Fame is a fickle thing. Sometimes, a celebrity comes along who snags a fantastic role or two, or releases a great single, gets propelled up to the A-List, and then totally flops. Perhaps they just aren’t able to live up to their early success, perhaps they simply aren’t interested in playing the fame game, whatever the reason is, they eventually fade from the spotlight.
And then, there are the other kinds of celebrities. The ones who start out fairly innocuous but, before you know it, are suddenly everywhere, at the helm of an empire that’s rocking it day in and day out. Kind of like Kim Kardashian. When Keeping Up With The Kardashians started, most people likely thought it was just another reality television show that would disappear in a year or two, taking the ‘stars’ with it. Then, it got renewed for another season, and another, and another, and before you know it, every member of the Kardashian family became a big deal, and they built an enormous empire.
With Kim K taking a bit of a step back from the spotlight recently, there’s some room for other celebrities to step forward and claim that role in the selfie-loving sunshine. Here are 15 celebs who we think will be more famous than Kim K.
15 Alicia Vikander
Okay, admittedly, Alicia Vikander’s fame would likely look a lot different than Kim Kardashian’s. However, there’s no doubt that the Swedish starlet is absolutely exploding lately – despite being a relative newcomer in Hollywood, in 2015 she managed to snag a co-starring role in The Danish Girl, a critically acclaimed film, and the incredible robot in Ex Machina. Then, she proved she could do action, as she snagged the role of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider reboot, stepping into the boots of Angelina Jolie herself. In her short time in Hollywood, Vikander has proved she can excel in slightly comedic roles (such as in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), futuristic thrillers, action-packed films, indie films beloved by critics and more. Designers are already clamoring to dress her on the red carpet because she always looks flawless, but we have a feeling she’s going to be skyrocketing to the very top of the A-List very soon.
14 Margot Robbie
It’s a little bit insane to think that Margot Robbie is only 26 years old, given how many memorable roles she’s snagged over the past little while. The native Aussie got her start in Australian soaps, and eventually came to Hollywood to try her hand at landing bigger film roles – and almost immediately did. She’s appeared opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, with Tina Fey in the recent Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, snagged the role of Jane in Tarzan, and, of course, beloved bad girl Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. She photographs gorgeously (obviously), making her a favourite for fashion mags. She’s also extremely funny and personable, so she has absolutely no trouble promoting any of her projects on the late night talk show circuit. Basically, the world needs to watch out, because whatever role Margot Robbie decides she wants next, we have a feeling she’ll get it.
13 Kylie Jenner
Ah, the lips that launched a thousand ships. It might seem strange to have a little sis overtaking her big sister, but in this case, it might actually be true. When Keeping Up With The Kardashiansstarted, Kim was unquestionably the star – the family managed to snag the gig thanks to Kim’s sex tape bringing her name into the spotlight for fifteen minutes, and Kylie was just a meek pre-teen. Over the past few years, though, the teenage vixen has absolutely exploded. The entire world is fascinated by her relationship with Tyga, and has been since the romance started (when she was still a teenager!) Everyone was endlessly fascinated by her perfect pout, to the point where girls were trying all kinds of techniques to get those Kylie lips. Despite the products being poor quality, her make-up sells out within minutes every time it hits the market because people just want something associated with the rising celeb. She knows how to work social media, she knows how to carve out her own identity, and we have no doubt that King Kylie will be eclipsing her big sis.
12 Gigi Hadid
When Gigi Hadid first entered the public eye, it was as a guest star on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and then as Aussie pop star Cody Simpson’s girlfriend. However, in the past year or two, there’s no question that she’s risen to the top – if you say “Gigi,” everyone immediately knows which celebrity you’re referring to. She’s one of the rare models who has crossover appeal, as she’s rocked both the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and Sports Illustratedswimsuit shoots as well as haute couture shows such as Tom Ford. She’s part of Taylor Swift’s squad, which means she’s frequently spotted with other gorgeous models and starlets having a great time. She’s even proven to be a bit of a badass, such as when she used those kickboxing class moves to take down someone who tried to grab her outside a fashion show. Gigi Hadid’s star will only continue to rise, as she’s mastered both the social media sphere as well as the fashion world.
11 Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne got her start as everyone’s favourite irreverent supermodel – while other models projected an utterly chic image of their lives, Delevingne won over tons of fans by keeping it real, funny, and honest. Then, because she’s crazy talented, even though she was a rising supermodel who snagged campaigns for some of the biggest fashion houses out there, she decided that modeling wasn’t enough for her – she wanted to try her hand at acting. And, she promptly got the coveted role of the female lead in Paper Towns, a film based on the popular John Green novel, and an equally coveted role as Enchantress in the highly anticipated Suicide Squad. She’s also tried her hand at music and has designed a few capsule collections for brands such as DKNY and Mulberry. Quite honestly, there’s nothing that this woman can’t do – so while Kim K mastered the worlds of reality television and social media, Cara’s mastering social media, the film industry, the fashion world and much more.
10 Dwayne Johnson
There’s really no other way to say it – Dwayne Johnson is becoming more famous the bigger he gets, really. He first stepped into the spotlight as famed wrestler The Rock, and he was a big deal in the wrestling world for nearly a decade. His physique helped him snag his first leading role in The Scorpion King, and he then embarked on a film career, participating in the successful action franchises The Fast and the Furious, as well as in several comedic flicks. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and founded a production company, Seven Bucks Productions. Earlier this year, he partnered with Under Armour on a clothing brand, Project Rock. And, as if all that wasn’t enough, his winning personality means he’s earned a ton of fans on social media and through his various appearances – and inspired a ton of people to hit the gym! We definitely smell what Dwayne Johnson is cooking – and it smells like success.
9 Kevin Hart
If you’ve walked past a newsstand in the last year or so, chances are you’ve seen Kevin Hart – he’s on cover after cover, and it’s because he’s absolutely blowing up. There are very, very few comedians who manage to transcend the world of stand-up comedy and become a big deal in the entertainment industry at large. Most, if they attain a certain degree of success, just embark upon regular tours to keep that cash flowing in, but that wasn’t enough for Kevin Hart. He got his start in the world of stand-up comedy, and soon began working on bigger and bigger tours, always looking to surpass what he had formerly achieved. In between increasingly big stand-up specials, he’s starred in films including Ride Along, Central Intelligence, This Is The End, and the upcoming Jumanji reboot. Hart has spoken time and time again about the important of hustling, and he’s certainly hustling all the way to the top.
8 Beyoncé
Once upon a time, Beyoncé was the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, tearing up the charts with hits like “Say My Name” and “Survivor.” Then, when the group split, she embarked on a solo career – and catapulted to an entirely new level of stardom thanks to hits such as “Crazy In Love,” “Single Ladies,” “Halo” and many, many more. At this point, let’s be honest – Beyoncé can do whatever she pleases and her Bey-hive will follow, which is something not many celebrities can say. When she wanted to get involved in the fashion world, fans bought any athleisure wear she helped create. When she wanted to push the envelope on her newest album, creating a visual album that made a lot of powerful statements (you obviously know we’re talking about Lemonade), the internet basically got so excited it nearly broke. Anyone who trashes Beyoncé immediately gets attacked by the angry Beyhive because obviously she’s their queen B.
7 Kelly Oxford
While Kelly Oxford might not be posing for the paparazzi at every red carpet event, we have absolutely no doubt that she’s going to be a huge deal. The Canadian writer has been writing out her comedic thoughts on life and motherhood for years, but rose to fame thanks to her totally hilarious tweets. Eventually, she moved with her family to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting and working in Hollywood, and she’s basically the cool girl you want to grow up to become. She made international waves last month when she started the “not okay” campaign in response to Donald Trump’s comments, in which she encouraged women on Twitter to share their stories of sexual assault to create a loud voice of opposition to hopefully enact some kind of change. Millions of women responded, and she earned even more fans, proving that she’s not just a comedian with jokes about her kids – she’s an intelligent, fiercely strong woman who cares about women’s rights. We have a feeling she’ll soon take over Hollywood from the writers’ room.
6 Zoe Sugg
If the name Zoe Sugg doesn’t ring a bell for you, perhaps the name Zoella does. Zoella – also known as Zoe Sugg – is a YouTube star who has been absolutely killing it lately. While her audience skews a bit younger than many celebrities, there’s no doubt that she’s building an empire. Sugg started out filming beauty tutorials and fun videos for her subscribers, and her subscriber base steadily grew… and grew… and grew. She currently has over 11 million subscribers on YouTube, and her fame has given her the opportunity to do things like write a young adult novel series and work on various beauty and home collections that fans can pick up. The 26 year old British beauty is still on her way to the top, but given how natural she is in front of the camera and how she’s already diversifying her business projects, we have a feeling she’ll be at the helm of an empire by the time she’s Kim Kardashian’s age.
5 Taylor Swift
Okay, Kim, we’re going to let you finish, but…just kidding. Anyone who has been living in the world for the past decade knows that Taylor Swift is an absolutely massive star. And, she’s pretty much flawless when it comes to reinventing herself to stay relevant. After doing the country thing for a while as a teenager, she decided pop was calling to her, and reinvented herself to a more retro, poppy Taylor. She had a slight gothic phase, she had a boy crazy phase, and she had a girl power phase. It’s tough to believe she’s been in the spotlight since she was a teenager because she just continues to release hit song after hit song, to rock look after look on the red carpet, and to keep fans wanting more. Oh, and her smart business decisions and successful career mean she’s raking in the big bucks independently. Someday, she might find her Kanye, but we have a feeling that she’ll be just fine even if she doesn’t.
4 Kendall Jenner
Another example of one of Kim K’s younger sisters rising to potentially eclipse the main Kardashian – but it’s true! Kendall Jenner is a lot different than most of her sisters physically – while Kim, Khloe and Kylie are super curvy, Kendall’s physique is slim and trim, like the supermodels she hangs out with. When audiences first met her, she was just a kid hanging around while her bigger sisters got all the storylines on the family’s reality television show. Nowadays, Kendall has been booking modeling gig after modeling gig, strutting her stuff in haute couture on the runways and making quite the impression on the fashion world. Her three older sisters may have started Dash, but if any Kardashian was to truly succeed in the fashion world, it would be Kendall. We have a feeling that once she gets tired of modeling, she’ll get involved in the industry in another capacity and continue to totally rock it – and potentially overshadow Kim.
3 Jennifer Lawrence
Despite still being in her 20s, Jennifer Lawrence is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood – and it’s because fans absolutely love her. She was skyrocketed to stardom when she snagged the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games franchise, but since then, she’s made a series of smart film decisions, picking roles in indie gems that has fans always wanting more. She’s also earned a lot of love for her personality as a relatable, real girl who just wants to chill at home, eating pizza, drinking wine, and watching Netflix. That’s a huge part of her popularity – while most of the gorgeous, waifish starlets out there are slightly intimidating, Lawrence exudes warmth and makes you feel like she could easily just be a regular person instead of a huge A-List celebrity. If she continues to make the types of career decisions she’s currently making, we have a feeling she’ll soon eclipse basically any celeb out there, including Kim K.
2 Hailee Steinfeld
It’s so tough to believe that Hailee Steinfeld isn’t even 20 years old yet – just look at her career trajectory so far! When she was just 13 years old, she beat out literally thousands of other young actresses to snag the lead in True Grit, then went on to snag a role in the highly anticipated Pitch Perfect 2. As if that weren’t enough, Steinfeld is also pursuing a music career – she released her hit debut single “Love Myself” last year, and has been tearing up the charts since then. She’s also snagged a few modeling gigs here and there, and is a member of Taylor Swift’s hugely popular and influential girl squad. Right now, her true career is really just starting, and we have a feeling that by the time she’s in her mid 20s like many of the starlets she hangs out with, she’ll have achieved some pretty incredible things. I mean, she sings, she acts, what can’t she do?
1 North West
Okay, this one is kind of far in the future, but come on – the public is absolutely fascinated with celebrity children, so when you have the child of two celebs as big as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, obviously people will be curious to see how she turns out. Beyoncé recently brought her daughter into the spotlight by including her in the video for her hit song “Formation,” and perhaps one day Kanye will opt to do the same for North. I mean, this is a kid who grew up doodling on Birkin bags, always rocking a high fashion look, being carried to some of the most glamorous locations on earth, and being constantly spoiled by her parents. By the time North West is a teenager, she’ll without doubt have a huge social media presence and be embarking on some type of career in the entertainment industry – and, naturally, totally killing it.
Sources: forbes.com, cafemom.com, businessinsider.com
