of Amy Adams’ character
on HBO’s Sharp Objects
and starred in Warner Bros.’
Nancy Drew and the Hidden
Staircase. Next up is Netflix
YA s e r i e s I Am Not Okay
With This.
My parents always tell me
to “Speak up. It’s something
I’m working on.”
JAEDEN MARTELL 16
Known for It
The Losers Club leader
has had a packed 2019.
Ahead of sequel It: Chapter
Tw o on Sept. 6, he’s been
seen on the festival circuit,
in Sundance thriller The
Lodge and dramas Low
Tide (Tribeca) and The
True Adventures of Wolfboy
(Karlovy Vary). And he has
two upcoming projects
opposite Chris Evans: Rian
Johnson dramedy Knives
Out and Apple+ series
Defending Jacob, as a
boy accused of murdering
a classmate.
I’ve been most starstruck
by “Bill Murray on my first
movie, St. Vincent. I was so
nervous around him that
I would never laugh at his
jokes, so he always called
me ‘straight face.’ ”MARSAI MARTIN 15
Known for Black-ishMartin has starred on ABC’s
Black-ish since she was 9,
a role that has earned her
multiple SAG Award noms
and Image Award wins.
She parlayed her network
fame into Universal’s April
comedy Little — not only
headlining her first film (with
Regina Hall and Issa Rae),
but also making a foray into
producing as an EP. Now she
has her own shingle, Genius
Productions, with a first-
look deal at Universal (see
page 76).Most surprising on-set
moment “Everyone
gathered to see Anthony
Anderson pull Miles Brown’s
tooth. It was nuts.”JD MCCRARY 12
AND SHAHADI
WRIGHT JOSEPH 14
K n ow n fo r
The Lion KingThe voices of young Simba
and Nala in Disney’s reboot
have had a busy year.
Joseph, who played Nala
in Broadway’s Lion King,
debuted on the big screen in
March in Jordan Peele’s Us.She’s branching into music,
too, dropping her first single,
“Skin I’m In,” this summer.
McCrary contributed guest
vocals to the 2017 Childish
Gambino track “Terrified,”
and after he appeared
on NBC’s kids’ Little Big
Shots performing a spot-on
Jackson 5 cover, Dr. Dre
and Jason Derulo reached
out to work with him. He
has also played opposite
Marsai Martin in Little, guest“Other kids don’t get how much
practice goes into acting,” says Abby
Ryder Fortson (right), with Ella Jay
Basco (left) and Ariana Greenblatt.HOLLYWOOD