Top 50 Most Popular Actresses In Their 20s

One of the most brilliant screen performers to make it to our list, Saoirse Una Ronan has already been nominated for the Academy Awards four times.

In fact, you'd be surprised to learn that she was nominated for an Oscar as a teenager itself.

The actress has been seen headlining some amazing motion pictures such as Little Women, Lady Bird, Atonement, Hanna, Brooklyn, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Ronan has also received five nominations for the British Academy Film Awards.

While she was featured by Forbes in two of their 30 Under 30 lists in 2016, she was also ranked tenth by The New York Times on their list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

Known for her distinct frown in scenes that require a fair bit of drama, Florence Pugh is one of the most talented young actresses working anywhere in the world today.

She won a British Independent Film Award for her stunning portrayal of a young bride in the 2016 independent drama film Lady Macbeth.

The actress continued to impress both critics and viewers alike by performing in feature films such as King Lear, Midsommar, Fighting with My Family, and Black Widow.

The fantastic Florence has gone on to put her versatility on display by appearing in projects such as Don't Worry Darling, The Wonder, Little Women, and A Good Person.

Hailee Steinfeld has gained a reputation for being a versatile and dependable mainstream entertainer.

The actress, who is also a super-successful singer, was first seen on television in the show Back to You in 2007.

Soon after, she started making her presence felt in the movies as well.

She has been a part of some spectacular feature films, such as The Edge of Seventeen, True Grit, and Begin Again.

However, she received acclaim for her performance in the drama series Dickinson.

Chloë Grace Moretz has been a part of the entertainment industry for over fifteen years now.

The young and talented actress has been a recipient of four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards, respectively.

She has been featured on the covers of magazines like Vogue, Flaunt, Elle, etc.

Moretz can be seen in motion pictures such as Hugo, If I Stay, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, The Amityville Horror, The Eye, Dark Shadows, Carrie, and The Equalizer.

The tall and attractive Zendaya shot to fame after playing a pivotal role in the mammoth global blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home.

A recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Satellite Award, and a Saturn Award, she has made her presence felt in several other television and film projects as well.

Some of her better-known television and film credits include Good Luck Charlie, Euphoria, The Greatest Showman, Dune, and Malcolm & Marie, to name a few.

Also, her performance in Challengers managed to grab eyeballs.

Quvenzhané Wallis, who has been facing the camera ever since she was 5 years old, became the youngest nominee for the Best Actress Academy Award.

Not only that but she is also the only actor born in the 21st century to be nominated for an Oscar, thus far.

At the age of 5, she auditioned for the drama film Beasts of the Southern Wild and starred as Hushpuppy in the same.

She has also played the role of Annie Bennett in the 2014 adaptation of Annie; a motion picture for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical).

Needless to say, Wallis has been among nominations right from the beginning of her career. Therefore, it will not be a surprise to find her scaling new heights of success soon.

A big fan of the Harry Potter franchise of films, Olivia Rodrigo found fame after having portrayed the lead roles on television shows such as High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Bizaardvark.

This talented celeb is adept at both acting and playing musical instruments. In fact, her debut single "Drivers License", which was released in 2020, went on to break various records and became one of the best-selling songs of 2021.

Needless to say, the track propelled her to mainstream fame.

There is no denying that the amazing Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the most popular actresses in her 20s.

Even though she started her film career by playing a negligible role in Vampire Academy, she shot to fame with her very next release, The Witch.

Named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021, she is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

She has been seen in acclaimed television and film projects such as The Queen's Gambit, Emma, Thoroughbreds, and Split.

That said, the actress won hearts the world over with her remarkable performance in the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit, which went on to win eleven Emmy awards.

Dakota Fanning shot to fame after having portrayed Lucy Dawson in the drama film I Am Sam.

She was so good in the movie that her performance ended her getting nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award at the tender age of 8; making her the youngest nominee in SAG history.

She has so far been a part of popular film projects such as Ocean's 8, The Alienist, and Charlotte's Web.

Mary Elle Fanning is yet another young actress who has been doing quite well for herself.

The actress made her screen debut by playing the younger version of her sister Dakota Fanning in the drama film I Am Sam.

Even though was seen in quite a few films as a child actor, she truly came into her own after having starred in the science-fiction drama Super 8.

She even won a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival for her role in the movie.

Keke Palmer started her career quite early as a child artist. Being the daughter of two professional actors, she was a gifted artist.

She used to sing in her church from the age of 5. Her big break came in the film Barbershop 2: Back in Business.

Impressed with her performance, the producers encouraged the family to move to California. Eventually, the girl signed up to star in TV serials like Cold Case, ER, Law, and Order: SVU, and Second Time Around.

She also starred in the TV movie Knights of South Bronx. Her role in the movie Akeelah and the Bee got her noticed and won her critical acclaim.

She has been a recipient of many prestigious awards like the NAACP Image Awards, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, Black Reel Awards, and BET Awards, to mention a few.

Bella Ramsey started acting only as a hobby at the tender age of 4. They truly left everyone in awe with their confident portrayal of the young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in arguably the most popular television series in the world: Game of Thrones.

While they were seen playing Mildred Hubble in the 2017 television series The Worst Witch, one can also find them portraying Ellie in the HBO drama series The Last of Us at present.

That said, Isabella earned a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer for their role play in the 2022 historical comedy film Catherine Called Birdy.

Daughter of actress Miranda Harcourt, the beautiful Thomasin McKenzie is a Kiwi actress who began to make her presence felt in the movies as a teenager.

While she was seen playing a tiny role in The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, she managed to grab eyeballs after her superb performance in the drama film Leave No Trace.

More acclaim and recognition followed as Thomasin continued to appear in feature films such as Jojo Rabbit, The King, and True History of the Kelly Gang.

Of late, the actress has been seen playing the titular role in Eileen and a parallel lead in the psychological horror film Last Night in Soho.

Jenna Ortega started her career as a child actor and was initially known for portraying Annie in the supernatural horror movie Insidious: Chapter 2.

The young actress was also seen playing Mary Ann in the direct-to-video film The Little Rascals Save the Day.

However, she was appreciated for her character projection of Young Jane in the comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin. Also, her performance in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle won her the well-deserved Imagen Award for Best Young Actor on Television in 2018.

Ortega has been featured in movies and shows such as The Babysitter: Killer Queen, You, and The Fallout, among others.

She received nominations at the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix horror comedy series Wednesday.

Amandla Stenberg was first seen in the motion picture Colombiana in 2011. She gained recognition within the cinematic universe after having portrayed Rue in The Hunger Games.

She has been a part of shows such as Sleepy Hollow and Mr. Robinson.

When it comes to the movies, the young actress has been seen in feature films such as Everything, Everything and The Hate U Give, among others.

For her performance in the latter, she ended up winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.

Kiernan Shipka may only be in her 20s but she has already made a name for herself by starring in television shows such as Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mad Men, Feud: Bette and Joan, and Riverdale.

When it comes to films, the young star has been seen in projects such as Carriers, Flowers in the Attic, The Blackcoat's Daughter, and The Silence, to name a few.

Margaret Constance "Maisie" Williams, who is popularly known as Maisie Williams, shot to global fame after playing the cute but ferocious Arya Stark in the blockbuster television show Game of Thrones.

For her performance in the aforementioned series, she received two well-deserved nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Since then, she has been seen in television and movie projects such as Doctor Who, Cyberbully, iBoy, The Falling, and The New Mutants, to name a few.

Eliza Jane Scanlen, despite being an incredibly gifted actor, is still a tad underrated, in our humble opinion.

While she was first seen on the television show Home and Away, she stunned critics and viewers alike with her performance in the film Babyteeth.

Her strong character projection in the HBO miniseries Sharp Objects also brought her well-deserved critical acclaim.

Better still, she managed to hold her own in director Greta Gerwig's well-regarded period drama Little Women as well.

Ariel Winter shot to fame after starring as Alex Dunphy in the ABC comedy series Modern Family. She made her television debut on the show Listen Up! in 2005.

Along with her co-stars, she won four Screen Actors Guild Awards for "Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series" for Modern Family.

She has been a part of feature films such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Speed Racer, and Duress, among others.

Dove Cameron is known to have played the dual role of the eponymous character in the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie. She is also a talented and successful vocalist.

For her performance in the aforementioned show, she ended up winning the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.

The young star has also played a key role in the Descendants series of movies.

She even starred in the Netflix film Dumplin' alongside Jennifer Aniston.

Madison Nicole Ziegler was first noticed in a reality show called Dance Moms. She has appeared in advertisements, feature films, concerts, television shows, and on magazine covers since the start of her career.

The young celeb was included on Time magazine's list of the "30 most influential teens" for three consecutive years between 2015 to 2017.

She has been featured in movies and television shows such as West Side Story, The Book of Henry, The Fallout, Drop Dead Diva, and Dancing with the Stars, to name a few.

In 2023, Ziegler was included on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Hollywood & Entertainment category.

Sydney Sweeney made her screen debut in the 2009 feature film ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction. She has only shot to fame in recent years.

One of the prettiest and boldest young performers to make it to our list, she started grabbing eyeballs after having appeared in shows such as The Handmaid's Tale, Everything Sucks!, Sharp Objects, and Euphoria.

The actress was even seen playing a minor role in director Quentin Tarantino's well-received period drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Not many readers would be aware of the fact that Joey Lynn King has been acting since she was just 4 years old.

The young actress first made an appearance on the popular television show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody in 2006.

She shot to fame after playing a significant role in feature films such as Ramona and Beezus and The Kissing Booth.

For her adroit performance in the drama series The Act, she was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

The beautiful Bella Thorne was first seen playing an uncredited role in the 2003 feature film Stuck on You.

However, a well-known face today, she has been a part of some extremely popular feature films such as Blended, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Amityville: The Awakening, and the Babysitter franchise.

The talented star has been a recipient of an Imagen Award, a Shorty Award, a Teen Choice Award, and three Young Artist Awards, respectively.

Haley Lu Richardson's early television roles were in shows such as Shake It Up and Ravenswood. But, she was first seen in the TV movie Christmas Twister.

She was praised for her performance in motion pictures such as The Edge of Seventeen, Support the Girls, and Split.

Furthermore, the actress was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress for her outstanding performance in the acclaimed feature film Columbus.

Sadie Elizabeth Sink may have been working in the entertainment industry for over fifteen years now, but she has only found fame in recent years.

The actress, who was first seen making an appearance on the television show Tweenies, shot to fame after having played the role of Max Mayfield in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.

Furthermore, she even featured as Ziggy Berman in the Netflix horror film trilogy, Fear Street.

Lili Pauline Reinhart was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She is best known for playing the role of Betty Cooper on The CW teen drama series Riverdale.

The actress has made an appearance in television shows such as Surviving Jack and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

She has, so far, been seen in motion pictures such as Chemical Hearts, Hustlers, The Good Neighbor, and The Kings of Summer, to name a few.

Isabela Merced is one of the most beautiful and promising actresses to make it to our list today.

Even though she is in her early 20s, she has gone on to participate in some well-known features such as Transformers: The Last Knight, Instant Family, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Sweet Girl, and Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

When it comes to her television appearances, Isabela has been a part of shows such as 100 Things to Do Before High School and Growing Up Fisher.

Natalia Dyer shot to fame after having played the significant role of Nancy Wheeler in the Netflix science fiction-horror series Stranger Things.

The actress made her screen debut in 2009 by appearing in Hannah Montana: The Movie.

She has also been a part of projects such as The Greening of Whitney Brown, I Believe in Unicorns, and Velvet Buzzsaw, to name a few.

The charming Sophie Turner made her screen debut in the renowned television show Game of Thrones.

For her excellent character projection in the same, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019.

The actress has also been seen in motion pictures such as Another Me, The Thirteenth Tale, and Barely Lethal, to name a few.

Sabrina Carpenter is a singer and writer who made her television debut on the show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

However, her significant recurring role as the young Chloe Goodwin in The Goodwin Games is what brought her both critical acclaim.

Having said that, she gained further recognition after having featured in shows and feature films such as Girl Meets World, Adventures in Babysitting, Horns, The Short History of the Long Road, Emergency, The Hate U Give, and Clouds, to name a few.

Storm Reid made her television debut with a film called A Cross to Bear in 2012. However, she came into the limelight after appearing in movies such as 12 Years a Slave, Sleight, and A Wrinkle in Time.

The young actor, whose career launched at the tender age of 3, has always sought to be a leading actress in the industry.

She can also be seen marking her presence in popular shows such as When They See Us, Euphoria, and The Last of Us.

Reid delivered a convincing performance in the 2023 mystery thriller film Missing.

Mackenzie Christine Foy first gained attention after playing the role of Renesmee Cullen in the 2012 film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

She soon started to make her charming presence felt in other projects.

For her performance in the aforementioned film though, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Young Actress in a Feature Film.

That said, she went on to win the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for her performance in director Christopher Nolan's cult science fiction film Interstellar.

Sophia Lillis was first seen on the reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City in 2012. She rose to prominence after playing a key role in It and its sequel, It: Chapter Two.

She has also been a part of television shows such as I Am Not Okay with This and Sharp Objects.

The actress has also been seen in feature films such as Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase and Uncle Frank, among others.

Maya Hawke is another competent and relatively new screen performer to make it to our list.

Not many of our readers would be aware of the fact that she is the daughter of distinguished film stars Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.

It is not surprising then that she resembles her mother almost completely.

She made her awaited screen debut as Jo March in the BBC adaptation of Little Women.

Furthermore, she was seen playing Robin in the third season of the science fiction Netflix series Stranger Things.

Peyton Roi List began her career as a child model and made her big-screen debut with 27 Dresses.

She did not take a long time to attract the attention of the viewers. Sooner than later, she started to gain recognition for portraying the character of Holly Hills in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series.

Furthermore, her performance in the Disney drama series Jessie brought her critical acclaim.

Kiersey Clemons made her screen debut on the television show Shake It Up in 2010. She did not take a lot of time to start making her presence felt in the movies.

Pretty soon, she was seen performing in motion pictures such as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Flatliners, Scoob!, Hearts Beat Loud, and Sweetheart, to name a few.

However, it would be safe to say that her breakout role was in the feature film Dope.

Halle Bailey is an actress, singer, and songwriter who began her career as a child actor by appearing in Disney series and films such as Joyful Noise, Let It Shine, Austin & Ally, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, etc.

She and her sister Chloe worked as a duo and made YouTube covers of hit songs. Halle learned how to write music from her father at the tender age of 5 and used to harmonize with her sister while playing in their kitchen.

Watching YouTube tutorials, the talented sisters learned all that they wished to and, ultimately, began making music on their channel from the age of 11.

After getting the necessary exposure through the Disney series, the Bailey sisters launched their music career and were eventually nominated for five Grammys in 2019.

That said, Halle never neglected her acting career and, in fact, shot to fame in 2023 with her portrayal of Ariel in Disney's musical fantasy film The Little Mermaid.

Kathryn Newton made her screen debut by appearing on the show All My Children in 2002. She has been a part of quite a few popular television shows so far.

The young actress has been seen in television projects such as Gary Unmarried, Big Little Lies, The Society, Halt and Catch Fire, and Supernatural, to name a few.

She has also been a part of feature films such as Bad Teacher, Paranormal Activity 4, Blockers, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, among others.

The supremely talented Emma Mackey is one of the most charming young ladies to make it to our story today.

She grew up in France and moved to London where she happened to make her stage debut.

The actress shot to fame after having portrayed the feisty Maeve Wiley on the show Sex Education.

For her performance in the same, she earned a BAFTA Television Award nomination for Best Female Comedy Performance.

The French-British actress has also been seen in movies such as Emily and Death on the Nile.

Zoey Deutch is the daughter of filmmaker Howard Deutch and actress and director Lea Thompson.

She rose to prominence after having starred in feature films such as Everybody Wants Some!! and Set It Up.

The actress also had a decent role to play in the Netflix comedy series The Politician.

That said, one can also find her in projects such as Beautiful Creatures and Vampire Academy.

Yet another talented but underrepresented young face to make it to our list is Nicola Peltz.

The actress made her screen debut by playing a role in the 2006 feature film Deck the Halls. She rose to fame after having featured in the popular television series Bates Motel.

Nicola has been a part of movie projects such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Harold, The Last Airbender, and Affluenza, to name a few.

Camila Mendes is an actor and singer who made her big debut by playing the role of Veronica Lodge on the CW teen drama series Riverdale.

For her commendable performance in the same, she ended up winning the Teen Choice Award for Choice Scene Stealer in the year 2017.

The actress has also appeared in motion pictures such as The New Romantic, The Perfect Date, Dangerous Lies, and Palm Springs.

Sasha Bianca Lane made her screen debut by playing a decent role in the Andrea Arnold directorial venture American Honey. She was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up in Dallas.

She played a significant role in the Disney+ streaming television series Loki, which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The girl has also been seen in motion pictures such as Hearts Beat Loud, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and Hellboy, to name a few.

Leah Lewis has to be among the most underrated young actresses working in Hollywood today.

She won critical acclaim for her outstanding portrayal of Ellie Chu in the 2020 Netflix coming-of-age drama film The Half of It.

She was also seen playing a decent role in the CW series adaptation of Nancy Drew.

Lewis has been featured in movies such as How to Deter a Robber and Fred 3: Camp Fred, thus far.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan rose to fame after having played one of the central characters in the Netflix teen comedy series Never Have I Ever. Out of over 15,000 candidates who auditioned for the role, Mindy Kaling decided to go ahead with her in 2019.

One can say that the character that she plays on the show is at least loosely based on Kaling's personal life. That being said, both the show and Maitreyi's performance opened to positive reviews. 

Thanks to the series, the young actress was also chosen to voice the main protagonist in the Pixar film Turning Red.

Lily-Rose Melody Depp may not have been a part of a lot many television and film projects so far, but she has managed to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry.

First things first, she is the daughter of Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and singer Vanessa Paradis; something that will always fetch her unwanted attention.

That said, she's been a part of motion pictures such as The Dancer, Planetarium, A Faithful Man, and The King, to name a few.

Of late, she has been seen participating in the HBO drama series The Idol.

Liana Daine Liberato made her screen debut on the television show The Inside. She is known to have portrayed the younger version of the female lead in the film The Best of Me.

The actress has so far been seen in motion pictures such as Trust, The Last Sin Eater, and The Expatriate.

For her performance in the Hulu series Light as a Feather, she ended up receiving two nominations; one for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series and another for Outstanding Principal Performance in a Daytime Program.

Madison Lintz may not exactly be very experienced when it comes to her cinematic undertakings, but she has managed to make a name for herself by playing the role of Sophia Peletier in the amazingly popular AMC post-apocalyptic television drama series, The Walking Dead.

Also, her character projection as Madeline "Maddie" Bosch in the Amazon series Bosch brought her further fame.

That said, she can also be seen making her presence felt on television shows such as Nashville and It's Supernatural.

Skai Jackson had already made headlines when she was named as Times' "One of the Most Influential Teens" in 2016.

Famous for playing Zuri Ross in the much-liked Disney sitcom Jessie, she has also been seen appearing in shows and movies such as Marvel Rising: Initiation, K. C. Undercover, Bunk'd, and The Rebound. She continues to act and her net worth is calculated to be over $500,000.