It’s Official: These Are the Coolest, Most Exciting New Actors in Hollywood

There’s something uniquely powerful about being the first person in your circle to discover the cool new actor in Hollywood. You turn on Netflix, start a new show, and think, Oh, this actor is doing something really interesting here. Then you find them on Instagram and realize no one else you know follows them. There’s a level of clout that comes with that that can’t be matched. But it’s hard, you know? There’s so much stuff to watch. And you only have so much time. It’s not like this is your full-time job.

But luckily, it is our full-time job, so we did that work for you. We curated this list of the people in show business who are soon to be everywhere and got them in the same room for one epic photo shoot (wearing our favorite rising designers, because hot new talent deserves to wear hot new talent). These actors are creating some of the most exciting work in TV and film, which we list here for your streaming convenience. And when they’re eventually giving their Oscar acceptance speeches, you’ll be able to brag that you knew them first. You’re welcome.

If laying eyes on Noah Centineo in To All the Boys was a life-changing event for you, wait until you see Gavin in The Summer I Turned Pretty, out now on Amazon Prime Video (conveniently also based on books by Jenny Han, so you know it’ll be good). The 22-year-old’s performance is so achingly bittersweet that it will cement his heartthrob status. (Not that he’s only heartthrob material: He also shared scenes with Russell Crowe in Darren Aronofsky’s biblical drama Noah, which you’re probably still having nightmares about.) Meanwhile, Gavin is just happy to be here: “Whether it’s a romance or a show based on a book, it’s all magical to me. I’m honored to be a part of the journey.”

She’s only 18, but Lexi’s filmography has prestige written all over it. She was cast alongside Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon in Little Fires Everywhere before she could legally drive, she played Malia Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady with Viola Davis, and she’s joining the Freeform thriller Cruel Summer for season 2. And yes, she says, when you work with the smartest women in the business, you pick up lessons along the way: “They’ve taught me it is 100 percent okay to be me and to be my character’s biggest advocate.” She’s doing just that at the helm of her own company, Ultimate Dreamer Productions.

It takes a certain ballsiness to step into a role that was iconically someone else’s—and not only make it your own but expand it too. That’s what this 23-year-old is doing (to lots of critical acclaim) in Bel-Air, the Peacock reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And sure, getting a part like this is basically a dream and the series has already been renewed for a second season, but Jabari is thinking even farther ahead: “In 10 years, I hope to have paved a path and inspired younger artists to do the same for those after them. That’s what it’s all about, to spark the next.”

The Boys on Amazon Prime Video made superhero shows cool again (sorry, Marvel), thanks in part to this 30-year-old star. She’s responsible for playing Kimiko, the show’s only female vigilante, in all her ass-kicking glory. One of her favorite parts of the role? Flexing her musical theater chops in season 3, which is now streaming. “I had given up on my childhood dream of being in a musical—there aren’t many opportunities for leading roles as an Asian American actor. But now, here I am.” Speaking of bucket lists: Karen’s already done a blockbuster (her first movie was Suicide Squad), and now she’s hanging with Brad Pitt in your new favorite movie Bullet Train.

As the star of The CW’s Kung Fu, a gender-swapped version of the 1970s classic, Olivia leads the first-ever U.S. network drama with a predominantly Asian cast. (She plays San Francisco crime fighter Nicky Shen, and fans will be happy to know she starts filming the highly anticipated third season in July.) And this is after her role on Legacies, in which she played a…witch. We call that range! The 29-year-old is feeling pretty thankful right now, even for the (very relatable) small stuff, like “when I can afford to park in a structure instead of circling the streets of Los Angeles for an hour to find free parking. It’s an opportunity for gratitude I choose to recognize.”

How can someone step up their game when one of their first films was a Steven Spielberg movie (The Post)? By getting onto a major Apple TV+ show, that’s how. This 29-year-old stars in For All Mankind, a sci-fi epic that imagines what life would be like if the Soviet Union had gotten to the moon before the U.S. had. Coral gets to play her character, Aleida Rosales, through decade-long time jumps. It’s good practice for her ultimate goal, which is to be a classic character actor. “I hope to do something different with every part I play,” she says. “I want to be malleable and adventurous enough that I never repeat myself.”

One of those people who is annoyingly good at both acting and singing, 23-year-old Fin is here to take over the whole entertainment industry. They’re stepping into one of the most important franchises in the LGBTQ+ community with the reboot of Queer as Folk on Peacock. And, ahem, important intel: Their next album’s newest single and the music video for their first single, “Exposure,” come out July 22. “Whether it’s music or acting, I’m always trying to find new ways to showcase raw truth through art,” Fin says. “I’m making some of the best music of my life right now.” They’re not lying. It is—in a word—perfection.

The 26-year-old’s IMDb page is about as long as a CVS receipt—she’s been acting for more than half her life. (See roles in Shameless, Pushing Daisies, and Salem.) But you probably know her best from Yellowjackets, the Lord of the Flies–esque Showtime series that dominated the internet early this year. She plays the infinitely meme-able younger version of the slightly unhinged Misty, which Samantha views as a fun challenge: “I’m an empathetic and investigative actor. I like to figure out why my character is doing what they’re doing and not judge them for it.” She plans to keep not judging Misty into Yellowjackets season 2, which (hopefully) begins filming later this summer.

Stylist/fashion director: Cassie Anderson. Hair: Kachay Dorsey/Cloutier Remix. Makeup: Carlene K at Crosby Carter Management. Manicure: Merrick Fisher at Opus Beauty. Fashion assistant: Charlotte Hadlow. Production: Crawford & Co Productions. Hair and makeup bookings: Noir Casting.

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan