Rueben's Ramblings

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 2022? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2022

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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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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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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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