Rueben's Ramblings

Much like the Faces of 2019, 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. The new faces of 2019 appear below in no particular order:

[Photo Credit: Adam Whitehead]

1. Esme Creed-Miles – The almost 20-year-old British actress raced onto the scene in the Amazon streaming series Hanna, based on the box office movie of the same name. Esme played the leadrole, starring alongside The Killing co-stars Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos. Hanna was given a second season renewal, and is expected to air sometime in 2020 on Amazon.

[Photo Credit: Hulu Press]

2. Brec Bassinger – Brec is a Texas native actress, who will star as Courtney Whitmore – aka Stargirl – in the upcoming DC Universe streaming service series based on the DC Comics character. Brec had the lead role in the Nickelodeon series Bella and the Bulldogs and appeared in that network’s School of Rock series.

[Photo Credit: Cinespression]

3. Freya Allan – The 18-year-old U.K. newcomer landed the role of Princess Ciri in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher, based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, which debuted on December 20. She will next be seen in the box office film Gunpowder Milkshake, playing Young Eve, who will be played as an adult by Karen Gillan (Doctor Who and the new Jumanji franchise).

[Photo Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Essence]

4. Halle Bailey – The talented Atlanta teenager got her start alongside her sister in the R&B duo Chloe x Halle when they were 13 and 11 respectively. They posted covers of pop songs on YouTube, which caught the eye of Beyonce, who signed them to her management company. Halle had a recurring role in the popular comedy grown-ish, but it was her landing the lead role in the upcoming live-action movie The Little Mermaid, in the title role of Ariel, that helped land her on this list.

[Photo Credit: Syfy]

5. Jodie Turner-Smith – The statesque British model turned actress got her start in a bit role in True Blood, but her first big break came in the TNT post-apocalyptic series The Last Ship. She followed that up with a role in the Syfy series Nightflyers and the Cinemax series Jett. Her role in this fall’s box office film Queen & Slim alongside Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya.

[Photo Credit: Steve Mack/Alamy]

6. Asante Blackk – Earlier this year, Asante, the nephew of actress Samira Wiley from Orange Is the New Black and The Handmaid’s Tale, made his debut in the gripping Netflix mini-series When They See Us, based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, playing Kevin Richardson as a teen; a role that earned him an Emmy nominations, making him one of the youngest nominees in its history before landing the role of Malik Hodges in season four of NBC’s This Is Us.

[Photo Credit: Disney]

7. Crystal Yifei Liu – The Chinese-American actress, dancer, singer and model has quite a resume in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South-East Asia, ranging from TV shows, having one of her songs chosen as the ending theme for the anime series Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z to numerous box office films. But it will be her lead role in the live-action adaptation of Mulan, set to air in early 2020, that will turn heads.

[Photo Credit: Neil Hall/Reuters]

8. Jessie Buckley – The Irish singer and actress appeared in the acclaimed HBO mini-series Chernobyl in May and June and then in the box office movie Judy that came out in October. She also got a lot of attention from her lead role in the indie film Wild Rose. She previously appeared in the BBC adaptation of War and Peace, FX’s Taboo and BBC’s The Woman in White. She has 5 projects in the works, which includes Doolittle, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

[Photo Credit: Gersh/Hollywood Reporter]

9. Haley Lu Richardson – Haley starred alongside Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse in the touching, but heartbreaking, box office movie Five Feet Apart, directed by Jane the Virgin actor Justin Baldoni, and starred alongside Downton Abbey alum Elizabeth McGovern in the period piece movie The Chaperone. She also previously appeared in the short-lived dramas Ravenswood and Recovery Road.

[Photo Credit: Benjo Arwas]

10. Kelvin Harrison, Jr. – Kelvin has appeared in movies The Birth of a Nation and Mudbound as well as the TV series Shots Fired, but it was his lead role in the Octavia Spencer-led movie Luce that turned heads. He has since appeared in the film Waves, alongside Sterling K. Brown, and the EPIX TV series Godfather of Harlem. He will soon be seen in the box office films The Photograph and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

[Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

11. Beanie Feldstein – The younger sister of actor Jonah Hill, Beanie caught a lot of attention for her role as Molly in the breakout hit movie Booksmart and will be seen playing Monica Lewinsky next year in the anthology series American Crime Story. She also appeared in the box office movies Lady Bird and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

[Photo Credit: Andre Uspenski]

12. Francesca Hayward – The Nigerian-born ballerina was raised in Britain and is now a principal dancer at The Royal Ballet in London. She has appeared in the lead role in productions of The Nutcracker, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle (just to name a few). She has the featured role of Victoria in the Tom Hooper directed film Cats.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2019? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2019