2021 marked a big year for Hollywood.

During the pandemic, many shows halted production, films pushed release dates, and theaters across the country shut down. Hollywood went nearly silent. Through 2021, however, we saw a shift back to some shred of normalcy.

According to Variety, film production surged during the third quarter of 2021, and production saw a 141.2% increase compared to 2020. Spiderman: No Way Home topped 1 billion at the box office and took the title of the third-biggest domestic opening of all time. We saw massive fan followings of shows like Squid Game, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and WandaVision. Hollywood is coming back to life.

As we continue to see the film industry come back to itself, Gen Z is making up a larger part of the actors we love. Favorites like Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh, and Tom Holland continue thriving, but even more Gen Z actors are showing up and showing out.

Here’s who we expect (and hope) to see more of in the coming year.

1. Jenna Ortega (she/her)

@jennaortega
Star sign: Libra ♎️
What we know them from: HBO Max’s The Fallout, Scream (2022), You
Look out for them in: Netflix’s Wednesday (2022) as Wednesday Adams

2. Jahi Di’Allo Winston (he/him)

@jahiwinston
Star sign: Sagittarius ♐️
What we know them from: Everything Sucks, The Violent Heart, The Lion King on Broadway as Young Simba
Look out for them in: Netflix’s We Have a Ghost (2022)

3. Lexi Underwood (she/her)

@officiallexiunderwood
Star sign: Virgo ♍️
What we know them from: Little Fires Everywhere
Look out for them in: Showtime’s The First Lady (2022) as Malia Obama, Disney’s Sneakerella (coming February 18!)

4. Whitney Peak (she/her)

@whitneypeak
Star sign: Aquarius ♒️
What we know them from: Gossip Girl (2021), The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Look out for them in: Hocus Pocus 2 (2022), Helvellyn Edge (2022)

5. Sadie Sink (she/her)

@sadiesink_
Star sign: Aries ♈️
What we know them from: Stranger Things, All Too Well: The Short Film
Look out for them in: Season 4 of Stranger Things

6. Xolo Mariduena (he/him)

@xolo_mariduena
Star sign: Gemini ♊️
What we know them from: Parenthood, Cobra Kai
Look out for them in: Blue Beetle (2023)

7. Saniyya Sidney (she/her)

@saniyyasidney
Star sign: Scorpio ♏️
What we know them from: King Richard, Fences, Hidden Figures
Look out for: She’s still doing press for King Richard, which received SAG nominations for both Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

8. David Mazouz (he/him)

@davidamazouz
Star sign: Pisces ♓️
What we know them from: Gotham, The Birthday Cake
Look out for them in: No updates on his new projects yet. You know how secretive Pisceans are.

9. Dallas Dupree Young (he/him)

✧ @dallasyoung
Star sign: Scorpio ♏️
What we know them from: Cousins for Life, The Fosters, Cobra Kai
Look out for them in: He’s listed as a member in an Untitled Re-Enactment Goonies Project. (And, of course, we’re waiting for future seasons of Cobra Kai!)

SEE ALSO: 'Cobra Kai' star Dallas Dupree Young speaks on masculinity, on-set beauty, and all things karate

10. Rachel Zegler (she/her)

@rachelzegler
Star sign: Taurus ♉️
What we know them from: West Side Story (2021) as María
Look out for them in: Snow White (2022), Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods (2022)

11. Jabari Banks (he/him)

@jabaribanks
Star sign: Unconfirmed, but our guess? Scorpio energy.
What we know them from: Nothing yet — this is his first onscreen role!
Look out for them in: Peacock’s Bel-Air (coming February 13!)

12. Grace Kaufman (she/her)

@imgracekaufman
Star sign: Taurus ♉️
What we know them from: Man with a Plan
Look out for them in: Apple TV+’s The Sky is Everywhere (coming out February 11.)

13. Amybeth McNulty (she/her)

@amybethmcnulty
Star sign: Scorpio ♏️
What we know them from: Anne with an E
Look out for them in: Season 4 of Stranger Things

14. Sophia Lillis (she/her)

@sophialillis
Star sign: Aquarius ♒️
What we know them from: It (2017), I Am Not Okay With This, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
Look out for them in: Asteroid City (2022), Dungeons and Dragons (2023)

15. Halle Bailey (she/her)

@hallebailey
Star sign: Aries ♈️
What we know them from: A Wrinkle in Time, Grown-ish, her youtube channel Chloe x Halle
Look out for them in: The Little Mermaid live-action remake (2023) as Ariel

16. Kiawentiio Tarbell (she/her)

@kiawentiio
Star sign: Virgo ♍️
What we know them from: Anne with an E, Beans
Look out for them in: Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (2022) as Katara

17. Dallas Liu (he/him)

@dallas_liu
Star sign: Leo ♌️
What we know them from: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Look out for them in: Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (2022) as Prince Zuko

18. Storm Reid (she/her)

@stormreid
Star sign: Cancer ♋️
What we know them from: Euphoria, A Wrinkle in Time
Look out for them in: HBO’s The Last of Us, One Way

19. Reneé Rapp (she/her)

@reneemj
Star sign: Capricorn ♑️
What we know them from: Mean Girls on Broadway, The Sex Lives of College Girls
Look out for them in: Season two of HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls

20. Edvin Ryding (he/him)

@edvinrydings
Star sign: Aquarius ♒️
What we know them from: Young Royals
Look out for them in: Season two of Netflix’s Young Royals

21. Marsai Martin (she/they)

@marsaimartin
Star sign: Leo ♌️
What we know them from: Little, Black-ish
Look out for them in: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022), Free to Fall (2022)

(Also, her press-on nail line, Mari by Marsai, launched on February 2!)

22. Jacob Tremblay

@jacobtremblay
Star Sign: Libra ♎️
What we know them from: Luca, Wonder
Look out for: The Little Mermaid (2023) as the voice of Flounder, The Toxic Avenger (2022)


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