Forbes Unveils 2026 Hollywood 30 Under 30: Meet the Rising Stars Shaping Entertainment’s Future

Forbes recently released its 2026 list of 30 Under 30 in Hollywood and Entertainment, recognizing the young actors, producers, and investors who are leading the next generation of the industry. These up-and-coming stars are making a significant impact and changing the face of film, TV, and media. Here’s a look at who made the cut.

1. Anna Cathcart

The Canadian actress gained popularity playing Kitty Song-Covey in the Netflix series Xo, Kitty, which continues the story from the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies.

The show’s first season attracted 14.3 million viewers during its debut week, and the second season proved equally popular. In addition to her television work, Cathcart will voice a character in the upcoming Angry Birds Movie 3 and narrate the Middlebridge Mysteries audio series. She also has a strong social media presence with over 11 million followers, which she utilizes for partnerships with brands like Fujifilm and Aveeno, always mindful that each post serves as a marketing opportunity.

2. Chase Infiniti

Infiniti recently became well-known for her work in the Apple TV+ show Presumed Innocent and achieved even greater success with the Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another, which earned $197 million globally. Her performance received critical acclaim, putting her in the running for awards in 2026. She’s also set to star in The Testaments, a new series on Hulu that expands the world of The Handmaid’s Tale and is highly anticipated by viewers.

3. Anno

ANNO is a production company based on both coasts, creating work in music, film, fashion, and advertising for brands around the world. It was founded by Sydny Furuichi and Brent Assayag.

ANNO has worked on impressive projects like Instacart’s successful Back to School campaign, generating over a billion views. They’ve also created content with major brands like Porsche and Adidas, and collaborated with celebrities including Orlando Bloom, Emma Chamberlain, and Emily Ratajkowski. Beyond brands, ANNO has produced visuals for musicians such as Lizzy McAlpine, A$AP Rocky, and Harry Styles.

4. Kelly Berger

At Creative Artists Agency, Sarah Berger works as a literary agent for film and television, representing directors, writers, actors, and producers. She helps her clients with their careers and negotiates contracts for them. Some of her notable deals include adaptations of Rachel Kondo’s The Women and Amazon’s Murder 101, as well as the Anne Hathaway film Yesteryear. She also successfully sold Edward Berger’s short story, The Barrier, to 20th Century Studios after a competitive bidding process, securing a deal worth over a million dollars.

5. Marissa Bode

Samantha Bode made history by becoming the first wheelchair user to play the role of Nessarose in the hugely successful Wicked movies, which have earned over $756 million worldwide. The second movie alone opened with $223 million in ticket sales its first weekend. Beyond acting, Bode is a passionate advocate for disability and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. She also works as a filmmaker and contributes to NBC’s coverage of the Paralympics, alongside her role as an ambassador for Saving Our Daughters.

6. Christopher Briney

Gavin Briney is quickly becoming a well-known actor. He gained popularity playing Conrad Fisher in the Amazon Prime series The Summer I Turned Pretty, which recently had a season with 70 million viewers. He also appeared as Aaron Samuels in the 2024 Mean Girls movie and is starring in the new film The Julia Set. With over 7 million followers on social media, Briney connects with his fans and shares updates about his work, including the upcoming The Summer I Turned Pretty movie.

7. Julia Bromberg

Previously at A24, where she led successful campaigns, Bromberg now heads up Film & TV development at the podcast company Novel. She’s in charge of turning podcasts into shows and movies, including adaptations of The Girlfriends and Kill List, with deals in place at both Prime Video and Apple. Bromberg is currently managing 17 podcast adaptations, effectively handling everything from overall strategy and development to finding the right creative teams.

8. Miles Caton

Jamie Caton appeared in the successful film Sinners, which earned over $161 million globally. He first became well-known for a popular online performance of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good and later toured with H.E.R. He also helped write the original song “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” for Sinners. Beyond acting, Caton has released singles like This Ain’t It and Somethin’, and he received the Astra Midseason Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2025.

9. Isaiah Chavous

Chavous is the founder and CEO of Noctal, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to simplify sound design for video and other projects. Noctal automatically identifies key moments in a video, finds matching sounds, and places them in the best spots. The company recently raised $2 million in funding and is currently used by more than 150 professionals in post-production. Before starting Noctal, Chavous helped establish the Center for African and African American Studies while studying at the University of Colorado Boulder.

10. Minye Cho

Cho, originally from Seoul, came to the U.S. to pursue a career in production, starting from scratch. Today, she leads Ambience Studio, creating music videos, commercials, short films, and branding content for major companies like Samsung, LG, Spotify, and Paris Baguette. She’s worked with popular artists including Steve Aoki, aespa, and Seventeen, and has experience managing project teams of varying sizes – from 30 to 150 people – with budgets ranging from $10,000 to $500,000.

11. David Lynch

Jeremy Lynch is a Broadway producer and financial expert who’s changing how theater shows are funded through his company, DJL Productions. He produced his first Broadway production at just 24 years old, and won a Tony Award the following year for Parade. His shows have collectively earned over $90 million at the box office, entertained almost 1 million audience members, and received 15 Tony Award nominations.

12. Mikey Madison

Madison achieved widespread recognition for her leading role as Ani in Sean Baker’s film, Anora, and received an Oscar for Best Actress. Before that, she had roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, several Scream movies, and River in All Souls. In 2025, she hosted Saturday Night Live and became a global face for Dior, collaborating with other luxury brands like Miu Miu, Prada, and Bottega Veneta – all without using social media.

13. Lexie Chu

Chu works at Skydance Animation, where she develops original films and helps shape the studio’s overall direction. She also created Asians in Animation (AIA), a worldwide program that supports and mentors aspiring animators. AIA has grown to include over 6,250 members in 92 countries, providing hundreds of hours of guidance each year and helping many people start their animation careers.

14. Auli’i Cravalho

Auli’i Cravalho first became well-known as the voice of Moana in the popular Disney movie, and she returned to play the character in Moana 2, which earned over $1 billion worldwide. She also appeared in the Broadway production of Mean Girls: The Musical and will be an executive producer on Disney’s upcoming live-action Moana movie in 2026. Beyond acting, Cravalho is dedicated to charitable work, supporting organizations like Aloha United Way, Kuleana Coral Restoration, and the UN Small Island Developing States.

15. Grace Goldstein

Goldstein manages the touring schedules for a range of comedians, including Ilana Glazer, Jerrod Carmichael, Ziwe, and Paul Scheer. In 2025, she added Jane Wickline from SNL and NeNe Leakes to her list of clients. She’s committed to showcasing a variety of comedic talent and also represents performers with disabilities, like Tina Friml.

16. Wesley Goodrich

Goodrich, the founder of Paper Box, is a production and art director known for her work on visuals for musicians. She’s created designs for music videos, advertising campaigns, and live shows for artists including Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, and Ariana Grande. In 2025, she received a VMA award for Best Art Direction for Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’.

17. Abhinaya Govindan

Abby Govindan is a comedian and writer who performs around the world. Her one-person show, How To Embarrass Your Immigrant Parents, was featured off-Broadway with support from Hasan Minhaj and Daniel Sloss. She has a large online following, with almost 300,000 followers across TikTok, Instagram, and X.

18. Jack Innanen

Innanen, who studied physics and astronomy, gained a large online following – 4 million followers – by creating funny, solo videos on Instagram and TikTok. He then transitioned to acting, appearing in the FX show Adults and the Netflix series Big Mistakes. He’s also worked with major fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hermès.

19. Alex Lin

Lin is an award-winning playwright who skillfully blends thought-provoking explorations of women, power, and science with elements of popular culture. He’s received the Stavis Award, two Kennedy Center awards, and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Recently, he had two plays debut at prominent New York theaters in a single season, representing a combined production cost of $2 million. These works are being considered for the Pulitzer Prize in both 2026 and 2027.

20. Keyla Monterroso Mejia

Mejia began her acting career with a role on Curb Your Enthusiasm and has since appeared in Apple TV+’s The Studio and Amazon’s You’re Cordially Invited, which reached 50 million viewers globally. She’s also worked on projects alongside stars like Keke Palmer, SZA, and Mindy Kaling, and was part of the bilingual series Acapulco.

21. Clementine Quittner

I’m so impressed by Emily Quittner’s work! She didn’t just help start Small Ideas with Cooper Raiff, but she also produced the wonderful series Hal & Harper, and she was determined to keep her creative vision intact while getting it distributed through Lionsgate. Beyond that, she executive produced some really interesting films like Brian Tetsuro Ivie’s Serenity and David Michôd’s Christy. Now, she’s a VP of Film at Black Bear, which is amazing – clearly a rising star to watch!

22. Lola Tung

Lola Tung is known for her role as Belly Conklin in the popular series The Summer I Turned Pretty, which recently drew in 25 million viewers in its first week. Beyond television, she’s also a Broadway performer, having appeared in Hadestown, and has three new movies coming out. With almost 6 million followers on social media, Tung also works with brands like American Eagle, Urban Decay, and Coach.

23. Rhian Moore

As Head of Programs at CAPE, Moore has grown programs designed to help Asian Pacific artists and storytellers thrive. This includes successful programs like the New Writers Fellowship, the Showrunners Incubator, and the Animation Accelerator. She also led CAPE’s expansion internationally, working with the Japanese government to broaden its reach.

24. Emma Myers

Jenna Myers became well-known for her role as Enid Sinclair in the Netflix hit Wednesday, which viewers watched for a total of 1.7 billion hours during its first season and received two Golden Globe nominations. She’s also appeared in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and is set to star in A Minecraft Movie and The Angry Birds Movie 3. With 11.5 million followers on social media, she’s become a popular figure online.

25. Rachel Orbach

As Director of Finance and Strategy at Bleecker Street Media, Orbach is responsible for all financial operations. She has overseen the financial success of films like The Friend and Relay, and is currently working on upcoming projects including a Drag Race theatrical feature and the documentary Musk about Elon Musk.

26. Lovie Simone

Simone is known for her roles in several popular projects, including the Netflix series Forever, which garnered 19 million views in early 2025 and has been picked up for another season. She’s also appeared in OWN’s Greenleaf and the acclaimed film Selah & The Spades, as well as movies like Monster, 57 Seconds, The Walk, and The Craft: Legacy.

27. George Strus

Strus is the founder of Breaking the Binary Theatre, an organization dedicated to supporting transgender and non-binary artists. Through this work, he’s distributed over $750,000 in artist fees and secured $1.25 million in donations. He’s also a Tony-nominated producer and runs Benson Drive Productions, which has developed more than 30 projects with notable artists like Amber Ruffin and Laverne Cox.

28. Sophie Thatcher

Let me tell you, Sophie Thatcher is quickly becoming a name you need to know. Most people recognize her from the fantastic series Yellowjackets, but she’s been steadily building a really interesting career with roles in films like The Boogeyman, Heretic, and Companion. But she’s not just an actress! She dropped her first EP this year, and now she’s even landed a gig modeling for Valentino’s Fall 2025 campaign. It’s clear she’s a true multi-talent, seamlessly moving between acting and music, and I’m excited to see what she does next.

29. Jordan Tortorello

Tortorello began his career on Musical.ly and later founded Mixed Media, the company behind Stage 18 and Actually Original. He’s directed more than 300 music videos, produced critically acclaimed films such as Peripheral, and is currently developing a feature film centered around mental health, slated for release in 2026.

30. Auguste White

A five-time Emmy nominee, this comedian, poet, and writer currently appears on NBC’s The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. She previously made history as one of the youngest female writers ever on Saturday Night Live at age 23, and later became a writing supervisor for the show’s 50th season. She’s also written for the HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls.

2025-12-03 14:18