ON THE RADAR
10 actors to watch in ’17
TREVANTE RHODES
Anyone who saw Rhodes in the awardwinning Moonlight knew they were seeing an important new actor at the start of a big career. Watch for Rhodes this year in Horse Soldiers, with Michael Shannon and Chris Hemsworth, and in Terrence Malick’s Weightless.
FIONN WHITEHEAD
Whitehead is an unknown who’s been cast by Christopher Nolan to stand shoulder to shoulder with Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh in the upcoming war epic Dunkirk. Whitehead is a member of the National Youth Theatre and starred this year in the ITV miniseries Him, but that’s about it for experience. Can’t wait to see the talent Nolan saw.
BILL SKARSGARD
Skarsgard’s profile will skyrocket this fall when he plays Pennywise in It — the terrible clown created by Stephen King — and he’s got a handful of other big film projects for the new year. But he’s also one of the Skarsgard acting dynasty, son of Stellan Skarsgard and brother of Alexander, Gustaf, Sam, and Valter. So maybe it’s all inevitable ...
KATHERYN WINNICK
TV’s Vikings is the show that first brought Winnick attention. The Toronto native co-stars in two big movies coming up: The Dark Tower, which is based on the Stephen King novel (and stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey); and the sci-fi thriller Geostorm, with Ed Harris and Gerard Butler.
LUCAS HEDGES
Hedges picks well. His movies include Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel, and he really made his mark this year in the drama Manchester by the Sea opposite Casey Affleck. That film should keep him in view during awards season; watch for him in the comedy Lady Bird with Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan.
DAFNE KEEN
The 11-year-old actress has been part of the Spanish/BBC co-production, The Refugees, and now stars opposite Hugh Jackman as X-23 — a mysterious female clone of Wolverine — in Logan. That’ll kick-start a career.
ZENDAYA
Zendaya Coleman has been on the radar since she was a teenage Disney darling in the sitcoms Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover. The recording artist has a book and a clothing line under her belt, and this year, at the ripe old age of 20, will conquer the mainstream movie crowd when she appears opposite Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming and in The Greatest Showman, with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron.
COREY HAWKINS
This Walking Dead cast member stars in 24: Legacy this year, playing a military hero whose troubles follow him home from overseas. Critics have already declared Hawkins’ character, Eric Carter, a worthy successor to Jack Bauer. Watch for Hawkins in Kong: Skull Island this spring opposite Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston.
DAN STEVENS
A lot of people first noticed Dan Stevens in Downton Abbey and they’ll notice him again when he stars in the sci-fi television series, Legion. Above all, watch for Stevens in the spring when he stars opposite Emma Watson in Disney’s highly anticipated live-action Beauty and the Beast.
MAIKA MONROE
Shades of Jessica Chastain — Maika Monroe has seven movies scheduled for release in 2017, including one that will showcase her mad skills as a kitesurfer. The actress had parts in The Bling Ring and Labor Day, but it was her role in the horror hit It Follows that really brought her notice. If you missed her in Independence Day: Resurgence, watch for her in Hot Summer Nights or Tribes of Palos Verdes this year.