Thursday, May 29, 2014

Hollywood's Rising Stars: Part 1



Like everything in life, Hollywood goes through cycles. Superstars come and go in this industry and, sometimes, they're completely unexpected. How many people watched Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 and knew that a young unknown actor named Johnny Depp would grow into the success he's become? It happens all the time. So I decided to dig deep and look into the recent past and upcoming future to try and pinpoint the next wave of superstars about to unleash on Tinseltown. But before we begin this two-part look at ten of Hollywood's rising stars, I'll begin with a brief list of the honorable mention selections that also have a chance at becoming household names.

Honorable Mention: Jake Johnson (Safety Not Guaranteed and the TV hit New Girl), Eva Green (Casino Royale and the upcoming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Tye Sheridan (Mud and The Tree of Life) and Kaitlyn Dever (Short Term 12 and the upcoming release from Sundance, Laggies)




The indie princess, Brit Marling, is my dark horse in this race to stardom. Best known for spectacular turns in Sundance hits like Another Earth, Arbitrage and The East, she hasn't broken into the blockbuster scene quite yet. However, she's created quite the stir with indie cinephiles and I have a feeling it won't be long until this highly intelligent and remarkably underrated actress takes Hollywood by storm.




Anyone who follows my work knows how much I enjoyed the tender and sentimental 2013 drama, About Time (which landed in my Top Ten Films of 2013). Although the always fantastic Bill Nighy stole the show, at its center was the charming and lovable Domhnall Gleeson. Having found serious face-time in the wildly successful Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1 and 2) and garnering a role in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII, Domhnall may just find himself taking over the industry before any of us know it.




Speaking of the hit drama, About Time, the next person on my list also carried a role in the film. Yet, the beautifully stunning Australian actress, Margot Robbie, is best known for capturing Leonardo DiCaprio's heart in Scorcese's entertaining comedy, The Wolf of Wall Street. While the jury is still out on whether or not she has serious staying power in the industry, Robbie will be given the opportunity to carry a major blockbuster film with 2016's Tarzan




Having caught the eyes of audiences as a young actor in HBO's The Wire and, since then, dazzling in well received films such as Chronicle and the 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner, Fruitvale Station, Michael B. Jordan is on a mission bound for success. The charismatic young man aims to turn some heads with the upcoming blockbuster reboot, The Fantastic Four, scheduled for 2015. It's also been announced that Jordan plans to re-team with his Fruitvale Station director, Ryan Coogler, for a spin-off of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky. He'll star as the grandson of fictional character, Apollo Creed, who fights under the tutelage of Stallone.




Upon my further research of the budding star, Miles Teller, I was shocked to discover that he was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania (10 minutes from where I reside). Best known as Shailene Woodley's counterpart in the indie teen sensation, The Spectacular Now, I was most impressed with Teller's work in the upcoming character study out of Sundance, Whiplash. Anyone who can stand toe-to-toe in the acting ring with an immensely underrated talent like J.K. Simmons definitely has what it takes to become a superstar, so consider me "sold". Keep an eye out for Miles Teller who will star alongside Michael B. Jordan in The Fantastic Four reboot. 


*** Stay tuned for tomorrow when I take a look at the Top 5 Rising Stars in Hollywood.

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