Top 20 Up and Coming Child Actors 2016
Watch for these rising child stars in 2015. No particular order, picks from the list of most talented and promissing child actors.
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- Actor
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Corey Fogelmanis can be seen as the lead in Tommy Dorfman's directorial debut I Wish You All the Best alongside Lena Dunham, Alexandra Daddario and Cole Sprouse. The film premiered at this year's prestigious SXSW Film Festival and is due out later this year. His breakthrough performance as the introverted Ben, a non-binary teen who has spent their life pretending to be the perfect 'son' to their ultra-religious parents, was met with exceptional reviews. He was also recently seen as Nathan Walter in Netflix's debut hit series My Life With the Walter Boys which was swiftly picked up for a second season. Perhaps best known for his role as 'Farkle' on the Emmy nominated Disney series Girl Meets World with Sabrina Carpenter, Corey also starred with Oscar winner Octavia Spencer in Universal Pictures' thriller MA. Next up Corey will play a lead in the slasher film Carved for HULU as well as the upcoming independent suspense / drama film One Stupid Thing.- Actor
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Riley Lio is a Filipino American actor, born in Bellflower, California.
He is best known for his television work on NBC's "Marry Me", Fox's "New Girl", TV Land's "Teachers", ABC's "Back in the Game", FX's "Saint George", Disney's "Kickin' It", and Nickelodeon's "Sam & Cat".
Riley's first film role is a feature film called, "The Other," starring Drea de Matteo and Jill Hennessey. He has worked with actors, such as Ariana Grande, Jeanette McCurdy, George Lopez, Danny Trejo, Zooey Deschanel, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, and Jennifer Stone.
Riley is a talented young actor who's passion for acting is evident in his craft and how well he takes direction.- Actress
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Veronika Bonell was born in Thousand Oaks, CA. She started her acting career in a dramatic theater in 2012 at age 11 playing two faced Rhoda Penmark in "Bad Seed" where she aced the double personality of the main character. She's known for her role as Aurora in "Jimmy's Jungle" (2018) and Young Dottie in "Agent Carter" (2015). Veronika has showcased her versatility in movies like "Demon Within" (2017) and "Tiger's Tail" (2014)- Lincoln Melcher was born on 12 December 2003 in California, USA. He is an actor, known for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014), Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018) and Mr. Church (2016).
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Chiara Aurelia is an American actress widely known for her starring role as 'Jeanette Turner' in the series Cruel Summer, for which she received a Critics' Choice Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her breakout performance also garnered Aurelia a Best Actress nomination from Women's Image Network (WIN) and the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA), with the show winning Best Cable Series in the HCA's Drama category. Cruel Summer Season 1 was the highest rated new cable drama series among women ages 18-34, scoring the highest ratings of any original series in the platform's history. Aurelia will next be seen playing 'Jordy' in the highly anticipated Peacock series, Hysteria!, which follows a high school heavy metal band of outcasts who find themselves at the center of a witch hunt after mysterious events unfold in their small town.
Aurelia is also known for her role as 'Young Ani', starring alongside Mila Kunis in the Netflix thriller Luckiest Girl Alive. Her depiction of 'Young Jessie' in Gerald's Game garnered Aurelia Best Supporting Young Actress by The BaM Awards and The Young Entertainer Awards, establishing her ability to portray emotionally demanding characters. Aurelia was born in Taos, New Mexico and began acting in theatre on stage- dancing, singing and acting at the age of four.- Actor
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Tyree started modeling at the age of 3 yrs old in San Fransisco, California. He booked his first job 2 weeks after meeting with an agent. He did several print ads and some radio spots. At the age of 5 was his 1st TV audition, which was Parenthood's pilot. He went from being a guest star to becoming a series regular on Parenthood after the first season. From the first day on set, he has enjoyed acting. He loves sports, friends and keeping busy. He is one focused child who is determined to be the best at whatever he decides to do. His sister Mackenzie has been a wonderful influence on him academically, through sports, and also acting/modeling.- David (pronounced "Dah-Veed") Albert Mazouz is an actor, writer, and producer who graduated from Stanford University in 2023, where he studied Economics and Psychology. He is best known for his role as Bruce Wayne on FOX's Gotham and since the show's end, he has continued to act in theater and film, as well as produce.
David was born to a Tunisian father and a Greek mother. He has American and Spanish citizenship. His maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors.
David began his acting career in commercials at the age of 7 after attending acting classes with his older sister. Spotted there by an agent, he began auditioning and fell in love with entertaining. He was born and raised in Los Angeles.
He landed his first film shortly after in a film directed by Edoardo Ponti. He began booking guest star roles for television, working with James Burrows and Randall Einhorn at the age of 9. He landed the role of Jake Bohm on FOX's Touch alongside Kiefer Sutherland, the only other cast member to appear in all 26 episodes. Kiefer was a kind and generous mentor for him, teaching him not only about the craft of acting but about the industry, as well. At the age of 13, he booked FOX's Gotham, where he played a young Bruce Wayne from the time of his parent's murder to becoming Batman. Alongside Bruce, David grew up on screen as he was 18 when the show ended. Living in New York as a teenager to shoot Gotham was trying at times as he was away from his school friends and the other half of his family, but since David is most passionate about work, he was ready to do school remotely. He managed juggling two completely different worlds effortlessly, and traveled back and forth to each coast regularly.
At Stanford, David performed in five plays and musicals, including an adaptation of Henry IV. He produced and acted in a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. He also acted in and produced short films in his time at Stanford. - Actress
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After starting her professional acting career at just three years old, Georgia-born Caitlin Carmichael has continued to make her mark on Hollywood as one of the brightest young actors.
Carmichael can be seen in Lionsgate's film "Midnight in the Switchgrass" as 'Tracey Lee.' This thriller revolves around an FBI agent and Florida State officer who team up to investigate a string of unsolved murder cases. The film is directed by prolific film and television producer Randall Emmett, making his directorial debut. Bruce Willis, Megan Fox, Emile Hirsch, Lukas Haas, and singer-rapper Machine Gun Kelly also star. "Midnight in the Switchgrass" premiered theaters on July 23rd, 2021.
Carmichael starred as the female lead 'Gretta' in BYUtv's international hit fantasy show "Dwight in Shining Armor." She also lent her voice to 'Alma' for Disney Junior's award-winning children's show "Doc McStuffins," for which she won Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role at the 2013 Young Artist Awards. Carmichael has appeared in some of the most popular television shows, including ABC's "The Good Doctor," CBS's "Young Sheldon," Nickelodeon's "iCarly," HBO's "True Blood," Showtime's "Dexter," and CBS's "Criminal Minds."
On the film side, Carmichael was seen in the faith-based film "Epiphany" as 'Luka,' where she won Best Actress at both the ICVM Crown Awards and the International Christian Film Festival. She appeared as the younger version of Olivia Wilde's character 'Abby' in Amazon Studios' drama "Life Itself." Carmichael can also be seen in films like "300: Rise of an Empire," "Martyrs," and "Wheelman."
In addition to acting, Carmichael is interested in philanthropy. She is the West Coast Teen Ambassador for the American Cancer Society and is especially passionate about their ResearcHERS campaign, which empowers girls in STEM programs and funds female scientists in cancer research. Carmichael graduated high school at 14-years-old as valedictorian and is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Carmichael currently resides in Los Angeles.- Actress
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Molly Jackson is a multi-talented, young adult actress with over fifteen years of working experience. She was born into a military family stationed in Würzburg, Germany, with Costa Rican and Jewish blood. Molly has acted in principal roles for Netflix, Fox, Disney, ABC, and Nickelodeon series. She has also acted in multiple indie features, three of them coming out later this year and early 2023. Not only does she act in front of the camera, but also enjoys bringing characters to life through her voice. Molly has done voiceover work for many major feature films over the last decade and voiced Gabby on Nickelodeon's "Blaze and the Monster Machines." Despite being on set quite often, Molly can never get enough of performing. So when she is home in Los Angeles, Molly attends classes at AMAW, The Yard Theater, and Groundlings. When she is not working or growing in her craft, Molly is studying towards her B.S. in Abnormal Psychology, practicing her musical skills, writing, working with animal rescue organizations, volunteering with Planned Parenthood, and reading, a lot of reading.- Actress
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Wallis was born in Houma, Louisiana, to Qulyndreia (Jackson) Wallis, a teacher, and Venjie Wallis, Sr., a truck driver. She has one sister, Qunyquekya, and two brothers, Vejon and Venjie, Jr. "Quven", the first part of her name, combines the first syllables of her parents' first names. Wallis, at age five, auditioned for her very first acting job, the starring role in Beasts of the Southern Wild, even though the minimum age to be considered was six. She eventually beat out 4,000 others for the role of Hushpuppy, the indomitable child prodigy and survivalist who lives with her dying father in the backwoods bayou squalor of Louisiana. At that time, she was just six years old during the filming. Wallis is the first person born in the 21st century to receive an Academy Award nomination. In May 2014, Wallis was named the face of Armani Junior, Giorgio Armani's line for children and teens. This makes her the first major child celebrity to be the face of a luxury brand.- Actress
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Isabella Crovetti began her acting career in the fall of 2010. As both her parents have careers in the industry, Isabella is no stranger to the world of film and television.
It wasn't long before Isabella was signed with the Osbrink talent agency, one of the top children's talent agencies in Los Angeles. Within a month's time Isabella was fortunate enough to be booking commercials, voice-overs, television shows and meeting with film directors such as Cameron Crowe, Shawn Levy, Chris Koch, Juan José Campanella and David O Russell.
Isabella's first pilot season landed her a starring role in the FOX comedy pilot Family Album, directed by Shawn Levy. By her first summer, Isabella booked a starring role in her first TV movie, Possessing Piper Rose, opposite Rebecca Romijn.
For her second pilot season, Isabella landed starring roles in both the ABC pilot The Neighbors as well as the Disney pilot Crash and Bernstein. Some of the shows she has worked on include Mike and Molly, In Plain Sight, Jessie, CSI, Enlightened, Happy Endings, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Scorpion.
Isabella is now starring in the Carlton Cuse television show Colony on USA Network as well as lending her voice for the lead role in the Nickelodean show Shimmer and Shine. Isabella also played a young Jennifer Lawrence in David O Russell's film Joy, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. In the winter of 2016, Isabella began shooting a Disney film entitled Magic Camp starring Adam Devine, Jillian Jacobs and Jeffrey Tambor. Isabella is also the lead voice and singing vocals for Disney's Vampirina.
Isabella comes from a creative family as both her parents work in the industry and her twin brothers are also actors. Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti can be seen as Nicole Kidman's twin boys on Big Little Lies (2017) . Besides acting, Isabella enjoys playing with her three siblings, sings and plays the guitar and enjoys a variety of sports. She is also a competitive gymnast and track runner.- Actor
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For Diego Josef, every character is a new challenge and every project, a new adventure. Born in Burbank, California, he began his career in various print campaigns and national commercials for iconic brands like Reebok, Sprint and AT&T. However, this wasn't Diego's vision; the 17-year-old has always had the heart of an artist, with a passion for acting and tackling profound roles. In 2013, at the young age of 13, Diego landed his first lead role in the inspirational feature "Ugly Benny." From there, he shined as the love interest in the critically acclaimed "Girl Flu," starring opposite Jade Pettyjohn and Katee Sackhoff. His quiet intensity as a young actor is also reflected in the film "Message from the King," which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival and had a stellar cast including Luke Evans, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer and Chadwick Boseman.
Diego's acting career quickly elevated and gained traction when he booked a lead role in "The Ballad of Lefty Brown" as young Jeremiah. The young star really holds his own and gives an amazing performance as a gullible adolescent reluctantly taken on by Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) when they run into each other on the trail. The beauty of the film is the unexpected wonderful friendship that ensues during this treacherous journey. Diego spent a month in Montana filming the feature alongside the award-winning cast including not only Bill Pullman, but also Peter Fonda, Tommy Flanagan, Jim Caviezel and Kathy Baker. "The Ballad of Lefty Brown" premiered at SXSW Film Festival and opened in theaters nationwide in December 2017 with stunning reviews from major outlets about Diego's performance and how the young actor is poised for stardom.
Diego can be seen in the upcoming second season of Amazon's Original Series & Golden Globe winner, "Goliath" where he plays young Julio Saurez opposite Billy Bob Thornton.
In his spare time, Diego enjoys giving back to the community. He's a passionate animal activist and supports charities around children and homelessness.- Actor
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Will Spencer is known for Ghost Squad (2015), The Amazing Wizard of Paws (2015) and A Tiger's Tail (2014).- Cameron John "CJ" Adams, was born in Elmhurst, Illinois on April 6, 2000 and raised in Rhode Island and where he started is acting career at age 6 in Disney's "Dan in Real Life". His mother and Father are Donna and Matt Adams. His father is a host of Morning Drive on Golf Channel, book author, golf expert and host of The Fairways of Life show (formerly on SiriusXM satellite radio) now a free Podcast. CJ is best known for his role as Timothy Green in the 2012 film The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which earned him the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor Age Ten and Under. He also played the title character as Zac Wade in the 2013 film Against The Wild.
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Octavius J. Johnson is an actor, singer, and musician. As a native of Baltimore, Maryland, Octavius discovered his passion for acting when he was cast as a featured extra on the HBO television series 'The Wire.'
This life changing experience, which ignited an interest in him to become an entertainer, was nurtured through extensive training and various acting and musical performance opportunities. He is revered in the industry as not only a pleasant teen to work with, but as one who is extremely talented, hardworking, and committed to his craft.- Actor
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Cole Jensen was born on 16 August 2001. He is an actor, known for The Invention of Lying (2009), Daredevil (2015) and Wrong (2012).- Actress
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Isabela Yolanda Moner, now officially Isabela Merced, is an American actress, voice actress, singer, songwriter, dancer, and ukulele player. She is known for Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), Instant Family (2018), and the title role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019). Merced also starred in the Nickelodeon television series "100 Things to Do Before High School." She made her Broadway debut at age 10 in a production of "Evita." Her film debut was "The House That Jack Built" (2013).
She was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Katherine, a Peruvian from Lima, and Patrick Moner, who was born in Louisiana, and has Polish and Slovak ancestry. She is the middle child of her family; she has an older brother, Jared, and a younger brother, Gyovanni.- Eve Moon was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2003 and now lives between Los Angeles and Seattle. She was approached by a director in Los Angeles at age six and started her acting career shortly thereafter. Eve starred in many commercials and booked her first series regular role on the CBS network at the age of nine. She has continued her love for acting appearing as a guest star in various tv shows. Besides acting, she loves animals and travel and is an advocate of the "Free to Luv" Anti bullying movement.
- Olivia Steele Falconer was born on 15 July 2000 in Vancouver, Canada. She is an actress, known for Once Upon a Time (2011), The Good Doctor (2017) and Sacred Lies (2018).
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Carter Hastings is known for The Darkest Minds (2018), The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) and Fences (2016).