Much like the Faces of 2015, 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 2016 (in no particular order):
1. Sarah Hay – Sarah was virtually plucked from obscurity for the lead role of Claire Robbins in the Starz ballet drama Flesh and Bone. Sarah began her ballet training at the School of American Ballet at the tender age of 8. She later attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet at the American Ballet Theatre.
2. John Boyega – John can be seen in the role of Finn in the much buzzed about sequel Star Wars: The Force Awakens that just came out in the theatres on December 18. His prior credits include 24: Live Another Day and the independent UK film Attack the Block. He will next be seen in the box office film The Circle alongside Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, Bill Paxton and Patton Oswalt.
3. Maika Monroe – Maika got her big break in the box office film Labor Day alongside Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. She then starred alongside Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens in the 2014 box office film The Guest and followed that up with a role in the horror flick It Follows. Her next roles will be in the sci-fi-themed box office movies The 5th Wave (based on the book of the same name) that stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Independence Day: Resurgence.
4. Justin Hires – In 2007, Justin had a role in the box office film Stomp the Yard and then in 2012, he had a role in the box office adaptation of 21 Jump Street that starred Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. But it will be his role in the small screen adaptation of Rush Hour that is set to air on CBS at some point in 2016, that will assuredly get his attention.
5. Chris Woods – Chris has been a mainstay with The CW over the last couple of years, starring in the short-lived The Carrie Diaries and then playing villain Kai Parker on The Vampire Diaries. It will be his turn as Jake Riley in the apocalyptic series Containment, set to air in early 2016, that will, more than likely, turn heads.
6. Rod Paradot – Rod, a teen newcomer, who had never acted before in his life, became the first major breakout star of this year’s Cannes Film Festival for the French film La Tete Haute (aka Standing Tall) where he played a deeply troubled 15-year-old from a troubled home and starred alongside legendary French beauty Catherine Deneuve.
7. Emory Cohen – He is turning heads in the much-buzzed-about box office film Brooklyn where he stars with Saoirse Ronan, but some TV viewers may recognize him from his role of Leo Houston in the NBC musical-drama Smash. His other credits include The Place Beyond the Pines and Beneath the Harvest Sky. He has 6 upcoming projects including By Way of Helena with Liam Hemsworth and War Machine with Brad Pitt.
Photo Credit for Emory Cohen: Getty Image
8. Alex Roe – The British hunk will be seen in the sci-fi-themed box office film The 5th Wave (based on the book) where he will star alongside Chloe Grace Moretz and Liev Schreiber, but he will also be seen in the long-in-the-waiting, upcoming remake Rings that will also star Johnny Galecki, Aimee Teegarden and Zach Roerig.
9. Shanice Williams – This 18-year-old New Jersey native landed the plum role (being selected out of hundreds of applicants in a nationwide audition) of Dorothy Gale in the NBC production of The Wiz Live! that aired on NBC earlier this month. She has co-starred in local productions of West Side Story, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, 42nd Street, Seussical and Pippin.
10. Jason Ralph – In 2016, viewers of the upcoming Syfy series The Magicians – based on the novel of the same name by Lev Grossman about a secret institution specializing in magic – will see Jason play the lead role of Quentin Coldwater. His prior credits include the David Duchovny series Aquarius and the CBS hit series Madam Secretary.
11. – 15. Cast of Shadownhunters – The ABC Family (soon to be FreeForm) series, based on the book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, is set to debut on January 12. The main cast includes Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Emeraude Toubia, Matthew Daddario and Alberto Rosende.
Katherine McNamara will play the lead role of Clary Fray. She has appeared in episodes of Drop Dead Diva, Touch, Unforgettable, Glee and CSI as well as a lead role in the short-lived MTV series Happyland and a short recurring role in The Fosters. She also starred in the box office film Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.
Dominic Sherwood will play Jace Wayland. He appeared in the box office film Vampire Academy, based on the young-adult paranormal romance novels by author Richelle Mead and he will next be seen in the box office film Take Down with Ed Westwick (Wicked City and Gossip Girl) and Phoebe Tonkin (The Originals)
Emeraude Toubia will play Isabelle Lightwood. This Canadian-born but Texas-raised beauty was selected to participate in the Univision reality show/beauty pageant Nuestra Belleza Latina and has appeared in numerous commercials and ad campaigns as a model. This is her first major TV role.
Matthew Daddario will play Alec Lightwood. He has appeared in the box office films Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn and When the Game Stands Tall with Jim Caviezel and Michael Chiklis. His older sister is Alexandra Daddario from White Collar, San Andreas and the Percy Jackson films.
Photo Credit for Matthew Daddario: @rohmanoff
Alberto Rosende will play Simon Lewis. Alberto is a South Florida native who is a newcomer to the small screen, having appeared in one episode of Blue Bloods prior to landing this role.
16. to 18. Cast of The Shannara Chronicles – The MTV drama is based on the legendary book series by Terry Brooks that blends magic and primitive technology on an Earth long after civilization was destroyed in a chemical and nuclear holocaust. The three lead roles are played by Ivana Baquero, Austin Butler and Poppy Drayton.
Ivana Baquero will play Eretria. This Spanish beauty has a number of foreign films on her resume as well as appearing in the Guillermo del Toro box office film Pan’s Labyrinth.
Austin Butler will play Wil Ohmsford. TV viewers will recognize him from his roles in Zoey 101, Ruby & the Rockits, Life Unexpected, Switched at Birth, The Carrie Diaries and Arrow.
Poppy Drayton will play Amberle Elessedil. She appeared in the made-for-TV movie When Calls the Heart (upon which the Hallmark Channel TV series is centered and based on the Janette Oke books) and the beloved PBS drama Downton Abbey.
Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2016? Please share.
TOMORROW: Closing Out 2015
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