It’s that time of year again! Kids are going back to school, and we’re going back to our regularly scheduled programming. Well, new programming that is.
Every year, we break down which fairly new actors in new shows you should pay attention to (see: Chrissy Metz, Bryan Tyree Henry, Donna Lynne Champlin and Priyanka Chopra). This year’s talent is no different, and we can’t wait to see them at work. Which rookies are you most excited to see?
Brandon Micheal Hall {The Mayor}
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Previous Work: Search Party, Broad City
Why You Should Watch Him: Brandon Micheal Hall plays young rapper Courtney Rose, who decides to run for public office as a publicity stunt. Except he ends up winning and becomes The Mayor. Brandon is charming and charismatic both as the character and as an actor – it’s no wonder why he won the popular vote. He’s also got a strong bench on the screen with Yvette Nicole Brown as his mom and Lea Michele as a rival campaign manager, but also off – one of the executive producers is Hamilton’s own Daveed Diggs.
When You Can Watch Him: Tuesdays @ 9:30pm on ABC (watch the trailer here)
Iain Armitage {Young Sheldon}
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Previous Work: Big Little Lies, The internet
Why You Should Watch Him: Speaking of Hamilton and Daveed, enter nine-year-old Iain Armitage, who Broadway nerds might know as his online persona, Iain Loves Theatre. Don’t know him as that? Watch him rapping at a #Ham4Ham with an assist from Daveed. Or you might know him as Shailene Woodley’s son on Big Little Lies. He’s only nine but going from BLL to a starring role in a network spinoff show of one of the most popular sitcoms ever, yeah, Iain’s not doing too bad. And he deserves all of it.
When You Can Watch Him: Mondays @ 8:30pm on CBS (watch the trailer here)
Bobby Moynihan {Me, Myself and I }
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Previous Work: Saturday Night Live, Sisters, When In Rome
Why You Should Watch Him: Not gonna lie I was pretty sad when one of my fave cast members left SNL, but like the Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader before him, he had to leave in order to get the proper stardom he deserved. In Bibby’s first starring TV role, he plays the middle aged version of Alex, a character we see at 9, 40, and 65 years old. Of course we all known Bobby’s hilarious, but he’s also got a ~sensitive side too, and that comes through just in the first look. While CBS comedies usually have a bad track record in my book, I’m hoping this one sticks around.
When You Can Watch Him: Mondays @ 9:30pm on CBS (watch the trailer here)
Anthony Ramos {She’s Gotta Have It}
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Previous Work: Hamilton, Younger, Law & Order: SVU, my dreams
Why You Should Watch Him: Never forget this tweet from Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2014: “This is Anthony Ramos. You don’t know him yet, but boy, will you. Kid’s a star.” Cut to a life-changing role in Hamilton, a role in Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born remake, and a new (old?) Spike Lee joint, all making this kid from Brooklyn a true star. The trailer that’s out now isn’t that good, but Anthony’s scene made me smile obnoxiously to myself, and if he can make me do that in 45 seconds, he’s bound to do that for all of us with an entire TV series.
When You Can Watch Him: The entire season comes out on Thursday, November 23rd on Netflix (watch the trailer here)
Josh Hutcherson {Future Man}
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Previous Work: The Hunger Games franchise, Journey to the Center of the Earth franchise, The Kids Are All Right
Why You Should Watch Him: The movie stars just keep coming over to TV. And for the bread boy, he opted to go with a reliable streaming service in Hulu with an even more reliable premise: he plays a time-travelling janitor who’s attempting to change the future without messing up the past. Does this mean it’s an alternate dystopia and he WON’T act like a lil bitch in The Hunger Games?
When You Can Watch Him: The entire season comes out on Thursday, November 13th on Netflix (watch the trailer here)
Sarah Gadon {Alias Grace}
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Previous Work: 11.22.63, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Belle
Why You Should Watch Her: I don’t think I’ve ever seen this talented woman on screen before, but judging by the trailer for this show, I am all freaking in. Margaret Atwood (who wrote the novel Alias Grace is based from) is having a great year.
When You Can Watch Him: The entire season comes out on Friday, November 3rd on Netflix (watch the trailer here)