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Archive for the ‘New Faces’ Category

2023 Year-End Round-Up: New Faces for 2024

Posted in Movies, Music, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Much like the Faces of 2023, 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 2024 appear below in no particular order:

India Amarteifio — India has been acting for the past 10 years, including her breakthrough role in the streaming series Sex Education and prior to that the British series Evermoor, but it was her unenviable task to play the title role in the Netflix spin-off series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, portraying young Queen Charlotte (so deliciously portrayed by Golda Rosheuvel in Bridgerton). She is reportedly set to star alongside Andrew Garfield in the indie drama Hot Air about the British gymnastics’ world.

Lily Gladstone – Lily got her start in the 2012 French film Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian that starred Benicio del Toro and has appeared in movies with the likes of Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart and Michelle Williams in 2016 and Toby Jones in 2019 as well as Showtime’s Billions and FX’s Reservation Dogs; but it was her lead role of Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon alongside the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Lily’s next project is the Hulu series Under the Bridge.

Marisa Abela – This 20-something British actress made her TV debut in England in the action series COBRA and then starred in the HBO drama Industry (alongside our 2022 Face Myha’la Herrold). She also appeared in last year’s film Rogue Agent before being part of the 2023 juggernaut Barbie. However, it will be her lead role in the Back to Black biopic about the late singer Amy Winehouse that assuredly will garner her a lot of attention.

Teyana Taylor – This 30-something New Yorker is already an established musical artist (singer, songwriter, dancer and choreographer) who has BET and MTV Video Music Awards under her belt; but it was her performance as a single mother in the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film A Thousand and One that turned heads. Next up for her is The Book of Clarence where she will star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfre Woodard.

Yasmin Finney — This newcomer, who initially gained a following through her TikTok videos about her experiences as a Black British teenage trans woman, not only became well-known to TV audiences through her fan favorite role of Elle Argent in the Netflix series Heartstopper, and also landed the plum role of Rose Temple-Noble, the daughter of Donna Noble, in Thanksgiving weekend’s three-part 60th anniversary Doctor Who special (try saying that three times fast) that found David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprising their roles in the long-running series.

Aria Mia Loberti – The Rhode Island native, who is also legally blind due to a severe form of the genetic condition achromatopsia, landed the lead role of Marie-Laure in the highly anticipated four-part limited series All the Light We Cannot See. What’s most impressive is that she was chosen for the role from a global search, beating out thousands of submissions, despite no acting training and off her first, ever, audition. She will next narrate the audiobook for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the Jules Verne classic novel.

Jonah Hauer-King – He played Laurie in the PBS version of Little Women in 2017, the lead in the 2019 box office movie A Dog’s Way Home and currently plays one of the lead characters in the PBS period drama World on Fire; but it was his turn as Prince Eric in this year’s The Little Mermaid that has garnered him attention. He will next be seen in the TV series The Tattooist of Auschwitz based on the book by Heather Morris, which will air on Peacock in the States. He will play the younger version of Lale Sokolov, the lead character.

Leo Woodall – This up-and-coming British actor has only been on the scene for a few years, but he appeared in the Tom Holland-led indie film Cherry in 2021, then appeared in a couple of episodes of the short-lived TV series adaptation of Vampire Academy last year. He then appeared in two episodes of the Amazon Prime series Citadel before making a buzzy turn in season two of The White Lotus. He will next star in the TV series adaptation of One Day, based on the David Nicholls novel, which was previously made into the 2011 movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. He will take on the role of Dexter Mayhew played by Sturgess in the film.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2024? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2023

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2023 Year-End Round Up: Faces of 2023

Posted in Familiar Faces, Movies, Music, New Faces, Pictures, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The following list highlights the actors and actresses on TV and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout this year.

They appear in no particular order:

Hong Chau – She has been honing her craft for the past 17 years, but since last year she has really taken the industry by storm, starring alongside Michelle Williams in the box office movie Showing Up that premiered at Cannes last year. Then she followed that up by playing a nurse opposite Brendan Fraser in his Oscar-winning role in the acclaimed indie film The Whale. She had a supporting role in the 2022 box office movie The Menu and then appeared in the popular Netflix series The Night Agent. She also appeared in the ensemble cast of the Wes Anderson flick Asteroid City.

Nicholas Galitzine – This British hunk first caught the attention of viewers with his role in 2020 in the box office movie The Craft: Legacy and the following year he starred opposite recording artist Camila Cabello in Amazon Prime’s Cinderella. Last year he starred alongside Sofia Carson in the Netflix film Purple Hearts and this year he hit it big in Amazon Prime’s movie Red, White & Royal Blue based on the book by Casey McQuiston. He will next be seen with Anne Hathaway in the box office movie The Idea of You and next year’s Starz limited series Mary & George alongside Julianne Moore.

Halle Bailey – I included Halle, a talented Atlanta actress and singer back in 2019 before the pandemic hit, causing her upcoming projects – specifically The Little Mermaid and the upcoming bold new take on the beloved classic The Color Purple, which will be in theatres on Christmas Day – to be put on hold, but she is finally getting the attention she deserves.

Myha’la Herrold – Going by only her first name now, Myha’la stars in the HBO series Industry that follows a group of hungry, young graduates plunged head-first into the exhilarating world of international finance. This year she has been on the big screen in the box office movie Dumb Money, which told the nearly unbelievable if it wasn’t true story about how everyday people got rich by turning GameStop (the video game store) into the world’s hottest company. And she will soon be seen alongside Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawk and Mahershala Ali in the box office Leave the World Behind.

Archie Madekwe – For three seasons, Archie appeared in the Apple TV+ series See, playing the visually-abled son of Jason Momoa’s Baba Voss. He then appeared in this year’s box office flick Gran Turismo alongside David Harbour and Orlando Bloom and with Gal Gadot in the Netflix movie Heart of Stone. He can currently be seen in the much-buzzed about movie Saltburn.

Bella Ramsey – This talented 20-something Brit first came to the attention of TV viewers through her role in Game of Thrones, but it has been her role in the acclaimed TV adaptation of The Last of Us alongside Pedro Pascal that has really garnered her attention. She was also the scene-stealing lead in the box office movie Catherine Called Birdy last year.

Sandra Huller – Sandra has been a working actress for over 20 years, but she has received acclaim from critics and reviewers all over the world for her latest roles in two very different films from this past year. First in The Zone of Interest she played the wife of the commandant of Auschwitz, who strives to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp; and her lead role in Anatomy of a Fall, where she played a woman suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

Mia Goth – After appearing in the back-to-back buzzworthy, albeit horror, flicks last year – X and Pearl – Mia landed a plum role in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Blade that will star Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in the lead role; and her next project is another horror flick MaXXXine.

Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.

TOMORROW: New Faces of 2024

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2022 Year-End Round Up: New Faces of 2023

Posted in Movies, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Much like the Faces of 2022, 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 2023 appear below in no particular order:

Lisette Olivera – A relative newcomer, Lisette has the lead role of Jess Valenzuela in the Disney+ drama series National Treasure: Edge of History, which is considered an expansion of the Nicolad Cage-led National Treasure movie franchise. What’s more she gets to star alongside not only Harvey Keitel but also Catherine Zeta-Jones and movie alum Justin Bartha.

Chante Adams – Chante made a name for herself in the critical acclaimed indie film Roxanne Roxanne before appearing in the horror flick Bad Hair and the Issa Rae-led flick The Photograph. But it was her turn as Dana Canedy alongside Michael B. Jordan in the Denzel Washington-directed film A Journal for Jordan that turned heads. That was followed by a key role in the small screen adaptation of A League of Their Own. She will next be seen alongside the likes of Diane Lane, Jeff Daniels and Lucy Liu in the Netflix series A Man in Full.

Alaqua Cox – She is the absolutely newbie who stood out in the Disney+ Marvel series Hawkeye, fighting against Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, as deaf gang leader Maya Lopez, who will be the lead character in the upcoming Disney+ series Echo (set to debut sometime in 2023). When the show debuts, she will star alongside heavyweights Vincent D’Onofrio, Charlie Cox, Tantoo Cardinal, Graham Greene and Zahn McClarnon.

Ncuti (pronounced Shoo-tee) Gatwa – Best known for his role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education, he was named as the new Doctor on Doctor Who, making him the first black actor to lead the series in its long-tenure. While he was set to take over for Jodie Whittaker, viewers were surprised by David Tennant – who played the 10th Doctor – would temporarily take over as the 14th Doctor, making Ncuti the 15th Doctor.

Joseph Quinn – While the British actor has appeared in episodes of Game of Thrones and C.B. Strike as well as the mini-series Howard’s End and Catherine the Great, but it was his major breakout role as fan favorite Eddie Munson in season four of Stranger Things that has really garnered him attention.

Minha Kim – Minha made her formal acting debut this year in the critically beloved Apple TV+ series Pachinko, which is based on the best-selling novel by Min Jin Lee, that found her working with a supporting cast that included Oscar winner Youn Yuh-Jung (Minari).

Railey and Seazynn Gilliland – These identical twins were plucked from TikTok – all while working at a pizza parlor – to play the Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sara (who are also identical twin sisters) in the Freevee drama series High School, which is based on the best-selling memoir by the pop duo. What’s more the Gilliland twins had no musical experience; in fact, they both had never acted, sung or played a musical instrument before, but Tegan stumbled upon their TikTok account, and just knew they were the right pair for the roles.

Christina Jackson – Christina has appeared in episodes of The Good Fight, Boardwalk Empire and Outsiders, but it is her role in the box office movie Devotion, starring opposite Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell, that has audiences turning heads. She will next have a role in the upcoming Shirley Chisholm biopic that will star Regina King.

Stephanie Hsu – While she has been acting for almost 20 years, it was her breakthrough performance in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, starring the upcoming film American Born Chinese (which reunites her with Yeoh). She has also appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and had a recurring role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Gabriel LaBelle – The 19-year-old stars in the box office film The Fablemans, essentially playing that film’s version of Stephen Spielberg, and he also appeared in episodes of this year’s American Gigolo. He made his acting debut, at the age of 11, in the Canadian TV series Motive and he appeared in the 2018 movie The Predator.

Vicky Krieps – Hailing from Luxembourg, Vicky has appeared in a lot of projects. Most recently she has appeared in the box office films Phantom Thread, The Girl in the Spider’s Web and Old; but it’s been her role in Corsage, portraying the 19th century Austrian monarch Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, that has turned a lot of heads. She will next be seen in the movie More Than Ever.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2023? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2022

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2021 Year-End Round Up: New Faces of 2022

Posted in Movies, Music, New Faces, New Shows, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Much like the Faces of 2021, 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 2022 appear below in no particular order:

Amber Ruffin – The comedian is the host of The Amber Ruffin Show – the only Black woman with a late-night show currently on the air. The late-night show airs on Peacock (the NBC streaming service) breaks away from the typical structure, focusing on topical sketches instead of guests. Additionally, she and her sister Lacey Lamar co-authored the book ‘You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism,’ which landed on the New York Times best-seller list.

Louis Partridge – Louis made waves playing Tewkesbury in the Netflix movie Enola Holmes alongside Stranger Things alum Millie Bobby Brown; and he will reprise that role in the sequel that is in post-production right now. He will play Peter Pan in the upcoming box office movie The Lost Girls; Sid Vicious in the upcoming mini-series called Pistol; and he will play Tristan in the upcoming fantasy romance film called Ferryman, adapted from the best-selling young adult trilogy by Claire McFall.

Leslie Grace – Leslie made her film debut in the Lin-Manuel Miranda box office adaptation of his Broadway play In the Heights that came out in theatres this summer; and she landed the title role, following a competitive search, of Barbara Gordon in the upcoming box office film Batgirl. She is also a three-time Latin Grammy nominee, having started her singer-songwriting career when she was 16.

Emilia Jones – The 19-year-old London born actress was part of the cast of the Nickelodeon mystery series House of Anubis back in 2011 and even appeared in an episode of Doctor Who in 2013, but it was her star-making role as the only hearing person in her deaf family in the Apple TV+ movie CODA – which also stars Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant – that turned heads. In fact, she spent 9 months learning American Sign Language, took singing lessons and learned how to operate a professional fishing trawler for the part. She is also the middle child in the Netflix series Locke & Key and will star in Cat Person, the psychological thriller box office movie.

Alex Tarrant – Alex has appeared in the New Zealand original series Filthy Rich (FOX made an American version that lasted for less than one full season in 2020); the Cook Islands-based mystery series Tatau; and the New Zealand-based medical primetime soap opera Shortland Street. He also appeared in the New Zealand-based family drama 800 Words (that aired here in the states on UPtv). He is now the new guy on the latest franchise series NCIS: Hawai’i and he is part of the ensemble cast of the upcoming Amazon series The Lord of the Rings that will be set thousand of years before the events in the J.R.R. Tolkien novels.

Xolo Maridueña – He has played Miguel Diaz for three seasons in Cobra Kai, the small screen adaptation of the original Karate Kid movies that started out on YouTube before moving over to Netflix, becoming a hit series in its own right. The 4th season of the show will debut on December 31. He completed high school and two years of credits at a city college while working on the show too. Also, a chance meeting at Sundance with director Angel Manuel Soto, led Xolo to landing the lead in Blue Beetle, DC’s first Latino superhero movie.

Danielle Deadwyler – Danielle has appeared in episodes of Greenleaf, Watchmen and P-Valley, but it was her role in the ensemble cast of the Netflix film The Harder They Fall – that featured Regina King, Idris Elba, LaKeith Steinfield, Damon Wayans, Jr., Zazie Beetz, Jonathan Majors and Edi Gathegi – that turned heads. She will next be seen in the close-to-home HBO Max series Station Eleven (about survivors of a devastating flu) and she will play Emmet Till’s mother in the upcoming film Till.

Jaden Michael – Jaden is only 18, but he has appeared in multiple roles in critically acclaimed series and films alongside a lengthy list of A-List actors like Michelle Williams, Viola Davis and Ellen Burnstryn (just to name a few). But it was when director/producer Ava DuVernay selected him to play a young Colin Kaepernick in the Netflix series Colin in Black & White that launched him into the stratosphere. He will also appear in the lead role in the Amazon pilot of Shelter based on the Harlan Coben book.

Moses Ingram – This newcomer actress earned an Emmy nomination for her role in the much-buzzed about Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit; starred as Lady Macduff in The Tragedy of Macbeth alongside Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand and will next be seen in the box office movie Ambulance that stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez. In addition to all of that, she is part of the cast of the upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Saniyya Sidney – The 15-year-old has an impressive resume appearing in the box office movies Hidden Figures, starring as one of the daughters of Taraji P. Henson’s Katherine Johnson; and Fences with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. She was part of the cast of the short-lived FOX drama The Passage before starring as the young Venus Williams in the box office movie King Richard and she will next be seen as Sasha Obama in the Showtime series The First Lady.

Alexis Lauder – Alexis has appeared in a handful of episodes of The Originals and HBO’s Watchmen; and she had a small role in Black Panther and was part of the cast of the box office film Harriet. This year she appeared in the Amazon sci-fi flick The Tomorrow War that starred Christ Pratt, and she starred opposite Frank Grillo and Gerard Butler in the box office movie Copshop. Next she will be seen in the Amazon series The Terminal List, once again starring alongside Chris Pratt.

Simone Ashley – Simone is a British up-and-comer who has guest starred in episodes of Broadchurch, C.B. Strike and Casualty as well as a bit part in the box office film Detective Pikachu before appearing in a recurring role in the Netflix series Sex Education. Her next role will put her on the map, as she will play a very pivotal role in the second season of the Netflix period piece drama Bridgerton.

Fabien Frankel – He made his film debut in the holiday movie Last Christmas that starred Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. He was going to appear as Theo Sipowicz in the NYPD Blue reboot that didn’t actually happen, but then he went on to star in four episodes of the 8-episode mini-series The Serpent. He will next be seen in the highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon that is set to debut on HBO Max.

Max Harwood – Among his theatre work is Rent, Point Of View, The Christmas and Spring Awakening, but it was his debut film role in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which is a film adaptation of the musical about a teenager from Sheffield, England who wants to be a drag queen that turned heads. He will next be seen in the modern fairytale box office film The Loneliest Boy in the World and the movie Magpie that will star Downton Abbey (the movie and its sequel) Tuppence Middleton.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2021? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2021

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2021 Year-End Round Up: Faces of 2021

Posted in Movies, Music, New Faces, New Shows, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »

The following list highlights the actors and actresses on TV and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout the year.

They appear in no particular order:

Top Row: Reign and Jenna; Middle Row: Sarah, Shannon and Sophia
Bottom Row: Helena, Erana and Mia

1.  The Wilds – The Wilds debuted on Amazon Prime on December 11, 2020, with all 10 episodes of the debut season airing that day. The series left off with quite a killer cliffhanger, though. There will be a second season of this compelling and complicated drama about teenage girls from radically different backgrounds, who find themselves stranded on a remote island, unaware they’ve just become the subjects of an elaborate social experiment [not to be confused with the recently introduced Showtime drama Yellowjackets, which debuted on November 14 of this year].

The 8 actresses in The Wilds include:

San Diego native Sophia Ali (Grey’s Anatomy) as Fatin Jadmani; Australian born Shannon Berry (Syfy’s Hunters) as Dot Campbell; relative newcomer and New York native Jenna Clause as Martha Blackburn; the Bold and the Beautiful alum Reign Edwards as Rachel Reid; Sydney-born newcomer Mia Healey as Shelby Goodkind; relative newcomer Helena Howard (Quibi’s Don’t Look Deeper); New Zealand native Erana James (NZ’s comedy Golden Boy) as Toni Shalifoe and American newcomer Sarah Pidgeon as Leah Rilke.

Besides season two of The Wilds coming up at some point in 2022, Sophia will appear in the Tom Holland-Mark Wahlberg box office movie Uncharted; Shannon appeared in the Australian movie Slant alongside Aussie legend Sigrid Thornton and Reign has had an ongoing recurring role in the FX drama Snowfall.

Photo Credit: Gari Askew II

2.  Thuso Mbedu – The South African actress has appeared in a handful or so dramas and soap operas in her home country, being nominated for an International Emmy. But in her international debut in the role of Cora Randall in the Amazon Prime historial limited series The Underground Railroad, which debuted in May of this year, that put her on the map. In fact, she earned a Hollywood Critics Association Award for TV Breakout Star. She will next be seen in the box office movie The Woman King alongside Viola Davis, John Boyega and Lashana Lynch, who has appeared in No Time to Die and Captain Marvel.

3.  Ariana DeBose – Ariana is having a very BIG year! She appeared in the 2020 taped version of Hamilton that aired on Disney+ and was in Netflix’s musical The Prom (alongside the likes of Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and James Corden). She then appeared in the Apple TV+ musical comedy Schmigadoon! opposite Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong and Kristin Chenoweth; and is playing Anita (the role that won Rita Moreno an Oscar) in the latest adaptation of West Side Story. She got her start in So You Think You Can Dance, and appeared on the stage in Bring It On: The Musical; Motown: The Musical; Pippin; A Bronx Tale and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

4.  Rege-Jean Page – The London native appeared in the BBC series Waterloo Road, the 2016 adaptation of Roots and the short-lived legal drama For the People before turning heads and becoming an international sensation in the Netflix period drama Brigderton where he played the Duke of Hastings. Granted the fact that he will not appear in the second season of the worldwid phenomenon, he has been cast in Paramount’s movie adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons and he will also appear in The Gray Man, Netflix’s biggest-budgeted film to date.

Abigial (Left) and Emily (Right)

5.  Abigail Barrow and Emily Bear – Speaking of Bridgerton, Abigail and Emily became social media sensations because of this streaming series. Abigail, a well-known social media singer-songwriter and performer, and Emily, a talented former child prodigy with an impressive arts-heavy resume, joined forces to create The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. This duo has been interviewed everywhere, has garnered fans from all over the world (including a LOT of Broadway performers and cast members from the show) and they recently signed with the talent agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency).

6.  Simone Recasner – The Los Angeles native (whose father is also an actor) had the breakout role of 2021, playing single mom Gabby Lewis on the FOX reality show within a drama The Big Leap. The show has received a lot of buzz this TV season, albeit low ratings. While the FOX series is her first BIG professional gig, she has been acting since she was a kid, making her stage debut in the New York play Ain’t No Mo’ at the Public, the dream theatre where she wanted to work since walking past the building while attending school nearby.

7.  Simu Liu – The chiseled Chinese actor, who grew up in Ontario and was briefly an accountant at, of all places Deloitte & Touche, appeared in the popular CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) sitcom Kim’s Convenience as well as blink-and-you-would-miss him spots in Nikita, Warehouse 13, Beauty and the Beast, Dark Matter and Orphan Black as well as guest starring roles in Fresh Off the Boat, the TV version of Taken and The Expanse. But it was his title role in the highly-touted box office Marvel flick Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings that put him on the map. He will next appear alongside Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo in One True Loves and in Arthur the King alongside Mark Wahlberg.

Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.

TOMORROW: New Faces of 2022

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Year-End Round-Up: New Faces of 2021

Posted in Movies, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Much like the Faces of 2020, 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 2021 appear below in no particular order:

NOTE: Please keep in mind the following actors will be the faces of 2022 as well since so much production planned for 2020, movie releases that were to be made in 2020, etc. were put on hold and postponed until 2021 or 2022.

Morfydd Clark – Morfydd appeared in the box office films Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, the horror film Crawl and two episodes of the Benedict Cumberbatch-led drama Patrick Melrose. Last year she appeared in four episodes of His Dark Materials as Sister Clara; and she was part of the cast of Dracula, which aired on Netflix in January. Her next role as Galadriel in the upcoming small screen adaptation of The Lord of the Rings that is anticipated to air next year on Prime Video is what will get her a great deal of attention.

Lashana Lynch – Lashana is a British actress who appeared in the much maligned and short-lived drama Still Star-Crossed and British crime drama Bulletproof before landing the role of Maria Rambeau in the box office movie Captain Marvel. Her next role as Nomi in the long-awaited 007 film No Time to Die, which is anticipated to be released in April 2021, is what will catch the eye of viewers.

Rachel Zegler – The New Jersey raised singer and songwriter was selected out of 30,000 auditions to play the lead role of Maria in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming remake of the classic film West Side Story, starring alongside Ansel Elgort as Tony. Also her video singing “Shallow” from A Star is Born got 11 million views on Twitter in 2020.

Melissa Barrera – The talented Mexico-born actress appeared in a number of telenovelas over the course of 6 years before landing one of the lead roles in the critically acclaimed drama Vida, which aired for 3 seasons on Starz. During the pandemic she also appeared in a live Zoom reading of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, playing the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet. But it will be her upcoming film roles, set for next year, that will cement her fame. She will appear in the box office adaptation of the Broadway hit In the Heights, set for this summer; Scream 5, the new installment of the horror franchise that is anticipated for release in early 2022 as well as the lead role in a modern-day reimagining of one of the world’s most celebrated operas: Carmen.

Brittany O’Grady – The talented multi-hypenate actress, singer and dancer has been performing professionally since she was 4. She appeared in the short-lived series The Messengers before being cast in the acclaimed drama Star, which aired on FOX for 3 seasons. She then took on the lead role of Bess in Apple TV’s half-hour drama Little Voice, which was co-created by Waitress composer and award winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. Her next project is the satirical HBO limited series The White Lotus, set at an exclusive tropical resort, that will include among its cast Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy and Steve Zahn.

Dominique Fishback – The talented New York City actress has appeared in episodes of The Knick, The Affair, The Americans, Blue Bloods and Royal Pains before landed a recurring role in The Deuce. Two years ago she appeared in the box office movie The Hate U Give and this year she appeared alongside Jamiee Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the Netflix film Project Power. She will be seen in next year’s Judas and the Black Messiah that will star Get Out and Black Panther actor Daniel Kaluuya.

Michael Cimino – The relative newcomer appeared in the horror film Annabelle Comes Home before taking on the lead role of Victor Salazar in the Hulu drama Love, Victor, which was inspired by and set in the same world as the 2018 film Love, Simon. Love, Victor was renewed for a second season; and Michael has three other projects in the works: the drama Centurion XII; the sci-fi podcast Black Box and the drama Heartlight.

Shira Haas – The twentysomething Israeli actress wowed audiences with her performance in the Netflix mini-series Unorthodox for which she not only completed piano and singing lessons but also studied Yiddish [which was primarily spoken in the series] as well as being required to shave her head as part of the storyline. She’s not a newcomer to film work, though, as she appeared in A Tale of Love and Darkness, Natalie Portman’s directorial debut, and starred alongside Jessica Chastain in The Zookeeper’s Wife. Her latest project is the Israeli film Asia, which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Paul Mescal – The Irish actor turned heads in his starring role in the Hulu series Normal People, based on the 2018 novel of the same name; and he will be seen in the box office movie The Lost Daughter, which is to star Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Peter Sarsgaard. He will also star alongside Melissa Barrera (she is listed above) in the reimaging of Carmen, replacing Jamie Dornan.

Robin Thede – The talent, multi-hypenate writer, comedian and actress has a long resume of acting and writing, but it was her turn in the HBO sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show – which was created, run, written and acted almost exclusively by black women – that has turned heads. She also appeared in the horror comedy Bad Hair and the latest season of HBO’s Insecure. Robin is currently writing the feature Fashionably Black and has signed a development deal with Warner Bros. She was also the creator, EP, showrunner, writer and star of the BET late-night talk show The Rundown with Robin Thede.

Geraldine Viswanathan – The Australian actress was referred to as the breakout star of the 2018 box office film Blockers; and then she went on to appear in HBO’s Bad Education and the TBS comedy anthology Miracle Workers. But it was her turn in the rom-com movie The Broken Hearts Gallery (which included singer Selena Gomez as one of its executive producers) that has turned heads. She will next be in the animated film Rumble, providing her voice to the character of Winnie.

Tilda Cobham-Hervey – Tilda has been acting since 2013, appearing in the box office movies Hotel Mumbai and Burn; but it was her recent turn as the late, great Helen Reddy in the box office movie I Am Woman (which can be seen on Netflix) that garnered her attention. She will next be seen in the Australian film Lone Wolf opposite Hugo Weaving and the Australian 6-part black comedy Alantown that is slated to star Jacqueline McKenzie and Guy Pearce.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2021? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2020

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Year-End Round-Up: New Faces of 2020

Posted in Movies, Music, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2019| 4 Comments »

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

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New Show Introduction: Hard Sun

Posted in New Faces, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on March 3, 2018| 2 Comments »

On March 7, the Hulu streaming series Hard Sun will debut online.

This pre-apocalyptic crime drama is set in contemporary London, focusing on two mismatched police officers, Charlie Hicks (Jim Sturgess) and Elaine Renko (Agyness Deyn) who, whilst investigating what appears to be the routine death of a hacker in London, stumble upon proof that due to a mysterious cosmic event, the world is facing certain destruction in five years, a fact the powers-that-be would very much like to keep under wraps.

Here is a trailer for Hard Sun:

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Year-End Round-Up: New Faces of 2018

Posted in Movies, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2017| 1 Comment »

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

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Year-End Round-Up: New Faces of 2017

Posted in Movies, New Faces, Online Series, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2016| 1 Comment »

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):

malachi-kirby

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.

stephan-james

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.

jacob-tremblay

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.

neel-sethi

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.

elena-kampouris

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.

tori-anderson

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.

adria-arjona

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.

aulii-cravalho

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.

maddie-bailio

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.

sasha-lane

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.

joe-alwyn

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.

millie-bobby-brown

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.

tom-holland

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

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