4.Ashton Sanders
Age: 26
Notable Role: Chiron (Moonlight)
Ashton Sanders auditioned for his role in the film that would go on to win Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars while he was still attending theater school at DePaul University in Chicago. Despite the initial uncertainty over who won that Oscar—the announcers were given the wrong envelope and read the winner originally as La La Land—what is certain is that Sanders’ career is just getting started. Since Moonlight, he’s gone on to play roles in Captive State, Native Son, and Judas and the Black Messiah. Sanders isn’t just known for his filmography, either. You can also catch him starring in the Hulu original Wu-Tang: An American Saga as hip-hop legend RZA/Bobby Diggs. With such an impressive résumé, it’s clear that Sanders is one to expect even more from in the coming years.
5.Florence Pugh
Age: 26
Notable Role: Amy March (Little Women)
Florence Pugh is a fascinating actress because it feels like she’s never working within the same genre or role type. Although she’s done her fair share of period dramas—she received an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Amy March in Little Women—she has had just as much success with modern horror films, like Midsommar, and in the sports comedy-drama Fighting With My Family. Most recently, she’s been added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Yelena Belova in Black Widow. She has performed alongside several people on this list, as well as Scarlett Johansson, Maisie Williams, Chris Pine, and Michael Shannon to name a few fan favorites. Florence Pugh is sure to continue to surprise and captivate audiences with her impending roles.
6.Olivia Cooke
Age: 27
Notable Role: Becky Sharp (Vanity Fair)
Olivia Cooke accepted a breakout star award at the 2018 IMDb Awards, and has been working ever since. Her rise in mainstream popularity started with her starring role in Bates Motel and solidified itself with her roles in Ready Player One and the miniseries Vanity Fair. You can also catch her in Sound of Metal and Thoroughbreds. Fans of Cooke and Game of Thrones are waiting with bated breath for the release of House of the Dragons, where she’ll be playing Alicent Hightower. Don’t get too excited. The project is still filming, so it will still be some time before you’re able to piece together her—almost assuredly—complicated storyline. Until then, you can get your Olivia Cooke fix by watching Little Fish, Pixie, or Naked Singularity.
7.Shameik Moore
Age: 27
Notable Role: Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)
It doesn’t matter if you’re just listening to Shameik Moore’s voice in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or watching his physical performance in Dope and Cut Throat City, you know almost immediately that there’s something really special about this actor. His earnestness and youthfulness radiate in everything he works on. It’s his vocal performance in the animated Spider-Man that solidifies a serious emotional payoff from the first film. That same ability to tune into his own emotions served him well when he portrayed Raekwon / Sha Raider in Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga and he even impressed RZA with his performance.
