at the show was spent working via Zoom, thanks to COVID-19. ”After two years we wanted to take a shot on ourselves,” Kronengold, 24, says, so they made the difficult decision to leave. They recently sold a generational ensemble series, and wrote a collection of comedic short stories and personal essays for HarperCollins. Shaw, 25, says: ”We’re abundantly grateful to Jimmy. He gave us our shot. Now, we’re excited to figure out what our next steps are. It’s this really exciting period where we get to gamble on ourselves.”

Millicent Simmonds

Actor, “A Quiet Place II”

A Quiet Place II” smashed box office records earlier this year, becoming the first film in the pandemic era to cross the $100 million mark, eventually grossing $191 million in the U.S. The young star of the sequel, the deaf actor Simmonds, 18, reprises her role for the hit original — she’s the key to both films and helped open doors to deaf performers who are proving that lack of hearing doesn’t mean lack of talent — or blazing onscreen charisma. “I think it’s not realistic, and it’s not fair to the talent out there who aren’t chosen because of their disability. That doesn’t make sense to me,” she told Variety in May.

Hailee Steinfeld

Actor, Musician

Steinfeld, 24, shot to fame with an Oscar nomination for ”True Grit” and hasn’t slowed since. Returning to this list, her current projects include the Disney Plus series ”Hawkeye” and the third season of the Apple TV Plus series ”Dickinson” in which she acts and executive produces. Known for playing roles that embody strong female characters, Steinfeld appreciates ”playing girls who are strong and witty and skilled, but have to work for all of that, which, at the end of the day, is relatable.” Recently, she’s branched into other business ventures and created a capsule collection with Frankies Bikinis and co-founded the eyewear brand Prive Revaux.

Iman Vellani

Actor, “Ms. Marvel”

Newcomer Vellani, 19, will portray the title character, Kamala Khan, in Disney Plus’ upcoming series ”Ms. Marvel,” and in the feature film ”The Marvels.” The pressure of portraying MCU’s first Muslim hero is slightly daunting, but Vellani remains pragmatic. ”The fact that the show is being made and they’re including this character in the MCU is [what’s important]. I don’t really have to go out of my way and talk about being a Muslim and being Pakistani — it all comes out in the show. People seeing a person like me involved in a project as big as this is, I think, inspiring enough.”

Joshua Weissman

Chef

Weissman, 25, has generated such a massive following (5.6 million on TikTok alone) that when he announced the September release of “Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook” it became the No. 1 bestseller of all books on Amazon in less than three hours. The professionally trained chef blends education with humor, engaging audiences across multiple platforms. Of working during the pandemic, Weissman reflects that “my output can’t be affected by anything beyond death. If anything, I think we tripled down and just got done what needed to be done.”

UP NEXT: Avantika

Actor, “Spin”

The mono-monikered Avantika, 16, auditioned for “Spin,” which was put on hold and revived, so she auditioned again. It was among her very first Hollywood auditions. “Truly, just because it was important to me to play characters that show Indians,” she says. The Disney Channel original movie, directed by Manjari Makijany (“Desert Dolphin”) centers around a teen of Indian origin who discovers a love for remixing music that blends East and West. “The script, the director, everything about the project excited me,” Avantika says, adding that she loves Hindi film music. She notes, “I play Carnatic music,” referring to South Indian classical genre. Avantika’s also got Netflix’s comedy “Senior Year” on deck, starring Rebel Wilson and fellow Young Hollywood Impact list honoree Angourie Rice. “It’s a different type of cast, it’s just very, very different. Two very different experiences.”

UP NEXT: Jaylen Barron

Actor, “Blindspotting”

From Barron’s first time on screen in a 2012 “Shake It Up” episode to her leading role as Zoe in teen equestrian drama “Free Rein,” her career trajectory is perhaps most notable for its versatility. The 23-year-old can now been seen sinking her teeth into the character of Trish in the Starz series “Blindspotting,” a righteous and outspoken sex worker — and Barron’s favorite role yet. “Becoming Trish, she has so many different dimensions. She has a little Zoe in her, this insecurity and this young girl inside of her,” Barron says about transitioning between the roles. “Every character I’ve played in my career is meshed in one.”

UP NEXT: Gregory Diaz IV

Actor, “In the Heights”

Diaz stood out in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” as Sonny. “Even before I was considered being a part of the film, I was a huge fan of Lin,” says the New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent. “On top of it, playing such a beloved character.” When he heard there were open casting calls for the musical, he auditioned. “I wanted to get in there and show my face, and the rest was history,” he says. Filming took place before the pandemic in summer 2019. Even with his musical theater background, Diaz, 16, went through dance rehearsals in May 2019 before filming started in the studio in June. “I was 14 about then, I was going through the process [of his voice deepening] a little bit.” Since the film came out he’s been auditioning for some roles. “I’m attached to a lot, but actors are sworn to secrecy now,” he says of future projects. But Diaz would love to work with directors including Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson.

UP NEXT: Michael Gandolfini

Actor, “The Many Saints of Newark”

For Gandolfini, 22, it wasn’t any singular moment that made him discover a love for acting, but more of a “slow-burning curiosity.” “Growing up around actors and making short films with my friends — that fully ignited when I went to my first acting class,” says Gandolfini, up next in the hotly anticipated “The Many Saints of Newark,” the prequel film to “The Sopranos,” in which Gandolfini will play a teenage Tony Soprano, the iconic Mafioso boss made famous by his father, the late James. “I wouldn’t say that my dad’s professional legacy is much of a focus of mine,” says the young actor. “I don’t mean to sound like an ass — I celebrate his talent, and I feel an enormous amount of pride in what he accomplished as an actor and artist. But, I am infinitely prouder to be his son because of the dad, friend and person he was outside of his career. He raised me to be concerned with being a good human. That’s the only legacy of his that I will try to live up to for the rest of my life.”

UP NEXT: Jaden Michael

Actor, “Colin in Black & White”

Michael, 17, currently stars in Lorne Michaels’ Netflix film “Vampires vs. the Bronx” and will be returning to the streaming service as young Colin Kaepernick in Ava DuVernay’s “Colin in Black & White.” “I believe your career should stand for what you believe in,” says Michael, who shapes his characters, in part, by questioning what conversation he would want the audience to have by the end. The pressure to play a living, recognizable athlete such as Kaepernick was immense, but Michael felt compelled to take the opportunity. “If I didn’t,” he says, “it would be as if I ignored the lesson Colin had been giving us since 2016.”

UP NEXT: Bodhi Sabongui

Actor, “Black Adam”

Acting comes naturally to Bodhi Sabongui. The 13-year-old got his start in the short film “Shakey’s Coffee” when he was just 5 years old. But Sabongui — who has played recurring roles in “A Million Little Things” and the Netflix reboot of “The Baby-Sitters Club” — recently wrapped shooting his biggest role yet, in DC Entertainment’s “Black Adam.” In the film, due in 2022, Sabongui stars alongside Dwayne Johnson; but the movie is more than just an action-packed blockbuster. “I grew up among artists who tried to tell meaningful stories,” Sabongui says. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of that — creating stories that have a positive impact on the world.”

UP NEXT: Quintessa Swindell

Actor, “Black Adam”

Swindell, 24, has appeared on “Euphoria” and “In Treatment,” but made history when they were cast as Cyclone in “Black Adam,” making them the first nonbinary actor to play a movie superhero. While the character isn’t non-binary, Swindell — a “passable” trans, non-binary actor — understands the importance of landing the role. “I think productions and casting being comfortable with broadening their ideology on what trans people look like, what nonbinary people specifically look like, is real big next step. Being trans and being able to be considered for this project — and not being scared because your identity won’t be accepted in these spaces — is a big thing.”

UP NEXT: Dominique Thorne

Actor, “Ironheart”

Thorne’s star has been rising since her film debut in ”If Beale Street Could Talk” and ”Judas and the Black Messiah.” She notes that both of those stories were “grounded in truth. Stories that uplift a perspective we deserve to share and that others deserve to receive; but that previously were relegated to the periphery when it came to showcasing the fullness of the Black experience.” Now, Thorne, 23, moves center stage in the Marvel Studios series “Ironheart” for Disney Plus, playing a Black, female superhero. Thorne didn’t even have to audition. ”I can say that I feel equally as excited and honored and inspired by these stories as I am to participate in telling them.”

UP NEXT: Kaci Walfall

Actor, “Naomi”

As Walfall makes the leap from roles on “Modern Love,” “Power” and “The Equalizer” she’ll become the first Black actress to headline as a superhero in a brand-new TV series. The 16-year-old says her first lead role on The CW’s “Naomi,” based on the DC character, is more than an honor. “Representation matters. It lets everyone know that they belong. For people to see this young, strong, confident, extremely smart, Black girl who also happens to be a superhero is powerful, because it’s so rare,” she says. “When I imagine all the Black girls that will feel empowered by Naomi it warms my heart. My hope is that everyone can see themselves through her.”

UP NEXT: D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai

Actor, “Reservation Dogs”

Oji-Cree First Nations actor Woon-A-Tai, 19, leads the “Reservation Dogs,” a new FX dark comedy set on an Oklahoma reservation — the series was created by Native American Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Muscogee Creek) and Taika Waititi (Māori-Jewish), who staffed up the writers’ room with Indigenous talent. It’s an important step for Indigenous talent, he says. “This is a funny way to put it, but this is like a baby step, very exciting and new — exciting to see what indigenous writers can do, and what we can make, not just what Indigenous communities relate to, but what everyone can relate to.” He was also seen in Tracey Deer’s 2020 Toronto Festival film “Beans.”