Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood List 2020

ACTOR

Though she appeared in her father’s hits before her 10th birthday, 22-year-old Maude has made a name for herself beyond her famous parents with roles on HBO’s “Euphoria” and Netflix’s “Hollywood.” This summer, she earned raves for her performance as Pete Davidson’s level-headed sister in “The King of Staten Island,” directed by father Judd. Excited to commence Season 2 of “Euphoria,” which halted just before shooting was set to begin, she’s been reading, “watching everything I’ve ever missed” and working on a script with her writing partner. Though times are uncertain, Apatow says she’s inspired by her peers: “I’m happy to be a part of a generation that feels very passionate about making real change.”

DRAG PERFORMER

At age 22, Aquaria won Season 10 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” one of the youngest victors. Signed to IMG, she has appeared in campaigns for Mac and Moschino x H&M, along with Vogue Italia. She’s been outspoken about political issues. “I think it’s smart to use my platform in that way. Not every LGBTQIA person gets to have their voice” heard so broadly. “I think that as far as queer art goes, [drag has] always been an open space to express yourself no matter your race. Almost all the achievements in queer art have been by Black people and people of color,” she says. “It’s our duty to give them credit.”

MUSICIAN

Barrett, 20, is the once-in-a-half-generation country artist for whom the phrase “next Carrie Underwood” can be reasonably invoked in any context. Unlike Underwood, she was only a third-place finisher on “American Idol.” But she’s first in the hearts of those who waited for another powerhouse belter to come along and knock down barricades and land a debut single at No. 1 on the country charts, as Barrett did this spring with “I Hope,” a song of deceptively sweet-voiced vituperation that has crossed over to pop formats with a Charlie Puth-featuring remix. It’s the biggest country song of the year, but, like her voice, it’s just huge for any genre.

MUSICIANS

If 2019 was Blackpink’s breakthrough year, 2020 is its record-breaking one. Apart from a feature on Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica,” Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa notched the biggest-ever YouTube premiere with “How You Like That” in June. The video, which ended the group’s one-year musical hiatus, garnered 86.3 million views within its first 24 hours and registered 1.66 million concurrent viewers. “It’s the starting point of our first full album, and we’re grateful to have made a strong start,” the K-pop quartet says in a joint statement. What’s next? “Instead of planning our future goals, the four of us tend to focus on the present. That way, we are able to be more focused on the now.”

MUSICIAN

Already a rising star when her sophomore full-length “Punisher” was released to rapturous reviews in June, 25-year-old singer-songwriter Bridgers has been riding out the coronavirus pandemic from her Los Angeles apartment. “I’m so used to connecting with fans every day on tour,” she says, “and I’m realizing how much my ego relies on it, because I find myself in my house thinking, ‘Do people like my record?’ and I go on Instagram and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that guy likes it!’” She’s been doing livestreams but fans are also hoping lockdown will produce another release from Boygenius, her harmony-heavy, ironically Crosby Stills & Nash-styled “supergroup” with fellow femme bards Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus.

SOCIAL-MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR

She’s irreverent and funny, excitable and even awkward — and has millions of YouTube, TikTok and Instagram followers because of it. The UTA client has her own coffee company, and a podcast called Anything Goes, plus partnerships with fashion giants Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein. “I don’t put all my eggs in one basket. I try to be on every platform,” she says of her entrepreneurial career path. “So I’m trying to do other things at the same time so that no matter what happens —like I have many things that I’m passionate about and excited about — so that I don’t feel like this pressure on one thing.”

For more on Chamberlain, click here.

LATE-NIGHT WRITER

Now 25, Chee joined “Late Night With Seth Meyers” after writing jokes for Golden Globes co-hosts Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg in 2019. As its youngest writer, she regularly plays off the age gap between her and host Meyers in segments called “What Does Karen Know?” She also mines her Korean-American heritage for comedy, celebrating “Parasite’s” four Oscar victories on screen in February. During the pandemic, Chee has continued to appear on segments from her apartment. “In the beginning, my brain sort of felt like it had stopped working,” says Chee, who has also written for the New Yorker. “I had to let my emotions ride out for a bit.”

SINGERS, ACTORS

Sister act Chloe and Halle Bailey, ages 22 and 20, respectively, had already finished recording their sophomore album, “Ungodly Hour,” and Halle was in London for rehearsals on Disney’s live-action reboot of “The Little Mermaid” when the pandemic struck. “We believe in divine timing,” say the signees to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment. “Funnily enough, this time has allowed us to expand our creativity and think outside of the box when it comes to our music and visuals.” Their critically heralded album was released in June; they staged a laser light show on their home tennis court for Global Citizen’s “Global Goal” concert; and for the “Today” show there was a drone-assisted, pool-backdrop creation. “In the midst of this crazy year of 2020, we want our music to bring peace and healing for listeners.”

ACTOR

Cimino’s starring role as a questioning Latinx teen in Hulu’s “Love, Victor” has been a breakthrough for the 20-year-old. “It’s been great seeing all this positive recognition for the show and how it’s affected people. It’s an honor to represent the LGBTQ community,” says the actor. “I want to be the person that represents their struggle, their story, their ethnicity, whatever it may be, and to represent them accurately by depicting them in a way that’s true to life.” He recently helped launch We the Movement L.A., which has raised money to aid Black-owned businesses in the Pico-Redondo area of Los Angeles.

SOCIAL-MEDIA POWERHOUSE

The 16-year-old has more than 73 million followers on TikTok, amassed in about a year on the platform. She’s gained that following with her dance posts, but she’s also relatable — she recently had surgery to correct a breathing problem and has continued to post despite her black eyes and bandages. She also uses her platform to champion causes, including Black Lives Matter. “I’ve been given this voice where people can listen and see the things that I have to say. So I just want to be able to continue to use that, to spread a positive message.”

For more on D’Amelio, click here.

ACTOR

Now 13, Davis was 11 when he earned a Golden Globe nomination for starring alongside Scarlett Johansson as a young Nazi devotee in “Jojo Rabbit.” But awards shows and accolades haven’t changed him. He starred opposite Keira Knightley in “Silent Night,” written and directed by his mother, Camille Griffin, “which was a lot of fun, but at the end of the day I still go to school and still do the dishes. So, I guess my life hasn’t massively changed, and I’m very glad.” Since COVID, however, he’s been spending a lot of time on his phone when not engaging in remote learning. “I’ve been kind of greedy with this time,” he says.

ACTOR, MUSICIAN

The 23-year-old has long been a standout performer, but in the past year she has emerged as a leading lady: First came “Booksmart,” followed by a stunning turn as rape victim Marie Adler in Netflix’s “Unbelievable.” The latter earned Dever a Golden Globe nomination. She kicked off the year with a nomination from BAFTA for the EE Rising Star Award. In February, Beulahbelle, her singing sister act with Mady, released its first single. Dever is set next for the “Dear Evan Hansen” film adaptation and will appear in the COVID-themed HBO movie “Coastal Elites.”

ACTORS

“Normal People” premiered mid-pandemic, so Edgar-Jones and Mescal have been largely shielded from public reaction to the Hulu series. “A lot of people on our phones are saying the show is popular, but I think, ‘Yeah, obviously. People are locked inside,’” Mescal says. Both actors relish playing their complex, flawed characters. “He’s set the bar very high for me in what I want from characters in terms of complexity and rigor. A character like that tests you as an actor quite vigorously, and Connell represents something I’ll be chasing, I feel, for the rest of my career,” says Mescal, Emmy-nominated for his performance. Edgar-Jones, who recently signed with UTA, “absolutely loved getting to play a complex and flawed figure like Marianne,” calling her “representative of the women I am surrounded by.”

MUSICAL SIBLINGS

How self-conscious are Eilish, 18, and O’Connell, 23, about seeming mature and accomplished well beyond their years? “I think time has always felt like it was running out for me my whole life,” O’Connell says. “Like, every day I wake up and my first feeling is: Time is running out! Which is so goofy.” Their latest triumph was a heralded Bond theme, “No Time to Die,” which snuck out on the heels of Eilish winning five Grammys, including the record/song/album/new artist quadruple crown, and O’Connell winning four. Another new song of theirs, “Everything I Wanted,” is among 2020’s most popular tracks. Here’s hoping they stay that prolific, while taking the advice of another Bond theme: You’ve got all the time in the world.

ACTOR, PRODUCER

Child actors rarely grow up as enterprising as Fanning, already a 20-year industry veteran at age 22. She’s at ease producing and acting in films including 2020’s “All the Bright Places” and her first TV series, Hulu’s “The Great,” in which she plays Catherine the Great; she and sister Dakota have formed their own (as yet unnamed) shingle. Color-blind casting on both projects was important to her, particularly in the historical rewrite of “Great,” which she wanted to be both “modernized and accessible.” Up next post-quarantine: feature “The Nightingale.” “I never want to settle in a comfortable place,” she says. “It’s been interesting growing up, finding where you fit in this world.”

ACTORS

Flanigan and Ryder both made their feature film debuts in Eliza Hittman’s searing abortion drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” which debuted at Sundance and won the Silver Bear at Berlin before a short theatrical debuted truncated by the coronavirus shutdown. Flanigan, a musician, was initially hesitant about taking on an acting project. But after signing on she promised to never let pregnant Autumn be seen as a victim or helpless. “My character is guarded and private, but also decisive,” says Flanigan, who recently signed with Gersh. Ryder, who plays Autumn’s cousin Skylar, was intrigued by the timely storyline. “Although there are a lot of other things going on right now in our country, abortion is still a big problem,” says Ryder, who next appears in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake and graduated from high school during the pandemic. “So I definitely wanted to be part of a project that shined a light on the issue.”

ACTOR

Tel Aviv-based Haas, now 25, has been working steadily since she was 16. Prior to snagging the lead role in Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” released by the streamer on March 26, she starred in the Israeli TV series “Shtisel.” The creators of “Unorthodox” looked all over the world for the actor to portray Esther Shapiro, a young Hasidic woman from Brooklyn that starts a new life in Germany, searching for someone that could sing, play piano, understand English and learn Yiddish. There were moments when Haas, taught Yiddish “from scratch” by the show’s cultural consultant, Eli Rosen, doubted she ever would be able to succeed. The demanding role also required her to nail a singing audition scene. 

“This is a story about a woman trying to find her own home, and has struggles finding it — and eventually finding it within herself,” Haas says. 

She’s now working on Season 3 of “Shtisel,” which gained international popularity after Netflix began streaming it in late 2018.

Read more about Haas and her breakthrough work on “Unorthodox” here.

TIKTOK DANCE QUEEN

Harmon, a 14-year-old from Atlanta, created “Renegade,” a viral TikTok dance that has drawn praise from Michelle Obama, Lizzo and various members of the Kardashian clan. A formally trained dancer, she didn’t think too much about the moves while she was creating them. “I just found a song and I just created moves just to go with the beats and the words, just to mix,” she says. “It was just another dance that I had created one day. But I didn’t know it was going to go viral.” She has since choreographed a “Scoob!” dance challenge and amassed millions of TikTok followers.

DOCUMENTARY STAR

Harris, whose infectious enthusiasm and joy made him the breakout star of the hit Netflix doc series “Cheer,” is riding out the pandemic at home in Chicago, where he’s doing his chores, staying humble and posting upbeat new content to his millions of followers on social media while working toward a business degree and exploring new opportunities. “I believe America is ready, and that means the entertainment industry needs to be ready especially for stories from Black Americans like myself,” he says. “We’re all part of the great American story and we all have stories to be told. Black Americans have an amazing history and culture that we are ready to share with everyone.”

YOUTUBE IMPRESARIO

Only 8 years old, Kaji reportedly made $22 million and $26 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively, from his YouTube videos, along with a line of Ryan’s World products sold at Walmart and Target. “Ryan’s Mystery Playdate” began airing on Nick Jr. last year. Best-known for his toy review videos, which he began doing at the age of 3, he recently branched out into educational content, animation and Japanese- and Spanish-language clips, many of which co-star his parents (Loann and Shion) and his sisters (twins Emma and Kate). Ryan, who typically makes three to four videos a week, says, “I’m not tired of the pace because I feel like it’s fun shooting it.”

MUSICIAN

Three years after releasing her star-turning debut album “SweetSexySavage,” R&B singer Kehlani returned with her soul-baring full-length followup “It Was Good Until It Wasn’t” in May. It arrived as the crown jewel in a year of high-profile moments, including collaborations with Justin Bieber and Zedd as well as the release of fan favorite EP “While We Wait.” Of course, the pandemic has been a hitch in the album rollout: “The most challenging part was having to learn how to do everything myself,” says the 25-year-old. But despite the steps forward in her burgeoning career, one moment stands out as her proudest: “When my daughter started saying ‘Momma’ to my face,” she says of her 1-year-old.

ACTOR

Actors speak of a breakthrough role as being life-altering, but starring in Netflix’s hit rom-com “The Half of It” has life-long ripple effects for Lewis, who was adopted from Shanghai at 6 months old. “It awakened a part of myself I hadn’t been awake to before,” says Lewis, 23. “I’ve gotten in touch with my Asian heritage, and I’ve learned so much this year about where I stand in society.” Exposure from “Half” and a second season of “Nancy Drew” may lead to roles in action films, she hopes. “I want to be a Chinese warrior,” she says. “Of course, that’s just total spitballing.”

MUSICIAN

Lipa’s 2017 self-titled debut was one of the most gradual success stories in recent memory, culminating in her winning the best new artist prize at the Grammy Awards two years later. That success, along with her guest spots on smash singles with Calvin Harris and Silk City, provided a perfect on-ramp for her disco-inflected second album. “Future Nostalgia” dropped two weeks after the pandemic set in. “I thought most of the dancing would have been in clubs, but I was thrilled to watch people dancing in their homes,” says the 24-year-old. “It’s been a beautiful reaction.” While she stirred up some controversy with online comments about Kosovo, the region her family fled amid the refugee crisis in the 1990s, she’s also branching out with a guest spot on “Un Dia,” the new single from Latinx superstars J Balvin and Bad Bunny.

ACTOR, ACTIVIST

Maines became TV’s first trans superhero on the CW’s “Supergirl” in October 2018 and has since worked with the show’s writers to hone trans stories in scripts. “Hollywood is ready to tell these trans stories — it’s just a matter of will they do it,” says Maines, “Susan Doe” in the Maine Supreme Court case Doe v. Clenchy revolving around bathroom access for transgender students. “Having a trans character not written as the Trans Character, who just happens to be transgender — that’s what we need to see more of.” Now 22, she has also starred in the 2019 vampire feature “Bit.”

MUSICIAN, ACTOR

The Colombian talent collaborated with Madonna and J.Lo last year and received his first Grammy nom, for the album “11:11” in the Latin Pop Album category. His collaboration with Madonna, “Medellín,” has amassed more than 47 million views on YouTube. The song carries extra weight for Maluma because it is named after the city where he was born and still lives part-time (along with Miami) when he’s not touring.

Yes, he acknowledges, it is “well-known around the world because of Pablo Escobar, the cocaine, the violence. But I feel like right now I have this responsibility, a big responsibility, to change the face of my country.”

Maluma, born Juan Luis Londoño Arias, is scheduled to make his big-screen debut — when movies return — opposite Lopez in the upcoming Universal Pictures romantic comedy “Marry Me,” in which he plays a narcissistic pop star named Bastian who lives his life on social media.

Read more about Maluma here.

MUSICIAN

Even the pandemic couldn’t slow Megan Thee Stallion down: She blew up the BET Awards with a stunning, socially distanced, “Mad Max”-themed video for “Savage,” she was a judge on HBO Max’s ballroom competition show “Legendary” (which has been renewed for a second season), and social media was aflutter over whether her new friendship with Kylie Jenner meant that she was no longer BFFs with Jordyn Woods.

But in the early hours of July 12, things got complicated: After a night of COVID-defying party-hopping that included a visit to Jenner’s house, the musician became involved in a tabloid frenzy involving Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. She spoke with Variety about fame, Black Lives Matter and Beyonce.

Read more of her interview here.

MUSICIAN

In the final moments of Normani’s expertly choreographed video for her hit song “Motivation,” the Fifth Harmony alum loses the crew of dancers she’s partnered with. It’s just her, expertly nailing a flip on a basketball court, proving she’s a star who stands firmly on her own. “I have become a better leader in all aspects of my career and personal life,” the 24-year-old says of her work this past year. This includes her role as Urban Decay’s Global Citizen: “It was crucial that I align with a company that values diversity and inclusion. Black is beautiful, and it is important to me to spread that message.”

MUSICIAN

The 25-year-old upped the ante last September with the release of his third album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” on the heels of his blockbuster “Beerbongs & Bentleys.” With a sharpened sound and stickier hooks, the project spawned a string of record-breaking singles including “Circles” and “Wow,” and became the second-biggest album of the year next to Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” Though he had to cancel the remainder of his North American tour due to the pandemic, Malone has stayed busy, putting out his own French rosé wine called Maison No. 9, which sold out two days after it launched in June, and raising $500,000 for coronavirus relief with a Nirvana tribute show on YouTube.

ACTORS

What happens when you mix handsome, largely unknown twentysomethings with a YA adventure series about a treasure hunt? A surprise Netflix hit called “Outer Banks,” featuring Bailey, Cline, Daviss and Pankow. “With an ensemble cast comes this team feeling; it’s very much team spirit,” says Pankow, 21. Daviss, who was selling shoes in Saks when he landed the part of Pope, is impressed with the depth of characterization in the series: “They wanted to make him more than just the Black Friend,” the 21-year-old explains. The actors in the ensemble, led by relative elder Chase Stokes, 27, have worked steadily, but the show is a breakthrough for each. “I’ve been completely taken off-guard,” says Cline, 22, of the show’s fervent fan base. “In the best way possible.” She shot Kygo’s newest video with Stokes, and the couple recently went public with their off-screen relationship. One benefit to starring in a hit series during quarantine: The ensemble has been able to share friendship and newfound celebrity in relative privacy, via FaceTime, SnapChat or Instagram DMs, which they do, incessantly. “We all hang outside of work and have actual friendships,” says Bailey, 21. “Something about our vibes and energy just lines up.”

YOUTUBER

Radzinskaya was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, but that hasn’t stopped the 6-year-old Russian native from becoming a digital superstar, with 130 million subscribers and 4 billion monthly views across her “Like Nastya” YouTube channels, which feature content in four languages (Russian, English, Spanish and Mandarin) and generate reportedly close to $20 million annually. In May she signed a deal with IMG to create a line of consumer products, including toys, apparel and housewares, as well as food and beverage products. Now based in Florida, she maintains a steady output of two to three videos per week. “Filming the videos allows our family to play together and spend quality time together more often,” her parents tell Variety in a joint statement.

ACTOR

The 18-year-old-star of Netflix’s breakout hit “Never Have I Ever” landed the starring role in the series created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher after Kaling posted a casting notice on social media. Of Tamil Hindu descent from Sri Lanka, Ramakrishnan was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and bested countless others to land the role of Devi, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl navigating high school while coping with the loss of her father. Not only is the show her first professional acting job, it’s her first job ever. Quarantined in her home in Canada, she’s “still getting used to the idea that people are watching my face willingly,” and while the second season of the show has been greenlit, Ramakrishnan has no idea what’s going to happen. “I’m just excited to see where the story goes. It’s the ultimate ‘what’s next’ for me. Honestly, every day is a ‘what’s next’ for me.” 

Read more about Ramakrishnan, the importance of representation and working with John McEnroe here.

MUSICIAN

After breaking through with the mournful street tale “Die Young” in 2018, the 21-year-old Compton rapper released his gritty debut studio album, “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial,” in December and quickly gained traction with the inescapable smash “The Box,” which is was No. 1 on the Rolling Stone Top Songs chart for five weeks. He added a trophy to his shelf with a Grammy win for rap performance thanks to a feature on Nipsey Hussle’s “Racks in the Middle,” and maintained chart dominance with a guest turn on DaBaby’s “Rockstar.” And yet, he says, “you can’t really dwell on wins and losses too much, because when you do that, then the highs and lows begin to dwell on you.” 

DIGITAL CREATOR

Only 22 years old, Rivera has amassed 65 million followers across his social-media channels (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), as well as a nice collection of acting credits, including Hulu’s “Light as a Feather” and a starring role in the 2017 movie “Alexander IRL.” Two years ago, he and partner Max Levine co-founded Amp Studios, a talent incubator for up-and-coming creators with millions of followers of their own. He’s developing a lineup of original characters for multi-platform storytelling and merchandising. “Like a superhero or a princess,” he says. “I think there’s a big market for it and no one’s really done it.”

DIGITAL PERSONALITY

Rock’s MTV reality series “No Filter” got pushed back because of the pandemic, but the Hawaii-based beauty and lifestyle star is still busy entertaining his 22 million daily followers with YouTube makeovers, food challenges and unscripted series (“Plant of the Day,” “Bretman the Science Bitch”) and provocative Instagram modeling shots. Seen last year in the fourth season of the YouTube series “Escape the Night,” the 22-year-old Filipino native also has a pilot in the works for the Ellen Digital Network, titled “Bretman U,” and a host of big plans. “I don’t want to be just an online personality,” he says. “I want to be in commercials and movies.”

ACTOR, MUSICIAN

Rodrigo literally grew up on Disney Channel, and is stretching her wings as Nini in Disney Plus’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which she calls the perfect intersection of acting, singing, dancing and songwriting. “I’m grateful to the executives and our showrunner who took a chance on some teenagers and let them write songs for such an amazing project. And it turned out really well. It’s an amazing experience that has opened a lot of doors for me,” Rodrigo says. “I never went to regular high school, I’ve always been homeschooled, so this is my high school.”

ACTOR

The Australian actor was in New York, starring in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” when COVID-19 shut down Broadway, ending her run as Mayella Ewell, who makes a false rape accusation in Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel. The 21-year-old, who broke through in HBO’s “Sharp Objects,” starred as Beth March in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” and plays a terminally ill teen Milla in Shannon Murphy’s “Babyteeth.” But it’s not a weeper. “I connected most with her irreverence,” she says of Milla. “What I found is that Shannon requested me to be as much myself as I can and not create a character so much and find it somewhere within me.”

MUSICIAN, ACTOR, ENTREPRENEUR

Siwa, who has a social media following closing in on 25 million and a billion-dollar merch empire in partnership with Nickelodeon, initially welcomed the chance to relax when the pandemic virtually shut down the entertainment industry. But after two weeks, she came up with a Plan B, having decided: “I can’t let my career die by just doing nothing.” Siwa built a stage in her backyard, and has been filming performances every week for her YouTube channel. “I got really creative,” she says. “Everyone was doing a performance from the couch, or doing it from their kitchen. I was like, ‘Mom, I can’t do that. If I’m going to perform I want to perform.'” She also booked a big-screen acting gig in “Bounce,” produced by none other than Will Smith.

ACTOR, PRODUCER, MUSICIAN

It’s been a big year for the multihyphenate, who finished shooting Season 2 of “Dickinson,” the Apple TV Plus series about poet Emily Dickinson that she stars in and executive produces, shortly before lockdown began. “It’s really fun to take the wildness and creative genius that is her mind and work and have a show that’s our interpretation of what might have been going through her mind at the time of writing these poems,” Steinfeld says. Also a musician, Steinfeld released an EP, “Half-Written Story,” in the spring. “I was really excited to finally get a small body of work, music, into the world that I’m really proud of and excited for people to hear.”

ACTOR

When choosing roles, Taylor-Joy aims for the dark and clever, defying easy categorization: Having broken through in 2017’s Robert Eggers-directed “The Witch,” she’s recently dazzled in other period pieces such as Netflix’s “Peaky Blinders” and this year’s feature “Emma.” Up next: re-pairing with Eggers for feature “The Northman” (“that just feels like going home”) and a star turn in Netflix’s limited series “The Queen’s Gambit.” “I’ve grown up working on projects back-to-back,” she says about her busy schedule, “but never quite like last year.” She spent quarantine with “two housemates and a loved one,” which has been an “interesting exercise in being quiet.”

DIGITAL PERSONALITY

Starting out on the now-defunct Vine app before moving to YouTube (1.24 million subscribers) and Instagram (5.9 million followers), Thompson parlayed his talent for comedic monologues into acting (YouTube’s “Foursome”), modeling (H&M’s Pride Collection) and hosting (Harper Bazaar’s online series “Royal Tea With Rickey Thompson”) gigs. The 24-year-old North Carolina native wrapped his Snapchat docuseries “Road Trippin’,” following his cross-country adventures with Instagram star Denzel Dion, before the pandemic hit, but COVID-19 ruined his summer plans. “I was going to go all over Europe with my best friends and stuff, but, obviously, that couldn’t happen,” he says.

ACTOR

A “Scandal” fan, Underwood calls being cast as Mia’s (Kerry Washington) daughter, Pearl, in Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” a full-circle moment. “I felt proud every time I saw her on screen because there wasn’t much representation of strong Black women in the media.” She’s very specific about representation, too. “Let’s make sure the Black woman isn’t a broken-down character or a sidekick; the Asian character isn’t the stereotypical smart overachiever or nail tech; the Hispanic woman isn’t always a maid.” Underwood created “We the Voices of GenZ” “to spark pure dialogue, encourage action and create sustainable solutions that support our collective right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, gender or sexual orientation.”

MUSICIAN

The 24-year-old Atlanta singer had a banner year in 2019, setting it off with a Drake-assisted remix of moody single “Girls Need Love.” In October, she dropped her first studio album, “Over It,” executive produced by red-hot producer London on da Track and featuring guest appearances from Usher, Jhené Aiko and former touring partner 6lack. Her open struggle with anxiety led her to cancel 20 of the 29 dates on her “First and Last” Tour, but she delivered a standout performance at the 2020 BET Awards alongside Usher as well as her “Life on Earth” EP, released in July. Her quarantine goal: “Just trying to keep my sanity and learn as much as I can,” she says.

ACTOR

At 21, Basso already has appeared in movies including “Captain Fantastic” and “Ouija: Origin of Evil.” Her latest role is in TNT’s post-apocalyptic adaptation of Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer,” and Basso says the friendless and always-angry L.J. Folger is a far cry from her real personality: “She’s manipulative, she’s a psycho — oh yeah, and she’s a murderer!” she says. “But that’s why she was so much fun to play. Her confidence and fearlessness are things I had to discover in myself.”

MUSICIAN

The Carol City, Fla., native has been rapping since he was 12, concentrating rough sing-song rhymes into a handful of mixtapes and studio albums. Now 25, Curry hit his stride over the past year with the introspective record “Zuu” and collaborative “Unlocked” EP with producer Kenny Beats. The Black Lives Matter movement has only sharpened his perspective, making his music more outwardly political on recent single “Pig Feet” and upcoming album “Melt My Eyes.” “This is when we started doing stuff about it,” he says. “We have a platform, and I think every artist should use their platform to speak out.”

ACTOR

Gomez brought an upbeat energy to Netflix’s reboot of “The Baby-Sitters Club,” transforming a character that had been a blonde Californian in previous iterations into a Latinx girl with two dads. “It’s really important that a Latina character and her family are represented on the show,” says the 14-year-old, who’s previously guested on “Gentefied” and “Raven’s Home.” “I grew up never seeing anyone who looked like me on TV.”

ACTOR

In Showtime’s “The Good Lord Bird,” debuting in October, Johnson plays an enslaved boy who joins abolitionist John Brown on the famous 1859 Harpers Ferry raid, a prelude for the Civil War. It’s the 15-year-old’s first regular series gig after appearances on “Snowfall” and “Black-ish” — and voicing the video game “Madden NFL 2018.” “I take great pride in being able to be part of a show that depicts such a great moment in U.S. history, especially because we’re fighting the same cause John Brown fought over 100 years ago,” Johnson says.

MUSICIAN

In the year since releasing his “Slow Dance” EP, 19- year-old Mitchell still hasn’t gotten used to the increasingly prestigious stages he’s found himself on. “[Performing at the 2019] VMAs was such an eye-opening moment for me, especially because I was surrounded by artists I grew up listening to,” the Illinois native says. “It was definitely one of the proudest moments in my career.” In recent months he has dropped three songs — “Spring Break” featuring Rich the Kid, “Burn” and “Imagine,” a collaboration with Steve Aoki and Frank Walker. With 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Mitchell’s forthcoming debut, “Skyview,” seems likely to cement his stardom.

DIRECTOR

“Some Kind of Heaven,” Oppenheim’s first feature doc, debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on his 24th birthday with Darren Aronofsky as a producer. With six short docs already under his belt, Oppenheim began working on “Heaven” while studying at Harvard, renting a room at America’s largest retirement community, the Villages, one summer. The film, about four senior citizens struggling to find happiness, not only attracted Aronofsky, a fellow Harvard grad, but also the backing of the New York Times newly formed production company.

ACTOR

In her first regular role, Romero stars as nothing less than the future leader of America: She portrays Elena, a Cuban American destined for the Oval Office, in the Disney Plus series “Diary of a Future President.” Producer-star Gina Rodriguez plays Romero’s adult counterpart. “I definitely like to stay on top of things, and it’s important to know what’s going on the world,” says Romero. As for the future: “It would be cool to do other genres, maybe a horror movie or period piece.”

ACTOR

The star of OWN’s “Greenleaf” series was hailed for her confident turn as a boarding school queen bee in the Amazon Studios film “Selah and the Spades,” which is being turned into a series. Simone, 21, recently wrapped the horror film “The Craft” and is in production on the prequel “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.” Of the hardboiled characters she plays, Simone says, “I enjoy accessing different layers of humanity through storytelling.”

ACTOR

The Australian won the young actor award for his nuanced performance in “Babyteeth” at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, with past projects including 2016’s “Boys in the Trees,” Aussie series “Romper Stomper” and Netflix teen dystopian hit “The Society.” He’s been in Los Angeles riding out COVID-19 with good humor. “I’ve been reading a lot of scripts. Doing a lot of writing — my own scripts — but just general writing, to keep as bloody sane as possible.”

ACTOR, MUSICIAN

Talk about a challenge: Zegler has taken on the iconic role of Maria, memorably played by the late Natalie Wood on the big screen, in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “West Side Story” remake. The 19-year-old Colombian American says the role “is a dream come true, plain and simple.” And working alongside Spielberg, Zegler says, “is a master class in story-telling.” It’s her first turn before the cameras, although she’s starred in community musicals and has a YouTube channel with a healthy number of subscribers.