Forbes Unveils 2026 Hollywood 30 Under 30: Meet the Rising Stars Shaping Entertainment’s Future

Forbes has revealed its 2026 30 Under 30 list for Hollywood and Entertainment, spotlighting the young actors, producers, and financiers who are driving the next wave of the industry. These rising talents are making big moves and reshaping the future of film, television, and media. Let’s check out the list.

1. Anna Cathcart

The Canadian actress is best known for starring as Kitty Song-Covey in Netflix’s Xo, Kitty, a continuation of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise.

Season one of the series drew 14.3 million viewers in its first week, and season two maintained similar popularity. Cathcart also lends her voice to the upcoming The Angry Birds Movie 3 and narrates the Audible series Middlebridge Mysteries. With over 11 million social media followers, she uses her platform for brand partnerships with Fujifilm and Aveeno, emphasizing that every post is a form of marketing.

2. Chase Infiniti

Infiniti gained widespread recognition for her role in Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent and reached new heights with Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another, which grossed $197 million worldwide. Critics praised her performance, and she is now positioned as a contender for 2026 awards. Infiniti will also lead Hulu’s upcoming series The Testaments, a highly anticipated spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale.

3. Anno

Cofounded by Sydny Furuichi and Brent Assayag, ANNO is a bicoastal production company working in music, film, fashion, and global brand campaigns.

The company’s notable projects include Instacart’s Back to School campaign, which earned over a billion impressions, and creative collaborations with Porsche, Adidas, and artists like Orlando Bloom, Emma Chamberlain, and Emily Ratajkowski. ANNO also produced visuals for musicians including Lizzy McAlpine, A$AP Rocky, and Harry Styles.

4. Kelly Berger

As a motion picture literary agent at Creative Artists Agency, Berger represents directors, writers, actors, and producers while helping them navigate deals and career growth. She negotiated high-profile agreements including Rachel Kondo’s The Women adaptation, Amazon’s Murder 101, and Yesteryear starring Anne Hathaway. Berger also helped sell Edward Berger’s short story The Barrier after an 11-way bidding war, securing a seven-figure deal for 20th Century Studios.

5. Marissa Bode

Bode made history as the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose in John M. Chu’s Wicked duology, which grossed over $756 million globally. The sequel opened to $223 million in its first weekend. Off-screen, Bode advocates for disability and LGBTQIA+ representation, directs and produces her own films, and contributes to NBC’s Paralympics Primetime coverage while serving as a Saving Our Daughters Ambassador.

6. Christopher Briney

Briney became a household name as Conrad Fisher in Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, whose season three attracted 70 million viewers. He also played Aaron Samuels in the 2024 Mean Girls revival and stars in Niki Byrne’s coming-of-age drama The Julia Set. Briney has more than 7 million social media followers, which he uses to engage with fans and promote his upcoming projects, including The Summer I Turned Pretty: The Movie.

7. Julia Bromberg

Bromberg transitioned from leading campaigns at A24 to spearheading Film & TV development at podcast company Novel. She oversees adaptations including The Girlfriends and Kill List, with dual development deals at Prime Video and Apple. Bromberg manages 17 podcast-to-screen projects, acting as a one-woman department handling strategy, development, and creative matchmaking.

8. Miles Caton

Caton starred in Ryan Coogler’s box office hit Sinners, which grossed $161.6 million worldwide. He first gained attention with a viral performance of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, toured with Grammy winner H.E.R., and co-wrote the original song “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” for Sinners. Caton’s music career includes singles like This Ain’t It and Somethin, and he won the 2025 Astra Midseason Award for Best Supporting Actor.

9. Isaiah Chavous

Chavous is the founder and CEO of Noctal, an AI-powered sound design platform that automates event detection, sound matching, and predictive audio placement. The company closed a $2 million seed round and is now used by over 150 post-production creators. While at the University of Colorado Boulder, Chavous co-founded the Center for African and African American Studies.

10. Minye Cho

Originally from Seoul, Cho moved to the U.S. to build a career in production without any contacts. She now runs Ambience Studio, producing music videos, commercials, short films, and brand campaigns for Samsung, LG, Spotify, and Paris Baguette. Cho has collaborated with artists like Steve Aoki, aespa, and Seventeen while managing teams of 30–150 people on projects ranging from $10,000 to $500,000.

11. David Lynch

Lynch is a Broadway producer and business analyst reshaping theater financing through DJL Productions. He produced his first Broadway show at 24 and won a Tony Award at 25 for Parade. His productions have grossed $90 million+, entertained nearly 1 million people, and earned 15 Tony nominations.

12. Mikey Madison

Madison earned her breakout role as Ani in Sean Baker’s Anora, winning an Oscar for Best Actress. She previously appeared in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the Scream franchise, and River in All Souls. Madison hosted SNL in 2025 and became a global ambassador for Dior, also working with brands like Miu Miu, Prada, and Bottega Veneta without a social media presence

13. Lexie Chu

Chu is a producer and creative executive at Skydance Animation, overseeing original film development and studio strategy. She founded Asians in Animation (AIA), a global mentorship and accelerator program serving 6,250+ members across 92 countries, delivering over 300 hours of mentorship yearly and helping launch hundreds of animation careers.

14. Auli’i Cravalho

Cravalho rose to fame as the voice of Disney’s Moana, reprising her role in Moana 2, which grossed over $1 billion. She starred in Mean Girls: The Musical on Broadway and will executive produce Disney’s live-action Moana in 2026. Cravalho is also active in philanthropy, partnering with Aloha United Way, Kuleana Coral Restoration, and the UN Small Island Developing States.

15. Grace Goldstein

Goldstein is a touring agent for comedians including Ilana Glazer, Jerrod Carmichael, Ziwe, and Paul Scheer. She expanded her roster in 2025 to include SNL cast member Jane Wickline and NeNe Leakes. Goldstein is dedicated to promoting diverse comedic voices, representing performers with disabilities such as Tina Friml.

16. Wesley Goodrich

Founder of Paper Box, Goodrich is a production designer and art director, creating visuals for music videos, campaigns, and live performances for artists like Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, and Ariana Grande. In 2025, she won a VMA for Best Art Direction for Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra.

17. Abhinaya Govindan

Known as Abby, she is a stand-up comedian and writer who tours internationally. Her solo show How To Embarrass Your Immigrant Parents was presented off-Broadway by Hasan Minhaj and Daniel Sloss. Govindan’s audience spans TikTok, Instagram, and X, totaling nearly 300,000 followers.

18. Jack Innanen

While studying physics and astronomy, Innanen created viral one-man sketches on Instagram and TikTok, amassing 4M followers. He made his screen debut in FX’s Adults and was cast in Netflix’s Big Mistakes, also collaborating with brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hermès.

19. Alex Lin

Lin is a playwright whose work bridges complex themes of women, power, and science with pop culture. He won the Stavis Award, two Kennedy Center awards, and is a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. In one season, Lin had two premieres at major New York theaters, with a combined $2M production budget, and will be submitted for the Pulitzer Prize in 2026 and 2027.

20. Keyla Monterroso Mejia

Mejia debuted professionally on Curb Your Enthusiasm and has since starred in Apple TV+’s The Studio and Amazon’s You’re Cordially Invited, which drew 50 million viewers worldwide. She also appeared in projects with Keke Palmer, SZA, Mindy Kaling, and the bilingual series Acapulco.

21. Clementine Quittner

Quittner co-founded Small Ideas with Cooper Raiff and produced TV series Hal & Harper, maintaining creative control while securing distribution from Lionsgate. She executive produced Brian Tetsuro Ivie’s Serenity and David Michôd’s Christy, and now serves as VP of Film at Black Bear.

22. Lola Tung

Tung stars as Belly Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty, with season three reaching 25 million viewers in its first week. She also performed on Broadway in Hadestown and will appear in three upcoming feature films. Tung has nearly 6M social media followers and brand partnerships with American Eagle, Urban Decay, and Coach.

23. Rhian Moore

Head of programs at CAPE, Moore has expanded initiatives supporting Asian Pacific creatives, including the New Writers Fellowship, Showrunners Incubator, and Animation Accelerator. She also oversaw CAPE’s global expansion in partnership with the Japanese government.

24. Emma Myers

Myers rose to fame as Enid Sinclair in Netflix’s Wednesday, which streamed 1.7 billion hours in season one and earned two Golden Globe nominations. She starred in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, will appear in A Minecraft Movie and The Angry Birds Movie 3, and has 11.5M social followers.

25. Rachel Orbach

Orbach is director of finance and strategy at Bleecker Street Media, overseeing all financial decisions. She managed box office hits including The Friend and Relay, and upcoming projects such as the Drag Race theatrical feature and the Elon Musk documentary Musk.

26. Lovie Simone

Simone stars in Netflix’s Forever, which had 19M views in early 2025 and was renewed for a second season. She previously starred in OWN’s Greenleaf and Sundance hit Selah & The Spades, and her film credits include Monster, 57 Seconds, The Walk, and The Craft: Legacy.

27. George Strus

Founder of Breaking the Binary Theatre, Strus supports transgender and non-binary artists, paying $750K+ in fees and raising $1.25M in donations. He is also a Tony-nominated producer and founder of Benson Drive Productions, which develops over 30 projects with artists like Amber Ruffin and Laverne Cox.

28. Sophie Thatcher

Thatcher is known for her breakout role in Yellowjackets and has appeared in The Boogeyman, Heretic, and Companion. She released a debut EP in 2024 and modeled for Valentino’s Fall 2025 campaign, establishing herself as both an actress and musician.

29. Jordan Tortorello

Tortorello started on Musical.ly before founding Mixed Media, which includes Stage 18 and Actually Original. He has directed over 300 music videos, produced award-winning films like Peripheral, and is preparing a mental health-focused feature for 2026.

30. Auguste White

Emmy-nominated writer, comedian, and poet; currently on NBC’s The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. She was one of SNL’s youngest female writers at 23, later serving as writing supervisor for season 50. White has five Emmy nominations and has also written for HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls.

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