I wanted to shine a light on some of the amazingly talented young adults and kids of this generation. Especially people of color who may not get talked about enough. So check it out and feel free to let me know if you feel I have forgotten anyone because trust me it’s so much talent out here and it was hard pick just 25. So here we go.
25. Ja'Siah Young: Age 9
Ja'Siah stole my heart by starring in the role of Dion in the hit Netflix series Raising Dion. He’s the lead in the show at only 9 years old and he’s holding it down. They’re even getting a season 2 so I can’t wait to see what else he brings!
24. Maceo Smedley: Age 14
Macceo has been acting since the age of 5, starting with commercials. He caught my attention with his role of James in the hit sereis Underground , he played his character so well at such a young age he caught your attention in every scene he was apart of and this was his first tv show he ever booked. You can also check him out in the short film titled Momma.
23. Brett Gray: Age 24
Brett began acting at 6 doing different plays at his school. Brett biggest role to date is the role of Jamal on the Netflix series On My Block, which he is hilarious in his comedic timing is always on point. Gaining a lot of praise on social media as the star of the show. Brett has also released two music EP's since 2018 titled Easy Daze and Blue.
22. Asante Blackk: Age 19
Asante began acting as a kid at his elementary school. His biggest role to date was as Kevin Richardson one of the exonerated members of the Central Park Five, in the Netflix series When They See Us. The Role which earned him and Primetime Emmy Award nomination and one of the youngest actors to be nominated for the award. He also had an recurring role on the NBC series This is Us.
21.Navia Robinson: Age 15
Navia has been acting since she was 9 years old. She starred in Being Mary Jane, and The Vampire Diaries. Currently she is starring in the Disney Channel hit series Ravens Home as the daughter of Raven Baxter, Nia Baxter Carter . I can see her becoming the lead of her Disney Channel series soon.
20. Marcus Scribner: Age 21
Marcus has been acting since the age of 10. With numerous roles on Castle, New Girl, and Wendell and & Vinnie. His biggest role to date is his role of Andre Johnson Jr on the hit comedy Black-ish. Which he is hilarious on, he demands your attention in every scene and you can't help but to crack up with laughs every time he enters the room. I can see him bodying comedy films in the future.
19.Miles Brown: Age 16
Miles Brown has been in the business since the age of 5. From starring in music videos which to being a guest star on Ellen. His biggest role to date is his role as Jack Johnson on Black-Ish I feel like I watched him grown into young man on this show. I know he has much more to come with his music career and film career in the future.
18. Issac Ryan Brown: Age 15
Issac has been acting since the age of six. From roles on Sam and Cat and Black-Ish and he also stared in the Kim Possible live tv action movie. Though his biggest role to date came in 2017 as Booker Baxter Carter the son of Raven Baxter in Raven's Home. Issac is hilarious on Ravens Home and him and Raven Symone have the best comedic chemistry. His acting resume continues to grow, I can't wait to see what he has in store once he gets older.
17. Quvenzhané Wallis: Age 17
Quvenzhané has been acting since 2012 at the age of 5. She has had a few notable roles from starring in Annie, Trolls, and Black-ish. She's also a published author releasing two books in 2017: Shai & Emma Star in Break an Egg! and A Night Out with Mama. All of this at the age of 17 I can't wait to see what else she brings into the game!
16. Caleb McLaughlin: Age 19
Caleb has been acting since a kid starting out in Broadway he then went on star on different shows from Law and Order, What Would You Do? and Shades of Blue. His biggest role to date comes with Stranger Things a Netflix series where he stars as Lucas Sinclair, which got him an NAACP Image awards for outstanding performance. Caleb made his movie debut starring in Concrete Cowboy which comes to Netflix in April 2nd.
15. Skai Jackson: Age 18
Skai has been acting since a kid in 2007. Starring in a few roles and doing voice overs for Nickelodeodeon. Her biggest role to date was in the Disney Channel sitcom's Jessie and Bunk'd which she played Zuri Ross. Skai has continued her success by continuing to do voice over roles and guest appearances. At just the age of 18 she is a huge infleuncer of her generation.
14. Jacob Latimore: Age 24
Jacob began his career in 2009 with roles on One Tree Hill, Tyler Perry's House of Payne and films Vanishing on 7th Street and Black Nativity. In 2016 he also began his music career releasing his first album titled Connection. Jacob's biggest role to date is the role of Emmett on the hit drama The Chi.
13. Amandla Stenberg: Age 22
Amandla's acting career began in 2011 when she starred in the action film Colombiana as Young Cataleya. From there Amandla would go on to star in the hit film The Hunger Games, Rio 2 and As You Are and Everything, Everything. Amanda's biggest role to date is her role as Starr Carter in the highly anticipated film The Hate You Give for which she won NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
12. Lexi Underwood: Age 17
Lexi has been acting since the age of 10 performing in theatre. She went on to star in shows such as CBS's Brotherhood, Nickelodeon's Henry Danger, and Disney Channel's Ravens Home. Her biggest role to date is the role of Pearl Warren on Hulu's Little Fire Everywhere. She is also set to star in as Malia Obama in anticipated HBO series The First Lady. And it can't get any better than that all at the age of 17!
11. Michael Rainey Jr: Age 20
Michael began acting at the age of 10, starring in the films Un altro mondo, LUV and Lee Daniels: The Butler. In 2013 he began a recurring role on Orange Is The New Black as Michael Burset. This role lead to his biggest role to date as Tariq St Patrick on the Starz hit series Power. Michael started off as a recurring character but his character became so popular that he became a main character and the shows main plots started to revolve around him. Michael has even earned himself his own spin off show. Power Book II: Ghost, and he is killing it.
10.Trevor Jackson: Age 24
Trevor began his career at the age of eight. From performing in his home town to making to the Apollo and eventually going on tour as Young Simba in The Lion King Musical. From 2010 to 2014 Trevor would go on to guest star on different shows, from Austin & Ally Cold Case and Eureka. He also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Let It Shine as Kris McDuffy. Trevor began his music career in 2012 which led to him to opening for Justin Skye on the High School Nation Tour in 2013. In 2018 Trevor received his first lead in a film as Youngblood Priest in Superfly. Trevor is also starring on the hit freeform series Grown-ish as Aaron Jackson which is his most known role to date.
9. Storm Reid: Age 17
Storm has been acting since the age of 9. Her first major roles were in A Cross To Bear, and and 12 Years a Slave. Her biggest role to date came in 2018 where she starred in 2018's A Wrinkle In Time where she starred as Meg Murry. She has been in a film every year since. You can also catch her on HBO's hit show Eurphoria as Gia Bennet. Keep it coming sis!
8. China Anne McClain: Age 22
China started her career at 7 years old starring in the film titled The Gospel where she would sing. China from there went on to star in Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She became a huge success from the show and a fan favorite, from there China would go on to star in Daddys Little Girls and she got a lead role for the Disney Channel series Ant Farm. Since then China has starred in numerous projects from Disneys Decedents and Black Lightening. China has decided to take a break from acting at this time but there is no doubt in my mind that she will be back and killing the game!
7. Jharrel Jerome: 23
Jharrel has been acting since 2016, his first major role came when he starred in the critically acclaimed film Moonlight. His biggest role to date came in 2019 when he starred in the Netflix series When They See Us. Jharrel played Korey Wise one of the exonerated members of the Central Park Five. I know Jharrel may not have as long a resume as those Ive put him before but this role here is why I placed him so high. HE BODIED Korey Wise. From his mannerisms, the way he talked. I felt the pain in those scenes. And Jharrel is only 23. There are actors that are older than him who have never gave such a great performance as he did. He even earned himself an Emmy and he is the first Afro-Latino actor to do so. Imagine the type of art he will create as he gets older? I can't wait to see.
6&5 . Halle & Chloe Bailey: Age 20 and 22
I decided to place these two Queens together. Chloe and Halle started their careers in 2003. From Chloe starring as young Beyoncé (young Lily) in The Fighting Temptations, to them both starring in the Last Holiday film as Anna and Tina. After starring in a few more films they eventually would go on to create a YouTube channel where they started to do music covers. This would lead them to get noticed by Beyoncé after doing a cover of her song Pretty Hurts. And they have been working very hard since then. Both are amazing vocalists who skills seem to get better over time. In 2016 they joined the cast of Grown-ish and even wrote and sung the shows theme song, which is titled Grown. With the success of their 2nd album Ungodly Hour and Halle set star in the live action film Disneys The Little Mermaid. I know these two are here to stay for a long time.
4. Jaden Smith: Age 22
Jaden made his career debut in 2006 starring along side his dad in Pursuit of Happiness. From there he would go on to star in small roles on tv shows such as All of us and The Suite Life of Zack Cody .His biggest role to date is The Karate Kid as Dre Parker where he was nominated for a NAACP award. Since then Jaden has starred in the films After Earth and Life in Year. He also starred in the coming of age drama, The Get Down on Netflix. In 2010 Jaden started his music career but it wasn't until 2017 that he released his debut album Syre which reached #24 on the billboard hot 200. With success of his album he went on to headline his own tour in 2018, Vision Tour: A North American Journey. In 2015 Jaden launched his very own water company titled Just Water. As a kid he became upset at seeing plastic water bottles littering the beach, and decided that he could create a better bottle. Currently the company is valued at 100 million.
3. Zendaya: Age 24
Zendaya began her career in 2009 doing modeling for different children's ads, her big break wouldn't come until 2010 as Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel series Shake it up. From there Zendaya would also star in the Disney Channel film Frenemies and in 2013 she released her first album titled Zendaya. In 2014 Zendaya got her very own show on Disney Channel titled K.C Undercover. Since then Zendaya has starred in Marvel's Spider-Man:Homecoming and Spider-Man Far from Home as MJ. In 2019 she booked the role of Rue Bennet in the HBO drama Euphoria. In February of 2021 Zendaya starred in her first adult role as Marie in the Netflix film Malcom and Marie. With this role Zendaya proved that she has not only grown into a talented young woman but the acting range she has. I don't think there is a part out there that she can not slay!
2. Marsai Martin: Age 16
Marsai began her acting career in 2014 starring Diane Johnson the abc hit tv series Black-ish. A role that has earned her numerous awards including three NAACP awards. In 2019 Marsai starred in her first feature film as Young Jordan Sanders, the role which she earned two NAACP awards and not only that but she produced the film as well making her the youngest person in Hollywood to ever produce a movie and also she is the youngest African American Producer. She owns her own company titled Genius Productions. She is the youngest person to get a first-look deal at Universal, and the youngest person to get a deal at any studio. Need I remind you again she is ONLY SIXTEEN, and this only half of her resume!
FINNALLY AT THE NUMBER ONE SPOT WE HAVE......
1.Yara Shahidi: Age 21
Yara began her career at 6 years old starring in tv commercials. She made her movie debut in 2009 starring in the Eddie Murphy film Imagine That. From there she would go on starring in different roles from 2010's Salt as Angelina Jolie young neighbor to Scandal as a young Olivia Pope. Her breakout role began in 2014 when she booked the role of Zoey Johnson in the abc hit tv series Black-ish. From there Yara would get her own hit series titled Grown-Ish. Yara is not only killing the game with acting but she uses her platform to speak educate her generation. She is encouraging her peers to vote and speaking out about causes. Michelle Obama caught notice of Yara‘s activism and wrote her a letter of recommendation for Howard University. Again she is only 21, imagine what this queen has coming next!
Thanks for reading, feel free to leave comments below ! 💕
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