George Clooney Reveals 3 Young Actors Who Truly Impress Him

George Clooney recently spoke about the young actors who stand out to him in Hollywood today, naming Timothée Chalamet, Glen Powell, and Zendaya. At the same time, he reflected on how the era of the movie star has changed.

“The thing where you put someone’s name above the title and you go see a movie because they’re in it has ended,” Clooney said. “And I’m part of the last generation of stars who were a beneficiary of a studio really investing in them.”

Chalamet has had a busy few years. In 2025, he hosted Saturday Night Live for the third time, becoming the first non-professional singer to perform as the show’s musical guest in three decades.

That same year, he produced and starred in the sports film Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, who said he wrote the role specifically for Chalamet, with The Independent calling him “truly one of our greatest talents” and IndieWire describing it as “one of the most colossal movie performances of the 21st century.”

He earned his third Critics’ Choice Best Actor nomination and a fifth Golden Globe nomination for the role.

Chalamet is also set to reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Three in 2026 and will reunite with director James Mangold for the motocross heist film High-Side, reportedly earning $25 million for the role.

Glen Powell has also made waves recently. In 2025, he starred in and helped create the comedy series Chad Powers, playing a former football player trying to make a comeback under a fake identity.

Critics praised his work, though some found the writing inconsistent. Later, he starred in Edgar Wright’s remake of Stephen King’s thriller The Running Man. Powell is next set to appear in the black comedy thriller How to Make a Killing and J.J. Abrams’ fantasy film Ghostwriter.

Zendaya continues to be a major presence in both film and television. She received a Golden Globe nomination in 2025 for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role in Challengers.

Upcoming projects include The Drama alongside Robert Pattinson, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. She will also return as Rue Bennett in Euphoria’s third season and star as Ronnie Spector in the biopic Be My Baby, which she is also producing. Spector personally chose Zendaya for the role before her death in 2022.

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