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(#1) Florence Pugh
From horror films (Midsommar) to classic adaptations (Little Women), Florence Pugh showed her vast range as an actress in 2019. This year, she will be joining the Marvel Universe as Yelena Belova in Black Widow.
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(#2) Chase Tang
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(#3) Awkwafina
Comedy fans are already in love with Awkwafina, and Hollywood is starting to take notice, following the rapper/actress's award-winning role in the 2019 film, The Farewell. Next, 2020 finds her starring, writing, and producing Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens for Comedy Central, as well as acting in Ryan Murphy's new musical comedy, The Prom.
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(#4) Anya Taylor-Joy
It will surely be a breakout year in 2020 for Anya Taylor-Joy, as she is set to appear in a slew of projects including The New Mutants, Last Night in Soho, and Emma, in which she will play the title character. Her filmography already includes Glass, Thoroughbreds, and Peaky Blinders, among her other films and series.
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(#5) Maisie Williams
- 18
Since being introduced to the world as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, Maisie Williams has proven herself to be one of the most exciting young actresses in the business. In 2020, she is moving on from Westeros to appear in the upcoming X-Men film, The New Mutants.
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(#6) Kaitlyn Dever
- 22
Thanks to Booksmart, Unbelievable, and Them That Follow, 2019 was a huge year for Kaitlyn Dever. More success and recognition will surely continue in 2020 and beyond for the Last Man Standing star.
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(#7) Sophia Lillis
Sophia Lillis is stepping outside of of The Losers Club for a pair of compelling projects in 2020, Netflix's I Am Not Okay with This and Gretel & Hansel.
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(#8) Mckenna Grace
In 2020, 13-year-old actress Mckenna Grace is appearing in Troop Zero and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. She will also provide the voice of Daphne in the upcoming animated comedy, Scoob!.
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(#9) Liu Yifei
- 28
Liu Yifei is already a superstar in China, and she will soon become a household name in America, thanks to her starring role in the 2020 live action adaption of Mulan.
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(#10) Victoria Pedretti
With new seasons of You and The Haunting of Hill House in the works, Victoria Pedretti will have even more opportunities to impress fans in 2020.
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(#11) Thomasin McKenzie
Following critically-acclaimed performances in Leave No Trace and Jojo Rabbit, Thomasin McKenzie will be starring in a pair of films in 2020, Lost Girls and Last Night in Soho.
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(#12) John David Washington
- 34
John David Washington has been making a name for himself in recent years with rolls in Ballers, BlacKkKlansman, and The Old Man and the Gun. It may just be his breakout year in 2020, as he is starring in Tenet, the latest project from Oscar-nominated director, Christoper Nolan.
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(#13) Noah Centineo
- 22
Noah Centineo, of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser fame, will build on his success in 2020 with the sequel To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and Jackie Chan's upcoming film, The Diary.
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(#14) Margaret Qualley
- 24
Margaret Qualley had a huge 2019 with roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fosse/Verden, Native Son, and more. In 2020, her star will continue to rise as she is set to star in My Salinger Year and The Chain.
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(#15) Ezra Miller
- 26
Ezra Miller has been quietly being awesome in everything from We Need to Talk About Kevin to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. In 2020, his star will continue to rise with cameos as The Flash in several DC projects. Miller is also set to star as The Flash in a stand-alone film with a TBD release date.
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(#16) Eliza Scanlen
After making her feature film debut in 2019's Babyteeth and Little Women, Eliza Scanlen will star alongside Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson in The Devil All the Time in 2020.
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(#17) George MacKay
- 26
For a while, George MacKay has been one of those actors that fans recognize, but they're not quite sure where from. Following his star-making performance in the Oscar-nominated 2019 film, 1917, his star will surely rise in 2020.
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(#18) Jurnee Smollett
- 32
Jurnee Smollett-Bell has been acting since she was five years old, and 2020 may be the year she becomes a superstar. She will play Black Canary in Birds of Prey and Letitia Dandridge in Lovecraft Country.
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(#19) Noah Jupe
Noah Jupe will be starring alongside Nicole Kidman in the 2020 mini-series The Undoing, along with appearing the The Quiet Place Part II.
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(#20) Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo earned an Oscar nomination for Best Acting for her role as the title character in the 2019 film, Harriet. Next, 2020 finds her building on that success with a pair of compelling TV roles in The Outsider and Genius, the latter of which features Erivo in the role of Aretha Franklin.
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(#21) Elsie Fisher
- 15
In 2020, Elsie Fisher stars in her next live action feature film, The Shaggs, following her breakout success in Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade.
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(#22) Ella Balinska
Charlie's Angels breakout star Ella Balinska is building on her success in 2020 with Run Sweetheart Run.
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(#23) Alexandra Shipp
- 28
Alexandra Shipp already has an impressive filmography, but in 2020 her career will be bigger and better than ever. Along with appearing in the upcoming films All the Bright Places and Silk Road, she will also star alongside Michael Fassbender and Arnold Schwarzenegger in David Sandberg's movie Kung Fury 2.
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(#24) Beanie Feldstein
In 2019, Beanie Feldsteil starred in Booksmark on the big screen, while also appearing in a recurring role on the popular TV series, What We Do in the Shadows. More success will follow in 2020, as she is set to star as Monica Lewinski in American Crime Story: Impeachment. She also signed on to star in Richard Linklater's 20-year film project, Merrily We Roll Along, which will be released in 2039 at the earliest.
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(#25) Anthony Ramos
Broadway fans know Anthony Ramos for originating the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in Hamilton. He's appeared in a few films to date, but 2020 will blast him into super-stardom as he is set to star in the film adaptation of In the Heights.
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(#26) Jodie Turner-Smith
Queen & Slim actress Jodi Turner-Smith is set to star alongside Michael B. Jordan in the 2020 action thriller, Without Remorse. She has also been tapped to star in After Yang, which is also expected to be released in 2020.
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(#27) Julia Butters
Julia Butters stole every scene in the 2019 film, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. The 10-year-old actress, who is also still starring on ABC comedy American Housewife, seems destined for success in 2020.
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(#28) Simu Liu
Fans of Kim's Convenience are already in love with Simu Liu, and in 2020, he will be connecting with even more audiences with roles in Women Is Losers and Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens. He will also be Marvel's first Asian superhero as the star of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
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(#29) Kristine Froseth
With recent appearances in The Society, Looking for Alaska, and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, Kristine Forseth is poised for success in 2020 and beyond.
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(#30) Alexa Demie
Alexa Demie is another breakout star from 2019's Euphoria. She will soon appear in Gia Coppola's film Mainstream, which also features Maya Hawke, Andrew Garfield, and Jason Schwartzman.
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(#31) Morfydd Clark
Not only will Morfydd Clark play Mina in the 2020 Dracula mini-series, but she will also be part of the cast of the upcoming Lord of the Rings series.
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(#32) Dixie Egerickx
Dixie Egerickx is set to win the hearts of movie-goers as the star of the 2020 film adaptation of the classic novel, The Secret Garden.
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(#33) Paul Mescal
Irish actor Paul Mescal is set to get his big break in America with a starring role in Hulu's 2020 series, Normal People.
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(#34) Jharrel Jerome
With critically-acclaimed roles in Moonlight and When They See Us already under his belt, there's little doubt that Jharrel Jerome is one of the best actors of his generation. Up next, he will be starring alongside Idris Elba in Concrete Cowboys.
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(#35) Honor Davis-Pye
- Honor Davis-Pye is a 10 year old child actress who has appeared in various feature films and short films in the UK including feature films The Surgeon and Decrypted
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(#36) Glen Powell
- 30
In 2020, Glen Powell will be rising to the sky, flying alongside Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in Top Gun: Maverick.
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(#37) Jeremy Pope
- Dec. at 74 (1938-2012)
In 2019, Jeremy Pope made history by becoming only the sixth person in Tony Awards history to be nominated in two categories during the same year for his work in Choir Boy and Ain't Too Proud. He's now been tapped to star in Ryan Murphy's upcoming project, Hollywood, which is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2020.
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(#38) Roman Griffin Davis
Jojo Rabbit actor Roman Griffin Davis received his first film credit in 2019, and he has already been cast in the upcoming feature, Silent Night, which also stars Matthew Goode and Keira Knightley.
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(#39) Micheal Ward
After Top Boy dropped on Netflix in 2019, fans immediately wanted to know more about the series' star Micheal Ward. He's sure to have continued success in 2020 and beyond.
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(#40) Daisy Edgar-Jones
As one of the stars of Hulu's 2020 series, Normal People, Daisy Edgar-Jones will have a very big year.
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(#41) Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. has been methodically building his career, but 2020 will be his biggest year yet. He is set to appear in three upcoming films including Aaron Sorkin's next project, The Trial of the Chicago 7.
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(#42) Rachel Zegler
Rachel Zegler is earning her first film credit in 2020, and it's a doozy. She has been cast to play Maria in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of West Side Story.
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(#43) Michael Gandolfini
- 19
Michael Gandolfini has a unique way of stepping out of his father James Gandolfini's shadow. In 2020, Michael will portray Tony Soprano – the character made famous by his father – in the Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark.
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(#44) Hadley Robinson
Following her breakout performance in 2019's Little Women, Hadley Robinson has a busy 2020 planned. Utopia, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, and Moxie are among her upcoming projects.
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(#45) Jack Lowden
- 28
Jack Lowden has become the king of British period pieces in recent years. In 2020, he'll be portraying an American lawman, FBI Agent Crawford, opposite Tom Hardy as Al Capone in Fonzo.
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(#46) Max Harwood
Max Harwood is sure to generate buzz with his feature film debut in Everybody's Talking About Jamie, which is expected in October 2020.
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(#47) Da'Vine Joy Randolph
- 32
Da'Vine Joy Randolph has a busy 2020 ahead with roles in High Fidelity, The Last Shift, and Kajillionaire on her schedule.
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(#48) Barry Keoghan
Anyone who saw Barry Keoghan's riveting performance in 2017's The Killing of a Sacred Deer knew that this young actor was going places. In 2020, he's joining the Marvel Universe as Druig in The Eternals.
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(#49) Hunter Schafer
Model and activist Hunter Schafer made her acting debut in HBO's Euphoria in 2019 foreshadowing a bright acting career.
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About This Tool
2020 is not completely scary for everyone. It is doubtful that 2020 will be remembered by any of us as the year to live our best life. With the coronavirus pandemic raging all over the world, most of us are struggling and trying to get out of our predicament. With the release of blockbusters and hit shows, a new group of talented actors has flourished in the past year.
They may not be household names, but they have a lot of potentials, and these rising stars will definitely seize the opportunity to achieve great achievements. The random tool introduced 49 rising stars whose careers developed fast in 2020.
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