4 young celebrity stars who stun us with their amazing talent
Celebrity actors and actresses keep getting younger and more talented: Prepare to feel stunned by our favorite new rising child stars!
It’s been more than 80 years since Shirley Temple took home a Juvenile Academy Award for her work as a child actress in films (she won the honor in February 1935 for her movie success in 1934). In recent years, the latest crop of young celebrity stars has built on the child acting legacy of Temple. (Not to mention making us wish we’d tried a tad more in those tap-dance classes that we reluctantly attended as kids!)
Get ready to meet our four favorite rising youthful stars and join us in hoping they’ll soar just like Shirley.
Jacob Tremblay, Age 11
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Jacob Tremblay (L) and Owen Wilson attend the after party for the premiere of Lionsgate’s “Wonder” on November 14, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Jacob Tremblay isn’t just a rising star at 11: He’s also adorably open in admiring other celebrities. The humble young actor, who soared to fame overnight in The Room, became buddies with co-stars such as Brie Larson and Julia Roberts. Jacob also has sought to meet his own idols, including Mark Hamill, Sylvester Stallone, and Ryan Reynolds. Tremblay shared his excitement in meeting Reynolds on his Instagram page.
Our prediction: In about 10 years, Jacob will be generous in taking time to meet the future young stars who will idolize Tremblay for his matured talents.
Storm Reid, Age 14
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 13: Storm Reid (L) and Oprah Winfrey attend the European premiere of Disney’s “A Wrinkle In Time” at BFI IMAX on March 13, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Disney)
Storm Reid landed her biggest role (A Wrinkle in Time) at 14 after appearing in12 Years a Slave and Sleight. The young actress told Teen Vogue that she views her generation as the Change Makers, and Reid is articulate in describing what it means to be an African-American girl cast as A Wrinkle In Time‘s youthful heroine.
"Representation is everything. If I was younger, if I saw Meg as myself, Meg would empower me and inspire me and make me feel like I could save the world. So to have those characters and to be able to be that for young African-American girls or just young people in general is really empowering."
Our prediction: Storm will shine a light on her Change Makers generation.
Iain Armitage, Age 9
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 16: Actor Iain Armitage attends the 2018 CBS Upfront at The Plaza Hotel on May 16, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)
Young Sheldon delighted us from the first episode, giving us an inside look at the brilliant Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon’s life as a child. At 9, Iain Armitage has taken the challenging lead role and made it his own, combining precocious intelligence with boyish charm. Beyond that role, HBO just confirmed he will again play Ziggy in Big Little Lies second season.
Our prediction: Shailene Woodley, who plays Ziggy’s mom Jane in Big Little Lies, will need to watch that she doesn’t get upstaged by Armitage’s talent.
Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Age 10
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 21: Actors Parker Bates, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, and Lonnie Chavis attend the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
This Is Us wowed fans starting with the pilot, and it only got better as we realized that the show shifted timelines. We crushed on some of the lead actors (looking at you, Milo Ventimiglia) while falling in love with the adorable kids who play the Big Three. Among them, Mackenzie Hancsicsak shines as young Kate Pearson on This Is Us.
She told Yahoo that her favorite scene featured Milo. The two co-starred in “The Pool” episode, in which young Kate was mocked for her weight. Mackenzie also expressed appreciation to her older Kate counterpart, Chrissy Metz, who is “very sweet and helps” the young actress to improve.
Our prediction: Like the other rising stars listed above, Hancsicsak is well on her way to joining Shirley Temple in taking home a trophy for her youthful acting talents.
Who is a young celeb you love watching on television or in movies?