Top 49 Most Popular Young Actors In 2025

The charming Timothée Chalamet was first seen in the legal drama series Law & Order. He is arguably the most popular young star in the world today.

The Dune actor was born and raised in New York City and has already been among awards and nominations, courtesy of his exciting and confident performances in several critically acclaimed features.

His roleplay in Call Me by Your Name earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor at the age of 22.

Chalamet has also been appreciated for his performances in films such as The French Dispatch, Beautiful Boy, Little Women, and Bones and All.

The actor was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018. He starred as Willy Wonka in the musical film Wonka which hit the screens at the end of 2023. 

He is also set to reprise his role of Paul Atreides in the much-awaited sequel of Dune. 

Now that he has won hearts the world over with his remarkable portrayal of the legendary musician Elvis Presley in the biographical musical drama film Elvis, it'd be safe to say that Austin Butler is one of the most talented stars to make it to our piece today.

Watching the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' come alive through his remarkable character projection in the film is one of the most electrifying theatrical experiences one may have had in recent years.

He embodies everything that the superstar musician was and does so spectacularly.

That said, Butler has also appeared in television shows such as The Shannara Chronicles, Switched at Birth, Ruby & the Rockits, and The Carrie Diaries.

We can't wait to watch what this charismatic actor has in store for us.

Tom Holland has been riding high on the mind-boggling success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has turned out to be one of the highest-grossing motion pictures in the United States of America and the world.

While the youngster managed to impress viewers worldwide with his praiseworthy enactment of the popular character, he also went on to showcase his range in difficult-to-see dramas like The Devil All the Time.

He garnered acclaim for his complex character projection in The Crowded Room.

Holland has also directed a short film called Tweet and has voiced roles in some computer-animated features.

The actor, who enrolled in a dancing class at the young age of nine, was seen participating in Uncharted, which opened to mixed reviews at the ticket windows.

He was also seen putting his underrated versatility on display by headlining the Apple TV+ miniseries The Crowded Room.

Tom is reportedly taking some time to recover from the hard work he put into the project.

Jharrel Jerome is an American actor and rapper who made his dream debut in the Academy Award-winning motion picture Moonlight.

He is one of the few actors on our list who is better-known for the "digital" roles that he has gone on to play after his very successful feature film debut.

While he gained further fame after portraying Korey Wise in the miniseries When They See Us, he also went on to make his presence felt in projects such as Mr. Mercedes and Concrete Cowboy.

Jacob Tremblay has to be one of the most active and promising young actors within the cinematic universe today. He shot to fame after playing Jack Newsome in the critically acclaimed drama film Room.

For his performance in the same, he won a Critics' Choice Award, a Canadian Screen Award, and became the youngest nominee for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.

The young star was also praised for his convincing performance in the 2017 feature Wonder; a film in which he starred alongside Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.

Tremblay has also appeared in motion pictures such as Good Boys, Before I Wake, and Shut In, to name a few.

Ashton Durrand Sanders is best known for playing the character of a teenager named Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight.

He made his screen debut in the Chris Eska directorial venture The Retrieval.

The young actor has also been seen playing a minor role in the movie Straight Outta Compton. Not only that but he also appeared in an episode of the Refinery29 web series The Skinny.

John Boyega hit it out of the park when he earned the golden opportunity to star in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Needless to say, the films in the series brought him international fame.

It is said that he managed to win the role in the aforementioned franchise after he impressed director J.J. Abrams with his magnificent performance in the British science-fiction comedy Attack the Block.

Boyega has not only received the BAFTA Rising Star Award but he was also awarded the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Film Festival; both in 2016.

In addition, he was called one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by the New African magazine in 2020.

Born to filmmaker Peter Hedges, Lucas Hedges started his career by playing a few supporting roles in films such as Dan in Real Life, Moonrise Kingdom, and Kill the Messenger.

However, his breakout role came in the 2016 drama Manchester by the Sea. His confident portrayal of a sardonic teenager was widely appreciated, and he went on to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same.

The honor made him the eighth-youngest nominee in the category. That said, the young star has also played supporting roles in dramas such as Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. may have begun his career with small roles in features such as Ender's Game and 12 Years a Slave, but he managed to make a name for himself courtesy of his acclaimed performance in It Comes at Night. 

Further fame followed with the release of titles such as Luce and Waves. He may be waiting to taste stardom in the true sense of the word, but he's already had a smell of the awards.

He's won a Screen Actors Guild Award and has gone on to receive nominations for a British Academy Film Award, Gotham Award, and an Independent Spirit Award, respectively.

This unbelievably talented Irish actor first made a name for himself after delivering fantastic performances in motion pictures such as Dunkirk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

For his role play in the latter, he won an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Furthermore, he was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Calm with Horse.

Listed at number 27 on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's greatest film actors, Keogan won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin.

He has also played a part in television shows and films such as Love/Hate, The Green Knight, and Eternals, among others.

The actor continued to amaze his audience and critics alike by playing a solid role in 2023's Saltburn, which premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival.

There is no denying the fact that Stranger Things has produced more child stars than any show in recent memory.

Among the plethora of child actors who managed to make it into the mainstream through the show, Finn Wolfhard is arguably the most talented.

His confident performance in the series also helped him land a decent role in the very successful 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's It.

Even though he is relatively new to fame, we are certainly going to be seeing more of the actor in the near future.

One of the most experienced young stars to feature on our list, Freddie Highmore has gone on to do what was deemed impossible until a few years ago.

The actor managed to breathe life into the complex character of Norman Bates for the acclaimed series Bates Motel.

Those who are familiar with the character would know that it was sketched by the iconic filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock for his classic horror feature Psycho.

Freddie was also seen putting his acting capabilities on display in yet another breakout hit The Good Doctor.

Not a lot of people would be surprised to find the young and energetic Jaden Smith on this list.

This is not only because the actor has already been a part of some well-known projects but also because he has two screen stars for parents.

While he was first seen on the show All of Us, he made his feature film debut with The Pursuit of Happyness. His real-life father, Will Smith, played his on-screen dad in the drama and the two shared outstanding chemistry.

That said, Smith has been a part of two popular remakes, namely The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Karate Kid. Besides acting, he has also tried his hands at singing.

Alex R. Hibbert impressed one and all with his portrayal of the young version of the main character Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight.

However, the actor has not been seen playing any major film role since.

Be that as it may, his performance in the aforementioned drama was so strong that he fit right in with the talented star cast.

That said, Alex has also participated in projects such as The Chi and Black Panther. But, we hope to see more of him in the years to come.

Tye Kayle Sheridan made his motion picture debut with The Tree of Life in 2011. In the film, he starred alongside Hollywood heavyweights Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain.

He was barely 10 when he had to compete with more than 10,000 other children to grab the opportunity to star in the aforementioned feature.

Needless to say, he managed to win the part and has appeared in several projects since.

Tye can be seen in motion pictures such as X-Men: Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix, Deadpool 2, and Ready Player One, among others.

Cole Mitchell Sprouse, who was apparently named after jazz singer Nat King Cole, has been acting ever since he was an infant.

The actor was a part of Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and its spin-off series.

However, following the culmination of the aforementioned show, he took a break from acting to focus on his education.

That said, he made his comeback by playing a significant role in Riverdale. Even though the show was packed with known faces, Sprouse managed to hold his own.

Ansel Elgort made his screen debut with the horror feature Carrie in 2013. However, he had to wait for appreciation to come his way until the release of The Fault in Our Stars.

The actor has also appeared in The Divergent Series and gained further recognition after starring as Baby in the critically acclaimed motion picture Baby Driver.

In fact, he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) for the same.

He has also been seen playing Tony in Steven Spielberg's 2021 film version of West Side Story.

While Noah Cameron Schnapp found fame after portraying Will Byers in Stranger Things, he proved to be a diligent performer after getting the golden opportunity to appear in acclaimed director Steven Spielberg's spy drama Bridge of Spies.

One of the most talented child actors in Stranger Things, the teenager shone throughout the second season of the series by playing the kid who gets abducted by a monster.

Abraham Nii Attah impressed the viewers and critics alike with his adroit performance in the motion picture Beasts of No Nation.

He has also made an appearance in popular television programs such as Yuki Kaji and Spider-Man: Homecoming: Extras.

Dubbed "the next big actor" in Hollywood by may, he did not really have a background in acting. So, yes, that's precisely why we'd like to see more of him on the big screen.

Asa Butterfield shot to fame after having featured in the critically acclaimed drama film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

The London Film Critics Circle Award nominee is easily among the most refined and talented male actors under the age of 30 today.

Even though Butterfield was first noticed for his role in the aforementioned flick, it is his performance in the television show Sex Education that remains his most effective to date.

Shameik Alti Moore had to make it to our story not only because he can act but also because he can dance, sing, and rap with equal enthusiasm.

Best known for voicing Miles Morales/Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel, he surprised many by his performances in projects such as Dope and Cut Throat City.

In addition, Moore has also been seen on shows such as House of Payne, Reed Between the Lines, Joyful Noise, and Incredible Crew.

Stephan James is a Canadian film actor who shot to fame after having won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor for his convincing portrayal of track and field sprinter Jesse Owens in the 2016 movie Race.

The actor has been a part of the industry for more than a decade now and has gone on to appear in projects such as Degrassi: The Next Generation and My Babysitter's a Vampire.

He's also made his presence felt in titles such as If Beale Street Could Talk and Selma.

That said, James managed to earn his first Golden Globe nomination for playing a soldier with PTSD in the psychological thriller Homecoming.

Jack Dylan Grazer made his screen debut playing a minor role on the television show The Greatest Event in Television History. He is now a well-recognized personality at Warner Bros.

The actor has been a part of successful motion pictures such as It and Shazam!.

Of late, he was seen participating in the series We Are Who We Are, and has done quite well in the show.

Noah Gregory Centineo was first seen in the feature film The Gold Retrievers in 2009. He burst onto the mainstream after having starred in two Netflix movies, namely To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.

Since he was playing a charming and lovable guy in both the features, his performances fetched him a great deal of youth attention.

Noah is also known for portraying Jesus Adams Foster in the final three seasons of the television show The Fosters. He has appeared in projects such as How to Build a Better Boy and Swiped as well.

Will Poulter has got to be one of the most competent and, yet, an underrated screen performer.

Best known for his ability to perfect different accents, he is a versatile actor who has been seen in popular features such as We're the Millers, Detroit, Glassland, Midsommar, and the The Maze Runner franchise.

That said, the actor rose to prominence after having played Eustace Scrubb in the fantasy adventure film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Mizero Ncuti Gatwa is shot to fame after playing a significant role on the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education.

He was so good in the show that his performance ended up earning him a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in Television and two BAFTA Television Award nominations for Best Male Comedy Performance.

However, aside from the aforementioned series, Gatwa has also been a part of other shows such as Stonemouth and The Last Letter from Your Lover.

Also, his introduction as a Scottish celebrity went on to make headlines back in the day.

Jaeden Martell was first seen in the acclaimed 2014 drama film St. Vincet. This promising young talent has been a part of some important television and film projects ever since.

Some of his well-known credits are Defending Jacob, Knives Out, and It.

Martell participated in several commercials at the beginning of his career.

Jace Lee Norman made his professional acting debut on the show Jessie in 2012. He made a name for himself after having portrayed Henry Hart in the Nickelodeon television series Henry Danger. 

Even though he was involved with the aforementioned show for over six years, he also made an appearance on shows such as The Thunder and Danger Force.

While he already does have a decent amount of experience at such a young age, what is most admirable about Jace is the fact that he is an inspiring individual who has dared to open up about his experience as a person with dyslexia.

The nice and talented Noah Jupe may not have been around for a long time, but he has already been a part of some well-known television and film projects.

His most popular television and film credits so far are The Night Manager, The Undoing, Suburbicon, Wonder, A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part II, and Ford v Ferrari.

For his performance in the drama film Honey Boy, Noah was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Anthony Ramos Martinez is known for having originated the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton.

He has been a part of motion pictures such as In the Heights and A Star Is Born.

The actor received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in the stage recording of Hamilton in 2020.

Charlie Faulkner Plummer is one of the most talented young guys to make it to our piece today.

He gave his career a kick-start as a child actor before appearing in television dramas such as Granite Flats and Boardwalk Empire.

The actor has been seen in titles such as Not Fade Away, King Jack, and Lean on Pete, among others.

His character projection in the lattermost project even earned him the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Emerging Actor at the 74th Venice Film Festival.

This talented child actor is best known for his starring role as Sheldon Cooper in the hit series Young Sheldon.

He has also appeared in other popular television shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Big Little Lies.

Iain Armitage, who has voiced young Shaggy Rogers in 'Scoob!', has been a recipient of the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Leading Young Actor) for his role play of Sheldon Cooper.

Gaten Matarazzo is popular for playing Dustin Henderson in the Netflix science-fiction-horror drama series Stranger Things.

The young host of the Netflix show Prank Encounters has also appeared on Verizon FIOS commercials.

He also serves as the executive producer on the show.

In addition to the aforementioned credits, we would like to add that the young actor is a competent Broadway performer and has made his presence felt in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Miserables.

Joel Courtney made his debut and is perhaps best known for his role in the 2011 feature film Super 8. He truly is one of the emerging talents within the industry.

The actor is also popular for his starring role in The Kissing Booth series of films.

In addition, he has been a part of projects such as Mercy, Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, The Empty Man, and Dear Eleanor, to name a few.

That said, Courtney has also appeared on television shows such as Agents of S. H. I. E. L. D, APB, Double Dare, The Messengers, and Group Chat with Annie & Jayden.

Julian Bailey Dennison debuted in the 2013 feature film Shopping. He ended up winning the English Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same.

However, he delivered his finest performance in director Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The project went on to become the highest-grossing New Zealand film in history.

What perhaps made him connect to the viewers who liked the film was that the young performer could get both funny and endearing at the same time.

He has also starred in popular feature films such as Deadpool 2, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Christmas Chronicles 2.

Callan McAuliffe is another fine young talent to make it to our story. He was one of the central protagonists in the period drama film The Great Gatsby.

When it comes to television shows, the actor has made an appearance in the famous zombie-thriller series The Walking Dead.

Even though the Australian celebrity does not have an enormous following on social media, he is multi-talented, to say the least.

We say so because McAuliffe has also written a best-selling book, called 'The Hill Ghost.'

Asher Dov Angel began his career as a child actor in the 2008 film Jolene. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jonah Beck in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack

The year 2019 saw him play the role of Billy Batson in the DC Extended Universe film Shazam!. He was also a part of its much-awaited sequel.

That said, Asher has been involved with music and has also recorded a song with Wiz Khalifa.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin is an actor, model, and producer who is known for starring as Hardin Scott in the After series of feature films.

He was also a part of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

In addition to his aforementioned credits, Hero has also featured in projects such as The Silencing, Safe, and Private Peaceful, among others.

Kofi Siriboe hails from Los Angeles, California and is an actor and model who has gone on to make his presence felt in major shows such as Queen Sugar and Girls Trip.

While he has not been seen in a lot many feature films since he appeared in the aforementioned shows, he is rumored to be working in independent movies of late.

That said, the actor reportedly shifts his focus to fashion projects when he is not acting. Needless to say, he has collaborated with several popular fashion brands till now.

Dacre Montgomery is best known for his work on the popular show Stranger Things. He has also featured in the reboot of the Power Rangers film franchise.

Even though he is mostly known for his work on television, one cannot help but acknowledge that he may continue to make his presence felt in the entertainment industry.

Having said that, our readers would like to know that the actor even released his podcast in 2019, titled DKMH; mostly featuring his poetic work.

Charlie Ross Heaton, who is relatively new to the scene, is so far best known for playing the role of Jonathan Byers in the popular Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things.

Also a musician, he shifted to London at the age of 16 to join a noise-rock band named Comanechi as their drummer. The actor toured with them for over a year.

Before making his acting debut on the television series DCI Banks, Charlie played a role in the short film Life Needs Courage in 2014.

Max Joseph Charles was first seen on the television show True Blood in 2010. He is considered to be one of the most refreshing talents under the age of 30 by critics and viewers alike.

The young actor has made his presence felt in feature films such as The Three Stooges and The Amazing Spider-Man.

In addition, he has appeared on shows like The Strain and the comedy science fiction series The Neighbors.

That said, we'd like to inform our readers that Max is also equally adept at singing and songwriting.

Ezra Miller was first seen on the television show Cakey! The Cake from Outer Space and made his feature film debut with Afterschool.

He went on to stun the viewers with his mind-numbing portrayal of Kevin in the hard-hitting drama film We Need to Talk About Kevin.

The controversial actor has appeared in the coming-of-age drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and the comedy flick Trainwreck as well.

He is perhaps best known for portraying 'The Flash' in the DCEU.

Ty Keegan Simpkins may still be very young but he started appearing on television right from the year in which he was born.

The actor made his feature film debut in filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, and has been a part of well-known titles such as Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, Jurassic World, Iron Man 3, and Avengers: Endgame.

It isn't such a small feat to be a part of blockbusters like the ones mentioned above at such a young age. Needless to say, Ty has been doing well for himself.

Bryshere Yazuan Gray, popularly known as Yazz or Yazz the Greatest, shot to fame after playing the part of Hakeem Lyon in the popular musical drama television series Empire.

His confident performance in the show ended up getting him nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Breakout Star.

Also known for his portrayal of Michael Bivins in the miniseries The New Edition Story, he soon began to work as an independent actor.

Having said that, our readers should know that aside from being an actor, he is also a rapper.

David Alvarez is a dancer and actor who is known for having appeared in director Steven Spielberg's 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story.

Our viewers would be surprised to know that he is one of the youngest winners of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Also, he is a classically trained ballet dancer. That said, his outstanding portrayal of Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical was highly praised by the critics and earned him their trust.

Tanner Buchanan made his debut as a child actor on the hit television series Modern Family. He has also featured in other award-winning TV shows.

Even though he is best known for appearing in projects such as Designated Survivor and Cobra Kai, the young one also managed to make his presence felt in critically acclaimed shows such as Game Shakers, Grey's Anatomy, and The Fosters.

Indeed, his resume already seems to be full of some much-liked shows and the actor is only in his 20s.

Khylin Rhambo is an actor and writer who is known for having appeared on shows such as Reed Between the Lines, The First Family, and MTV’s Teen Wolf.

However, these are not the only shows the actor is known for. He has played a supporting role in programs such as Ironside and Criminal Minds as well.

That said, Khylin has played a part in feature films such as 47 Meters Down: Uncaged and Ender's Game, among others.

Nicholas William Hamilton is perhaps best known for portraying Rellian in Captain Fantastic. However, he rose to fame after having featured in the It series of films.

The Endless actor has also been a part of a few short films at the beginning of his career.

Aside from the aforementioned features, he was also seen in titles such as Strangerland and The Dark Tower. He marked his presence in the second season of Hulu's Love, Victor as well.