As a nation, we are pretty obsessed with pop culture and Hollywood stars. So many of us are always on the watch for who is “up and coming,” the “breakout star,” the new kids on Rodeo Drive.
And while some of these stars win fame for just one or two roles, more have been in the game for quite awhile. It’s just taken us this long to notice them.
1. Jennifer Lawrence
For all who watched the last edition of the Academy Awards, who could forget when Jennifer Lawrence, stunned by her win for Best Actress, fell up the stairs? Hugh Jackman and co-star Bradley Cooper jumped up to help her, but after a brief moment when she buried her face in her hands, the young star popped up and accepted the award for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.
She is also famously known for her stunning performance as Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the wildly successful Hunger Games trilogy. Before that, she had roles in several movies and television appearances as early as 2006.
2. Liam Hemsworth
Liam has not been acting as long as our other two rising stars. His first acting job was in 2007. However, he did star in The Hunger Games as well, portraying the friend and romantic interest of Jennifer Lawrence’s character.
He has been dating Miley Cyrus since they met on set in 2010 and is brother to Chris Hemsworth (who plays the title character in Thor). Liam has, of course, ridden the fame wave with Lawrence and The Hunger Games, and is slated to appear in several other upcoming films as well.
3. Emma Stone
Her raspy voice (caused by colic as a child) is one of her trademarks, along with her superb acting ability. She starred as the curly-haired, ambitious young writer in The Help, set in Jackson, Mississippi at the height of the civil rights movement.
She was in some comedies before the more serious role in The Help, and she recently portrayed Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-man. She will be in the sequel, and she’s rumored to be working on projects with Woody Allen and Cameron Crowe.
4. Shia LaBeouf
This is the tale of a Disney child star who didn’t end up in rehab. Shia first began working as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel hit Even Stevens, in which he played the hilarious young brother. He has since graduated to more serious acting work.
True, he starred in the action flick Transformers and its sequels, but he’s also worked on projects such as Eagle Eye and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. He does not misbehave like an entitled child star, and he avoids the club and party scene partly because of his father’s history with drug addiction.
5. Kerry Washington
Ms. Washington has gained a lot of attention for her recent role as Olivia Pope, the “gladiator in a suit” lead character in the hit show Scandal. She was also in the acclaimed Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.
However, this talented and fierce actress has starred alongside Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) and played a sympathetic friend to Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance. While she is being recognized for her acting, she is also being praised for her fashion and style; Olivia Pope is the queen of the power suit and Kerry Washington is a regular on the “Best Dressed” lists when she appears on the red carpet.
Ms. Washington is definitely on the “stars to watch” list, and there’s no doubt her work and her wardrobe will continue to turn heads.
