Whether they played superheroes, killers, gladiators or chefs, these young Hollywood stars — i.e. under the age of 35 — leapt off the screen in 2024, but they’re on tap to do even bigger things in 2025.
Devery Jacobs
Why she had a good 2024
Canada’s very own Devery Jacobs stepped further onto the world stage last year, scoring a starring role in cheerleading drama “Backspot,” voicing an Inuk character in “Ark: The Animated Series” and landing two Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances: she co-starred in “Echo” and “What If…?” (in which she voiced a Mohawk superhero). She also won the Radius Award at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
She’ll return to “Ark,” yes, but she’ll also appear in Michael Showalter’s buzzy Christmas comedy “Oh. What. Fun.” with Michelle Pfeiffer, Dominic Sessa and Jason Schwartzman.
Ella Purnell
Why she had a good 2024
The wide-eyed “Yellowjackets” star continued to polish her TV CV last year, starring in the hit adaptation of the “Fallout” games alongside Walton Goggins and as serial killer Rhiannon in series “Sweetpea,” based on the CJ Skuse bestsellers.
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
“Sweetpea” has already been renewed for a second season, and fans are rabid for the evolution of Lucy and Coop’s uneasy alliance in the next “Fallout” episodes. Purnell continues her big-screen career, too, with a role in killer-squirrel horror-comedy “The Scurry.”
Myha’la
Why she had a good 2024
“Industry” is one of the best shows on TV and Myha’la is one of the best things on it; now that the third season has gotten some well-deserved buzz, she’s getting some buzz of her own, winning both new fans and kudos for her bold fashion choices.
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
“Industry” got renewed for a fourth season, so we get at least one more season of Harper Stern’s antics. Myha’la will appear on the big screen as well, co-starring in the Bumble founder biopic “Swiped” with Lily James, and spooky movie “They Will Kill You” alongside Patricia Arquette and Zazie Beetz.
Havana Rose Liu
Why she had a good 2024
Liu got to live many people’s fantasy last year, appearing as Timothée Chalamet’s elusive dream girl in Martin Scorsese’s Chanel ad. The “Bottoms” star also followed in the grand tradition of “Her and “Blade Runner,” and voiced a sassy smart-home AI in horror film “Afraid” from Chris Weitz.
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
She will appear in “Oh. What. Fun.” alongside fellow Young Hollywood listee Devery Jacobs, plus John Carney’s “Power Ballad” with Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas and Jack Reynor, and the thriller “Tuner” with Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman. She’ll hit the small screen, too, pairing up with Mark Ruffalo for “Hal & Harper.”
David Jonsson
Why he had a good 2024
Last year, Myha’la’s fellow “Industry” alum Jonsson brought real pathos and badassery to playing the first Black lead in an Agatha Christie show and … a robot? Yes, he won a whole new coterie of stans with his nuanced performance as android Andy in “Alien: Romulus.” He also features in “The Road Trip” on Paramount Plus, which landed right on time for holiday binging.
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
Jonsson remains booked and busy this year, scoring a high-profile starring role as Sammy Davis Jr. in Colman Domingo’s “Scandalous!” about Davis’s relationship with Kim Novak, as played by A-lister Sydney Sweeney. He has three other releases, too, including Stephen King adaptation “The Long Walk,” British drama “Wasteman” and a turn as fighter Chris Eubank in boxer biopic “Benn/Eubank.”
Cailee Spaeny
Why she had a good 2024
Coming off her dreamy Golden Globe-nominated titular turn in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” Spaeny grappled with two more hard-nosed roles: she played a scrappy war photographer in Alex Garland’s “Civil War” and took on the lead in action spectacular “Alien: Romulus.”
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
She nabbed one of the coveted spots in “Wake Up Dead Man,” the upcoming “Knives Out” threequel, alongside fellow Young Hollywood lister Josh O’Connor, Daniel Craig, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis and Jeremy Renner. She’ll also appear in the next season of awards-laden “Beef.”
Nicholas Galitzine
Why he had a good 2024
Old-school romance movies have been slowly but surely coming back into vogue, with age-gap affairs getting a big slice of the action. Nicholas Galitzine walked in “The Idea of You” so Harris Dickinson could run in “Babygirl.” He earned raves for his sexy, soulful performance as a boy-band member besotted with Anne Hathaway. He also continued his run of gay roles in “Mary & George,” in which he played a royal seducer with aplomb (as usual).
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
Internet gays and girlies shrieked with excitement when it was announced that he would reprise his role as a queer prince in the “Red, White & Royal Blue” sequel. Other beefy roles coming up include He-Man in “Masters of the Universe” and the lead role in “100 Nights of Hero,” joining a hot cast that includes Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe and Charli XCX.
Megan Stalter
Why she had a good 2024
The comedian had a jam-packed calendar in 2024, stealing the entire show in “Hacks,” one of the best comedies on TV, and appearing in no fewer than five movies, including directorial debuts from Chelsea Peretti (“First Time Female Director”) and Julio Torres (“Problemista”), and the Sabrina Carpenter Christmas special.
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
“Hacks” is back for a fourth season (hurray, more Kayla!) and she’ll also headline “Too Much,” the new series from Lena Dunham and her husband about a New Yorker who moves to London post-break-up and meets a dreamy local (Will Sharpe of “The White Lotus”).
Dev Patel
Why he had a good 2024
“Monkey Man” was a great triumph: not only did Dev Patel get to show off his stunt skills and impeccable bod, but his directorial debut scored great reviews plus a $35-million theatrical run for his formerly streaming-only release.
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
He’ll continue his producing-starring streak with horror film “Rabbit Trap.” In other good news: cult-fave director Tarsem (“The Fall,” “The Cell”) is venturing back into marquee moviemaking with crime film “The Journeyman,” about a tennis pro forced into fixing matches, and has chosen Patel to star.
Joseph Quinn
Why he had a good 2024
Denzel Washington may be the standout in “Gladiator II,” but Joseph Quinn held his own against the titan as the nutty, red-headed Emperor Geta. You want range? He also starred as the timid Eric in the successful prequel “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
While the Fantastic Four adaptations thus far have been somewhat … cursed, we’re keeping fingers crossed that the next kick at the can, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” will be more successful. Quinn’s considerable charm — paired with other stars of the moment Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and Ebon Moss-Bachrach — boosts the odds considerably. He’ll be popping up in Alex Garland’s next movie, “Warfare,” and is being eyed to play George Harrison in Sam Mendes’ much anticipated Beatles biopic.
Jacob Elordi
Why he had a good 2024
The tall Aussie continues to make chic choices, spending his 2024 working with Paul Schrader (starring in his “Oh, Canada”), and executive-producing and starring in queer film “On Swift Horses.” (Well, other than that beard, anyway …)
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
He rejoins his Saltburn director Emerald Fennell for her much-discussed “Wuthering Heights” and will team up with honorary Canadian Guillermo del Toro as well, playing the titular monster in “Frankenstein” alongside perennial internet boyfriend Oscar Isaac.
Ayo Edebiri
Why she had a good 2024
Edebiri started 2024 off strong, taking home a Golden Globe for her starring role in “The Bear,” then continued the momentum, appearing in the new season of “The Bear” along with a science fiction film, “Omni Loop,” and voicing characters in marquee animation releases “Inside Out 2” and “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
“The Bear” is back for Season 4, baby, but Edebiri continues her journey toward bona fide movie stardom, given that she’s working with two huge directors. She’ll co-star in Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt” with Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield, and was cast by legend James L. Brooks for “Ella McCay,” his first movie in 15 years. Her horror “Opus” with John Malkovich looks intriguing, too.
Margaret Qualley
Why she had a good 2024
Qualley would have had a banger year if she had only starred in “The Substance,” but she racked up additional wins in 2024, including Ethan Coen’s queer crime caper “Drive-Away Dolls” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest, “Kinds of Kindness.”
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
Her 2025 dance card is even fuller. She’ll appear in Richard Linklater’s Lorenz Hart biopic “Blue Moon” and reteam with Coen for detective comedy “Honey Don’t!”; and she’ll pop up in the “Kind Hearts and Coronets” remake “Huntington” starring man of the moment Glen Powell. Oh, and she’s in the “Happy Gilmore” sequel, too.
Sydney Sweeney
Why she had a good 2024
Sweeney set an example for fellow starlets with her handling of “Immaculate.” She auditioned for the horror movie in 2014 but, after it spent almost a decade in development hell, she purchased the screenplay rights and produced the movie herself, starring in it too. It ended up making almost four times its budget. She also had a much publicized guest-host gig on “Saturday Night Live.” (We’ll forgive the “Madame Web” appearance.)
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
Her 2025 promises to be her biggest year yet, with a part in the Julianne Moore thriller “Echo Valley,” plus twin biopic leads, playing boxer Christy Martin and Kim Novak.
Jeremy Allen White
Why he had a good 2024
White kicked off 2024 with an appearance in a Calvin Klein underwear ad that was so hot it generated around $74 million in social media impressions and skyrocketed undie sales by 30 per cent. He’s not just a tight bod, either: White continued his 2023 awards streak, taking home both the Emmy and the Golden Globe for starring in FX hit “The Bear” again.
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
Two words: Bruce. Springsteen. The tiny Brooklynite was tapped to play the Boss in the anticipated biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” co-starring other men of the moment Jeremy Strong, Marc Maron and Paul Walter Hauser. Keep an eye out for a new season of “The Bear,” plus more underwear ads (we hope).
Josh O’Connor
Why he had a good 2024
This sweet British lad took the top internet boyfriend spot this year, cementing his status as No. 1 babygirl of 2024. He appeared in the well-reviewed “La Chimera” and scored a coveted spot on Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue cover. His greatest triumph, however, remains his portrayal of kind-hearted dirtbag Patrick Zweig in Luca Guadagnino masterpiece “Challengers.” He and the movie remain buzzy as ever, generating daily memes, fan cams and GIFs nine months after it came out.
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
O’Connor has been cast (as a priest!) in one of 2025’s hottest releases, “Wake Up Dead Man.” The latest “Knives Out” instalment also features stars like Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Andrew Scott. His historical romantic drama with fellow internet boyfriend Paul Mescal is destined for a Cannes premiere, while he’ll also appear in Kelly Reichardt’s latest, “The Mastermind.”
Zendaya
Why she had a good 2024
Zendaya not only starred in two of the most enjoyable movies of the year, “Challengers” and “Dune: Part Two,” she blew absolutely everyone else away in terms of red-carpet skills: every look a masterpiece, every press tour stop an utter delight. She also continued to rack up lucrative brand deals, signing on as the face of activewear brand On and continuing her partnership with Louis Vuitton and, thanks to her extremely cute LTR with “Spider-Man” star Tom Holland, is #relationshipgoals, too.
Why she’ll have a huge 2025
After its future was left somewhat up in the air, the long-awaited third season of HBO hit “Euphoria” will start filming early in the new year. She also has an A24 release on deck, starring in “The Drama” with Robert Pattinson.
Paul Mescal
Why he had a good 2024
Short-shorts enthusiast Mescal was hand-picked by Ridley Scott to headline the much-anticipated “Gladiator” sequel, so he spent almost an hour in the gym six days a week to put on 22 pounds of pure muscle and be worthy of the mantle of Maximus Decimus Meridius. He earned bonus points with a killer musical turn on “Saturday Night Live” and showcasing maximum rizz on “Chicken Shop Date.”
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
He joins Josh O’Connor in “The History of Sound” — for which he had to lose 26 “Gladiator” pounds — and then continues the period perfection by playing William Shakespeare in Chloé Zao’s “Hamnet” adaptation (he’s also rumoured to be the top pick to play Paul McCartney in the Beatles biopic from Sam Mendes). He’ll get to exercise his pipes, too, given that he is starring in both Richard Linklater’s “Merrily We Roll Along” movie and returning to the role of Stanley Kowalski in the “A Streetcar Named Desire” stage revival.
Austin Butler
Why he had a good 2024
Butler won a lot of attention for submerging himself in his Oscar-nominated “Elvis” role in 2022 (and dating Kaia Gerber), but it was his transformation into the bald, bonkers Feyd-Rautha in “Dune: Part Two” that really sold everyone on his star status: this kid has got the juice. Even his appearances in Steven Spielberg’s meh “Masters of the Air” and flop “The Bikeriders” couldn’t dull his shiny star power.
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
And his 2025 promises to be even brighter. He won the much coveted role of Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino’s hotly anticipated “American Psycho” adaptation and will work with two of Hollywood’s other biggest directors as well, starring in “Eddington” for Ari Aster and Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing.”
Timothée Chalamet
Why he had a good 2024
Elite NFL commentary. Kylie Jenner BF. Cameoing at his own look-alike contest. Headlining the epic blockbuster “Dune: Part Two.” Garnering Oscar buzz and kudos from the legend himself for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.” Lisan al Gaib indeed!
Why he’ll have a huge 2025
In addition to the fact that he could make history as the youngest best actor Oscar winner? Well, his next project also looks extremely interesting: a sports drama loosely based on the life of ping-pong pro Marty Reisman. It has sterling credentials — an A24 film directed by Josh Safdie with a rare Gwyneth Paltrow star turn and Tyler, the Creator, Penn Jillette, Kevin O’Leary and Fran Drescher (?!) in supporting roles — so perhaps it could propel him to even more Oscar glory (he’s co-producing, too).
Honourable Mentions
• Elder statespeople Glen Powell (36), Jonathan Bailey (36), Manny Jacinto (37), Will Sharpe (38), Nicola Coughlan (37) and Renate Reinsve (37)
• Future potential Beatles biopic stars Barry Keoghan (Ringo) and “Babygirl” breakout Harris Dickinson (John)
• Indie king Alex Wolff and “Queer” cutie Drew Starkey
• Comedians Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott
• Resting and rejuvenating Mikey Madison
