In Marie Claire's Ones to Watch list, you’ll meet 26 names on the rise in entertainment. The changemakers, tastemakers, and scene-stealers whose careers we’re excited to watch unfold.
There couldn't be a better time to spotlight the next generation of talent. In the two years since MC launched our Ones to Watch list, entertainment has continued to change rapidly—from actors' strikes to discourse surrounding box office numbers and straight-to-streaming releases to the way the algorithm may be affecting art and how we consume it. From actors and filmmakers lighting up the big screen to comedians, musicians, and producers redefining stages and soundtracks, these are the artists set to shape the future of what comes next.
Eva Victor, 31
Title: Actor, writer, and director
Few movies this year tore us open, and mended us back together again, like Sorry, Baby did. Helmed by writer/director/actor Eva Victor in their feature debut, the A24 film (co-produced by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins) was tender and original in its exploration of a sensitive subject matter—and solidified the filmmaker as a bona fide star with a singular voice. Fans who’ve followed Victor since their days making viral sketch comedy videos know how far they’ve come and that they’ve always had a hilarious, astute perspective (ie, the “straight pride” video, IYKYK); surely Sorry Baby is the first of many compelling stories they have to tell.
The moment we became obsessed: Their sketch video as a mysterious French woman who “definitely didn’t murder [her] husband.”
MC: What movie/show do you quote too often?
EV: “The Silly Rabbit speech (should be taught in schools) that V. Stiviano gives to Barbara Walters about Donald Sterling. It is the most interesting combination of words in a row that exists, in my opinion.”
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
EV: “Madame Bovary. No questions on that at this time. Also Violet from The Incredibles. Also Sandra Hüller’s character in Toni Erdmann. Also Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping. Also Cartman. Also Christopher Moltisanti.”
MC: What’s a dream you haven’t told anyone yet?
EV: “This isn't your question, but one time I had a nightmare that my mom's head got chopped off. That fucked me up for like three years.”
MC: Who’s your biggest creative inspiration—and how do they influence your work?
EV: “My best friend. Feeling seen by someone else as the person you wish you were and are becoming is the greatest gift of a long friendship. I feel fully myself with her. That kind of love is very inspiring.”
Alyah Chanelle Scott, 28
Title: Actor, director, and producer
It seems there’s no corner of the entertainment world that Alyah Chanelle Scott can’t thrive in. After three seasons on HBO Max’s cult-favorite The Sex Lives of College Girls, she’s now starring in Cooper Raiff’s Hal & Harper. Directing? She’s already helmed two music videos for former co-star and bestie Reneé Rapp. However, the musical-theater grad’s most impressive impact is on- and Off-Broadway, where she won a Tony for producing the 2023 revival of Parade before returning to the stage in the play All Nighter. With her banner Runyonland Productions, Scott’s had a hand in several of the past few years’ buzziest productions (including John Proctor is the Villain, Parade, and The Wiz), and the 28-year-old’s just getting started on her EGOT.
The moment we became obsessed: Her costars-to-lovers arc with Judy Greer’s character in the short-lived Hulu comedy Reboot.
MC: What’s a dream you haven’t told anyone yet?
ACS: “I have many dreams that I’ve never spoken about, and I’m going to say them all now if that’s okay: Directing a feature film. Meeting Paddington Bear. Finding the best chocolate chip cookie in N.Y.C.—so far it’s The Pastry Box in the East Village, but I’m open to suggestions. Living in a walkable neighborhood close to family and not too far from the city. To finally understand how dry cleaning works, and also the stock market. Going to culinary school. Opening a bakery. Joining a book club (which I know I could easily do, but there are too many to choose from, and I get too nervous to commit without knowing all of the books in advance). For my little brother to call me more. For healthcare to be free. And lastly, for empathy to be hot again.”
Chase Infiniti, 25
Title: Actor
Chase Infiniti was destined to be a film maven since birth—her parents named her as an homage to both Nicole Kidman’s role in Batman Forever and Buzz Lightyear’s iconic catchphrase. The musical-theater grad began her meteoric rise in Hollywood with a pair of roles where she had to hold her own against Hollywood heavyweights: first as Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga’s daughter on Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent and then as Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor’s in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. For the latter—already receiving Oscar buzz—Infiniti beat out countless young actors and trained in mixed martial arts to deliver her impressive performance as a revolutionary heir on the run from a white-supremacist group. So the question isn’t if she’ll be a success but just how far her star will rise. (Next up: She’s playing Elisabeth Moss’s grown daughter in Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale sequel, The Testaments.)
The moment we became obsessed: Her layered reaction when Regina King’s character in One Battle After Another recites “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” to her.
Elvira Anderfjärd, 26, and Luka Kloser, 27
Title: Producers and songwriters
Considering the statistics regarding female producers in the music industry remain dismal, it’s particularly exciting when a new woman bursts onto the scene, let alone a pair. In mid-2024 and into 2025, pop fiends and underground music fans alike were dying to know what studio wizards were behind Addison Rae’s steady stream of intoxicating singles and, inevitably, what became her stellar full-length album Addison. The answer turned out to be Elvira Anderfjärd, known professionally as Elvira, and Luka Kloser, a Swedish and Angelino BFF duo, backed by Max Martin’s MXM Studios. The two worked closely with the pop star on the entirety of her record, and have also lent their skills to Conan Grey’s latest, and superstars individually (Anderfjärd’s worked with Tove Lo for years, while Kloser is credited on Ariana Grande and Tate McRae hits). Favoring glistening ‘00s-inspired pop flairs, lushness, and feminine quirks, they’re pushing pop in a quixotic direction.
The moment we became obsessed: The first time we put our headphones on to listen to Addison, and the opening track “New York” reached the 1:52 mark; we knew we were in for pop perfection.
MC: When did you know this was the career you wanted—like really know?
EA: “Honestly, the brilliant era of 2015 to 2018 music was a magical and tough time for a high schooler secretly dying to be a part of the shimmery world of writing and producing. I always knew I was gonna do music somehow, but wouldn’t dare admit that obsessing over jazz solos was not my path. I think that was my moment. It felt like a force field I just had to walk closer, too.”
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
EA “I admit I’m probably a 60 percent Miranda, 30 percent Carrie…10 percent Charlotte.”
MC: What movie or show do you quote too often?
LK: “School of Rock.”
Mary Beth Barone, 34
Title: Comedian, actor, and writer
When Benito Skinner assembled the team behind his A24-produced Prime Video series Overcompensating, he brought along his besties and, in doing so, crowned the new funny girl to watch. Mary Beth Barone played guarded mean girl Grace on the show—also writing on the co-ed comedy—which became one of the year’s biggest TV debuts. Outside of TV, Barone and Skinner have been hosting the beloved “Ride” podcast for years, and she’s a well-known standup, making us laugh about today’s political hellscape and modern dating. She’s also launched the initiative Politics for Hot People to get more young people involved in organizing. May she continue to flex her talents long past a tight five.
The moment we became obsessed: Her 2024 stand-up set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
MC: When did you know this was the career you wanted—like really know?
MBB: “After I did my first open mic at the now-shuttered UCB East. RIP. We each had two minutes to tell jokes, and that was all it took. I just knew.”
MC: Who’s your ultimate pop culture icon?
MBB: “Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.”
MC: What does “making it” look like to you?
MBB: “Being able to delete social media.”
MC: Who’s your biggest creative inspiration—and how do they influence your work?
MBB: “My biggest creative inspiration is my best friend and collaborator Benito Skinner. I get really scared sometimes thinking, "What if we never met?" Like, can you imagine? He challenges me, cheers for me, and in those tiny, fleeting moments where I see myself through his eyes, those are the moments where I love myself the most.”
Supriya Ganesh, 27
Title: Actor
As The Pitt grew from a hyper-realistic medical drama to a genuine cultural phenomenon in early 2025, Supriya Ganesh still had a day job as an MCAT tutor. The Tamil-American Columbia grad got a 99th percentile score on the med-school exam but ultimately delayed med school to pursue acting. As third-year resident and patient advocate Samira Mohan, Ganesh was a compassionate anchor, grounding the fast-paced series and showing how empathy can be a doctor’s secret weapon (even if her character was dubbed “Slo-Mo”). While fans wait patiently for season 2, Ganesh has built a passionate cohort of fans with her openness about her queer identity (Ganesh uses she/they pronouns) and her candid thoughts about her growing fame.
The moment we became obsessed: Every scene with sickle-cell patient Joyce on The Pitt. Dr. Mohan is No. 1 in patient satisfaction for a reason!
MC: What movie or show do you quote too often?
SG: “Om Shanti Om, one of the first Bollywood films I really fell in love with. I have acted out the infamous “bhago, bhago!” scene way too many times.”
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
SG: “Sid the Sloth from Ice Age. I grew up in India after having spent the first three years of my life in America, and I felt like such a fish out of water. I didn’t even speak the language (Hindi) at the time, so I only had one friend in kindergarten. Missed so many social cues, was really hard to find my people. I remember watching the first installment when his friends and family left him behind and thinking, ‘Yup, that’s me!’”
MC: Who’s your biggest creative inspiration—and how do they influence your work?
SG: “Yorgos Lanthimos. I’ve watched every single one of his films, and think the way he directs actors to be truthful in the most absurd circumstances is so interesting to me. I remember watching The Lobster and knowing that was the kind of art I wanted to make—you know, the kind that might cause you to break up with your significant other and reevaluate your entire life!”
Olivia Dean, 26
Title: Singer-songwriter
Now’s the perfect time to tune into Olivia Dean—one of this year's Grammy nominees for Best New Artist. The 26-year-old pop-soul singer grew up in north-east London and trained at the Brit School, attending with contemporaries like RAYE and under the legacy of alums like Adele. In 2019, her self-released single “Ok Love You Bye” became a viral hit, earning her a deal with EMI Records; her debut album, 2023’s Messy, was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. Inspired by Mickalene Thomas’s exhibition All About Love, Dean’s sophomore album The Art of Loving kicked off Lover-Girl Fall, with her honeyed vocals relaying lyrics exploring self-love and modern romance on hits like “Man I Need.” After her short stint opening for Sabrina Carpenter, Dean will kick off her world tour with eight sold-out UK shows (including four nights at the O2) in April 2026.
The moment we became obsessed: Her COLORS performance of “A Couple Minutes” transports us to a candle-lit ‘60s jazz club.
Yerin Ha, 27
Title: Actor and producer
It’s almost time for Yerin Ha to make her global debut as Bridgerton season 4’s leading lady. The Korean-Australian actor was best known for starring in the live-action adaptation of Halo when she landed the role of Sophie Baek, Benedict Bridgerton’s love interest in the Netflix series’s Cinderella-inspired installment. With the Netflix hit’s track record for finding budding superstars—from Phoebe Dynevor and Nicola Coughlan to Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey—Ha’s performance is highly anticipated by both passionate Benophie fans and viewers already entranced by Ha’s chemistry with Luke Thompson. Even before season 4’s January premiere, the 27-year-old has spent the past year taking graceful steps into the spotlight, starring in the well-received murder-mystery The Survivors and attending her first Paris Fashion Week with Chanel.
The moment we became obsessed: When our FYP filled up with steamy videos of her with her co-star Luke Thompson.
MC: What does “making it” look like to you?
YH: "I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’ve 'made it’ because you’re always evolving as a human being, and as such, so do your goal posts. But I do feel like once I reach a certain amount of exposure or ‘status,’ I would love to give back and help the next generation of Asian actors that might not have the financial stability or emotional support to study acting. This career is not only expensive, but it can also be lonely sometimes, and you do get a bit lost in the chaos of the industry, so having somewhere or someone to turn to when you need help is important. Maybe that’s what ‘making it’ looks like for me: giving back to my community."
Whitney Peak, 22
Title: Actor
When Sunrise on the Reaping arrives in theaters ahead of Thanksgiving 2026, all eyes will be on Whitney Peak. Born in Uganda and raised in Canada from the age of nine, Peak broke into mainstream fame in 2021, channeling her natural magnetism as It-girl activist Zoya on the short-lived Gossip Girl reboot. Chanel quickly snapped her up to be an ambassador and eventual muse; in 2023, she succeeded Keira Knightley as Miss Coco Mademoiselle and, in doing so, became the first Black face of a Chanel fragrance. This year, she made her horror- and action-star debuts in the films Eye for an Eye and Trap House, honing skills that she’ll bring to her role as Haymitch Abernathy’s lost love, Lenore Dove Baird, in next year’s Hunger Games prequel.
The moment we became obsessed: When she carried on the legacy of Dan and Jenny Humphrey in the Gossip Girl reboot.
MC: Who’s your ultimate pop culture icon?
WP: “Rihanna.”
MC: What has fame taught you about yourself?
WP: “I have terrible stage fright.”
MC: What’s a dream you haven’t told anyone yet?
WP: “To be a writer. I’m very envious of those who can transfer thoughts from the mind onto paper.”
Romy Mars, 18
Title: Actor and singer-songwriter
“I could reach for the stars, but once I get it, I want more,” Romy Mars sings on her single “A-Lister.” You get the sense she’s not exaggerating—especially if you've followed the rising singer and daughter of Sofia Coppola and Phoenix’s Thomas Mars since she went viral with her short film I Tried to Charter a Helicopter to Visit My Camp Friend. Mars is well-attuned to how to wield her “nepo baby” status for good—from her many buzzy TikToks, that sometimes jeer at fame and sometimes steer into it (making internet boyfriends like Jacob Elordi dance). And she’s following in her father’s footsteps, tapping up-and-comers like Claud and Josh Mehling to work with her on indie pop earworms with biting lyricism. And we should all bask in her ascension: We may have the most talented member of the Coppola dynasty on our hands.
The moment we became obsessed: The lo-fi cover art of her EP, featuring her striking a pose in a scuba mask.
Ravyn Lanae, 26
Title: Singer-songwriter
There’s a special joy in seeing an artist who’s been putting in work for years finally rise to the top. It took nearly a decade for Chicago-born R&B star Ravyn Lanae to ascend to chart domination with her infectious pop-soul single “Love Me Not.” The singer-songwriter has spent the past year having her mainstream breakout following the August 2024 release of her second album Bird’s Eye. Her ‘60s-tinged single about the push-and-pull of romantic uncertainty soon became a TikTok staple, eventually debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 the following April. Pair the chart arrival with a jam-packed festival run and opening slots for both Reneé Rapp and Sabrina Carpenter, and it seems her hit-making run is here to stay.
Veronika Slowikowska, 30
Title: Actor, comedian, and content creator
If your FYP features stand-up and sketch comedy videos, it’s possible that you’ve spent the better part of the past year wondering whether Veronika and Kyle are dating or roommates. Comedian/content creator Veronika Slowikowska, aka @veronika_iscool, had already built a following with her offbeat characters and quirky sketches, so when she started pulling her friend-turned-boyfriend Kyle Chase (a.k.a. @kylefornow) into her bits and the two created their own lore full of in-jokes, it was as if she crafted her own online sitcom. But that’s all because the Canadian comedian isn’t afraid of being a little unhinged. It’s no wonder that after years of cutting her teeth in small TV roles, performing stand-up and musical-comedy gigs, and hosting the “nevermind.” podcast, she landed a cast spot on Saturday Night Live’s 51st season. Her zany humor should imbue the late-night series with some freshness.
The moment we became obsessed: The TikTok of her dancing to Fifth Harmony’s “Worth It” in a Tasmanian Devil hat.
Maika Monroe, 32
Title: Actor and producer
Maika Monroe has been a certified scream queen since her daring and vulnerable starring role in 2014’s It Follows—an instant cult classic that helped to kick off the “elevated horror” subgenre. And she’s held the title in the years since, leading acclaimed titles like Watcher and Longlegs, the highest-grossing indie film of 2024. An industry veteran at this point, the California-born-and-raised actor (the former professional kiteboarder couldn’t get any more SoCal) is poised to bring her cool and collected presence to buzzy indie movies and blockbusters alike, including 100 Nights of Hero, opposite Emma Corrin and Charli xcx, adaptations of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him and Victorian Psycho, as well as the long-awaited It Follows sequel, They Follow. Final girl is right.
The moment we became obsessed: The tight shots framed around her face in It Follows.
MC: What movie or show do you quote too often?
MM: “Bridesmaids. There are just so many quotable lines.”
Lovie Simone, 26
Title: Actor
Mara Brock Akil’s groundbreaking coming-of-age drama Forever wouldn’t have worked without Lovie Simone. In it, the Gotham-nominated actor bared her soul and brought nuanced cultural specificity to portray Keisha, a golden girl in 2018 L.A., balancing the pressures of coming of age with the vulnerability of a first real love (played by Michael Cooper Jr.). Before Forever, the 26-year-old Bronx native began her career surrounded by Black Hollywood royalty, working with the likes of Regina King, Lynn Whitfield, and Keith David on the Oprah Winfrey-produced drama Greenleaf. With fans counting the days until Forever’s second season arrives on Netflix, Simone’s on her way to joining the ranks of the legends that came before her.
The moment we became obsessed: When Keisha roasts Justin during their adorable New Year’s Eve meet-cute (or reunion-cute) in Forever.
MC: What movie or show do you quote too often?
LS: “Coraline is my weakness!”
MC: What has fame taught you about yourself?
LS: “Fame has taught me that I am more than myself. All of these faces I put on to tell stories is a part of connecting communities, and it’s beautiful.”
MC: Who’s your biggest creative inspiration—and how do they influence your work?
LS: “There are MANY. But if I were to give one, I would say Octavia Butler. Reading her books inspires me to ground myself in a story, in a character. She also has redefined my love for world-building many times. It's depth like hers I hope to recreate in my own way in my own craft.”
Ella Purnell, 29
Title: Actor and producer
Ever since her breakout role in 2018’s Sweetbitter, Ella Purnell has become one of TV’s most exciting young actors. The former child star from London has led three of Hollywood’s most original survival stories as of late. After playing dearly departed team captain Jackie on the cannibal-hit Yellowjackets and voicing Jinx on Netflix’s animated marvel Arcane, she now goes toe-to-toe with Walton Goggins and Kyle MacLachlan as vault-survivor Lucy McLean on the video-game adaptation Fallout. Purnell also became a major player behind the camera with the Starz serial-killer dramedy Sweetpea, taking a hands-on role in everything from the writers’s room to giving input on costumes and set design. With both Sweetpea and Fallout returning for second seasons (and a third greenlit for the latter), Purnell’s next goals include forming a production company and directing her second short film.
The moment we became obsessed: Every one of Lucy's "Okey dokeys" in Fallout.
Ji-young Yoo, 26
Title: Actor
Ji-young Yoo was a cinema and media studies major at the University of Southern California when she landed her breakout role alongside Nicole Kidman in Lulu Wang’s Hong Kong-set drama Expats. Since then, the indie darling and Gotham Awards nominee has flexed her adaptability, from a punk rocker fighting Nazis in Freaky Tales, to a high schooler navigating her parents’s separation in Smoking Tigers, to a psychic teen fighting through a death loop in Until Dawn. This year, the Denver-born daughter of Korean immigrants is part of a global phenomenon, voicing beloved rapper-maknae Zoey in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. The rising star will continue to make history with a leading role in Paramount and HYBE America’s untitled K-pop movie, the first major American studio film shot entirely in South Korea.
The moment we became obsessed: Zoey’s excitable, “가자 가자 가자!” (“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”) in KPop Demon Hunters.
MC: Who would you love to play opposite, alive, or dead? Why?
JY: “Robert Redford. His generation of actors was masters of craft, and he helped innovate the medium through the founding of Sundance and his support of independent film. His body of work in film and activism is astounding. It would have been such an honor to work with him—although I might have driven him crazy with questions about his philosophy on life and art between takes. I would have had a lot of fun, though.”
Mckenna Grace, 19
Title: Actor and producer
Mckenna Grace has grown up in front of the world, with the former child actor starring in acclaimed shows and films from Captain Marvel to I, Tonya to The Handmaid’s Tale to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Now 19 and facing the transition to adult roles, Grace is set to be one of 2026’s most-talked-about actors. She spent the past summer filming The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping; fans heavily lobbied for and celebrated her casting as Maysilee Donner. Ahead of the highly anticipated role, she just made her debut as a romantic lead in the theatrical adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Regretting You.
The moment we became obsessed: If you Google the definition of “resilience,” the first result should be the montage of young Carol Danvers getting back up in Captain Marvel.
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
MG: “WALL-E. Hands down. What an insanely silly, weird little guy.”
MC: Do you feel pressure to represent something bigger than yourself?
MG: “When I was 6, I was on a Disney show and I was doing a hospital visit where I ended up meeting one of my best friends, Faith Rose, who was there fighting cancer. In getting to know her, I remember it was the first time I saw that I could make a positive impact on someone simply because I had the privilege of being on a TV show. Although I think I gained more from knowing her than she ever could from me, that was when I realized that what I do is so much bigger than myself and it's always stuck with me. I've always wanted to try and stay a good influence because I know my life is watched and scrutinized and, although I guess you could say it's technically not my responsibility, I want to be someone cool and good that younger people can have a positive impression of. I do and will make a lot of mistakes, I just try to learn from them. So, yeah, I do feel that pressure, but maybe it’s something I more so put on myself. But I’m really grateful for the opportunity to have even a small amount of influence in that regard."
MC: Who’s your biggest creative inspiration—and how do they influence your work?
MG: “Florence Pugh is my favorite actress right now. She is one of the greats. So natural and effortless, her style, too, and I love how true she seems to stay to herself outside of her jobs. She’s just such a jaw-droppingly good actress I just strive to have an ounce of her talent.”
Robby Hoffman, 35
Title: Comedian and writer
It’s hard to stand out on a show as packed with laugh-out-loud performances as Hacks, but Robby Hoffman was up to the challenge. In season 4, the masc, ex-Hasidic lesbian comedian earned an Emmy nomination for their performance as Jimmy and Kayla’s eccentric assistant Randi; that same TV season, they showed off their dramatic chops as a home-goods clerk dominating Michelle Williams in Dying for Sex. That’s a big year, even before adding on her whirlwind wedding to reality television star Gabby Windey. She’ll follow up the impressive run with a pair of HBO shows: Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence’s upcoming HBO comedy and her own self-inspired series Unentitled.
The moment we became obsessed: On Hacks talking about Speed.
Suzanna Son, 29
Title: Actor and singer-songwriter
Classic Hollywood success stories that begin with fateful discovery on the streets are few and far between nowadays—but Suzanna Son can chalk her breakout up to a chance encounter with Oscar-winner Sean Baker outside of The ArcLight Theater in L.A. He scouted the actor/musician to play the starry-eyed donut shop employee Strawberry in his 2021 film Red Rocket, for which she earned Gotham and Independent Spirit Award nominations. Since then, her killer, cherubic voice, and original songs were among the highlights of The Idol, and she’s held leading roles in Fear Street: Prom Queen and Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story. Her debut album, full of alluring singer-songwriter-style tunes, is on the way soon; she’s already released the beguiling singles “Coraline,” “Pockets Full of Posey,” and “Ana.” Add her music—and her moment in the spotlight—to the queue.
The moment we became obsessed: Covering “Bye Bye Bye” in Red Rocket. Who knew a stripped-down, piano version of an *NSYNC hit could make you cry?
MC: Who’s your ultimate pop culture icon?
SS: “Fiona Apple. She reminds me it’s okay to be complicated.”
MC: What movie or show do you quote too often?
SS: “Twilight, but I’m stopping today.”
MC: What does “making it” look like to you?
SS: “Having a long and varied career and a dog and a cat and a lemon tree.”
MC: What has fame taught you about yourself?
SS: “Fame has taught me that it doesn’t fix anything.”
Havana Rose Liu, 28
Title: Actor
Brooklyn native Havana Rose Liu’s origin story is as cool as she is. Street-cast while studying art, activism, and wellness at NYU, the performance artist became an instant fashion It-girl and embarked on an acting career, eventually finding her breakout role in the 2023 sapphic comedy Bottoms. Now she’s a bona fide film-festival darling, with roles in this year’s Sundance hit Lurker and Cooper Raiff’s series Hall & Harper, as well as the upcoming Leo Woodall/Dustin Hoffman thriller Tuner and John Carney’s next musical comedy, Power Ballad. Even as her career skyrockets, Liu takes time to pursue projects that feed her soul; last spring, she returned to her live-performance roots, describing her run in the coming-of-age Off-Broadway play All-Nighter as “coming home.” The industry’s most introspective star will next appear in a pair of potential blockbusters: Jesse Eisenberg’s A24 musical comedy and Nicholas Winding Refn’s NEON release Her Private Hell.
The moment we became obsessed: The crazed denial in Bottoms when she finds out her character’s boyfriend has been cheating on her.
Odessa Young, 27
Title: Actor
It’s felt as if Odessa Young has been readied for a mainstream leading performance for years—and thankfully, it’s arrived this year with Deliver Me From Nowhere, the Bruce Springsteen biopic co-starring Jeremy Allen White. The Aussie actor has been bringing her deft balance of grit and poise to acclaimed indie films since she was 18, from Assassination Nation, Sam Levinson’s unhinged, pre-Euphoria high school thriller, to auteur Josephine Decker’s inspired Shirley Jackson drama, Shirley. She was also among the top choices in the “Madonna boot camp,” aka the Queen of Pop’s grueling audition process for her in-development biopic. Even without that role, she’s still about to be everywhere: next up, the leading role opposite Elizabeth Olsen in The Iron Claw filmmaker Sean Durkin’s forthcoming FX series Seven Sisters.
The moment we became obsessed: Rolling around in moss and dirt as a young mother rejecting complacent domesticity in Shirley.
MC: When did you know this was the career you wanted—like really know?
OY: “I don’t think I’ve ever really known. I find out more ways to align myself with this career (or maybe align the career with myself) every time I work, but I appreciate a kind of precariousness in how I regard my future in film. If I don’t think about doing it forever I can exhaust myself, which is where the pleasure lies for me.”
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
OY: “Oscar the Grouch.”
MC: Who would you love to play opposite, alive or dead? Why?
OY: “Too many to count. I wish I could have shared a stage with Eleonora Duse, just to watch her work. It was said that audiences saw her shape-shift in front of their very eyes.”
Sophia Lillis, 23
Title: Actor
Sophia Lillis made a lasting impression among the child actors who led the It movies. As Beverly, she went toe-to-toe with Pennywise while facing trouble at home and the horror of the death of girlhood—arguably one of the heaviest arcs in the blockbusters. Her screen presence continued to haunt us as the young version of Amy Adams’s character in the Emmy-nominated Sharp Objects and the criminally short-lived but one of Netflix’s all-time best teen series, I Am Not Okay With This, playing a Carrie-esque teen wrestling with her sexuality. In huge TV projects this fall—she plays it straight opposite the off-the-wall Tim Robinson in his HBO comedy The Chair Company, and will join Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning in the mystery All Her Fault—the 23-year-old’s ascension is just beginning.
The moment we became obsessed: She channels Carrie—bloodied, no-holds-barred teen angst and all—in the I Am Thinking of Ending This finale.
MC: When did you know this was the career you wanted—like really know?
SL: “There was no one big moment, just little ones. I loved watching Giulietta Masina as a kid, and I enjoyed my acting summer programs at Strasburg. I also enjoyed taking time off school to do NYU shorts. I made close friends on IT when I was 14. Every new job comes with its fair share of challenges, but then there’s little moments that remind me why I keep going.”
Ella Beatty, 25
Title: Actor
She may be the daughter of two film icons, Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, but Ella Beatty is forging her own path—trading Hollywood for the Great White Way. After graduating from Juilliard in 2022, she made her Broadway debut in 2024’s Appropriate. Beatty was handpicked for her role by the play’s lead Sarah Paulson, who sat in on the auditions to find a replacement for Elle Fanning. She’s also gone toe-to-toe with Hugh Jackman in the emotionally charged, Off-Broadway hit Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, and among the standouts in the star-studded ensemble (Billy Crudup, Lily Rabe) of the revival of Ghosts at Lincoln Center. She isn’t entirely avoiding getting in front of the camera; she’ll lead Ryan Murphy’s next season of Monster, about Lizzie Borden, reuniting with the showrunner after a small role in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. You get the sense she takes her family’s legacy very seriously.
The moment we became obsessed: When she stormed into the office of Rose Byrne’s therapist character in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You.
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
EB: “I identify heavily with Chessy, played by Lisa Ann Walter, from the 1998 Parent Trap. One of my favorite movies of all time. Now that’s a woman with a good head on her shoulders!”
MC: Who would you love to play opposite, alive or dead? Why?
EB: “I would love to play opposite Frances McDormand or Laurie Metcalf. Two absolute geniuses.”
Joy Sunday, 29
Title: Actor
It’s impossible to look away from Joy Sunday on Wednesday. The 29-year-old is enthralling as queen-bee and literal siren Bianca Barclay, who subverts mean-girl tropes in the Netflix fantasy series. Before Wednesday, Sunday was a Staten Island-born LaGuardia and USC film grad best known for small roles in Justin Simien’s Bad Hair and Dear White People. Three years after her first major TV role became Netflix’s most-watched English-language show ever, the actor spent the past summer building hype for Wednesday season 2, as her bold take on gothic-themed dressing cemented her as a rising fashion star. As fans wait for Wednesday season 3, Sunday has lined up projects that show a new side to her artistry, from directing a video for the national nonprofit YoungArts, to co-starring alongside Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini in the HBO dark comedy DTF St. Louis.
The moment we became obsessed: Her badass fencing battle—and win—against the titular goth girl in Wednesday season 1.
MC: When did you really know this was your career?
JS: “I chose the song ‘Mister Cellophane’ for my high school junior year Musical Theatre final. Partly because I have always been obsessed with all things Chicago, and partly because it spoke to how invisible I felt in the theatre program. I had felt so discouraged from pursuing acting, developing a residual stage fright that made moments like this performance dreadful. But that day, I belted out that last note of ‘Mister Cellophane’—maybe out of desperation to be heard, maybe because I thought it’d be one of the last times I’d get to perform like this–and something shifted in me. I knew then that my heart wanted nothing more than to do this every day of my life. The seed flowered that day and would bloom years later.”
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
JS: “Chloe from Totally Spies. I’m just a girl who can kick ass!”
MC: Who is your biggest creative inspiration?
JS: “She has to be tired of hearing it from me at this point…Michaela Coel. I so deeply appreciate everything she has handcrafted(!) and then performed with such mastery. Harvard just published a study: There’s a direct correlation between watching her shows and then getting straight to work.”
Raffi Donatich, 28
Title: Writer and producer
Not every screenwriter can call Lena Dunham a mentor, but Raffi Donatich is a writer on the rise whom the Girls alum sees herself in and already counts as a collaborator. The Brooklyn-based scribe got her start in theater, assisting Jeremy O. Harris on his plays Slave Play and Daddy, and has since brought her witty pen to the screen. She wrote the campus dramedy Poetic License, which marked Maude Apatow’s directorial debut, and you can expect to see—and binge-watch—her work everywhere soon. She, Harris, and Dunham are developing the “intimacy coordinator” comedy Sex Act for Netflix, and she’s set to write/produce on beloved coming-of-age filmmaker Megan Park’s teen series, Sterling Point, for Prime Video. We’re sensing a new voice of her generation, or at least “a voice” we can’t wait to hear from for years to come.
The moment we became obsessed: Her badass fencing battle—and win—against the titular goth girl in Wednesday season 1.
MC: When did you know this was the career you wanted—like really know?
RD: “I knew I wanted to be a writer when I became obsessed with making up characters and filming myself on my Flip video camera. They seriously need to bring those things back...That or, when I saw Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture at 13 and it changed my life.”
MC: What fictional character do you irrationally identify with?
RD: “Troy Bolton.”
MC: What’s a dream you haven’t told anyone yet?
RD: “To audition for American Idol.”
