2021 hot list: meet the new stars of TV, film, music and books

Meet the (other) ones to watch – the rising stars of film, TV, music and books who will keep you enthralled this year

LYDIAWEST

lydia wasn’t supposed to be on TV. She was destined for success as a trained ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary dancer, until a foot injury in her late teens put her dancing dreams on hold. But, it turns out, the setback put her on an entirely different path – one she’s now grateful for.

After university, Lydia joined the Identity School Of Acting, famous for alumni such as Star Wars’ John Boyega and Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, and afterwards bagged her first screen role as Bethany Bisme-lyons in Russell T Davies’ acclaimed dystopian drama Years And Years, alongside Emma Thompson.

Russell became a fan, and Lydia is starring in the writer’s upcoming drama It’s A Sin, a series depicting gay life during

the 1980s AIDS crisis. Olly Alexander, frontman of the band Years & Years, and

Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes are among the cast. ‘I think there was an energy on set of us all feeling extremely blessed, and almost like we were doing a service with this job,’ says Lydia. ‘To be back with Russell’s writing for a second time in my short career felt unbelievable. And as much as my character in Years And Years is so different from Jill in It’s A Sin, it’s amazing to be able to pick up a Russell T Davies script and be able to just speak his lines.’

That isn’t the only exciting project Lydia has coming up. While everyone else might have been spent the second lockdown trying to avoid Zoom quizzes, Lydia was busy working. She will next be seen in TV thriller Suspicion, alongside Uma Thurman, and it’s just been announced Lydia will be in the romantic drama Text For You, co-starring actual Celine Dion.

‘This keeps on happening to me’, she says. ‘I get the job and I have no idea who’s in it, and then suddenly it’s like, “Oh, Emma Thompson’s in it,” or “Uma Thurman’s in it,”’ Lydia laughs in disbelief. ‘It’s really, really fun to be working with such iconic actors in all the jobs I’ve done.’

But if she could work with anyone? Well, that’s a no-brainer for Lydia. ‘An actress I think is a force of nature and a powerhouse is Viola Davis,’ she says. ‘I’m just obsessed with her, I’d love to work with her.’ With what she has already achieved, she’s already on the right track.

‘It’s A Sin’ will be on Channel 4 in January