Best Actors in Their 20s

Talent knows no age in Hollywood these days. More and more young actors are being cast in some of the best films and receiving rave reviews. One of the most critically acclaimed films of the past couple of years was literally a teen comedy drama. The youth are taking over and we’re better for it, despite the grumblings of the older members of Hollywood.

Younger people tend to be discounted more often than not. How many articles have you seen about how lazy and entitled millennials are? But let’s not forget that the Meryl Streeps and Denzel Washingtons of today all had to start somewhere. Many of our best actors were once young actors asking to be taken seriously. Many of today’s brightest stars have achieved their excellency as a much earlier age. They may have the advantage of the internet, which launches careers and creates fan bases like no other medium, but some of these young actors are just as good as their older counterparts.

In 2019, your 20s might even be considered old by some people’s standards. Child stars are emerging earlier and earlier in recent years, and many of our most bankable stars are actually too young to make this list. It’s a tough business, and it’s easy to peak early in your career but these twenty-somethings have had promising starts. Judging by the projects they have coming out soon, they’re here to stay, and might even become future Streeps and Denzels. Here are the 20 best actors in their 20s.

Age: 23

Notable Role: Elio (Call Me By Your Name)

More than a heartthrob, Timotheé Chalamet is also considered one of the best young actors working in Hollywood right now. Chalamet started modestly with a small recurring role on Homeland in 2012 and a supporting role in 2014’s Interstellar. His big breakout was in 2017 with the almost simultaneous releases of Little Bird, in which he had a supporting role, and Call Me By Your Name, in which he had the lead role. Both films were critically acclaimed, with Call Me By Your Name earning Chalamet an Oscar nomination. He’s since starred in Beautiful Boy which has earned similar raves, and is likely to net him another Oscar nomination. Chalamet will next be seen in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women adaptation, and Wes Anderson’s next film, The French Dispatch.

Age: 25

Notable Role: Diggy (Dope)

After a supporting role in 2015’s indie comedy Dope and a recurring role in seasons one and two of Amazon’s Transparent, Kiersey Clemons landed another supporting role in comedy blockbuster Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. She then earned the coveted role of Iris West, The Flash’s love interest, in Justice League and the rumored Flash spinoff (unfortunately, her scenes were cut from Justice League, and the Flash movie is currently in development hell). She also starred in charming indie Hearts Beat Loud in 2018 opposite Nick Offerman and has a role in the upcoming live action Lady and the Tramp remake.

Age: 24

Notable Role: Harper Moore (Set It Up)

Another young actor with famous parents, Zoey Deutch is the daughter of Pretty In Pink director Howard Deutch and Back to the Future actress Lea Thompson. She first starred in the young adult adaptations Beautiful Creatures and Vampire Academy in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Deutch then made the jump to more critically acclaimed roles with 2016’s Richard Linklater-directed Everybody Wants Some!! and 2017’s teen drama Before I Fall. She received raves from both critics and audiences with her role in the 2018 romantic comedy Set It Up, which became a huge hit for Netflix, and even in the year’s less-than-loved indie comedy drama Flower. She’s slated to appear in 2019’s Zombieland Too.

Age: 20

Notable Role: Cleo (Somewhere)

Dakota Fanning’s younger sister Elle first began landing lead roles with the Sofia Coppola directed Somewhere in 2010 and the J.J. Abrams directed Super 8 in 2011, and then landed a lead role in 2014’s Maleficent. 2016 is when she did some of the best work of her career so far with a lead role in the visually stunning psychological horror film The Neon Demon and a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated comedy drama 20th Century Women. She then reunited with Sofia Coppola in 2017’s The Beguiled, and she’ll next be seen in the jukebox musical drama Teen Spirit.

Age: 22

Notable Role: Patrick Chandler (Manchester By The Sea)

Lucas Hedges burst onto the Hollywood scene with a blistering Oscar-nominated performance in Manchester By The Sea in 2016, after small roles in Moonrise Kingdom and NBC’s The Slap. Since Manchester, his profile has only risen, with supporting roles in two of 2017’s most acclaimed films: Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 2018 saw Hedges starring in three well-received films: conversion therapy biopic Boy Erased, addiction drama Ben Is Back, and the coming of age drama Mid90s. Boy Erased earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. Hedges will next star in Honey Boy, a loosely autobiographical film written by Shia LaBeouf.

Age: 29

Notable Role: Hank McCoy/Beast (X-Men: First Class)

Nicholas Hoult has had a storied career in both television and film despite only being 29. His first breakout role was in the Hugh Grant comedy drama About A Boy in 2002. Seven years later he was cast in the controversial, yet critically acclaimed British teen drama series Skins, which raised his profile considerably. He went on to play Hank McCoy, aka Beast in X-Men: First Class in 2011, a role he would reprise in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, and X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016. He’s also had supporting roles in the Best Picture-nominated Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015 and the Golden Globe-nominated The Favourite in 2018. He’ll next star in the biopic Tolkien and have a supporting role in X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

Age: 27

Notable Role: Ice Cube (Straight Outta Compton)

Sometimes nepotism works out for everyone involved. The eldest son of Ice Cube, O’Shea Jackson Jr. was cast in the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton because of his resemblance to his father. While this could have been a case of stunt casting gone wrong, Straight Outta Compton was well-received, with Jackson earning praise for his lead role. He went on to have a supporting roles in the 2017 dark comedy Ingrid Goes West, as the love interest for Aubrey Plaza’s Ingrid, and the 2018 crime drama Den of Thieves. He’ll next be seen in two anticipated summer blockbusters: Godzilla: King of Monsters and the Seth Rogen comedy Flarsky.

Age: 29

Notable Role: Capable (Mad Max: Fury Road)

When you’re the grandchild of Elvis Presley, you’re probably destined to become a successful star. One of Riley Keough’s first big roles was opposite Channing Tatum in 2012’s Magic Mike. She followed it up with a supporting role in the critically acclaimed blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015. 2017 saw Keough starring in A24 horror film It Comes At Night and the Daniel Craig heist film Logan Lucky. She took on more artsy roles in 2018, with the Lars Von Trier-directed thriller The House That Jack Built and this year’s mystery comedy Under The Silver Lake. Next up, Keough has a starring role in crime drama Zola, based on the infamous Twitter thread.

Age: 23

Notable Role: Star (American Honey)

Sasha Lane first emerged as the star of the 2016 musical road film American Honey opposite Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keough, receiving much praise for her role. A first time actor, director Andrea Arnold notably found her sunbathing on a beach and thought she was perfect for the role. The actress later starred in 2018’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post opposite Chloe Grace Moretz, and in Hearts Beat Loud opposite Kiersey Clemons. While she hasn’t done much work yet, she’s left her distinctive mark on everything she’s been in. Lane will appear in the upcoming Hellboy remake.

Age: 29

Notable Role: Joy Newsome (Room)

Brie Larson has come a long way since her minor roles in teen comedies 13 Going On 30 and Sleepover. In 2009, she landed a main role in Showtime’s United States of Tara, starring Toni Collette. From there, she scored memorable supporting roles in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and 21 Jump Street. Larson began receiving critical acclaim with her roles in 2013’s Short Term 12 and 2015’s Room, the latter of which won her an Oscar for Best Actress. Larson’s since gone into blockbusters, with a lead role in 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and as the upcoming titular Captain Marvel, whom she’ll also portray in Avengers: Endgame.

Age: 21

Notable Role: Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass)

Chloe Grace Moretz was unforgettable as the violent and foul-mouthed Hit Girl in 2009’s Kick Ass, and since then she’s done a variety of roles in less than successful movies. Turns in Dark Shadows, Movie 43, and the Carrie remake weren’t well-received by critics or audiences, but since 2015’s Clouds of Sils Maria, Moretz’s career has taken a surprising upturn. Her subtle performance in Clouds was praised, as was her more broad, comedic performance in 2016’s Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Her career comeback came to a head in 2018 with performances in both The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Suspiria, both hits with critics. Moretz will next be seen in the thriller Greta with Isabelle Huppert, and in a voice role as Wednesday Addams in the upcoming animated The Addams Family.

Age: 26

Notable Role: Bex (Assassination Nation)

Hari Nef’s first major role was a guest arc in the second season of Amazon’s Transparent in 2015. She didn’t work again in movies or television until 2018, but she’s racked up some impressive roles already. She starred in the black comedy thriller Assassination Nation, and landed a recurring role in Lifetime’s hit show You, as well as a guest starring role in HBO’s Camping. We’re not sure what her upcoming projects are, but we’re eager to see what she does next.

Age: 29

Notable Role: Scarlet Witch (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Nobody could have guessed that the third Olsen sister would end up having a more long-lasting career than both Mary-Kate and Ashley and yet, here we are. Elizabeth Olsen had an auspicious start to her career in 2011 with a critically-acclaimed lead role in the thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene. She went on to star opposite Josh Radnor in 2012’s Liberal Arts and opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson in 2014’s Godzilla before landing her biggest role yet: Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, a role she would reprise in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. In 2017, she starred opposite Aubrey Plaza in the dark comedy Ingrid Goes West and reprised her role as Scarlet Witch in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. Olsen has upcoming roles in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and Vision and the Scarlet Witch, which will air on Disney’s forthcoming streaming service.

Age: 23

Notable Role: Krista (The Edge of Seventeen)

Haley Lu Richardson is another young actress who’s just getting started, but already has an impressive filmography. She starred opposite Hailee Steinfeld in 2016’s The Edge of Seventeen and had a supporting role in 2017’s Split alongside Anya Taylor-Joy. Richardson next received critical acclaim for her role opposite John Cho in the 2017 independent drama Columbus. 2018 saw Richardson with a supporting role in indie comedy drama Support The Girls, famously one of Barack Obama’s favorite movies of the year. Richardson will next star opposite Cole Sprouse in the romantic drama Five Feet Apart.

Age: 24

Notable Role: Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Lady Bird)

At 24, Saoirse Ronan already has a pretty impressive career. Her big breakthrough was a supporting role in Atonement, which earned her her first Oscar nomination at the age of 13, making her one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever. She continued to do steady work with 2009’s The Lovely Bones, 2011’s Hanna, and 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. She earned her second Oscar nomination in 2015 for her role in the immigrant drama Brooklyn, and her for 2017’s Lady Bird. She’ll appear alongside Chalamet in Little Women and The French Dispatch.

Age: 23

Notable Role: Franklin Webb (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)

Justice Smith is right on the verge of a breakout after a string of several promising roles. Smith first made a splash with a supporting role in John Green adaptation Paper Towns. Soon after, he was cast as the lead in the original Netflix musical series The Get Down, infamous for being Netflix’s most expensive series (and being cancelled after one season as a result). After the cancellation of The Get Down, he landed a major role opposite Chris Pratt in the blockbuster sequel Jurassic World: Hidden Kingdom. His biggest and most likely star-making role will be in 2019’s Detective Pikachu.

Age: 27

Notable Role: Darius (Atlanta)

Lakeith Stanfield first gained notice for his scene-stealing role in the independent drama Short Term 12 in 2013, for which he earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He went on to act in 2014’s Selma and 2015’s Straight Outta Compton, before being cast on FX’s Atlanta in 2016. 2017 saw Stanfield couple his television fame with a memorable supporting role in smash horror hit Get Out. His streak of acclaimed performances continued in 2018 with a lead role in the surreal dark comedy Sorry To Bother You. Coming up, Stanfield is set to appear in Rian Johnson’s murder mystery Knives Out and Good Time directors Josh and Benny Safdie’s crime drama Uncut Gems.

Age: 22

Notable Role: Mattie Ross (True Grit)

Hailee Steinfeld has managed to handle a successful singing career as well as a solid acting career. Steinfeld received universal acclaim for her role in True Grit, garnering her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the age of 14. Since then, she’s received regular work, with supporting roles in Ender’s Game and Pitch Perfect 2. Her lead role in 2016’s The Edge of Seventeen was one of her most acclaimed roles since True Grit. 2018 saw Steinfeld starring in back to back smash hits, with lead roles in both Bumblebee and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. She’ll next be seen as Emily Dickinson in the comedy series Dickinson, for Apple’s upcoming streaming service.

Age: 22

Notable Role: Thomasin (The Witch)

A rare young scream queen, Anya Taylor-Joy has made her career by starring in horror or otherwise bloody movies. Taylor-Joy first hit the scene as the lead role in 2015’s chilling The Witch. Since then, she’s landed lead roles in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller Split and the dark comedy Thoroughbreds opposite Anton Yelchin. She’s set to have a big year in 2019, reprising her Split role in Glass, as well as playing Ilyana Rasputin, a.k.a. Magik, in the upcoming X-Men horror spinoff The New Mutants.

Age: 29

Notable Role: Alice (Alice in Wonderland)

Mia Wasikowska may have started out in a big Disney blockbuster with 2010’s Alice In Wonderland, but she’s quickly become known for her numerous roles in smaller, artsier fare. That same year, she starred in the critically acclaimed indie The Kids Are Alright, with Julianne Moore and Annette Bening. She went on to play the titular role in 2011’s Jane Eyre, and the lead roles in 2013’s Stoker and 2014’s Only Lovers Left Alive, all arthouse hits. She also starred in 2015’s gothic horror film Crimson Peak, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Coming down the pipeline are roles in the horror comedy Piercing and the Kate Winslet drama Blackbird.