25 Actors to Watch for 2024

Lists

Welcome to the second Film Updates 25 Actors to Watch list! This list is made up of actors who have had a great 2024 and are set to have an even bigger 2025 across films and television shows. Amongst last year’s selection of actors, David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus), Harry Lawtey (Industry S4 and Joker: Folie a Deux), Leo Woodall (One Day), Sophie Wilde (Babygirl), Archie Renaux (Alien: Romulus and Upgraded), Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge), Sophie Thatcher (Heretic), Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus), among others, have since had a wonderful year. Without further ado, here is who we think will have a great 2025.

  1. Éanna Hardwicke:

Eanna Hardwicke’s emotionally charged turn in The Sixth Commandment, which landed him a TV BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, has been one of the year’s standout performances. With an upcoming starring role as footballer Roy Keane in Saipan, Hardwicke is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting names in the industry.

  1. Bilal Hasna:

Bilal Hasna has been making a name for himself with standout performances in Extraordinary and Prime Video series Dead Hot, which is required viewing for anyone who’s a fan of comedy thrillers. His role in festival favorite Layla is already generating buzz, and it’s clear he is all but poised for a breakout moment.

  1. Dylan Brady:

With a scene-stealing turn in historical drama series Mary & George, as well as a charismatic performance in series 2 of ITV’s Tell Me Everything, Dylan Brady is slowly but surely making a name for himself in the UK film industry, with writing credits on beloved Netflix series Everything Now and a short film Anon currently in the works. With a supporting performance in Mikko Makela’s acclaimed drama Sebastian, as well as a role in season 2 of Stars Wars TV series Andor on the horizon, it’ll be exciting to see what he does next.

  1. Nykiya Adams:

Nykiya Adams made waves in Cannes with her breakout performance in Andrea Arnold’s Bird, firmly holding her own opposite more established actors such as Franz Rogowski and Barry Keoghan. Her performance in Bird, a tender, warmhearted contemporary fable that is currently on the festival circuit, has established her as a major new talent. Adams brings a raw vulnerability to the screen, making her a captivating and compelling young actor to watch.

  1. Finn Bennett:

Finn Bennett’s gripping performance in True Detective: Night Country has undoubtedly marked him as one to watch. In the show, Bennett showcases his incredible emotional range, delivering a heart-wrenching performance that’s earned him critical acclaim. Bennett’s rising star is undeniable, with even bigger roles on the horizon, including Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare opposite Charles Melton, Kit Connor, Will Poulter and Da’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, as well as Game of Thrones prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

  1. Lyric Ross:

Lyric Ross first caught our attention in This Is Us, and she’s been on a steady rise ever since. Her upcoming role in Ironheart, expected to premiere next year, is sure to solidify her status as one of the most dynamic young actors in Hollywood, and one to watch for sure.

  1. Callina Liang:

With lead performances in Steven Soderbergh’s acclaimed horror film Presence and JC Lee’s remake of Bad Genius, Callina Liang is all but poised for a breakthrough year. Her performance in Presence, incredibly complex and quietly affecting, could not have been more different than the frenetic, sharp performance she delivers in Bad Genius. It will be exciting to see what she does next.

  1. Ethan Herisse:

Ethan Herisse has been building a steady resume of impressive performances throughout the past few years, delivering a phenomenal turn as Young Yusef in award-winning series When They See Us. With a powerful, highly complex starring role in RaMell Ross’ incredible adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Nickel Boys, a performance that has placed both him and the film in the awards conversation, Herisse will undoubtedly be on to even bigger things next year.

  1. Ji-young Yoo:

Ji-young Yoo first emerged onto the scene with a supporting turn in coming-of-age drama The Sky is Everywhere, which debuted in 2022. She has since landed her first starring role in Lulu Wang’s Prime Video miniseries Expats opposite Nicole Kidman, delivering a fantastic performance as Mercy, which garnered her rave reviews. She will next star in the upcoming film adaptation of beloved video game Until Dawn, set for a release next fall.

  1. Jayme Lawson:

With a strong supporting performance as Gotham City mayoral candidate Bella Reál in Matt Reeves’ acclaimed The Batman, in addition to scene-stealing turns in The Woman King, How to Blow Up a Pipeline and Till, Jayme Lawson has been steadily building a strong resume of performances, which also includes the role of Young Michelle Obama in miniseries The First Lady. Reprising her role of Bella Reál in Max series The Penguin in 2024, Lawson is also set to make an even bigger splash in 2025 with a performance opposite Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler’s highly anticipated vampire horror Sinners.

  1. Nicholas Alexander Chavez:

Nicholas Alexander Chavez is not new to the acting scene. With a Daytime Emmy-winning performance in long-running soap General Hospital under his belt, he already has an established and dedicated fanbase who follow his every move. 2024, however, is undoubtedly his biggest year yet, with an acclaimed, incredibly layered performance as Lyle Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and a strong supporting turn in horror series Grotesquerie, which recently premiered to rave reviews and strong streaming numbers.

  1. Cooper Koch:

Cooper Koch first turned heads with his fearless, incredibly visceral performance as Benjamin in Carter Smith’s Swallowed, a gruesome, mean and lean horror film that was released early last year. 2024, however, was undoubtedly his breakthrough year with a haunting, nuanced portrayal of Erik Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. However misguided and exploitative the series itself was, Koch manages to portray Erik with grace, dignity and more importantly, empathy above all else.

  1. Delainey Hayles:

It’s hard to believe that Interview with the Vampire is Delainey Hayles’ first ever starring role in either film or TV. She delivers a powerful, haunting performance as Claudia, a 14-year-old girl who is turned into a vampire and struggles with her fate as an eternal teenager. Firmly holding her own against more established actors Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid and Assad Zaman, Hayles’ performance as Claudia needs to be seen to be believed and should place her not only in the awards conversation, but at the top of every casting list as well.

  1. Katy O’Brian:

From a scene-stealing supporting turn in Twisters to a knock-out lead performance in Rose Glass’ Saint Maud follow-up, Love Lies Bleeding, 2024 has undoubtedly been Katy O’Brian’s year. With supporting performances in the next Mission: Impossible film and the upcoming Christy Martin biopic opposite Sydney Sweeney, as well as a starring role opposite Glen Powell in Edgar Wright’s highly anticipated film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man, 2025 is set to be an even bigger year for her.

  1. Nabhaan Rizwan:

Nabhaan Rizwan has been quietly building a strong resume of scene-stealing supporting turns across both film and TV, establishing himself as an actor in films such as 1917 and Mogul Mowgli, and shows including acclaimed HBO series Industry, Station Eleven and Kaos. 2024 marked the release of Naqqash Khalid’s In Camera, Rizwan’s first ever starring role in a film. Rizwan landed him a BIFA nomination for Best Leading Performance for his powerful, magnetic turn in the film, now in cinemas in the UK and set for a stateside release next year.

  1. Yerin Ha:

Yerin Ha made a big splash this year following the announcement that she was set to star as fan favorite character Sophie opposite Luke Thompson’s Benedict in season 4 of Bridgerton, which is currently in production. With strong supporting performances in Australian horror film Sissy and the series adaptation of Halo, Ha is also set to appear in upcoming HBO series Dune: Prophecy, premiering next month, in addition to the series adaptation of Jane Harper’s mystery novel The Survivors.

  1. Ruaridh Mollica:

2024 has been undeniably great for Ruaridh Mollica, who started off the year with the Sundance world premiere of Mikko Makela’s Sebastian, marking his first ever starring role in a feature film. With a haunting, searing and incredibly nuanced portrayal of a very complex character trying to find his way in the world, Mollica earned rave reviews for his performance in the film, which makes its UK debut at the London Film Festival this week. Mollica has an incredible year ahead of him, with a starring role opposite Swann Arlaud, Alma Poysti and Woody Norman, who plays a younger version of his character Roy, in Sukkwan Island, hotly tipped for a Cannes debut, as well as the role of the titular character in Tom Brittney’s directorial debut Joe.

  1. Lolly Adefope:

Lolly Adefope has been quietly building a strong resume of impressive performances throughout the past few years, firmly establishing herself as a talent to watch with phenomenal lead performances in shows such as Miracle Workers and Everyone Else Burns, as well as scene-stealing turns in Saltburn and Wicked Little Letters. 2025 is poised to be her breakout year with a hilarious, sharply witty starring role in HBO series The Franchise, which recently premiered to rave reviews.

  1. Hoa Xuande:

Coming off a stellar breakout performance in The Sympathizer, Hoa Xuande has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting new names in the industry. He was able to firmly hold his own against more established names with his nuanced, incredibly layered performance as the Captain in The Sympathizer, which should have undoubtedly landed him an Emmy nomination. It’ll be exciting to see what he does next.

  1. Tyriq Withers:

With strong supporting performances in Atlanta, Tell Me Lies and the recent remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Tyriq Withers has quietly been building up a resume of impressive performances in both film and TV. 2025 is poised to be an even bigger year for him with a lead role in the upcoming sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as Justin Tipping’s highly anticipated Jordan Peele-produced Him, both set for a release next summer.

  1. Ella Purnell:

Known for her performances in Yellowjackets and Army of the Dead, Ella Purnell rose to even greater heights with her star-making role in the Prime Video series adaptation of Fallout. She delivers yet another knockout turn in dark comedy series Sweetpea as quiet wallflower Rhiannon Lewis who has much more to her than initially meets the eye. Expect Purnell to rise to even greater heights as she continues to expand her range as an actress.

  1. Ambika Mod:

Fresh off her breakout role in This Is Going to Hurt, Ambika Mod has quickly established herself as one of the most promising actors to watch. With her deeply emotional and nuanced portrayal of Emma Morley in Netflix’s series adaptation of One Day, Mod has risen to even greater heights, delivering what is undoubtedly one of the best performances of the year. With roles in upcoming Disney+ series Playdate and Romain Gavras’ Athena follow-up Sacrifice opposite Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Evans, which is currently in production, 2025 is shaping up to be another great year for Mod.

  1. Mikey Madison:

Mikey Madison first turned heads with her scene-stealing performance in 2022’s Scream. Now, over 2 years later, Madison is all but tipped for Oscar glory with her electrifying performance as the titular character in Anora, which had its world premiere in the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Funny, charming and heartbreaking all at once, Madison delivers a performance for the ages in the film, cementing her status as one of the most exciting new names in the industry.

  1. Anna Sawai:

No one has had a better year than Anna Sawai. Following her impressive performance as Cate Randa in Apple TV+ series Monarch, Sawai made an even bigger splash with her stunning, searing turn as Toda Mariko in FX series Shōgun, one of the best TV shows of the year. With a much-deserved Emmy win under her belt, it’s only upwards from here for Sawai, who also delivered another strong performance in season 2 of Pachinko this year.

  1. Ryan Destiny:

Mostly known for her performances in Star and Grown-ish, Ryan Destiny’s star is set to ascend to new heights following the upcoming release of Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside, in which she stars as Olympic boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields. Written by Barry Jenkins, the film wisely sidesteps typical biopic conventions, allowing Destiny to deliver a phenomenal, powerful performance that undoubtedly deserves to be in the awards conversation.