Forbes Reveals 2026 Hollywood 30 Under 30: Rising Stars Redefining Entertainment
Forbes has unveiled its 2026 30 Under 30 list for Hollywood and Entertainment, highlighting the next generation of actors, producers, and industry innovators who are redefining film, television, and media. These rising stars are making waves, breaking boundaries, and shaping the future of entertainment. Here’s a closer look at who’s leading the charge.
1. Anna Cathcart
Anna Cathcart, 22, is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Kitty Song-Covey in Netflix’s “Xo, Kitty,” a spin-off of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Season one of the series attracted 14.3 million views in its first week, and season two reached 14.2 million, ranking in Netflix’s top 10 in 90 countries. Cathcart is also narrating the Audible series “Middlebridge Mysteries” and voicing a character in the 2026 film “The Angry Birds Movie 3.” With 11 million social media followers, she partners with brands like Fujifilm and Aveeno. “No matter what you do, you must also be a content creator,” she says, noting the marketing power of her online presence.
2. Chase Infiniti
Chase Infiniti rose to prominence in Apple TV+’s limited series “Presumed Innocent” and cemented her status in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2025 film “One Battle After Another,” which has grossed $197 million worldwide. Critics from Variety, The New Yorker, and Collider praised her performance. Infiniti is also set to lead Hulu’s upcoming series “The Testaments,” a highly anticipated spinoff of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and is expected to be a contender in the 2026 awards season.
3. Anno
Cofounded by Sydny Furuichi and Brent Assayag, ANNO is a production company spanning Los Angeles and New York that works in music, fashion, film, and brand campaigns. Since 2022, ANNO has delivered high-impact projects like Instacart’s “Back to School” campaign, generating over a billion impressions. The company has collaborated with global brands like Porsche and Adidas, worked with celebrities like Orlando Bloom and Emily Ratajkowski, and produced music videos for artists including Lizzy McAlpine, Laufey, and A$AP Rocky. ANNO also created a short film accompanying Harry Styles’ “Love on Tour,” shot across six countries.
4. Kelly Berger
Kelly Berger, a motion picture literary agent at Creative Artists Agency, specializes in guiding emerging directors, writers, actors, and producers. Over the past year, she led major deals, including Rachel Kondo’s adaptation of “The Women” at Warner Bros., Amazon’s “Murder 101” with Jon Watts, Hannah Friedman’s “Yesteryear” with Anne Hathaway, and Paramount’s “American Girl.” Berger also brokered the sale of “The Barrier” for Edward Berger’s Nine Hours, resulting in a seven-figure deal after an 11-way bidding war.
5. Marissa Bode
Marissa Bode made history as the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose in John M. Chu’s “Wicked” duology. The franchise grossed over $756 million worldwide, with “Wicked: For Good” opening at $223 million globally. Bode is also an advocate for disability representation and the LGBTQIA+ community. Beyond acting, she wrote, directed, and produced the short film “You’re Adorable,” appeared on NBC’s Paralympics coverage, and serves as a Saving Our Daughters Ambassador.
6. Christopher Briney
Christopher Briney gained fame playing Conrad Fisher in Amazon Prime’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” with season three drawing 70 million viewers in its first 70 days—a 65% increase from season two. He also starred as Aaron Samuels in the 2024 “Mean Girls” revival and will appear in the upcoming drama “The Julia Set.” Briney’s following of over 7 million online has made him a rising influencer in Hollywood.
7. Julia Bromberg
Julia Bromberg started at A24 leading campaigns for films like “Uncut Gems” before moving to A24 Television. In 2023, she joined podcast company Novel, launching its Film & TV division, which serves over 12 million listeners. Bromberg is developing multiple adaptations, including “The Girlfriends” and “Kill List,” and currently oversees 17 podcast-to-screen projects, managing development, packaging, and creative strategy independently.
8. Miles Caton
Miles Caton made his film debut in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which grossed $161.6 million globally, marking the largest original film debut since 2019. He first gained attention with a viral performance of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” in 2017. Caton has toured with H.E.R., released original music, and co-wrote songs for “Sinners.” He won the 2025 Astra Midseason Award for Best Supporting Actor, and his recent single “Somethin” dropped in July 2025.
9. Isaiah Chavous
Isaiah Chavous is the founder and CEO of Noctal, an AI-driven sound design platform used by over 150 creators, including post-production studios, to automate audio workflows. Within a year, the company secured $2 million in seed funding. While studying at the University of Colorado Boulder, Chavous co-founded the school’s Center for African and African American Studies.
10. Minye Cho
Seoul-born Minye Cho moved to the U.S. alone in her early 20s and founded Ambience Studio, producing music videos, commercials, short films, and brand content worldwide. She has worked with Samsung, LG, Spotify, KATSEYE, Steve Aoki, aespa, and Seventeen, managing teams of up to 150 people and projects worth up to $500,000.
11. David Lynch
David J. Lynch, a Harvard graduate in statistics and theater, is a Broadway producer and business analyst who founded DJL Productions. He produced his first Broadway show at 24 and became the second-youngest Tony Award winner at 25 for “Parade.” His productions have grossed $90 million and reached nearly 1 million audience members, earning 15 Tony nominations.
12. Mikey Madison
Mikey Madison won an Oscar for Best Actress in Sean Baker’s “Anora.” She previously appeared in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Scream,” and “Scream VI.” Madison hosted SNL in 2025 and became Dior’s global ambassador, working with luxury brands like Prada and Bottega Veneta, despite having no social media presence.
13. Lexie Chu
Alexandra “Lexie” Chu is a producer and executive transforming animation development. At Skydance, she oversees original animated films for Apple TV+ and Netflix. She founded Asians in Animation (AIA) in 2021, supporting over 6,250 members globally and offering 300+ hours of mentorship each year, helping launch hundreds of animation careers.
14. Auli’i Cravalho
Auli’i Cravalho began her career voicing Moana at 14. “Moana 2” broke records in 2024, grossing over $1 billion. She appeared in “Mean Girls: The Musical” and made her Broadway debut in “Cabaret.” Cravalho will executive-produce Disney’s live-action “Moana” in 2026 and is active in philanthropy with Aloha United Way, Kuleana Coral Restoration, and the UN.
15. Grace Goldstein
Grace Goldstein is a touring agent representing comedians such as Ilana Glazer, Jerrod Carmichael, and Ziwe. She manages domestic and international bookings, and in 2025 expanded her roster to include Jane Wickline and NeNe Leakes. Goldstein advocates for diverse comedic voices, representing comedians with disabilities and helping emerging talent gain visibility.
16. Wesley Goodrich
Wesley Goodrich founded Paper Box in 2023, a design and fabrication studio. She has worked on music videos for Miley Cyrus, Tate McRae, Lady Gaga, and Olivia Rodrigo, earning a 2025 VMA for Best Art Direction. Her work has accumulated over 3 billion views across multiple platforms.
17. Abhinaya Govindan
Abhinaya “Abby” Govindan is a stand-up comedian and writer who tours internationally. Her solo show, “How To Embarrass Your Immigrant Parents,” played off-Broadway in 2025. She also performed a European tour and is preparing for an India tour, engaging nearly 300,000 followers across social media.
18. Jack Innanen
Jack Innanen, a physics and astronomy student turned actor and content creator, gained a 4 million+ following on social media through comedic sketches. He starred in FX’s “Adults” and was cast in Dan Levy’s Netflix series “Big Mistakes,” while collaborating with brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior.
19. Alex Lin
Juilliard graduate Alex Lin is a playwright exploring complex women and power. He has won the Stavis Award and two Kennedy Center awards and had two plays premiere in New York theaters the same season. Lin’s works include “LAOWANG” at Primary Stages and “Chinese Republicans” at Roundabout Theatre, with plans for Pulitzer Prize consideration in 2026 and 2027.
20. Keyla Monterroso Mejia
Keyla Monterroso Mejia debuted on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” four years ago and has since starred in Apple TV+’s “The Studio” and Amazon’s “You’re Cordially Invited,” which drew over 50 million viewers globally. Her credits also include Mindy Kaling’s “Running Point” and season four of Apple TV+’s “Acapulco.”
21. Clementine Quittner
Clementine Quittner co-founded Small Ideas with Cooper Raiff and structured financing for the TV series “Hal & Harper,” securing distribution from Lionsgate while maintaining creative control. She executive produced David Michôd’s “Christy” and Brian Tetsuro Ivie’s “Serenity,” and now serves as VP of film at Black Bear.
22. Lola Tung
Lola Tung became a breakout star as Belly Conklin in “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Season three premiered to 25 million viewers globally. Tung also appeared on Broadway in “Hadestown” and will star in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Forbidden Fruits,” and the film adaptation of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
23. Rhian Moore
Rhian Moore is head of programs at CAPE, a nonprofit supporting Asian and Pacific Islander talent in Hollywood. She launched initiatives like the New Writers Fellowship, Showrunners Incubator, and Animation Accelerator, and oversaw CAPE’s first international program in Japan, doubling career programs since 2021.
24. Emma Myers
Emma Myers gained fame as Enid Sinclair in Netflix’s “Wednesday,” which achieved 1.7 billion stream hours in season one. She has also appeared in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” “A Minecraft Movie,” and “The Angry Birds Movie 3,” with 11.5 million social media followers and brand partnerships with Coach, Samsung, and Calvin Klein.
25. Rachel Orbach
Rachel Orbach is director of finance and strategy at Bleecker Street Media, overseeing projects like “The Friend” and “Relay” and guiding the company’s first theatrical feature from the Drag Race universe. At just two years in, she became the company’s youngest director and recently launched Crosswalk, a division for event cinema.
26. Lovie Simone
Lovie Simone stars as Keisha in Netflix’s “Forever,” which brought in 19 million views in early 2025 and was renewed for a second season. She previously starred in OWN’s “Greenleaf” and Sundance’s “Selah & The Spades,” along with films like “Monster,” “The Walk,” and “The Craft: Legacy.”
27. George Strus
George Strus founded Breaking the Binary Theatre, supporting over 500 transgender and non-binary artists with $750,000 in payouts and $1.25 million in philanthropic funding. A Tony-nominated producer, Strus also leads Benson Drive Productions, developing projects with Amber Ruffin, Laverne Cox, and more.
28. Sophie Thatcher
Sophie Thatcher rose to fame as Natalie Scatorccio in “Yellowjackets.” She has starred in horror films including “The Boogeyman,” “Heretic,” and “Companion,” and released her debut EP in 2024. Thatcher also fronted Valentino’s Fall 2025 campaign.
29. Jordan Tortorello
Jordan Tortorello, who started on Musical.ly, now runs Mixed Media, producing over 300 music videos and his debut feature, “Peripheral,” which won Best Narrative Feature at the American Black Film Festival. He is developing a new film on mental health, set for March 2026.
30. Auguste White
Auguste White is an Emmy-nominated writer, stand-up comedian, and poet. She is a writer for NBC’s upcoming Tina Fey and Robert Carlock series and previously worked on SNL as one of the youngest female staff writers. She is also a five-time Emmy nominee, including for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, and has written for HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”
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