My Top Favorite Breakthrough Actors of 2017
by tlev-38675 | created - 07 Jul 2017 | updated - 20 Dec 2017 | Public
1. Kumail Nanjiani
Actor | The Big Sick
Kumail Nanjiani was born on May 2, 1978 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. He is an actor and writer, known for The Big Sick (2017), Life as We Know It (2010) and Stuber (2019). He has been married to Emily V. Gordon since July 14, 2007.
The Big Sick
2. Timothée Chalamet
Actor | Call Me by Your Name
Timothée Hal Chalamet was born in Manhattan, to Nicole Flender, a real estate broker and dancer, and Marc Chalamet, a UNICEF editor. His mother, who is from New York, is Jewish, of Russian Jewish and Austrian Jewish descent. His father, who is from Nîmes, France, is of French and English ancestry. ...
Call Me By Your Name/Lady Bird
3. Kyle Mooney
Actor | Zoolander 2
Kyle Mooney was born on September 4, 1984 in San Diego, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), Brigsby Bear (2017) and Y2K (2024).
Brigsby Bear
4. Tom Holland
Actor | Spider-Man: Homecoming
Thomas Stanley Holland was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, to Nicola Elizabeth (Frost), a photographer, and Dominic Holland (Dominic Anthony Holland), who is a comedian and author. His paternal grandparents were from the Isle of Man and Ireland, respectively. He lives with his parents and ...
Spider-Man: Homecoming
5. Demetrius Shipp Jr.
Actor | All Eyez on Me
Demetrius Shipp Jr. is known for All Eyez on Me (2017), Cut Throat City (2020) and Imani (2023).
All Eyez on Me
6. Bill Skarsgård
Actor | It
Bill Istvan Gunther Skarsgard is a Swedish actor, producer, director, writer, voice actor, and model. He is best known for portraying Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the supernatural horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. He also voiced the ...
It
7. Ross Lynch
Actor | Austin & Ally
Ross Lynch debuted his acting career as 'Austin Moon' in the Disney Channel original comedy series "Austin & Ally." This role has earned him 4 Kids Choice Awards for 'Favorite TV Actor' (2013-2016) and 3 Teen Choice Awards for 'Choice TV Actor: Comedy' (2014-2016). In summer 2013, Lynch starred as ...
My Friend Dahmer
8. Daniel Kaluuya
Actor | Get Out
Daniel Kaluuya is a British actor and writer. He is best known for Get Out (2017), Black Panther (2018) and for portraying Fred Hampton in Judas & The Black Messiah (2021).
He had a supporting role in Sicario (2015).
He also starred in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits".
For his work in...
Get Out
9. Owen Campbell
Actor | X
Owen Campbell was born on June 9, 1994 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for X (2022), Super Dark Times (2017) and As You Are (2016).
As You Are/Super Dark Times
10. Dacre Montgomery
Actor | Stranger Things
Dacre was born in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. His mother is Australian-Canadian and his father is a New Zealander. At the time of his birth both of his parents were working in the film industry and he spent many hours during his childhood on film sets where he developed a love of acting. ...
Power Rangers/Better Watch Out
11. Sam Humphrey
Actor | The Greatest Showman
Sam Humphrey is a New Zealand (Kiwi) actor, who was raised in Melbourne, Australia. In world where equitable representation is the main topic of conversation, in film/television; there are many individuals that seek to understand and speak on what diversity, inclusion and disability empowerment ...
The Greatest Showman
12. Algee Smith
Actor | Detroit
Algee Smith was born on November 7, 1994 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Detroit (2017), Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) and The Hate U Give (2018).
Detroit
13. Will Tilston
Actor | Goodbye Christopher Robin
Will Tilston is known for Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017), Bridgerton (2020) and Made in Hollywood (2005).
Goodbye Christopher Robin
14. Gabriel Chavarria
Actor | War for the Planet of the Apes
Gabriel Chavarria most recently shot the lead in the USA Network/Syfy series "The Purge". Based on the franchise (about one day each year when murder and mayhem is legalized), Gabriel played "Miguel", a US Marine with a hard edge and a noble mission, prepared to face the senseless violence in the ...
Lowriders/War For The Planet of the Apes
15. Andy Biersack
Actor | American Satan
Andrew Dennis Biersack (Andy) is an American singer/songwriter/actor in the American rock band, Black Veil Brides. He was born on Wednesday, December 26, 1990. He wrote and starred in BVB's concept movie based on their 2013 concept record "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones" released ...
American Satan
16. Beulah Koale
Actor | Hawaii Five-0
Beulah Koale was born on October 26, 1991 in Auckland, New Zealand. He is an actor, known for Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Thank You for Your Service (2017) and Next Goal Wins (2023). He has been married to Georgia Otene since January 2019. They have two children.
Thank You For Your Service
17. Julian Feder
Actor | A Boy Called Po
Julian Feder was born in Tokyo and spent most of his childhood in Singapore. He started acting at a young age and has worked in both film and television. He is best known for his leading role in A Boy Called Po, for which he won numerous awards for his performance as a boy on the autism spectrum. ...
A Boy Called Po
18. Callum Turner
Actor | War & Peace
Callum was born in London and grew up on a Chelsea estate - he is a huge Chelsea football fan - where, he claimed in a 2014 interview, "I learned more from films than I did through life itself." Six foot two tall, he decided to go into acting at age eighteen taking some courses and working as a ...
The Only Living Boy in New York
19. Jack Dylan Grazer
Actor | It
Jack Dylan Grazer was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents Angela LaFever and Gavin Grazer.
Growing up in and around the entertainment world it was not long before Jack's talent was spotted and he was encouraged to try acting professionally.
Never afraid of hard work, always with a smile on ...
It
20. Jeremy Ray Taylor
Actor | It
Jeremy Ray Taylor was born on June 2, 2003 in Bluff City, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor and director, known for It (2017), Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018) and Unarmed Divide.
It
21. J. Mallory McCree
Actor | Good Trouble
J. Mallory McCree was born on July 18, 1986 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Good Trouble (2019), Homeland (2011) and Quantico (2015).
From Nowhere
22. Anthony Gonzalez
Actor | Coco
Anthony Gonzalez was born on September 23, 2004 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Coco (2017), Icebox (2018) and Far Cry 6 (2021).
Coco
23. Alex Wolff
Actor | Hereditary
Alex Wolff, an award-winning actor, musician, singer, and composer, was born on November 1, 1997 in New York, New York. He is the son of actress Polly Draper and jazz pianist Michael Wolff. His elder brother is actor and musician Nat Wolff.
He is most known for his work on The Naked Brothers Band (...
Patriot's Day
24. Ludi Lin
Actor | Power Rangers
Ludi Lin is a unique actor striding Hollywood and China and one of the most outspoken voices in Asian Representation in Hollywood. Being born in China, he received his education and enculturation in many different countries around the world. Rather than deciding to be an actor, he feels he simply ...
Power Rangers
25. Jacob Batalon
Actor | Spider-Man: Homecoming
Jacob Batalon is an American actor. Batalon achieved international recognition playing Ned Leeds in five Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films, beginning with Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Jacob Batalon was born on October 9, 1996, in Hawaii, to Filipino parents. Batalon has seven ...
Spider-Man: Homecoming
26. Siddharth Dhananjay
Actor | Bloodshot
Siddharth Dhananjay was born on September 8, 1991 in Thiruvananthapuram, India. He is an actor, known for Bloodshot (2020), Patti Cake$ (2017) and Undone (2019).
Patti Cake$
27. Wyatt Oleff
Actor | I Am Not Okay with This
Wyatt Oleff was born on July 13, 2003 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for I Am Not Okay with This (2020), It (2017) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
It
28. Lewis MacDougall
Actor | A Monster Calls
Lewis MacDougall is a Scottish film actor. He is known for A Monster Calls (2016) and his film debut, Pan (2015). In 2018, he stars in the dramas Boundaries (2018) and The Belly of the Whale (2018).
He was brought up in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, William, is a retired banker. His mother, Fiona...
A Monster Calls
29. Finn Wolfhard
Actor | It
A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, actor Finn Wolfhard stars as Mike Wheeler in the critically acclaimed Netflix Original Series Stranger Things (2016). The hit series has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a ...
It
30. Themo Melikidze
Actor | Patriots Day
Themo Melikidze is a classically trained actor and martial artist from the Eastern European country of Georgia. He gained significant industry buzz for his portrayal of the Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in Mark Wahlberg's highly anticipated film Patriots Day. Melikidze draws from his ...
Patriot's Day
31. Lucas Jade Zumann
Actor | 20th Century Women
Lucas made his motion picture debut in Blumhouse Production's Sinister 2 (2015), after having just completed a role in the groundbreaking, global Netflix production, "Sense8," in episodes directed by the Wachowski siblings. Lucas can also be seen in the starring role in the independent film, Thrill...
20th Century Women
32. K.J. Apa
Actor | Riverdale
K.J. Apa was born on June 17, 1997 in Auckland, New Zealand. He is an actor and producer, known for Riverdale (2017), The Hate U Give (2018) and The Last Summer (2019).
A Dog's Purpose
33. Fionn Whitehead
Actor | Dunkirk
From a family of Londoners, Fionn Whitehead was born and raised in Richmond upon Thames, Surrey (southwest England and also one of the home counties bordering Greater London). He is the son of Tim and Linda Whitehead, and has three older siblings: sisters Maisie and Hattie, and brother Sonny. ...
Dunkirk
34. Ali Fazal
Actor | Death on the Nile
Ali Fazal is a renowned Indian model and actor born in New Delhi and brought up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Since his parents were separated, he spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandparents.
Fazal studied for a few years at International Indian School, Dammam, and then at La Martiniere ...
Victoria and Abdul
35. Austin P. McKenzie
Actor | Unhinged
Austin P. McKenzie (born August 24, 1993) is an American stage and screen actor known for his performances as Cleve Jones in ABC's When We Rise and Melchior Gabor in the 2015 Broadway Revival by Deaf West Theatre of Spring Awakening. He is also a recording artist who, as of January 2020, currently ...
Speech & Debate
36. Charlie Heaton
Actor | The New Mutants
Charlie Ross Heaton is an English actor and musician. He is known for starring as Jonathan Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror series, Stranger Things (2016). Beginning his career as a musician, Heaton appeared on British television before starring in Stranger Things and feature films like ...
As You Are
37. Noah Jupe
Actor | Honey Boy
Noah Jupe is a British actor. He is known for his roles in the television series The Night Manager (2016); the dark comedy film Suburbicon (2017); the drama film Wonder (2017); the horror film A Quiet Place (2018) and its sequel A Quiet Place Part II (2021); the sports drama film Ford v Ferrari (...
Wonder
38. Barry Keoghan
Actor | The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Barry came to prominence in the 2017 film 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' with his truly terrifying portrayal of Martin, an American teenager exacting a grisly revenge on drunken surgeon Colin Farrell, but he was neither an American nor a teenager. Born in Dublin on 17th October 1992, he has a ...
Dunkirk/The Killing of a Sacred Deer
39. Harry Styles
Actor | Dunkirk
Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1, 1994 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, the son of Anne Twist (née Selley) and Desmond "Des" Styles, who worked in finance. Harry made his acting debut in "Dunkirk." The critically acclaimed film topped the US box office in its first weekend and was ...
Dunkirk
40. Bryce Gheisar
Actor | Wonder
Bryce Gheisar is an American actor, best known for his leading roles as young Ethan in A Dog's Purpose and Julian in Wonder. Gheisar currently portrays Elliot Combs in The Astronauts.
Bryce Gheisar was born on December 30, 2004, in Plano, Texas, into a family of three, made up of his parents, Todd ...
A Dog's Purpose/Wonder
41. Roni Akurati
Actor | Schooled
Roni Akurati is born and brought up in Chicago by parents Ramesh and Rajani Akurati, he has an elder sibling Ramhith Akurati, Roni started acting from the age of 7 as theater artist and moved on to TV and Movies. He is know for the movie 'Growing Up Smith' where he played the lead role of Smith.
Growing up Smith
42. Sunny Suljic
Actor | Mid90s
Sunny Suljic is an American child actor and skateboarder. He is known for The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), Mid90s (2018), Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) and The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018).
Suljic also did voice work and motion capture for Atreus, the son of Kratos in ...
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
43. Tom Glynn-Carney
Actor | Dunkirk
Tom Glynn-Carney was born on February 7, 1995 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Dunkirk (2017), The King (2019) and Tolkien (2019).
Dunkirk
44. Raphael Alejandro
Actor | Once Upon a Time
Raphael Alejandro was born on August 22, 2007 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He started his acting career at the age of 4. He is known for Once Upon a Time, Kindergarten Cop 2, Olympus, Badge of Honor, among others. He is the youngest child of three. Dalila Bela is his sister and Bruce Salomon is his...
How To Be a Latin Lover
45. Aneurin Barnard
Actor | Dunkirk
Aneurin Barnard was born on May 8, 1987 in Ogwr, Mid Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Dunkirk (2017), The Goldfinch (2019) and Cilla (2014). He has been married to Lucy Faulks since 2017. They have one child.
Dunkirk
46. Tom Taylor
Actor | The Dark Tower
Tom Taylor is an English actor born on 16 July 2001. Born in Surrey, England, Tom attended drama school up until 2013. After being informed about an agent visiting the drama school, Tom returned to audition for the agent, leading to his first professional screen role. In 2015, Tom portrayed young ...
The Dark Tower
47. Daniel Beaty
Producer | I Dream of an Omaha Where
Daniel Beaty is known for I Dream of an Omaha Where (2015), Chapter & Verse (2016) and Teen Pregnancy in Nebraska (2017).
Chapter & Verse
48. Miles J. Harvey
Actor | The Babysitter
Born and raised in Peekskill, NY, Miles J Harvey embarked on his acting career at age five doing small parts in plays at his local theater. At age eight Miles pursued a professional acting career starting with commercials, voice overs and the occasional appearance in TV shows. Taking a break from ...
The Dinner
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