As the rest of the world is slowly adopting more progressive mindsets (identifying racial discrimination and LGBT rights), Hollywood is also starting to evolve into a more diverse crowd. The rising Hollywood A-List is full of men and women of various races, backgrounds, and things to say. Here are a couple of members of the Hollywood rising class who had amazing years in 2015 and who are slated to accomplish even bigger feats in the coming months.
Oscar Isaac
Hailing from Guatemala, Oscar Isaac first popped onto the scene playing supporting roles in “Sucker Punch,” “Robin Hood,” and “Drive.” In 2013, the Julliard grad played the title role in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” which earned him a Golden Globe nomination and established him as a viable leading man. Last year he appeared in the critically acclaimed sci-fi film “Ex Machina” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which skyrocketed him to worldwide recognition. Isaac’s filmography is huge and diverse. The only constant in his career is consistently strong work. In 2016 he will take on the role of famed comic book villain Apocalypse in “X-Men: Apocalypse.”
Alicia Vikander
This Swedish starlet, who has mostly occupied the screens of indie period films in the past couple of years, had an incredible 2015. In addition to starring in the blockbuster spy comedy “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” she received critical acclaim for her roles in “Ex Machina” and “The Danish Girl.” Both of these films earned her rare double nominations at both the Golden Globes and the BAFTA awards. In 2016 she will continue her stream of roles in critical darlings, in addition to playing the female lead in the new “Bourne” film.
Michael B. Jordan
By making his mark in “The Wire,” “Friday Night Lights,” and his 2013 lead role “Fruitvale Station,” Michael B. Jordan became a phenomenon. After being a bright light in the otherwise dim “Fantastic Four” reboot, Jordan cemented his place in the Hollywood upper class with his starring role in “Creed,” the first “Rocky” spin-off, helmed by “Fruitvale” director Ryan Coogler. Although he currently has nothing announced for his 2016 slate, Variety reports that a “Creed” sequel is already in the works.
Cara Delevingne
The British model who, according to her Vogue cover story, always planned to transition into acting did so spectacularly this year with a small role as a mermaid in “Pan” that was followed by a leading role in the young adult novel adaptation “Paper Towns.” Taking Hollywood by storm, she will star this year in the DC Comics film “Suicide Squad” and, according to IMDB, she is currently filming a lead role in “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.”
John Boyega
This year Boyega inspired many as Finn in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the franchise’s first Black lead. A British actor (of Nigerian descent) who described himself as “chocolate and confident” at the “Star Wars” premiere this year, John Boyega has appeared in several productions over the years, most notably 2011’s “Attack the Block.” In 2016 he will appear in the sci-fi film “The Circle” and (along with Oscar Isaac) and in “Star Wars Episode 8.”
Amy Schumer
A “Last Comic Standing” alum, Amy Schumer has made a name for herself in recent years as a feminist comic, unashamedly tackling double standards in a comedic way. Schumer blew up in 2015 as her Comedy Central show “Inside Amy Schumer” won multiple Emmy Awards and her first screenplay, “Trainwreck” (which she also starred in), garnered critical praise and Golden Globe nominations for her performance. According to “The Hollywood Reporter,” she is currently writing a comedy film with her close friend Jennifer Lawrence, which the two are both set to star in.
Lupita N’yongo
The Mexican-born Kenyan actress won an Academy Award for her film debut “12 Years a Slave,” but has since been more visible as a fashion icon than an actress. In 2015 she starred in the stage play “Eclipsed,” which is currently moving to Broadway, and also acted in “The Force Awakens” as the motion capture character Maz Kanata. Her relative absence from our screens will be rectified in 2016, where she will voice the character of Mowgli’s mother in Disney’s “The Jungle Book” remake and play Phiona’s mother in “The Queen of Katwe,” the true story tale of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi. Variety also reports that N’yongo will star as the lead in a film adaptation of “Americanah,” the novel by famed African author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Other Stars On The Rise
Keep an eye out for “Chi-Raq” star Teyonnah Parris in TV One’s biopic “The Miki Howard Story” as well as “42” and “Get On Up” star Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther in Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War.” “Saturday Night Live” cast members Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones will make lead debuts in “Ghostbusters” while “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World” lead Chris Pratt has two projects on the horizon: Western remake “The Magnificent Seven,” where he will star opposite Denzel Washington, and “Passengers,” the sci-fi film in which he will appear with Jennifer Lawrence.
