2022’s Hottest New Stars: Jenna Ortega, Glen Powell & Other Movie, TV & Music Talents To Watch

By:

Christina Casiano

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2022’s Hottest Stars: Jenna Ortega & More

2022’s Hottest Stars: Jenna Ortega & More — Hollywood loves a fresh face, and this year was packed with new talents. From TV to movies to music, there wasn’t a single industry without a breakout star. Some had been flying under the radar for a minute, while other newbies seemed to come out of nowhere. So now with 2022 wrapping up, we’re taking a look at some of the year’s hottest newcomers.

Jenna Ortega, 20, had people screaming with her deadpan portrayal of the character Wednesday Addams in the Addams Family spin-off series. Adding to her goth appeal, she appeared in the new 2022 Scream.

While her profile is on the rise, Jenna isn’t exactly a novice. She’s been on camera since she was a kid, in the shows Stuck in the Middle and Jane the Virgin. Next, she’ll appear in Scream VI.

Ready to learn about the other actors, singers, and musical artists who owned 2022? Check out our gallery right here.

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Glen Powell

Glen Powell — Glen Powell had us flying high as the cocky Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick. Not only was he in the year’s top-grossing film, but the Texas native also appeared in the military drama Devotion.

Before gaining international fame, Glen accrued an impressive resume which includes a breakout role on the Ryan Murphy series Scream Queens and a part in the Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures.

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Olivia DeJonge

Olivia DeJonge — Olivia DeJonge had big shoes (or should we say big hair) to fill as the one and only Priscilla Presley in this year’s Elvis biopic, opposite Austin Butler. She completely nailed the part and was praised for her on-screen charm. The Aussie actress’ previous roles included the film The Visit (2015), and Netflix’s The Society (2019.)

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Ayo Edebiri

Ayo Edebiri — The Bear was one of 2022’s most beloved shows, and star Ayo Edebiri became equally as adored for her role as sous chef Sydney. Previous gigs included doing stand-up comedy, writing for shows like What We Do in the Shadows and Dickinson, and voicing a character on the Netflix animated series Big Mouth.

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Haley Lu Richardson

Haley Lu Richardson — Haley Lu Richardson was undeniably one of the best parts of The White Lotus’s second season, playing jaded personal assistant Portia. Before her HBO hit, she starred on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up (2013) and appeared in the coming-of-age film The Edge of Seventeen (2016.)

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Milly Alcock

Milly Alcock — Milly Alcock wan.s another House of the Dragon star who stole the show, as a younger, more naive version of Rhaenyra Targaryen. HOTD was Milly’s first international role. Before that, she boasted parts on Aussie TV.

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Meghann Fahy

Meghann Fahy — Meghann Fahy’s kind but conniving White Lotus character Daphne was one of the most interesting parts of season two. Her previous work includes the Freeform series The Bold Type and the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.

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Emma D’Arcy

Emma D’Arcy — Emma D’Arcy was a true force of nature as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House Of The Dragon. They earned a Golden Globe nom for their portrayal of the power-hungry monarch, and will continue her reign in coming seasons.

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Gabriel LaBelle

Gabriel LaBelle — The pressure was really on for Gabriel LaBelle after he was cast to play Steven Spielberg in the director’s biographical film, The Fabelmans. Talking about the stakes, he told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a very scary thing. You don’t want to mess up and have everyone, including Steven, hate you for it.” Prior to The Fabelmans, he appeared in Showtime’s American Gigolo.

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Latto

Latto — From TikTok, to the radio, it was almost impossible to miss Latto’s 2022 single “Big Energy.” A remix, featuring Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” and vocals from DJ Khaled, gave the song even more life. “Big Energy” peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Song of the Year at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards.

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Stephanie Hsu

Stephanie Hsu — Stephanie Hsu was relatively new to Hollywood when she landed her breakout role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. She got discovered after she met SNL star Bowen Yang through improv. That led to a role on Akwafina Is Nora From Queens, where she met EEAAO directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

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Joseph Quinn

Joseph Quinn — Stranger Things fans had a new 80s cutie to swoon over when Joseph Quinn made his debut as charming metalhead Eddie Munson this season. The British hunk got his start on U.K. TV, appearing in Dickensian (2016), Howards End (2017,) and Catherine the Great (2019.)

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Iman Vellani

Iman Vellani — Iman Vellani was totally unknown when she was cast as Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, in the Disney+ series. The Pakistani-Canadian talent landed to part after just two screen tests. She’ll reprise the role on the big screen in 2023 with MCU’s The Marvels.

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Jasmin Savoy Brown

Jasmin Savoy Brown — Jasmin Savoy Brown is another Yellowjackets star who really won us over. She also appeared in the Scream reboot, set to reprise her role in the upcoming movie sequel. Before making it big, she had recurring roles on For the People and The Leftovers.

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Cooper van Grootel

Cooper van Grootel — Cooper van Grootel is one of the main suspects as bad boy Nate Macauley in the Peacock/Netflix teen murder mystery One Of Us Is Lying. But we suspect the Aussie actor is going to be a big name for years to come. Next, he’s set to appear in the films Snow Valley and One True Love.

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Jack Champion

Shutterstock

Jack Champion was cast in the Avatar sagas at the age of 12, so it’s no exaggeration to say he’s dedicated much of his life to the films. People raved about his part in Avatar: The Way of Water and he’ll return to his character “Spider” for Avatar 3 and Avatar 4.

December 21, 2022, 11:06AM

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Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell — Taylor Russell had everyone in awe of her performance in Bones And All and that’s saying a lot when your screen mate is Timothee Chalamet. She got her start in the Netflix science fiction series Lost in Space (2018–2021) and starred in the critically-acclaimed indie film, Waves (2019.)

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Lola Tung

Lola Tung — The Summer I Turned Pretty was one of 2022’s biggest streamers, and that made Lola Tung a sure standout as the star of the Amazon Prime coming-of-age series. The project is basically her first role. Before that, Lola was enrolled as a student at Carnegie Mellon University.

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Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder — Amber Midthunder had audiences riveted as a Comanche warrior in the Predator prequel Prey, which premiered with Hulu’s most views ever in Aug. The Navajo Nation-born star previously appeared on the shows Legion, Roswell, New Mexico, Longmire, Banshee, and Reservation Dogs.

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Diego Calva

Diego Calva — Diego Calva started his Hollywood career big, appearing in the Brad Pitt film Babylon. The Mexico City native previously appeared in Narcos: Mexico.

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Sophie Thatcher

Sophie Thatcher — Sophie Thatcher was a name to know as soon as Showtime’s Yellowjackets dropped in late 2021. From there, she went on to appear in The Book Of Boba Fett. The Chicago-native has been dabbling in showbiz since she was a kid. Early roles include guest parts in Chicago P.D. and the Fox TV version of The Exorcist.

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Meg Stalter

Meg Stalter — Meg Stalter is one of the funniest parts of the already-side-splittingly raucous series Hacks. Next year she’s got a packed schedule, set to star in the dark comedy Cora Bora and make appearances in Chelsea Peretti’s directorial debut, First Time Female Director. Her series Church Girls, developed with A24, is also in the pipeline.

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Simone Ashley

Simone Ashley — Simone Ashley knew Bridgerton fans had great expectations for the show’s second season, and boy did she (and fellow lead Jonathan Bailey) deliver. Before the period romance, the British beauty appeared on Netflix’s Sex Education.

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