Rueben's Ramblings

Much like the Faces of 2017, 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. They appear below in no particular order:

1. Ian Kenny – This British actor first got noticed in last year’s acclaimed musical coming-of-age comedy-drama Sing Street; but it will be his next film role that will get a lot of attention. He will be starring in Solo: A Star Wars Story that will star Alden Enrenreich as young Han Solo and Donald Glover as young Lando Calrissian as well as Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newon and Paul Bettany.

2. Colt Prattes – This Georgia hunk with abs-to-die-for took on the tough role of Johnny Castle in the small screen adaptation of Dirty Dancing, which aired earlier this year; and he will next be seen in the Sundance Now dramedy This Close, starring alongside Marlee Matlin, Cheryl Hines and Zach Gilford.

3. Milana Vayntrub – Anyone who has seen a TV commercial for AT&T will recognize Milana as the spokesperson for the mobile service provider, but she got attention for her recurring role on This Is Us last season. Her newest role will be as Doreen Green aka Squirrel Girl in the live-action Freeform comedy Marvel’s New Warriors.

4. Keala Settle – Keala is a Tony nominee-powerhouse singer and actress who has appeared on stage in productions of Priscilla, the Queen of the Desert, Les Miserables, Waitress, Hairspray and South Pacific; but it will be her role as the Bearded Lady in this month’s The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya and Michelle Williams that will put him on the map.

5. Kathryn Newton – Included on Kathryn’s resume are roles in the TV shows Big Little Lies, Supernatural and Halt & Catch Fire, but it will be her turn in the Supernatural spin-off series Wayward Sisters and the BBC adaptation of Little Women that will get her noticed. Her film roles this year have included Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Lady Bird, and she has also been cast in the box office film Ben Is Back alongside Julia Roberts.

6. Margaret Qualley – Margaret is the daughter of model-actress Andie MacDowell. She has appeared in recently-ended HBO series The Leftovers and the box office film The Nice Guys. She has been turning heads with her performance as an aspiring nun in the acclaimed film Novitiate as well as the festival hit Sidney Hall. She has five other productions in the works too.

7. Alex Sharp – The Juilliard alum and Tony Award-winning English actor, got his big break in the Marti Noxon-directed film To the Bone, playing Luke, the charming dancer with an eating disorder who was quite a scene stealer. He will be seen in next year’s Nasty Women [a remake of the 1988 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels] alongside Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson as well as UFO, with David Strathairn; and Monumental, with Maria Bello and Jeremy Irons.

8. Jessica Williams – This comedian-actress was a correspondent on The Daily Show and had a small role in the film Delivery Man and as herself in Hot Tub Time Machine 2; but it was her turn in the Netflix film The Incredible Jessica James that has gotten her attention. She has also joined the cast of the anticipated sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

9. Danielle Macdonald – This Australian actress surprised everyone with her amazing “Joisey” accent in the Cinderella-like film Patti Cake$ about an aspiring rapper, and she had a role in the critics favorite film Lady Bird. She also has some high-profile roles coming up, including the film Bird Box, with Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson; Paradise Hills, with Emma Roberts and Dumplin’ with Jennifer Aniston.

10. O’Shea Jackson Jr. – O’Shea is the look-alike son of actor-rapper Ice Cube who played his father in the hit film Straight Outta Compton; and can be seen in this year’s buzzed-about film Ingrid Goes West, starring alongside Aubrey Plaza. He has four upcoming projects, including Last Friday, starring alongside his dad, Nia Long, Kevin Hart and Chris Tucker; Den of Thieves, with Gerard Butler and Pablo Schreiber; Flarsky, with Charlize Theron and Andy Serkis; and Godzilla: King of Monsters, with Sally Hawkins, Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga and Bradley Whitford.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2018? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2017