TheWrap looks at 15 of Hollywood’s up and coming actors, movie stars poised to make it big in fall 2016 movies
Ruth Negga, “Loving”
Age: 34
Why She Looks Familiar: “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Preacher”
Why She’s About to Break Out: Negga has earned wide acclaim for her role in this fall’s “Loving” as a black woman illegally married to a white man in mid-20th-century Virginia.
Nate Parker,
“The Birth of a Nation:
Age: 36
Why He Looks Familiar: “The Great Debaters”
Why He’s About to Break Out: Parker directed and stars in “The Birth of a Nation,” which won instant acclaim and a record sale price when it premiered at Sundance in January.
Alison Sudol
Age: 31
Why she looks familiar: She played an archeologist, Emma Wilson, in the TV series “Dig.”
Why she’s about to breakout:
Sudol is probably better known for her music than her acting, but having a major role in a Harry Potter spinoff film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” could soon make her as big as Emma Watson after her role in the franchise.
Riz Ahmed
Age: 33
Why he looks familiar: He played Aaron Kalloor in the latest “Jason Bourne” film and currently stars in the HBO series “The Night Of.”
Why he’s about to break out: Building off his appearance on HBO’s “The Night Of” and his supporting role in “Jason Bourne,” Riz Ahmed‘s appearance in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” should soon make him a household name.
Zoey Deutch
Age: 24
Why she looks familiar: She played a rebellious daughter on CW’s “The Ringer” and starred alongside Robert De Niro and Zac Efron in “Dirty Grandpa.”
Why she’s about to break out: Deutch will have a leading role next to Bryan Cranston in “Why Him?” Her exposure next to high profile celebrities will have everyone asking who the new girl is.
Demetrius Shipp, Jr.
Age: 27
Why he looks familiar: He’s a spitting image of Tupac, other than that, his upcoming film “All Eyez On Me” is Shipp’s first big feature.
Why he’s about to breakout: Although his part in “All Eyez On Me” is his first major role, no one plays Tupac and gets ignored.
Haley Bennett
Age: 28
Why she looks familiar: She’s had parts in “The Equalizer” and “The Hole.”
Why she’s about to break out:
Bennett will be starring amongst some of the biggest names in Hollywood in two highly anticipated films this year, including “Girl on the Train.” Her role in the remake of “Magnificent Seven” will make her name well known to the public.
Joe Alwyn
Age: 25
Why he looks familiar: He probably doesn’t look familiar at all, but he will after his role in “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.”
Why he’s about to break out: Alwyn is starring in a film directed by Ang Lee, the same filmmaker who was responsible for “Brokeback Mountain and the “Life of Pi.” He’ll also be starring alongside Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin and Chris Tucker in the movie version of the critically acclaimed novel, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.”
Ella Purnell
Age: 19
Why she looks familiar: She played the teenage Maleficent in “Maleficent”
Why she’s breaking out:
Given Tim Burton‘s reputation for giving a strange unforgettable twist to characters in his films, Purnell’s major role in “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” will be the perfect opportunity for her to showcase her versatile acting skills.
Lewis MacDougall
Age: 14
Why he looks familiar: He had a supporting role in “Pan.”
Why he’s about to break out: Although MacDougall stars alongside Liam Neeson, essentially the entire film will be focused on the young actor. Neeson gets overshadowed by an ancient tree which he provides the voice for, and MacDougall is left to win us over by portraying the main character in a film based off a critically acclaimed children’s book.
Sasha Lane
Age: 20
Why she looks familiar: She probably doesn’t. Lane’s first role is Star in an upcoming indie film.
Why she’s about to break out: She’s starring alongside Shia LaBeouf in “American Honey” which won the Prix du Jury award at Cannes Film Festival.
Benedict Wong
Age: 45
Why he looks familiar: You’ve seen Wong in multiple films, but he stands out most as Kublai Khan in the Netflix series “Marco Polo.”
Why he’s about to break out: Wong has had a long history in television and film, but his major role in “Doctor Strange” is what will have fans wanting to see more of him.
Alex Wolff
Age: 18
Why he looks familiar: You’ve seen him in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.”
Why he’s about to break out:
Wolff will be playing the Boston Marathon Bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, in “Patriots Day,” alongside Mark Wahlberg giving him the perfect opportunity to showcase his talented acting skills.
Valorie Curry
Age: 30
Why she looks familiar: You’ve probably seen her on “Veronica Mars” or the last “Twilight” film, but she also starred on Fox’s “The Following.”
Why she’s about to break out: Her part in the highly anticipated “Blair Witch” could propel her out of the background and into the limelight. She will also have a role in Philip Roth‘s film adaptation of “American Pastoral.”
Ben Schnetzer
Age: 26
Why he looks familiar: He played Mark Ashton in the critically acclaimed film, “Pride.”
Why he’s about to breakout: Schnetzer has prominent roles in two critically acclaimed indie films. He’ll be playing in an ensemble cast in “Snowden,” a film about one of the most controversial figures in modern U.S. history. He also has a major role in another indie film, “Goat.”