If you were born earlier than 1993, you might find that you’re not as up-to-date with what’s going on in Hollywood as you were a few years ago. Even if you could once name every artist on the charts and every it-girl running around New York City, now you might remind yourself of your mother, getting confused every time someone younger mentions the latest star to take Hollywood. Adjusting to adulthood will do that to ya!
The mainstream stars that our generation grew up with—Beyoncé, Rihanna, Britney, Christina, Pink, and Gaga, to name a few—are still out there doing their thing, but they’re now established veteran stars, and a whole new group of starlets has emerged onto the scene. Those who listened to “Umbrella” on their way to school, still love the video to “Crazy in Love” and remember where they were when Brad and Jen split up probably won’t even recognize the young singers, actresses, and models who are the talk of Hollywood today.
You might have heard their songs briefly on the radio, noticed them pop up in major movies, or remember them as child stars, but most people 25 and older don’t really know the next generation of superstars. Allow us to introduce you to the powerful women of tomorrow!
15 The U.K.'s Most Adorable Actress, Millie Bobby Brown
It doesn’t get any cuter than Millie Bobby Brown. After appearing on the Netflix drama Stranger Things, Millie quickly became one of the most in-demand actresses in the business. Her role earned her the interest of the most respected talent agencies on the planet until she finally signed with WME.
Millie was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her work on the show at the tender age of 13. Just in case that isn’t impressive enough, she has also modeled for Calvin Klein and has signed with IMG Models, and is set to appear in 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. She’s got an MTV Movie & TV Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award under her belt already, and we’re sure she’ll be adding to those in the future.
14 Julia Garner, The NYC Native, And Next Big Actress
Julia Garner once mentioned in an interview that she thought she was “kind of boring”, but we beg to differ. The New York City native first pursued acting while following in the footsteps of her older sister Anna, at the age of 14. Before long, she had supporting roles in films like Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Not Fade Away.
Her performance in Ozark on Netflix has really got people talking. In addition to appearing in the second season of the crime show, she’s also set to appear in the comedy Maniac alongside Emma Stone and Jonah Hill in 2018, as well as in a miniseries called Waco. The blossoming actress is also a big thinker and believes that people in Hollywood need to learn to take more risks to fuel their creativity.
13 13 Reasons Why Undeniable Talent, Katherine Langford
Back in 2016, Australian-born Katherine Langford probably didn’t anticipate starring in one of Netflix’s biggest shows of the year, since she didn’t even have a visa to work in the United States. But after auditioning for the role of Hannah Baker via Skype, she was contacted by the producers of 13 Reasons Why and told she had 36 hours to “pack her bags” and get out to California.
The Netflix YA drama is Katherine’s biggest role so far, but the future was looking bright even before she started getting paid to act. The Aussie was one of five selected to participate in the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) Advanced Actors Residency. She also trained at Nicholson’s
12 Naomi Scott, The Hardworking, And Persistent, Next Disney Princess
Is there anything more exciting than a live-action remake of one of your old favorite Disney classics? 2019 is set to bring us a retelling of Aladdin, and after a long search for the perfect girl to play Princess Jasmine, Naomi Scott was selected. She will star alongside Will Smith and Mena Massoud as Aladdin in the project which will be directed by Guy Ritchie. In addition to looking like the Princess, Naomi has proven she’s got some serious talent through playing the Pink Power Ranger, Kimberly Hart, in 2017’s Power Rangers.
Naomi started singing in London’s Bridge Church Youth Band at a young age, since both her parents are pastors for the church. She’s participated in a lot of missionary work throughout her life and married English footballer, Jordan Spence, in 2014.
11 Rising Pop And Movie Star, Hailee Steinfeld
You’ve probably seen Hailee Steinfeld a few times before, but the extent of her talent is just starting to make itself known. She first appeared on the radar after starring as Mattie Ross in True Grit in 2010, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. She caught the eye of more industry professionals after working on Romeo & Juliet in 2013 but truly rose to prominence by starring as Emily Junk in Pitch Perfect 2 and Pitch Perfect 3.
The young star signed with Republic Records in 2015, and has had a number of stand-alone hits, including “Starving” and “Let Me Go”. After releasing her EP Haiz, Hailee garnered praise for her chops as a vocalist as well as an actress and performer.
10 Following In The Footsteps Of Lil' Kim And Nicki Minaj, Cardi B
If you’re over 25, you’re probably of the opinion that the Queen of Rap is either Lil’ Kim or Nicki Minaj—the former if you’re a little older, and the latter if you’re closer to 25 than 30. But the rap game has a new female star, and her name is Cardi B. We’re not saying she can touch Nicki or Kim, and she has a way to go before you can call her a queen, but she’s certainly proven that she’s a girl you don’t want to mess with.
In September of 2017, she released “Bodak Yellow” which flew to the top of the charts and put her on the map. In 2018 she became the first rapper and third artist in history to have her first three Billboard 100 singles in the Top 10 at the same time.
9 Ex-Fifth Harmony Star And Now Solo Phenomenon, Camila Cabello
Camila Cabello first popped up on the scene as one-fifth of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which was formed on The X Factor in 2012. Originally auditioning as a solo artist, Camila was put into a group with four other girls: Normani, Lauren Jauregui, Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane Hansen. Though the girls finished third on the show, they rose to superstar status after releasing hits like “Miss Movin’ On”, “Sledgehammer” and “Worth It”.
In December of 2016, Camila announced she was leaving the group to pursue a solo career. While this decision doesn’t work out for every artist who takes it on, Camila is already seeing major success on her own. Her single “Havana” went to number one in 11 countries and appeared in the top 10 charts in a number of others.
8 Zendaya: From Child Star To Superstar
Zendaya Coleman has been doing her thing for a while now, making her debut on the Disney Channel when she was only 14 years old. In the following years, the triple threat started to make waves in Hollywood, starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Now at the age of 21, Zendaya has a bunch of accomplishments to her name and has established herself as a force in the industry.
She was signed with Hollywood Records before she turned 16, gaining widespread recognition and praise for the single “Replay”. In 2013 she wrote a book called Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years with Style and Confidence, and started working on her own clothing line, Daya by Zendaya, which was released in 2016. Thanks to her experience in fashion, the star appeared as a guest judge on Season 15 of Project Runway.
7 Sasha Lane, One Of America's Most In-Demand Indie Actresses
Mainstream audiences might not have heard of Sasha Lane yet, but it’s only a matter of time before this talent bursts onto the global stage. Her first ever role was in American Honey, which earned the interest of producers all over the country. Since then, she’s appeared in The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Hearts Beat Loud and Freak Shift, alongside names like Chloe Moretz, Nick Offerman, and Armie Hammer.
The actress has strong opinions on the current state of Hollywood, stating in one interview that Hollywood’s biggest problem is “people being taken advantage of” as well as people being “manipulated”. Sasha seems like she could be a leading figure with the power to change a lot for minorities and disadvantaged groups in the future.
6 From Waitress To Rising Hollywood Star, Zazie Beetz
Zazie Beetz first rose to prominence with the release of the TV series Wolves in 2016, and though she’d worked on acting projects before, it was this dramedy that allowed her to quit her day job as a server and focus on acting full time. Born in Berlin, Germany, Zazie grew up in Manhattan and currently lives in Harlem, where she works on mostly New York-based acting projects.
The rising star believes that the biggest problem in Hollywood lies with the distribution of wealth: “No one should have half a billion in their personal account. It's a huge problem in our country, and it is on a global spectrum as well,” she said in an interview. “Our Earth is dying, people have no medicine. We need to change this.”
5 Yara Shahidi, Actress, Model And Harvard Freshman
Yara Shahidi played Zoey Johnson on ABC’s Black-ish for three years and won over so many fans that she’s earned her own spinoff in 2018, Grown-ish. That’s not the only exciting event taking place in Yara’s life this year—the actress has been accepted at Harvard University and is due to start as a freshman in 2018. As if all that isn’t enough, the star recently signed on with New York’s Women Management as a model, with hopes of improving representation for both women and people of color.
Like her fellow rising stars, Yara believes that Hollywood has some changing to do. “It does truly need to become a space for everybody. It isn't representative of our actual world,” she said, later admitting that it needs to get to a place where everyone’s voice is equally valued.
4 "Hotter Than Hell" British Singer, Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is already a well-known name in the music industry, but she’s only going to get bigger. Born in London to Albanian parents, the singer attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, inspired by her father Dukagjin Lipa, who was a professional singer. She started posting covers of songs on YouTube at the age of 15, began working as a model and released her first single through Warner Music Group in 2015.
In 2016, she released “Hotter Than Hell” which became an international hit. Her self-titled debut album came out in 2017, and its sixth single “New Rules” became her very first number one hit in the UK. In 2018 she performed at the Brit Awards held in London, where she was nominated in five categories.
3 The Sister Act Of The Age, Gigi And Bella Hadid
If you’re over 25, you might have grown up hearing about models like Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Adriana Lima and Gisele Bündchen, but just like the music and film industries, the modeling world is overflowing with new it-girls. Two of the most famous models on the planet right now are the Hadid sisters, Gigi and Bella.
Born in California to an international model, Gigi and Bella were destined to do big things. Their mother Yolanda Hadid appeared on the reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, while Gigi started appearing as the face of numerous campaigns before landing a coveted spot in the Victoria’s Secret show in 2015. Bella joined her sister as a VS model in 2016, and the two are continuing to grow into an unstoppable team in 2018.
2 Irish Academy Award Contender, Saoirse Ronan
Even if you can’t pronounce her name (it’s Ser-Sha), chances are you’ve seen Irish beauty Saoirse Ronan before. As a child, she appeared in Atonement, and later in The Lovely Bones as murdered protagonist Susie Salmon. Since then, the actress has done movies like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hanna, and Brooklyn. Most recently, she starred in Lady Bird, which won her an award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, as well as several Academy Award nominations.
She currently lives in the magnificent (and super green) County Wicklow in Ireland, and is an ambassador for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Watch out for her in upcoming projects like Mary Queen of Scots, which is currently in post-production.
1 Amandla Stenberg Died In The Hunger Games, But Now She's A Force To Be Reckoned With
Fans of The Hunger Games are probably wondering where they’ve seen Amandla Stenberg before. Though her role was only brief, her breakout role was Rue, alongside Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen. Her short performance was powerful enough to leave an impression, and now she’s a leading star in Everything, Everything, the Warner Bros young adult romance, and will appear in the adaptation of the novel, The Hate U Give.
Aside from being a star on the rise, Amandla is also a passionate activist. “I choose films I believe can prompt an important and nuanced conversation on a large platform,” she said, adding that she prefers “roles that I believe create representation for black women in spaces we typically don't get to occupy.” Something tells us she’s going to leave her mark on Hollywood in the years to come.
Source: hollywoodreporter.com
