Rueben's Ramblings

Much like the Faces of 2016, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year or those who made great waves throughout the current year who will, undoubtedly, be big stars in the new year.

Here are my predictions for the faces of 2017 (in no particular order):

1. Malachi Kirby – The British actor landed the plum role of Kunta Kinte in the History Channel remake of the classic telefilm Roots by author Alex Haley. He will follow that up with roles in the upcoming box office film Fallen based on the book of the same name by author Lauren Kate and he will provide his voice to the video game Squadron 42.

2. Stephan James – Stephan appeared as legendary Olympic athlete Jesse Owens in the box office film Race that was released in February of this year. Prior to that he was in the box office films When the Game Stands Tall and Selma; and he had a recurring role in the TV series L.A. Complex and Degrassi: The Next Generation. He will next be seen in the highly anticipated FOX event series Shots Fired that will air on FOX during mid-season of 2017.

3. Jacob Tremblay – Jacob is the young Canadian actor who appeared as Jack in the much-buzzed about box office film Room. Prior to that he had a role in the made-for-TV movie My Mother’s Future Husband. He has four box office films coming up in 2017, including Before I Wake with Thomas Jane and Kate Bosworth; Burn Your Maps with Vera Farmiga and Virginia Madsen; Wonder with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson and The Book of Henry with Lee Pace and Naomi Watts.

4. Neel Sethi – He is the young Indian-American boy who landed the coveted role of Mowgli in the latest live action adaptation of The Jungle Book. This was his first acting role where he was selected out of a “cattle call” of 2,000 children who auditioned for the part.

5. Elena Kampouris – Elena landed the plum role of Paris, the daughter of Toula and Ian in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. She previously appeared in the short-lived TV series American Odyssey, starring alongside Sarah Wynter and Peter Facinelli. She will next be seen in the box office film Before I Fall based on the novel of the same name by Lauren Oliver.

6. Tori Anderson – Tori landed the lead role of Evie Covington in the new dramedy No Tomorrow, which debut in October on The CW and while the show will not be continuing beyond its original episode order, Tori is an up-and-comer. She previously had a short recurring role in Killjoys and was one of the regulars in Teen Nick drama Open Heart.

7. Adria Arjona – Adria will be seen as Dorothy Gale in the January 2017 debut of the much-buzzed about NBC drama Emerald City, which is a dark and twisted adaptation of the legendary Wizard of Oz tale. Prior to that she appeared in season two of True Detective. She will next be seen in Pacific Rim: Maelstrom and Life of the Party with Melissa McCarthy, Julie Bowen and Gillian Jacobs.

8. Auli’I Cravalho – Movie goers can hear Auli’I’s voice in the new animated film Moana, which was released in November. She was discovered by an Oahu casting agent who noticed her singing in a charity competition. She won the role of the latest Disney princess from hundreds of women in the pacific islands. In fact, she was the very last girl auditioned.

9. Maddie Bailio – Maddie is a talent Texan theatre student who landed the coveted role of Tracey Turnblad in Hairspray Live! which debuted on NBC earlier this month. She beat out over 1,000 other girls for the legendary role. This is her major first acting gig, but she is no stranger to stage work.

10. Sasha Lane – Sasha is a 19-year-old newcomer to acting who was spotted by writer-director Andrea Arnold among tens of thousands of students on Panama City beach. Arnold convinced Sasha to do an impromptu audition, which led to her being cast as Star in the box office film American Honey. She has three upcoming projects, including The Miseducation of Cameron Post with Chloe Grace Moretz and Shoplifters of the World with Joe Manganiello.

11. Joe Alwyn – This British-born actor landed the lead role in Ang Lee’s latest film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which hit theatre screens last month. Joe had never stepped in front of a camera before auditioning for this film. He will next be seen in the film The Sense of an Ending with Downton Abbey and Good Behavior actress Michelle Dockery and will later be seen alongside Gerard Butler in the thriller Keepers.

12. Millie Bobby Brown – Young actress Millie was born and raised in Spain before her family moved to Florida, and now she is the one of the stars of the much-buzzed-about Netflix fantasy horror drama Stranger Things; she played Eleven. Prior to this she appeared in the BBC series Intruders; she was young Alice in the short-lived TV series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and she had guest roles in NCIS, Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy.

13. Tom Holland – Tom is the latest British actor to take on an iconic American comic book character: Spider-Man. Filmgoers will recognize him from Captain America: Civil War and they will soon see him in the latest adaptation of the Marvel legend in the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming and the 2018 Avengers: Infinity War. He also has two other films coming out – The Current War with Benedict Cumberbatch and Pilgrimage with Jon Bernthal and Richard Armitage. His previous work includes In the Heart of the Sea, The Impossible and the mini-series Wolf Hall.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2017? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2016