Paul Thomas Anderson Takes the Top Spot on This Week’s List of Most Popular Celebs

A fresh wave of familiar names—plus a few breakout faces—topped this week’s buzz, reflecting new releases, festival chatter, and long-running fan favorites. From revered auteurs to rising leads stepping into franchise spotlights, the mix spans filmmakers who shape the conversation and performers who keep it moving.

Below, we spotlight who’s hot right now and why they matter, touching on signature roles, awards recognition, and the projects that built their reputations. It’s a cross-section of screen icons and creators whose work continues to travel, trend, and find new audiences.

15. Sydney Chandler

Sydney Chandler drew attention with roles in ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ and the limited series ‘Pistol’, where she portrayed guitarist and songwriter Chrissie Hynde. She has continued to add high-profile credits in both film and streaming projects.

The daughter of actor Kyle Chandler, she has built her résumé with a mix of period storytelling and contemporary genre work. Recent roles have positioned her as a versatile lead and supporting player, with momentum across studio and independent productions.

14. Jude Law

Jude Law’s body of work spans prestige dramas like ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ and ‘Cold Mountain’, franchise turns in ‘Sherlock Holmes’, and event titles including ‘Captain Marvel’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’. On television, he led ‘The Young Pope’ and its follow-up.

Law has earned multiple Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, and he remains a frequent collaborator with major directors. His stage career includes notable Shakespeare and West End appearances, complementing steady film and television output.

13. Olivia Cooke

Olivia Cooke stars in the fantasy drama ‘House of the Dragon’ as Alicent Hightower, following earlier acclaim in ‘Bates Motel’ and films like ‘Ready Player One’ and ‘Thoroughbreds’. She has shown a knack for genre storytelling balanced with grounded, intimate performances.

Cooke’s filmography includes indie standouts such as ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ and the music-driven drama ‘Sound of Metal’. She continues to move between large-scale productions and character pieces, with voice and motion-capture credits rounding out her range.

12. David Corenswet

David Corenswet is known for ‘The Politician’ and ‘Hollywood’, and for scene-stealing work in ‘Pearl’. He was cast as Clark Kent in James Gunn’s ‘Superman’, a major step that places him at the center of a flagship comic-book franchise.

Corenswet trained at Juilliard and has moved between theatre, television, and film, often playing clean-cut leads with a classic Hollywood aura. He has also written and produced independent projects, reflecting an interest in development alongside acting.

11. Taylor Kitsch

Taylor Kitsch broke through as Tim Riggins in ‘Friday Night Lights’ and went on to lead and co-star in films such as ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’, ‘John Carter’, ‘Lone Survivor’, and ‘American Assassin’. On television, he took prominent roles in ‘True Detective’ and the limited series ‘Waco’.

Kitsch has alternated between action-driven features and grounded dramatic parts. His recent projects have leaned into character-centric limited series, highlighting a shift toward prestige television while maintaining a foothold in features.

10. Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega became a global star with the title role in ‘Wednesday’, pairing deadpan comedy with physical performance and dance. She has also appeared in horror hits like ‘Scream’, ‘X’, and the fantasy sequel ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, embracing genre with mainstream appeal.

Starting as a child actor, Ortega built credits across Disney Channel and live-action series before moving into more mature roles. She has also taken on producing responsibilities on select projects while continuing to anchor high-visibility releases.

9. Jessie Buckley

Jessie Buckley is an Irish actor and singer whose screen credits include ‘Chernobyl’, ‘Wild Rose’, ‘The Lost Daughter’, ‘Men’, and ‘Women Talking’. She has been celebrated for inhabiting characters with emotional volatility and musicality, moving easily between indie dramas and larger ensemble pieces.

Trained at RADA, Buckley also maintains an active stage presence, including major productions in London and New York. Her screen work has earned Oscar and BAFTA recognition, and she continues to collaborate with distinctive directors across film and television.

8. Tom Pelphrey

Tom Pelphrey earned wide notice with a standout turn in ‘Ozark’, after earlier successes in series like ‘Banshee’ and the sci-fi western ‘Outer Range’. He added high-profile film work with David Fincher’s ‘Mank’, underscoring an ease with complex, layered characters.

Pelphrey previously won Daytime Emmys for ‘Guiding Light’ and has continued to move between prestige television and features. He remains in demand for roles that require intensity, technical polish, and emotional depth.

7. James Norton

James Norton has led and supported acclaimed dramas such as ‘Happy Valley’, ‘Grantchester’, and ‘War & Peace’, earning recognition for range from gentle leads to unsettling antagonists. He has also appeared in features including ‘Little Women’ and independent festival titles.

Norton trained at RADA and has balanced stage and screen, with theatre credits complementing his television breakthroughs. His work regularly draws awards attention in the UK, and he continues to shift between period pieces, crime thrillers, and contemporary dramas.

6. John Ales

John Ales is a character actor with credits across film and television, including work on ‘True Story’, ‘Euphoria’, ‘Bosch’, and ‘Sneaky Pete’. His versatility has made him a reliable presence in dramas and comedies, often taking on nuanced supporting roles.

In addition to acting, Ales has experience in behind-the-scenes departments early in his career, contributing to a broad understanding of production. He continues to appear across streaming and cable series, building a steady, eclectic résumé.

5. Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman broke out young and later reinvented himself with ‘Arrested Development’, then expanded into darker territory with ‘Ozark’. He has also headlined studio comedies like ‘Horrible Bosses’ and the ensemble favorite ‘Game Night’, showcasing range across genres.

Bateman has directed episodes of ‘Ozark’ and other projects, and co-founded the production banner Aggregate Films. Off-screen, he co-hosts the popular podcast SmartLess, while continuing to develop and star in film and television projects.

4. Robert Redford

Robert Redford’s career covers classic screen roles in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’, ‘The Sting’, and ‘All the President’s Men’, alongside directing work such as ‘Ordinary People’ and ‘A River Runs Through It’. He cultivated a screen persona that blended charisma with grounded, thoughtful storytelling.

Redford founded the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, helping nurture independent cinema and emerging filmmakers. His decades-long advocacy for the arts and conservation sits alongside a body of work that spans acting, directing, and producing.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor and producer whose filmography spans ‘Titanic’, ‘Inception’, ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, ‘The Revenant’, and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’. He is closely associated with director Martin Scorsese across multiple features, balancing large-scale event titles with character-driven dramas.

Through his company Appian Way, DiCaprio has produced narrative films and documentaries, often aligning with environmental themes. His performances have earned major awards recognition worldwide, and he remains a central figure in prestige studio filmmaking.

2. Mae Martin

Mae Martin is a Canadian-British comedian, writer, and actor best known for co-creating and starring in ‘Feel Good’. The semi-autobiographical series drew praise for its sharp writing and candid approach to relationships and recovery, with Martin serving as co-showrunner and lead.

They have toured internationally with stand-up, released a memoir, and appeared on panel and comedy shows in the UK and North America. Martin’s screen work extends to acting turns outside ‘Feel Good’, as well as developing original projects that bridge scripted comedy and personal storytelling.

1. Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson is a filmmaker known for precision-crafted character studies and American epics, including ‘Boogie Nights’, ‘Magnolia’, ‘There Will Be Blood’, ‘The Master’, ‘Phantom Thread’, and ‘Licorice Pizza’. He has collaborated repeatedly with actors like Daniel Day-Lewis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and PTA regulars such as John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix.

Beyond features, Anderson has directed acclaimed music videos for artists like Radiohead and HAIM, bringing his exacting visual sense to shorter forms. His films have earned multiple Academy Award nominations across writing, directing, and crafts, cementing his status as a major contemporary writer-director.

Share your picks and what you’ve been watching in the comments!