10 ACTORS TO WATCH

BY: Amanda Jane Stern

Now that 2021 is coming to an end, let’s take a look at 10 young actors who have wowed us with their performances over the last year, and who we can’t wait to see more from. 

Jacob Elordi

He first gained our attention as the volatile romantic lead in Netflix’s questionable teen rom-com trilogy The Kissing Booth, but it’s for his work as the troubled (and volatile) Nate on Euphoria that has really gotten him noticed. Now, don’t be fooled by his spot-on American accent, this 6′ 5″ actor actually hails from Brisbane, Australia. He recently completed filming on Deep Water and is in pre-production on He Went That Way.

 

Jonathan Majors

He wowed us last year with his performances in Da 5 Bloods and Lovecraft Country, and then he shocked us with his magnetic performance in Loki. This super talented Yale grad made his debut in the 2017 miniseries When We Rise and he has been continuing to impress us ever since. He has a whole slate of projects lined up including Devotion, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Magazine Dreams, and Creed III.

 

Filippo Scotti

This young actor is less known to American audiences than the rest of the names on this list, but he is about to break through. He recently starred in Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, which is set in 1980s Naples. The Hand of God is Italy’s official submission for the 94th Academy Awards.

 

Harry Styles

Yes, you know him as the former member of teen boy band One Direction, and current popstar, but this British charmer is also making waves in the acting world. He made his acting debut as Alex in 2017’s Dunkirk, and now seems to be racking up roles. He plays Eros in this year’s Marvel movie The Eternals, and he’s in post-production on Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman. It was also recently announced that he would be in Faster, Cheaper, Better.

 

Steven Yeun

Unlike the rest of the actors on this list, Steven Yeun has actually been acting professionally for a while, but it wasn’t until recently that he hit it big. His first big break came when he was cast as Glenn on The Walking Dead, which he was on from 2010-2016. It was his recent starring role as Jacob in Minari that established him as a dramatic actor to watch. He recently starred in the film adaptation of The Humans and has lots of other projects on his plate.

 

Danielle Deadwyler

Like Yeun, Danielle Deadwyler has been acting for a while but didn’t start to gain real recognition until recently. In 2019 she had a 2-episode arc as June in HBO’s limited series Watchmen, and then she scored a leading role in Netflix’s Western The Harder They Fall. Now she has a bunch of roles lined up in projects including It’s Time, Bygone Billy, Station Eleven, and Till.

 

Emilia Jones

This young British actor recently blew audiences away with her leading performance in CODA, where she stars as the hearing-child of deaf parents who is torn between her family and wanting to follow her dreams. Since CODA had its world premiere, Jones’ name has been on the map. While the second season of the Netflix fantasy series Locke & Key was recently released, what’s really exciting is the recent announcement that Jones will star in the film adaptation of Cat Person. 

 

Taylour Paige

2020 was a big year for this star on the rise. She impressed audiences with her small, but magnetic performance in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom where she acted opposite Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. She then hit it big when she was cast as the lead in Zola, the A24 movies based on a viral Twitter thread. She is now a sought after actor with a whole host of new projects on the way.
 

Sadie Sink

Audiences first took note of this young actor when she was cast as Max in Netflix’s hit sci-fi/horror series Stranger Things. More recently, Sink has been showing that she’s definitely skilled at horror with her role in Netflix’s Fear Street: Part Two – 1978. She also recently starred in Taylor Swift’s video for the re-release of her song All Too Well. Up next she’s got Dear Zoe and The Whale. 

 

Rachel Zegler

Unlike everyone else on this list, audiences haven’t actually gotten to see Zegler in any film or tv series yet, but her debut film is highly anticipated. She plays María in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming remake of West Side Story, which comes out December, 2021. She was also cast in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and as Snow White in the live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.